I think it was all part of the cost cutting so they could load it with tech and have it come in cheaper than the rest. The current gen S1000RR has more issues than any bike I've seen released in recent memory - and that's after they delayed releasing any for nearly a year to fix issues! Loads of cracked carbon wheels, leaking brakes, leaking suspension, engine issues and general poor quality issues. But hey - all the reviews say its the best! You'd want to be brave to run one for a few years out of warranty
Sheesh that don’t sound good. I’ve got Covid now so test ride delayed to after a wee spring break in Dorset.
Well I finally got my test ride today. The bike IS amazing, very flattering and easy to ride. Quick shifter/blipper like butter and you can roll along at 30ish mph in 5th or 6th then it’ll pick up, hit 6000rpm and take off, with the full exhaust note. it’s a great bike. BUT It felt a bit soulless. Like comparing a modern sports car to an air cooled 911 (although I’ve not driven one). The tech and gizmos are great but compared to my 1098 and 959 it’s just not ‘engaging’. I’d decided to enjoy my 1098 and sell the 959 and I don’t think I’ll be changing my mind for a while.
I had a Gen4 S1000RR M-Sport and covered almost 10,000 miles on it. A very comfortable bike to ride with all the bells and whistles you could ever wish for. I had a couple of minor issues with it but overall I reckon it’s about as good as it gets. Along with the Panigale V4s. I sold my Gen4 and bought a Panigale V4s and I can honestly say the Panigale for me is a far nicer bike to own. The overall build quality of the bike is fantastic except for the bolts used - I am slowly replacing the bolts on the Panigale with titanium ones and I now have a bike which won’t suffer with corrosion on the bolts. The bike handles a lot better on smooth tarmac than the BMW but the BMW tends to handle better over bumpy roads. The finish on the bmw is appalling for a “premium brand product” and left me feeling a little disappointed. The brakes on the BMW are nowhere near as good as the brakes on the Panigale either. The big garish screen on the BMW looks too big. It’s a bit like being in a small lounge in someone’s house and someone thought a 65” tv would be perfect on the wall - it’s just too big. The Panigale has a nicer sized screen that displays everything you would ever need to see, plus the menues are far more intuitive on the Panigale compared to the BMW. If I was to buy one of the two bikes again, I would buy the Panigale. The BMW just doesn’t have the “wow factor”. It’s the most vanilla bike I have ever owned.
A fair assessment, thank you. I agree the BMW lacked that premium feel but I guess at >5k less you still get a lot for your money. Vanilla is a good word to use. It does the job well but does lock the wow factor for me.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, for the money it’s a fantastic bike. Truly fantastic. But the Panigale IS better. In many, many, ways.
I have a Gen 4 s1000rr sport and for me it’s a lovely bike. Now obviously going from the 749s to the BMW is night and day in terms of tech but for me it’s the best of both worlds, I have the technology and comfort of the BMW when I want it and the “soul” of the 749S for the special occasions…
I own one and have had the M-Sport from new since 2019 (I also have 4 Dukes, so not a BMW imposter crashing the Ducati party ). This is my second S1K, had a 2015 Gen 3 before this one, and it’s night and day different. In many ways its more ‘Panigale Like’ in the way it handles. The Shift Cam engine is utterly bonkers, and its a real ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ bike. I do all my track day on it, and it hasn’t missed a beat. Had a couple of factory recalls, new Oil Cooler and some other bit that I can’t remember, nothing too serious. BMW after care service is excellent, and ownership to date has been mint. It doesn’t have the ‘soul’ or ‘occasion’ that a Duke has, but it really is the Swiss Army knife of sports bikes, you wont be disappointed if you take the leap
