BMW S1000R (2014 - 2021) Review

I’m old and can go on a tank full before needing a break. In the mornings on a cool day this bike will rip. Not much traffic on the roads so you can just go!

Sounds like a lawn mower at a traffic light but open it up and it sounds like a motogp bike! 90mph in first gear.

Needs high octane fuel.

Love the heated grips. Minnesota riders use them in the am. Cruise control for those long freeway travels are a must have.

It’s a good all rounder Comfortable for long rides.

The engine is not as quiet as my old Honda CB1000R

At its best after a blast up to Perth from Cumbria (stopover) Then over to Oban (Stopover) then Back via Glasgow.

Plenty of midrange Torque. And Power.

No Rust, no Breakdowns,no Problems.

Dealer picks up Bike for me and returns Serviced. 70 miles round trip all in.

Looks Fast, goes Fast, and is. Comfort Seat, larger brake pedal foot pad And sidestand foot. Avon Tyres.

brilliant

buzzy but insane power, wheelie everywhere.

It's a thirsty bugger, wind anything on and you aren't getting anywhere far.

It’s my commute bike as well as the weekend blast. It does everything pretty well though that’s coming from a person only having ridden for 4 years. I’ve ridden it non stop between fuel stops. About 150 miles from a toppers tank, according to the gauge though riding style will massively impact that. I’ve been to Spain on it with Krega 30 lte luggage, was great. The bike I feel is a real all rounder. “Happy” plodding through town and then when you hit the open roads, I need to get my weight forward as well as lie flat on the tank behind that tiniest of “screens”!!! But it’s a naked, and it looks great. A real head turned in the Catalona Grey.

Im relatively new to bike riding with limited experience of bikes and engines For me it’s awesome! I find it smooth to ride compared to the snatchy GSXS, loads of grunt for about town when you want to safely “make progress”…. I’m still yet to find the top end, so looking into a track day.

It’s been reliable to date, more so now I’ve got a battery tender as it had sat around for a long time express I bought it and as a 2018 bike with only 500 on the clock I think it needed some TLC. BMW recovery we’re great. The paint quality is great and having used it as a commute bike during winter no signs of rust, especially on the swing arm unlike my was, 2 year old GSXS750.

It’s a litre bike and with the price of fuel at the mo…..My riding style doesn’t help matters. Having ridden for the last 4 years and and only having 1 years no claims, no accidents etc, just a swap of bike mid insurance term and then MCE insurance going bust meant I lost the equivalent of 18months no claims. As a S1000R Sport the “sport” had quite an impact on insurance cost. Hey ho….. it’s a great ride. I love it!

As it’s the Sport model you get all the bells and whistles. Heated grips are great as is cruise control when I was in Spain and France and just needed to gobble up the mindless miles.4 riding modes and I mostly stay on Dynamic now. I ride on Batlax S21. Had them on the Suzuki and get on well with them. Been told there are better but don’t have the pennies to find out for myself or at least Not until I’ve worn these out and need replacements.

The electric suspension is amazing - I can go from a [relatively] comfortable Road mode, to a firmer Dynamic in a couple of button presses! No more pulling over and having to break out an allen key to change things.The brakes are great - Brembo (M4 I believe) aren't quite up to the wall-hitting bite of the M50s and Brembo MCS I had before, but they do scrub the speed off faster than you can think!

I'll knock one off for this - as the bike can feel a bit snatchy through town - that get slightly softened if you come out of Dynamic or Dynamic Pro mode, but I guess it's just Euro 4 making itself known!

Though early doors, it's been great so far!

Paid less than 10k for mine, one owner and had the HP forged wheels fitted! Easily as flick-able as Street Triples now.

Plenty of kit!5 riding modes with the dongle, Pro being tweak-able 4 suspension modes (counting +pillion here) QS and blipper Cruise control Launch control (utterly brilliant for the TLGP) Track mode - lap timer etc, if you ever fancy timing your ride to work!Mine had a small screen fitted, which I believe is standard - and although it looks the size of a hamster's shield, it works perfectly well for someone under 6 foot!The Akra can makes all the pops and bangs you could want, whilst also keeping the droning noise down.As mentioned, mine had HP forged wheels - which have turned what I guess is a 200kgs+ bike into something as flick-able as a Street Triple.

Needs remapping lumpy as hell, and not smooth throttle Reponses

Tyre wear is low, 2000-3000 miles

Needs a screen and a handle bar riser option

my pillion finds the seat comfortable although after an hour I have a numb bum.

the power delivery is stunning, and at 160 horses I never use it all. It can be a bind finding neutral but thats a small gripe.

I think the bike is value for money, good quality parts and the Alton branch are very helpful.

very good handling, great in and out of corners. the standard tires are satisfactory but the mirrors are not good.

Only considering road use here since I have not tracked the bike. The Hayes calipers have huge power - stronger than the Brembo M4 I have fitted to several bikes. Braided lines too which are essential on any sports bike. A Brembo master would no doubt modulate power better than the BMW unit but you would only feel the difference on track - on road it is perfectly good enough. The Marzocchi forks (Sachs shock?) with DDC work pretty well on the road, finding a good compromise between control and plushness. I have only used in Dynamic mode since my riding is fast road use on winding Welsh B roads. I weigh 90kg plus kit and its a little underdamped at times when pushing on. For track use I would also likely get it resprung with stiffer springs, since its optimised as standard for an 85kg rider including kit. Again for track use I would miss the manual damper settings of the RR - I think that was BMW's biggest mistake leaving that option out for the R. I have ridden 150 miles in a day with absolutely no fatigue at all (and no vibration through the bars, so no numb hands). Footpegs are high enough that you wouldn't need to fit rear sets for track use, but that also means a little knee stiffness by around 150 miles (but I am 64 LOL). The engine doesn't sound as good as a V4, but one benefit at least of I-4 is none of the heat soak that you get with a Ducati.

Power delivery is super smooth with plenty of midrange even though BMW didnt use the Shiftcam here. Its really not needed since they were able to produce enough midrange by detuning the RR motor. And of course not using Shiftcam keeps the price down. Only downside to the engine is the exhaust note - its too quiet at mid revs (still keeping it below 7000rpm due to mileage but I doubt it will be much louder at the top end. On the other hand it is nice not to draw too much attention to yourself sometimes. I have only used this bike in the dry, on the road, so TC or ABS has never activated. I assume they work fine since the RR gets great reviews for its electronics.

Build quality and engineering design is excellent - superior to a Gen 1 SDR I had for a short time (only other super naked I have owned). No failures or niggles at all so far (but only 600 miles since new.

BMW servicing is not cheap but I have heard many comments that Aprilia and especially Ducati servicing is more expensive. For the 600 mile service I was quoted from £150 - £199 at BMW dealers. I normally do all my own work but I will maintain full BMWSH this time to keep the resale value up. One complaint I do have, coming from mostly Japanese bikes and doing my own servicing, is that its difficult to find spare parts or even parts diagrams, and no service manual available yet.

TFT display and firmware is awesome. Very easy to navigate while riding after a couple of times out. My bike had the optional screen fitted, which while very small, does help keep wind off. That, plus the flat bar which I really like combine to give a lot less buffeting than I got on the (non-Cafe) Z900RS I had. BMW uses several different tyre suppliers and i was pleased to find out my bike came with Bridgestone S22s which are excellent (dry road use only). If I do some track days in 2022 I will probably fit a new set of S22. I think the OEM S22 may be a different (lower) spec than aftermarket S22 but I will fit a new set anyway for track days.

5 on track with full power unlocked, 1-2 on the road. Pillion setting works well though with my 16 year old 10 stone nephew on board

Lack of balancer shaft makes it too vibey under 8000

No problems with reliability but I’m knocking 2 off on the mirrors alone. This is a ROAD bike ffs

I have bought bar raiser kit to fit this weekend My only criticism bit hard on the wrists for a naked bike , but hopefully raising bars will solve this

Performs and sounds fantastic.

The quick shifter is like silk , far better than on my MV TVL and street triple , switches are easy and simple to operate , dials and gauges clear Sufficient information given .

Only had bike 6 weeks, my first serving due at 6000 miles done 5000.

Heated grips and cruise control simple to operate and work well and come as standard If your doing journeys more than an hour would recommend comfort seat , but be aware if you order from Germany , I paid £65 .00 import duties that I wasn’t made aware off.

Jack of all trade and master of some even

Headline number is lower then competition but real world they would be lucky to keep up with this think to 120mph

So far so good

BMW isn't Cheap

Smashed the competition - way ahead

Obviously you can soften the suspenion electronically or let it do itself when you change the rider modes. If you are moving up from say an MT 07 or similar you will love it too. Press a button or two and you can change the suspenion for a passenger as well. Quick shifter up and down was good ( not as smooth as my zx10 r though). I thought the brakes were fine apart from i normally change to a double HH rating for trackdays cus lever would come to bars. But yes, the ABS can be turned almost off (ABS Pro) unlike my 10 r which needs a specialdongle

Yes, other than vibes i'm going to give it a 5. When the engine gets warm the standard Aka can more delicious little popping sounds and when you change gear. Lurvely! Back against the wall though, the engine can feel a bit ....normal and a tad lack lustre if you know what i mean. I've raced some fast cars ( i'm sad like that) and properly dented my younger brothers pride in his Amg C63 on the Autobhan. Lol

Nothing failed in 10,000 miles however, yes they do have noisey cam chains particuarly on start up and the clutch basket rattled a little bit. I can highly recommend rad guards though ( as with most water cooled bikes) and crash protection mushrooms / bobbins etc. I know this as i tried the later out on a cold wet windy night as roundinig a certain slow speed (40mph) i hit some wet leaves and did a 180 degree spin! After i managed to get myself from under a parked Fiat Punto which i slid under, the bike had slid further than i thought on a mass of wet squashed leaves . Luckily we both faired quite well. I rode the bike home and the main damage or than a broken mirror etc. was the engine case which was quite scuffed. I was proper miffed cus i had ordered some engine case protectors which came the next day!

Tyres and spare parts can be quite pricey from the main dealers like brake and clutch levers. Shop around

Oh forgot to mention the heated grips! Yes i'm getting old too. Traction control is very good (apart from on frozen wet leaves) And a big AND it has a fricking fuel gauge...hurray and cruise control. Don't comment until you've tried it ( Fugging ace on a long run when you don't want to stop for a pee!...just think for a second or two )

Little firm on Highland B roads, but all sports bikes are.

Not lacking!

Only marking down for a slight issues with the TFT, but the BMW cheat sheet which I was given by Inverness dealers sorted the problem.

179 for the first service 3 days after buying the bike stung, but it's a BMW...

Fully loaded bike. I don't think there is anything which it's missing.

Vibration makes the bike unusable. BMW chose not to use a balancer shaft in the s1000rr in order to make a statement on high power and low weight. The result on a track bike you ride in short bursts is not so much of a problem. On the s1000r though, which is supposed to be more usable, the vibes through the bars, pegs and seat ruin the bike. Mine was a 2019 model so had the rubber handlebar mount but still a major problem. Installed the heaviest bar ends you can buy and rubber foot pegs but didn’t solve the problem. The high frequency buzz is all over the rev range so you can’t ride around it (previous bike was an 08 zx10r - avoid 4k rpm and no problem) Had bmw dealer retorque the engine bolts which did not help. Spoke to mechanics at two separate bmw dealers - many, many people have tried this as a last resort. These bikes should not have been allowed to leave the factory. I would never buy a bmw again.

Power delivery is fairly clinical. Engine sounds rubbish with standard akro pipe. Vibes through handlebars, pegs and seat completely ruin the bike. Now own an Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory - now that’s how to build an engine - super smooth, huge character and amazing power & torque.

Paint and frame stain easily. Used muc off cleaner as have done with numerous bikes in the past with no problems. If you have this bike use car/bike shampoo only.

Never got around to servicing it as got rid of it as soon as I could but bmw charge a couple of hundred for an oil and filter change...

The bike is pretty well equipped. The quickshifter is smooth, the cruise control works well, and the rider modes are good but simple., They pale in comparison to a tuono, both in terms of adjustability and quality.

Poor turning circle

Heated handgrips

Brakes are excellent and the ability to change suspension settings on the fly is really useful. Seat could be more comfortable.

It would be a 5 but the bike feels too highly geared in 6th, the new 2021 model has lowing gearing in 5th and 6th

Only recently bought the bike so too early to tell.

I shall have mine serviced outside of the main dealer network, so should be similar to any other bike.

Mine is fully loaded including cruise control which makes longer rides a breeze.Dash is now a bit dated.

Excellent front brake but rear a little wooden but still works ok when in traffic. At its best summer day on fast flowing A road

Excellent power delivery from tick over to redline. Smooth no surging or spikes in power.

No issues but only done 8000 miles

Up and down quick shifter and cruise control.

150 miles but then I am 78 so perhaps if I was younger ???

Top quality service and back up but a little expensive. I guess you get what you pay for

Excellent power delivery but still tracktable Love the traction control and clutch-less gear change

Awesome brakes. Ride is quite firm but after setting the sag and preload etc the adaptive suspension reacts better on normal, but I find too wallowing on soft. Personally after 20 plus years on super bikes I set it in normal but with pillion even though no pillion on to firm the rear only , dynamic pro mode and cane it

Silky smooth, loads of torque nice throttle response what more can I say.

No issues anywhere after 14k miles.

Not had a service as yet but interim quoted around £200 I think. The big one at 18k miles is expensive but they apparently remove the forks etc and have it days. It’s a BMW at the end of the day not a 30 yr old jap 4

Heated grips could be better and quick shifter doesn’t like lower revs but not really an issue.

Brakes are the best. They are sharp, responsive. I am vertically challenged so the bike can get a little uncomfortable after an hour or so in the saddle. There is an option of a more cofortable seat pad but that would make the overall height a little taller which I dont want. I have always had Sports bikes but age has killed my back which is why I've gone for a 'Naked'. More comfort than a sports and more than capable for my style of riding. Great for a blast around the country side but don't use it on the motoway, too noisey, too much vibration and uncomfortable.

Very powerful all rounder. Puts a smile on my face evertime I let go. Very easy to ride and control. Engine braking is superb. You can sit in 6th all day if you want.

Been very reliable. Have done 8000miles. Summer riding now, so gets laid up for the winter and battery put on trickle charge. I do my own maintainance and servicing but use genuine parts. Build quality is very good. This is the first BMW I have owned and i am quite impressed with it.

I do my own servicing as I am a mechanic. BMW servicing can be expensive so use an independent garage to keep costs down if your not mechanically minded.

Never had heated grips before. I am now converted. I love the sound of the Akrapovic end can. That 'pop' on over run is music to my ears. 'Cruise Control'! who would have thought it? For a short stint on the Autobhan it is fantastic. Quick shifter. Yes and no. I like it but would have prefered up and down chages, this is only up. Makes no difference to me as I'm old school I can use a clutch! It came with Pirelli Corsa tyres. They were fantastic but did't last long. Changed them for a dual compound tyre which last longer for the type of roads I'm on.

Addictive. Regularly complete a trip to my parents which is over 370 miles in a day regardless of weather rider aids make it easy

This is the strong point it’s such a string accelerating machine power is incredible. Nothing I dislike about it the 165bhp is perfect

German engineers taking on the Japanese

I agree it can be expensive compared to my stable of Suzuki and Honda that I have owned But for the quality and experience of owning the S1k it’s worth it

I have kept mine as totally standard I just can not justify modding it. The exhaust as standard is quality not to load and gives a quality rumble when in the move I have changed tyres to Michelin Road 5 it’s the only non standard addition

Brembo brakes are fantastic in wet and dry

Sports bike performance in a naked. Engine is strong in any power.

It’s my first non Japanese bike never thought I would own a BMW. As I have always had Suzuki. Honda.Yamaha Kawasaki. BMW build quality is on par with the Japanese.

It is expensive at main dealerships. But going to a non main dealer it’s fine

Heated grips and cruise control on a performance bike. Amazing Suspensión is fantastic also

Adaptive suspension and strong brakes means it’s not lacking in that department

Strong and pulls in any gear Makes an overtake safe and easy Nice burble and pops and bangs from akrapovic too

Quality is ok with a few cheap fixings and paint thin on tank Reliability no issues at all and it gets used in mixed conditions with the only rust on usual places like cat and disc bolts

Bmw dealer did service however they have it as a s1000rr on their system and then it needed a chain and sprocket but didn’t order correct one as carrier different on forged wheels Had a loan bike for a week so no drama and reduced costs But for an interim 5k service expensive

Only downside is lack of screen and taller screen looks awful Also s1000rr had new lights but the naked has the squinty eye look

Brakes are amazing. Ride quality is OK but seat will hurt after about 150 miles. I toured Spain and did 6500 miles in a month when I first bought it including a track experience at Almeria. The only thing that bothered me was my backside. However, in recent times, I have had a chance to play with the suspension (which I should've paid more attention to when I first got the bike) and it turns out that there is not much you can really do to fine tune the Sport models that come with DDC. I don't think the bike was designed for owners weighing more than 85Kg (as that's what the manual refers to in the suspension set up section). I'm not much more than that and the front forks can bottom out quite easily. Even on the road with swift riding. Balancing out back and front is not achieved when abiding by the manual and additional adjustments have to be made as you ride and gain a feel for the bike. I used to take tools with me to make those adjustments and it took quite a few rides to get the bike feeling the way I thought it should. But the front forks will still bottom out quite regular. Having the electronic DDC means that changing out springs or shocks is not really easily accomplished. Not without great expense and knowledge, anyway. I sometimes wish I had gone for the standard non DDC model so that more adjustments can be done without having to consider the electronic complications involved with the DDC aspect of the bike.

The power still surprises me after two years and on track, when you get the chance to twist the throttle more than you could on the road, it continues to pull with each tiny twist of the grip.

No idea on costs as I do some maintenance myself and get the dealer to do the specialist stuff.

1st class service

Hard to find suitable carrier

I came off a 1st gen FZ1 and the difference is astounding. Brakes are superb. Handling is phenomenal. Ride quality in dynamic is very firm. In “road” mode it’s very comfortable.

Only owned it for a month, but already over 3,000 miles with no problems so far. First dealer service at break-in was $400.

Due to the electronics and computerized systems I will not be doing any of my own maintenance other than oil/filter and chain/sprocket. I know when technology has outpaced my mechanical skills. And that time has come.

I’m an I-4 guy, and it’s 165 hp, massive torque everywhere, so yeah, I love it! I just hate hearing the initial rattle of the cams for the first 1/2 second after starting it until oil is pumped to the top of the engine. Thinking of tapping into the ignition to make the engine spin with the starter for a few seconds without starting so it can pump oil to the top of the engine before firing up.

I came off a 1st gen FZ1 and the difference is astounding. Brakes are superb. Handling is phenomenal. Ride quality in dynamic is very firm. In “road” mode it’s very comfortable.

Only owned it for a month, but already over 3,000 miles with no problems so far. First dealer service at break-in was $400.

Due to the electronics and computerized systems I will not be doing any of my own maintenance other than oil/filter and chain/sprocket. I know when technology has outpaced my mechanical skills. And that time has come.

I’m an I-4 guy, and it’s 165 hp, massive torque everywhere, so yeah, I love it! I just hate hearing the initial rattle of the cams for the first 1/2 second after starting it until oil is pumped to the top of the engine. Thinking of tapping into the ignition to make the engine spin with the starter for a few seconds without starting so it can pump oil to the top of the engine before firing up.

My previous bike was a 2011 R1. This is as good with awesome brakes, ABS where required and a very comfy ride with excellent electtonic suspension. Deceptively fast.

Only issue is paint wearing off the frame and fairing from my legs after 35000 miles.

Depends whether services by BMW or not......based on 8000 miles annually

4 rider modes, eated grips, gear assist. Electronic suspension and rider aids.

The DDC can get a little sloppy on track, but that's not a big issue. On the road it's great. Brakes are savage and I've changed to a set of SBS pads up front to reduce the initial bite and increase the power and feel

Great power, super smooth and very rattly

This is where the BMW falls short. I had a couple of breakdowns within the first 8 months of ownership - one broken clutch cable and some sort of fuel feed issue, the dealer wasn't very clear on the cause of this. The bike rattles VERY loudly for about half a second on startup, this is a problem that has slowly been getting worse, but there's little interest in it from the dealer (BMW Southbank in Melbourne, Aus) "it's under warranty, you'll be ok". The bike would stall on cold starts until I switched to running 95 octane fuel instead of 98. When this was reported (and a video supplied) the dealer explained that it was normal for the bike to do this. I asked why the bike would be designed to stall and they agreed to check it over - no faults were found.

Great bike apart from the reliability concerns. Lots of options and the adjustable traction control is a lot of fun. Not cheap, but the features are worth the outlay

The package is excellent, but the SBS pads offered an improvement as did a set of M7RRs to replace the iffy Diablo Rosso IIs

Brakes are good, ride quality are poor

268 for a oil change

Excellent handling (when the bike is working) but is quite hard to control in slow moving traffic due to the steep rake forks. Suspension can't cope with a pillion on board ... confuses the electronic suspension. Not good seeing as this is a bike predomninantly designed road use in mind.

About a year into ownership (June 2016) whilst cruising on a motorway at 70 mph I heard a metallic rattle (I had ear defenders inserted into my ears so it must have been quite loud for me to hear the noise over motorway noise, wind noise, plus helmet on) and the bike lost almost all power. It was clear there was an engine fault as the bike also went from sounding like an inline-4 to a faulty V-Twin. Luckily the bike still ran rather than throw me off onto the road on a motorway with fast moving traffic, and I was able to pull over safely. One of the valves had snapped/broken. Not Good!!!!!! Was returned to me with very poor silicone sealing on the engine cover which they opened in the repair process, damage to the engine block, a scratch on the chassis, rattling engine, and down on power.

The below account is a condensed version ... I could easily write war and peace ... Expected so much from this bike, and BMW. Bought this bike new in 2015 from BMW Park Lane at a cost of nearly £12k. I have done the whole superbike thing having had Yamaha R1's, Kawasaki ZX-10R's etc. etc. and wanted to try a Supernaked for the road. About a year into ownership (June 2016) whilst cruising on a motorway at 70 mph I heard a metallic rattle (I had ear defenders inserted into my ears so it must have been quite loud for me to hear the noise over motorway noise, wind noise, plus helmet on) and the bike lost almost all power. It was clear there was an engine fault as the bike also went from sounding like an inline-4 to a faulty V-Twin. Luckily the bike still ran rather than throw me off onto the road on a motorway with fast moving traffic, and I was able to pull over safely. I called BMW recovery and waited for recovery. Recovery took over 3 hours to arrive. What made the matter worse is that this was a Sunday approaching 3 p.m. I knew that the bike would need to be recovered to a BMW Motorrad dealer so planned ahead and called BMW Park Lane (from where the bike was purchased) to make them aware the bike had gone faulty and would be recovered to them for repair under the 24 month factory warranty. Spoke to someone on the phone from BMW Park Lane who told me I was not allowed to recover the bike to Park Lane ... as the workshop (which is not located at the showroom) would be closed as it was a Sunday. I politely explained this was not my problem, and that I would have the bike recovered to the showroom so they could transfer the bike to the workshop Monday morning. This fell into the "too difficult" box for BMW Park Lane and was told recovery to the showroom was not an option. Not good!!! Realising I was getting nowhere with BMW Park Lane, and as it was now approaching 4 pm, I decided to call BMW North Oxford to advise them of what had happened. They said that by the time the bike was recovered to them they would be shut, but advised to leave the bike outside their shutter so they could deal with the fault on Monday morning. To cut a very long story short ... once BMW North Oxford had investigated the fault, it transpired that one of the valves had snapped/broken. Not Good!!!!!! Realising as well as I did that this most likely caused untold damage to the cylinder, piston head, cams, etc. the first thing they suggested was a new engine. They submitted photos to BMW corporate who subsequently only authorised the broken valve replacement. Not Happy. After many weeks of complaining, emails, phone calls, explaining the story to someone new every time I called I got nowhere. Very Disappointed. Bike was repaired (in a loose term) , and was returned to me with very poor silicone sealing on the engine cover which they opened in the repair process, damage to the engine block, a scratch on the chassis, rattling engine, and down on power. Much more complaining, emails, explaining the story a hundred times, and phone calls, and was basically told to go away. Few weeks later, when the routine service was due, the engine service light came on. Having just had a valve change the oil, oil filter etc. had been changed so effectively had said service. North Oxford did not reset the service timer in the process. Doh!!! After all the drama I had already suffered I was annoyed to say the least, especially as it meant a 70+ mile round trip just to have a service light reset. Appreciating mistakes do happen, and phoning ahead, I made said 70+ mile round trip. When I got to BMW North Oxford I explained everything again. I was the told that they could not reset the service light as I needed an oil change, even though I was told over the phone it wouldn't be an issue. I politely explained that the oil service had just been carried out due to a valve replacement but they basically told me to go away and would not reset the service light unless I paid for another oil change. Thinking on my feet I told them that the valve work was carried out under warranty, so any follow up to this repair would also be under warranty!?! I politely asked to book my bike in for an oil change under warranty. The assistant then walked away, came back, and said "It's OK ... we'll reset the service light for you!" I couldn't believe what had just happened. When it came to me paying for an oil change they were adamant the oil needed changing, but when it came to them changing the oil at their expense, it was OK to reset the light. Unbelievable!!! To make matters even worse, all the work that should have been carried out under the service, namely a brake fluid change, was also not done. The bike had to be sent in AGAIN to have this work done. The latest drama is that since the work has been carried out, the bike still sounds rattly, feels down on power, and is now loosing coolant after every ride even though there are no coolant leaks. My Advice ...steer well clear of BMW. I will be. Disappointed doesn't even begin to cover how I feel.

Expensive bike, but comes loaded with most of the current goodies.

Comes loaded with goodies. Heated grips don't heat up as much as I would like or other systems previously used. Electronic suspension can't cope with pillion.

Love the cruise control.

Brakes are sharp and reassuringly good. They give confidence.

Smooth as you like

No problems as yet.

Surprisingly good on fuel when you ride sensible, average if you don't. But then who does?

All the toys you could wish for.

Electronics package Superb! Never know its there.. Heated Grips and Cruise Control

I have tried all the suspension setting on both the road and the track and find the semi active suspension pretty good. The brakes and handling are also very good and are complimented by the excellent tyres. It is not built for a pillion but I can ride it all morning without problems and would suggest for a solo rider, it is a bike that will do just about everything.

Engine revs quickly and accelerates ok. 160 bhp should be enough for most people and I have found it plenty fast enough for road and track riding. Picking up off a closed throttle is a bit slow and in some modes the throttle response is not very crisp.The engine spins up quickly and gives the impression that you are going faster than you actually are - but it is still good fun!

No real problems as yet but the quality of some of the components doesn't inspire me much.

I didn't do the first service so cannot comment, however I expect servicing a BMW will not come cheap. Also in Leicester we do not have a local BMW dealer, so time for travelling and petrol will also be factors.

I have the sport so it comes with all the electronics - whether you need them is another matter. The larger screen is worth the extra but I like the original exhaust so didn't buy the aftermarket replacement. It definitely needs an adjustable clutch lever, the original is a pain in the a**e.

Ride is very good with the active suspension and no complaints with the brakes. On the road I only need the one finger on the lever. Would like to do a track day at some point to really test the bike (as much as I am able with my limted ability).

Smooth and great throttle adjustability from tickover up to the limit.

Not had it long enough to give a proper rating. Exhaust looks a bit shabby after only just a few months of ownership. Everything else okay. One complaint is that the standard clutch is non-adjustable. Pretty poor on a £12k bike.

Not had it serviced yet. Costing me lots in fuel as I keep riding it! I'm not expecting that much distance out of the tyres either. Hopefully those will be the only consumables.

Mirrors vibrate above 5000 rpm so view behind is not great. Annoying that they are blurry at motorway speeds as that it when you really need them. Apart from the HP levers it is standard at the moment, although thinking of swapping to a more comfortable seat. Just about to put on Metzeler M7 RR tyres. Original DRCs were very good but the Metzelers have been recommended so will give them a try.