Three section composite frame consisting of front & rear
section, load bearing engine
Front Suspension
Motorrad Telelever,
stanchion diameter 35mm, central strut, rebound damping adjustable.
Front Wheel Travel
110 mm / 4.3 in
Rear Suspension
Paralever, central
strut, spring preload adjustable to continuously variable levels by mean of
a hydraulic handwheel, rebound adjustable damping.
Rear Wheel Travel
130 mm / 5.1 in
Front Brakes
2 x 320mm discs, 4 piston calipers
Rear Brakes
Single 276mm disc, 2 piston
caliper
Wheels
Die cast aluminium wheels
Front Rim
3.50 x 17"
Rear Rim
5.00 x 17" (special equipment: 5.50 x 17")
Front Tyre
120/70-ZR17
Rear Tyre
160/60-ZR18
Dimensions
Length 2180 mm / 85.8 in Width 880 mm / 34.6
in Height 1160 mm / 45.6 in
Wheelbase
1478 mm / 58.2 in
Seat Height
800 mm /
31.4 in
Dry Weight
229 kg / 505 lbs
Wet Weight
236 kg / 520 lbs
Fuel Capacity
18 Litres / US 4.76 gal
Reserve
4 Litres / 1.05 US gal
Consumption Average
6.0 L/100 km / 16.6 km/l / 39.0 US mpg
Braking 60 km/h- 0
13.5 m / 44.3 ft
Braking 100 km/h - 0
40.0 m / 131 ft
Standing
¼ Mile
12.1 sec / 177.5 km/h / 110.3 mph
Top Speed
218.7 km/h / 135.9 mph
.
The sports offering
from the prestige German maker harks back to the roots of BMW motorcycling by
incorporating a flat twin engine, shaft drive, and comparatively light weight in
a dynamic package which provides scintillating performance and traditional BMW
balance.
With its 1100cc 72kW (98bhp) engine powering the 229kg motorcycle to 100 km/h
from a standing start in just 4.0 seconds and with a top speed of 226 km/h, the
new BMW R 1100 S is sure to provide more than a few thrills.
Providing drive through a six speed transmission, featuring the latest in
Digital Motor Electronics and having a three way catalytic converter fitted as
standard world-wide, the new BMW continues the company's tradition of pushing
technological advancement in motorcycles. The new sports motorcycle also
features BMW's renowned paralever rear suspension and telelever front
suspension, ensuring that its handling more than matches its straight-line speed
and acceleration.
The R 1100 S also introduces a new ellipsoid headlight built into its sporting
semi-shell fairing, with built in indicators and an especially aggressive rear
treatment featuring twin tail pipes just below the integrated tail light.
Also a feature of the R 1100 S is the single seat look with a colour coded
passenger seat cover and a particularly sporting riding position.
IF I WAS to offer you a
new, limited-edition (to 50 this year), twin cylinder ' superbike for
eight grand, chances are that you'd bite my hand off. If I then told you
that it wasn't a V-twin, red or Italian, i you'd be more interested in
chatting to a i double-glazing salesman.
Okay, so it hasn't won a
Superbike F Championship. Truth is, it's probably never won a track
day. Leave that to the 996 and dare to defy convention. The BMW R1100S Sport
(the Germans get touchy if I you call it the R1100SS) takes the idea behind the standard model and
makes it just that bit more funky and exclusive. Strangely, the
Sport shares the same 97bhp, 1085cc
horizontally-opposed twin engine, gearbox, exhaust and driveshaft as the
base model. So why does the Sport cost £350 more than the base model?
Changes centre around the
standard model's ground clearance, or lack of it. Not a real concern on the
road, but the decking of the cylinder heads on the track have caught a few
out. A different rear shock is employed to increase ride-height. It
increases clearance by an inch and, as every 16-year-old knows, they all
count. With this new-found leaning ability, a wider rear wheel is used to
carry a 180-section Bridgestone, up from 170. Add in deep black paint,
orange seat and some decidedly poor quality stickers, and you have the
essence of the Sport.
The engine fires and you know
you're on a Beemer. A twist of the throttle has the bike sway right then
left (the crankshaft runs from the front to the back of the bike and its
rotation creates this effect).
It's slow revving in
comparison to the Italian V-twins and noticeably harsher. Clonk into first
and the weight that the bike exudes at a standstill disappears. Be firm with
the click into second and relax in the flat-barred comfort. Thanks to the
Telelever front suspension, the ride stays level at most speeds and allows
for some demon braking, the 209kg dry weight of the bike being hauled down
to walking pace with ease by the Brembo four-pots.
Although not as lively, nippy or
agile as the top flight models from Italy or Japan, you can't deny the 1100
is a fine bike to ride. Steering is as precise as most Jap bikes, stability
is excellent, comfort better and you do revel in the air of individuality
every time you park it underneath you,
But it takes a while to get over
the weirdness of the bike. After a day in the saddle, I only managed to
operate the indicators once without looking at the switches (one on the left
for the left indicator and one on the right for the right, and the cancel
button below the starter button). Three times I indicated left with the horn
and not the indicator. If you've never experienced shaft-drive before, you
might find the reaction on acceleration and when knocking down the 'box
strange and when you put your leg down, the cylinders kinda get in the way.
But if you ride the Sport in a
flowing manner, and not in a point and squirt fashion, then the rewards are
much easier to see. On the plus side, both front and rear preload can be
adjusted on the move and the screen offers more protection than all the
996's put together.
BMW's are famed for their
durability and reliability and the layout of the bike makes home maintenance
a doddle. If you yearn for more power (up to 110bhp), Sportmoto (contact via
BMW) is sole UK importer of BMW tuning products. Buying an 1100 Sport is like
owning a Hawaiian shirt. Some will think it's cool, some will snigger and
it's definitely not suitable for every occasion. Expect to see a few at
track days (the bike, not the shirt): being German, they'll be through
scrutineering and ready for the track long before you've even turned up.