plus 4, Editor's note: I'm not an Editor. - SuperCross.com |
- Editor's note: I'm not an Editor. - SuperCross.com
- Bill Scott, Summit Point Motorsports Park owner, dies at 71 - Herald-Mail
- RJ SAYS: US Grand Prix of Motocross, Glen Helen, 1990 - SuperCross.com
- Drag Racing in Hyderabad - Hindu
- First ride: BMW S1000RR superbike stuns us at Portimao - Gizmag
| Editor's note: I'm not an Editor. - SuperCross.com Posted: 08 Dec 2009 09:32 PM PST
Why is this called Editor's Blog? I couldn't come up with a better name. What is this blog going to be about? I have no clue. Well, that's not entirely true. I have a clue. I'll write about whatever thoughts come in my head at the time I'm writing, .... probably total random stuff ..... OK, a lot of random stuff .... maybe a little motocross & supercross news that I can't figure out where to put anywhere else on the site .... maybe some history of the sport .... and most definitely - any strange things that 'cross my desk'. (And, I think you'll be entertained over the next few weeks and months as I share with you some of the 'strange' stuff that comes into Supercross.com.) Editor's note #2. People here want me to do it basically on the 'history of the sport'. Maybe. I'm not an Editor. Dumb name. I do a lot of 'editing', but I certainly wouldn't consider myself an 'Editor'. My job is more like 'traffic cop'. I try to keep everything flowing, or at least moving in the right direction. I don't really do any one thing specifically - I just do a lot of little things all the time. Again, I'm not an 'Editor', but I do edit a lot. Words. Photos. Video. But mostly words. You'd be surprised how many 'smart' people have such awful writing skills (me included). And poor grammar. And bad punctuation. So, let's start with our "staff". We actually are a very small company. And we all get paid 'weekly'. Very weakly! (Oh, that was so very funny Editor!) We don't really have a 'staff'. We are a group of friends, that are trying to do something we like & enjoy. We have a few full time employees, but basically, we invest a lot of time into the site because of something we all have in common - a passion for what we do. But let's pretend we have a really big staff! I'm going to comment on all of them! (OK, at least the people whose names I can remember!) Me: I don't really do much. I've found that if you walk around the office, holding a piece of paper in your hand & maybe a pen in the other hand, or act like you are super-busy talking on your cell phone on a super-important call, ... either one of those can make it look like you are actually working! And it's a great way to make the day go by quicker - without doing much work! Those are both incredibly good time wasters! And I am very good at it! I also volunteer any time to go to Starbucks or get donuts. Anytime. Good luck if you are expecting me back soon! (Chances are I'll be napping in my car while listening to the radio for a few hours.) My writing skills, grammar, and punctuation are actually stellar.
She's smart. On the ball. Works her (fill in the blank) off, and .... truly does it all! She writes articles, does computer programming, takes photos, shoots video, stars in videos, and runs the business side of things. I can't think of anything she can't do. In her spare time, Amanda works at a flight instruction school, as she is an instrument rated Commercial Pilot. (Bet none of you knew that!) Amanda does have one 'issue' though. And we've talked about it at length. I'm not sure what to do about it. But .... (Amanda, I hope you don't mind me writing this, and I hope the Animal Control folks do not come visit the spacious Supercross.com World Headquarters) ... Amanda has a giant, real life Panda she keeps in the office. It's weird. And it makes weird sounds sometimes. I don't even think she's given it a name - we just call it 'The Panda'. When we have people come into our office, they usually comment "Oh, you have a Panda in your office. How .... nice." Amanda's writing, grammar, and punctuation skills are great. Except when she tries to spell the name 'Jeremy McGrath'. It always comes out 'Jermy Mcgraf'. Weird. And that frickin' live Panda needs to go!
One fact you might not know about Gerald. He invented a very exciting, well known, extreme sport! I know you've heard of it! It's called 'Crossing the Street!' Gerald taught me all my writing skills, grammar, and punctuation - so he is like an English Guru to me.
Ange is dedicated. Hard working. Knowledgeable. You can't even put a price tag on any of that. But we still fight a lot! But only because I want the best for her. She just doesn't listen to me! Ange~ listen to me! My IQ is ... at least room temperature! I know what I'm talking about! So when I say "Go ask that hot chick if she wants to go out with a balding, graying, roundish 51 year old guy!" Go ask her for me! You never know - she might say 'Yes'! It could happen! OK, seriously, Ange is dedicated, hard working, and knowledgeable. She knows motocross and supercross. Interesting fact about Angela. She's been involved in the sport since the early 90's. She knows it all. And she has never worked at Hot Dog on a Stick. At least not yet. Her writing, grammar, and punctuation ....... let's just say I'm getting her a book for Christmas on that!
Michele makes me laugh. She's fun, and funny. And, we are going to meet this week to work on stuff. Or maybe not. Maybe next week? Michele - where r u???? I thought we were going to meet last week, this week, next week ..... some week .... any week! Michele is one thing for sure. Passionate. She IS MXGirls. And MXGirls is a big, growing part of our site. Go MJ go! You can do it! (And please write or call me sometime - I miss you.) I have to give Michele an 'incomplete' on her writing and grammar and punctuation, only because we usually just text. And I just messages like this: Luv u! LOL! OMG! L8r Lozr!
Here is a story of how good Yamamama is: one time, the site was hacked by a band of tatooed, pierced, greasy-haired prison inmates from Greenland. We called Technical Support .... but the wait time was 4 hours. What were we to do? The frickin' site was down! Yamamama sprang into action as only she could. She baked a batch of oatmeal cookies, put on her slippers, got in her car in the dead of winter, drove to the prison in Greenland, and showered the band of tatooed, pierced, greasy-haired prison inmates from Greenland with love and cookies ... and they restored the site to it's normal functionality. Yamamama is writing her discertation (you might want to Google that word so you can figure out what it means) for her Masters Degree in English, so her writing skillz r gud.
Russ gets to do stuff that we never get to do. He lives in New Zealand. (Insert sheep joke here.) He got a lesson on riding from Amanda. And I think he has the 'delete' key for the Message Boards. So, if you got a riding lesson from Amanda, do you really care anything about writing skills, grammar, and punctuation? No. Because you'll be bringing home that 2010 Supercross Championship, and we'll have that big trophy right here in our office! Yeah! (What? You want the 2010 trophy in your office in New Zealand?????) To see Amanda's Motocross School for Russ, you can watch this video here on YouTube.
Can I tell people about the time we went fishing at SeaWorld? That was awesome! It was so easy! And, I can tell people John is generous and gracious and wise and smart. Who took care of me last time I visited the hospital? John. Who took me into his house when I was hurt? John. And who gave me all the beers to dull the pain of those injuries? John! Great guy, great friend! And John makes $%^& happen. But I don't know too much about John's writing and grammar and punctuation. He's a big tech guy, and everything is automated and voice controlled. I don't think I've ever seen him write anything! It's all speech recognition!
Rick is a lot of things .... and I can share some of them here with you. First, dude is a hard worker. A lot of people think if you have some success in one endeavor (supercross / motocross racing) you might kick back and relax. Not Rick. He is one of the hardest working people I know. He goes 7 days a week. Second, Rick is a great husband, great father, great friend. Doesn't have a mean bone in his body. (Except if you cut him off at exit 33 in Mooresville NC in a truck. Then you are going to get your truck and your face smashed in.) You might find this strangely odd - but Rick's writing skills are very, very, very, very similar to mine : )
I'm going to take some classes on blogging, and eventually I will have a blog that is at least mediocre, maybe even average.
p.s. Please do me three big favors ...
Do not follow Supercross.com on Twitter http://twitter.com/supercross.com Feel free NOT to comment about this blog in the Message Boards
Thanks,
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| Bill Scott, Summit Point Motorsports Park owner, dies at 71 - Herald-Mail Posted: 08 Dec 2009 09:11 PM PST SUMMIT POINT, W.Va. — William H. "Bill" Scott, owner of Summit Point Motorsports Park and BSR Inc., and a 1970 Formula Vee world champion, has died, longtime friend and professional colleague Roger Lyle said Tuesday. Scott, 71, of Middleburg, Va., died Monday. He had been battling cancer, Lyle said. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, and children. BSR Inc. trained thousands of drivers in accident-avoidance techniques, including defensive driving and counter-terrorism tactics, Lyle said. Drivers trained through BSR included those for government agencies such the CIA, the State Department and the Secret Service, as well as the U.S. Air Force and diplomatic agencies, Lyle said. "Bill was a good man. He was a tough man. On the racetrack and off the racetrack, he was hard to beat. He was down-to-earth," said Lyle, of Hagerstown. Lyle is president emeritus of the Mid-Atlantic Road Racing Club, a motorcycle racing club based at Summit Point Raceway. "He was a family man, a big family man," Lyle said. Word of Scott's death was spreading through the racing community, with posts at RoadRacingWorld.com and Dorkiphus.net, a site for regional Porschephiles. Lyle said Scott had a collection of vintage Porsche tractors. Scott was a driver in the Sports Car Club of America in the 1960s, racing open-wheeled Volkswagen bugs that had been turned into race cars, Lyle said. He competed in a national series and in Europe, where Scott earned the title of Formula Vee world champion in 1970. He was teaching driving in 1979 when the local track was for sale and Scott bought it, according to Herald-Mail archives. Now a motorsports park, it has four paved tracks, and unpaved tracks. "He was a great guy who applied his intelligence in an unusual combination of motor racing and education," said Bill Reichardt, vice president for business development for Summit Point Automotive Research Center, the parent company of the motorsports park and BSR Inc. Summit Point employs more than 30 year-round employees and many seasonal employees. Scott trained race car drivers before starting to train those who were not race car drivers, Reichardt said. Lyle said the Air Force was losing drivers in missions overseas as they were driving generals and diplomats, Lyle said. So Scott devised a training program for government agency drivers. Brian Redman, a championship race car driver and friend of Scott's, said he knew of Scott and then got to know him after going to a vintage race at Summit Point Raceway in 1991. The conversation led to Redman, and his son, James, starting the Jefferson 500, a vintage race car event held in May at Summit Point Motorsports Park, said Redman, who lives in Vero Beach, Fla. The race returned in 2009 after a few years off, Reichardt said. Redman said Scott was a geologist by training — he earned a doctorate in geophysics from Yale University — but his passion was racing. In a 1992 Herald-Mail interview, Scott said of racing: "It's real life. It has its own heartbeat. I gave up my profession for racing. I think I was better at that than I would have been at teaching or research." Scott won several major championships. His titles included champion of the 1968 European Formula Vee and the 1968 U.S. Formula Vee, and world champion of the 1969 Formula Ford and 1970 Formula Vee. Scott's resume lists him as the 1971 and 1972 U.S. Professional Super Vee champion. Scott's greatest achievement as a race car driver was clinching the world championship for Formula Vee in 1970 by finishing second in a race at the Nurburgring in Germany, Redman said. "This was really an outstanding achievement because the Nurburgring is really the most difficult road-racing track in the world," Redman said. The 14 1/2-mile track in the Eifel Mountains has 175 turns. Redman said Scott returned to the race the following year, but his car broke down. Scott walked off the track on to a public road and got hit by a car, Redman said. The accident shattered Scott's hip, an injury that troubled him the rest of his life. "Bill was a truly remarkable individual, who always thought of others before himself, and in spite of the great difficulties he had, he always was looking forward to the next challenge," Redman said. That included training other drivers. BSR Inc., the driver-training business, has expanded over the years and now encompasses 715 acres, according to BSR Inc.'s Web site. In addition to racing and training drivers, Scott started a gourmet apple orchard at Summit Point, Lyle said. The orchard was plowed under several years ago to make way for the Summit Point training campus. This content has passed through fivefilters.org. |
| RJ SAYS: US Grand Prix of Motocross, Glen Helen, 1990 - SuperCross.com Posted: 08 Dec 2009 08:35 PM PST
For years, the US round of the World Motocross Championships for 500's was held at Carlsbad Raceway. I won there in 1986 at the USGP. There was a few years where we (the USA) didn't have a Grand Prix. But guess who stepped up and made them happen? A lot of people, but one of the most influential, and the promoter of the 1990 500 Grand Prix was 5 - time World Motocrosss Champion Roger De Coster. Here's you'll see the video, and then below, you'll see my personal commentary.
If you'd like to comment on this great video, feel free to do so in the Message Boards!
And ... here is my RJ SAYS column and comments about that race - the 1990 US Grand Prix of Motocross:
I think that showed in the first moto - I just couldn't find a good rhythm. In the second moto, which I won, I felt much more at ease, and I was riding smoother, yet quicker. But more on that later ... There is a certain flair, a certain 'flavor' at a GP, even in the USA, but certainly much more so in Europe. The fans at Glen Helen that day were expecting (I believe) an American dominance of the race. Ideallly, every country there is a certain national pride where you want 'your' guys to win! People didn't expect the 'foreigners' to be competitive, let alone win. So, in the first moto, it's Johnny O'Mara, now riding for Kawasaki, on the number 69 the early leader, with Eric Geboers right behind in second. I languished back around sixth towards the end of the first lap. Eric would work past Johnny, and into the lead. O'Mara would be close the entire race, even putting on a late charge to overtake Eric. But to no avail. Eric was STRONG. Everyone was expecting a 'Euro' to wilt because of the hot weather, and because us Americans run a different pace at the start of a race because of our 'supercross style'. But Eric put all those thoughts to rest. As I mentioned, he rode STRONG. (Although he didn't win the second moto, I think he rode even stronger then to secure the overall win. He knows exactly how to use a 40 minute plus 2 lap moto to his advantage, and made passes at the end of that second moto to take the overall victory.) Hey - how do you like those 'factory pits' back in 1990? There wasn't always 'big rigs' at the races : ) As Roger (De Coster) was being introduced before the race, there was a few of us nearby waiting to be introduced as well. The crowd was so anxious to see GP racing - it was really neat. In the first moto, I was able to get around a few guys and into third position, but Eric and Johnny finished ahead of me. (I love the sound of the 500cc two-strokes - they bring back a lot of memories!)
OK, if you post in the Message Boards, no comments about the short shorts, and all the pink hats and stuff There was a 125cc support race. I remember team-mate Mike Kiedrowski was the defending National 125cc Motocross Champion ... but I forget who won the race ... I was back in my truck mostly trying to cool off and relax before our next 500 moto. You see that 'triple crown' on the back of Eric Geboer's helmet? He's the first rider in history to win the 125 World Motocross Championship, the 250 World Motocross Championship, and the 500 World Motocross Championship. The Triple Crown! The second 500 GP moto - the early leader was Jeff Leisk, #2. I was feeling good though. Felt really comfortable on the bike, and felt like a was in a good ... no .. great rhythm for the race. I knew I was going to be strong. Jeff rode with the number 2, signifying that he finished second in the world championships the previous year. I believe Dave Thorpe was the 500 title in 1989. Jeff 'Chicken' Matiasevich. #68 on a Kawasaki, would take over the lead in that second moto. (Hey Jeff - didn't we have some bet about a helmet in this race????) I closed up on Jeff, and made the pass for the lead. It was one of those motos where you are just 'feeling it'. Everything was going so smoothly for me. I ended up winning the moto .... but Eric Geboers put on a tremendous late moto charge to pass quite a few guys and get second position behind me. That wrapped up the overall victory for Eric as well. I was happy winning that second moto. But Eric was the man that day. Some of you might know that Eric is the team manager of the Teka Suzuki World Motocross Team based in Lommel, Belgium, with riders Steve Ramon & Ken de Dycker. Also, Eric will soon have probably one of the most talented motocross riders to come along in quite a while - 15 year old GP winner Ken Roczen! Hope you enjoyed it!
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| Drag Racing in Hyderabad - Hindu Posted: 08 Dec 2009 08:06 PM PST
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HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh Motor Sports Club will organise the third and final round of the National Drag Racing championship from December 11 to 13 at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (Shamshabad), according to Dr. I. Venkat Rao, president of APMSC. Competitions will be held in 30 classes for cars and motorcycles and about 300 entries are expected for the meet with Kingfisher as the co-sponsor, Dr. Rao informed the media. "There will be a separate Champions of Champions Trophy race in Indian Open in five classes including Indian open for bikes and cars, foreign open for bikes and cars and diesel open for cars," he explained. For details contact Phone No. 98490 85445. Vikram slams centuryA century by Vikram (124) helped Ness Technologies to record a five-wicket win over Moscter.com in the Associated Corporate Cup cricket tournament here. The scores: Bank of America 212 for seven (Kalyan 95) bt Ericsson 110 (Kalyan five for 32). Moster.com 219 for four (Harsha 96, Balu 59) lost to Ness Technologies 222 for five (Vikram 124, Jay 52). Deloitte 190 for four (Ashley 69, Sandeep 53) bt de Shaw 96 (Kiran Kaithi six for nine). Times of India 137 lost to HSBC-Banking 138 for three (Kalyan 58). TCS 149 for seven (Mohsin 69, S. Manoj four for 20) lost to Kun-Group 150 for six (S. Manoj 60). Limbavali Power 81 for nine lost to Coca Cola 82 for nine. Media Club 133 for nine (Ravi four for 25) bt ISB 104 for nine. Citi Bank 138 for four bt Kony Labs 91 for seven (Arjun five for 19). Quadrivium 124 for seven bt UBS 113. NMDC 172 for six (Sunil 59, Mustafa 52) bt Vodafone 130 (Kranthi Kiran 56, Kiran four for 19). Kaushal hits centuryCentury by Kaushal (103) went in vain as Chirec High School lost to Royal High School by 109 runs in the HCA under-14 (knock-out) cricket tournament here on Tuesday. The scores: Under-14 (knock-out): Royal HS A 352 for six (Aejazuddin 59, Rohit 69, Lalith 96 not out) bt Chirec HS 243 for seven ( Kaushal 103, Suraj 30, Srikanth Reddy three for 34). Bhegas HS 149 (S. Naneev Kumar 34, P. Manjunath 31) lost to Goutham Model School 'A' 150 for no loss (R. Rohit 58 not out, Sandeep Goud 77 not out). Bharitya Vidya Bhavan 159 for nine (Y. Harish 30, Pariakshit Sainath Reddy 40, Abdullah bin Qureshi three for 29) bt Boys Town 92 all out ( Pratyush three for 32, Parikshit Sainath Reddy three for two). VDCA felicitates ViswanathThe Visakhapatnam District Cricket Association (VDCA) felicitated former Indian skipper G.R. Viswanath. VDCA president and former ACA president D.V. Subba Rao and others participated.
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| First ride: BMW S1000RR superbike stuns us at Portimao - Gizmag Posted: 08 Dec 2009 05:50 PM PST Ads by Google'; } } //only display the google bottom unit if there is no chitika ad document.getElementById('top_unit').innerHTML=s; } //--> For a company which has never built a four-cylinder uncompromising sports machine before, this first effort is incredible. With its combination of breathtaking power, agile handling and incredible rider assistance technologies, BMW's S 1000 RR could well become the benchmark sportsbike against which all others are compared. Where better to take a first ride of this monster than the glorious Portimao racetrack in Portugal, with a wet morning to test the amazing Race ABS and traction control systems, and a dry afternoon to open BMW's sportiest bike ever up to its full 193-horsepower motherlode - Cycle Torque's Nigel Paterson reports from the world press launch. The BMW S 1000 RR is, of course, the basis for the model Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus have been riding in the Superbike World Championship. As such, some will dismiss the bike as a 'loser' because neither rider has been able to put the bike at the top of the podium, but unless you're considering building a bike to put on the grid next to Troy and Ruben, you'd be crazy to do so; after all, it took Yamaha over 20 years to win its first SWC title, but that has never stopped the R1 being an awesome supersport machine. Rider Assistance Technology BMW has long been in front of the pack in the use of technology to make riding safer and more accessible to a greater number of riders. The most obvious example is anti-lock braking, which is either standard or an option on nearly all BMW's road bikes. With the K 1300 S BMW introduced its Gearshift Assist, which most of us call a quickshift - no need to back off the throttle when changing up, just bang it through and the unit will back off the power just enough to swap cogs. Also introduced with the K 1300 S was DTC (Dynamic Traction Control). This system monitors the relative speeds of each wheel and reduces power output when slip is detected – thus reducing the intensity and length of a throttle-induced slide. While it can't prevent all highside crashes, it'll prevent most of them. For the S 1000 RR, BMW is taking these technologies a few steps further. The DTC and ABS are a option which adds about AU$2,500 to the base price: so it's around AU$25,000 plus on road costs. DTC offers four modes - Rain, Sport, Race and Slick. Out of the crate the system doesn't offer slick - it's designed for slick tyres, after all - but it can be activated easily by your dealer (and is essential if you want to pull big wheelies). Modes are controlled by a button on the left handlebar, and can be changed on the move, too, and the system retains the mode you were in last when re-starting. Here's what BMW says about each mode: "When riding on a wet surface with reduced grip, the Rain Mode automatically reduces maximum output to 110 kW (150 hp). This mode also provides a particularly homogenous power and torque curve, with engine response and power build-up by the engine being extra-smooth and soft. When riding on a dry surface the Sport Mode provides full engine output of 142 kW (193 hp) in combination with even more spontaneous and direct response to the throttle. This mode is intended above all for use on country roads. The Race Mode has been developed specifically for racing the S 1000 RR on race tracks using street-legal supersports tyres. Here again the rider benefits from the full power of the engine, with an even more direct and significantly more dynamic response at all speeds. The Slick Mode is intended exclusively for racing on the track using slick tyres. Like the Race Mode, this mode not only provides full engine power, but also ensures very direct engine response for racing or riding under race-like conditions. Contrary to the Race Mode, the Slick Mode allows DTC Dynamic Traction Control to cut in permanently only from a side angle of 20 degrees. This, in turn, allows the rider to wheelie for up to five seconds when leaning over to an angle of less than 20 degrees, ensuring optimum acceleration and pulling force when accelerating out of a bend." At the launch we certainly had the chance to test the systems, but there's a lot to learn and anyone who thinks they can fully understand the implications of all these systems in a single day is kidding themselves, but with a wet track early in the day, we certainly were able to learn a lot about these new technologies. Firstly, let me say I have never ridden so fast with so much confidence on a wet race track. On a bike I've never ridden, on a track I hadn't seen and with water all over the surface, I was grateful it wasn't still raining. But I was having a ball, driving the latest Interact Metzeler tyres hard out of turns and letting the DTC tame down the power delivery. The result was forward momentum which was shockingly quick for the conditions. I've always respected BMW's ABS systems for road use, and even on a big, heavy bike like the K 1300 S, it's OK on a track for ride days. On the S 1000 RR though it's unobtrusive - there if you need it, transparent if you don't. I squeezed the brake lever hard to try to activate the ABS without outbraking myself into a turn or crashing, but all that happened was the bike would slow down, not do anything untoward. How does it all work? This is from BMW's press kit: "Pulling the handbrake lever, the rider activates the double-disc brake at the front, while brake pressure on the rear-wheel brake remains at a low level. Pressing the footbrake lever, the rider then activates the rear-wheel brake as well. In the Race and Slick Modes, the rear-wheel lift-off detector does not intervene in the rider's braking action, allowing him to apply the brakes even harder whenever required, for example on slightly undulating surfaces and where the motorcycle has adequate grip. In the Slick Mode the rider still has ABS on both wheels when pulling the handbrake lever alone. Then, pressing down the footbrake, the particularly experienced rider is able to go into a brake drift without having to forego the benefits of front-wheel ABS. In other words, ABS no longer cuts in on the rear wheel when pressing down the footbrake lever. As soon as the rider pulls the handbrake lever, the pressure sensor integrated in the front-wheel control circuit switches on the brake light and the pump, the latter immediately delivering brake fluid through the open valve to the rear wheel circuit. The pressure set in the rear wheel circuit is measured by a second pressure sensor and is controlled according to the distribution of brake power required and the brake force generated by the rider. The third pressure sensor in the rear control circuit, finally, measures the brake pressure activated by the rider's foot." The brakes themselves are twin floating 320mm steel discs gripped by massive radially-mounted Brembo calipers. Serious stopping power, folks - so much early bite it really took me a while to get used to them. The rear brake is a 220mm disc with a single piston caliper– but as I didn't like the position of the pedal, I didn't use it much. Pressure sensors, wheel speed sensors and a myriad of other technology is used to make all these systems work and during the launch they certainly did their job. I wouldn't buy an S 1000 RR without the Race ABS and DTC. The power The specifications sheet makes the S1000 sound almost conventional. Four cylinders inline, DOHC, four titanium valves per cylinder, fuel injection, large bore and short stroke for high revs - this is the formula of the Japanese contenders since they started adopting injection over a decade ago. But BMW didn't copy, it innovated. Intake velocity stacks alter the length of the intake manifold depending on engine rpm, boosting top-end power without crippling bottom end. A very high compression ratio of 13:1 without problems has contributed to the high performance, but be sure to use premium fuel to get that top performance. There are lightweight single-cam followers opening the valves which are in turn controlled by a cam driven via an intermediate gear to keep the top-end as light as possible for higher revs. With a redline at 14,200rpm, BMW appears to have succeeded. Air is feed into the machine between the headlights, through the frame to the the airbox. This ram-air effect increases horsepower at high speed by pressurising the airbox and force-feeding air into the engine. Butterfly valves in the exhaust system control back pressure and noise there's a pair of catalytic converters in the collector box near the stumpy muffler. The net result is a claimed output of 193HP at 13,000rpm. Go to the top of the class BMW. There might be a lot of horses available, but they are tightly controlled ponies. On a wet circuit - admittedly in Rain Mode, which cuts output to 150HP - there's usable power down low and a flexible midrange. Combined with the Dynamic Traction Control and the Race ABS, the S 1000 RR is a very fast motorcycle when there's water where you'd rather it wasn't. As the track dried out I switched to Sport mode, and the boost in performance - especially at the top end - is immediately apparent. The S1000 goes from being fast to being a rocketship, launching out of turns and eating up the undulating Portimao circuit. With the dry track came more revs - it was nice to get out of the midrange and into the blistering top end. At Portimao the entry to the straight is a long, long downhill righthander which dips down near it's entry - you've already got the bike leaned over, hard on the power when you go over this hump, which makes the whole bike go light, making the tyres fight for traction. And did I mention the entry is blind? The fast guys through here have large titanium you-know-whats, and I wasn't one of them, but by my own more modest abilities I was still going fast enough to know I was alive and would prefer to stay that way. But the S 1000 RR underneath me didn't care. It just gripped and drove as hard as I would twist the throttle and by the time we'd completed the turn, gone back uphill a little onto the straight and headed under the start-finish lights there was close to 250 registering on the big digital speedo. This bike is seriously fast, in a straight line and around corners. Transmission Flicking through the gears on an S1000 is even more fun than it ought to be, thanks to the quickshifter, which is standard on Australian models but not overseas. There's a six-speed 'box with a slipper clutch, all pretty standard form these days in the class. I didn't miss a shift during the launch: the quickshifter makes going up as easy as a flick of the boot, the slipper keeps the back end in line if you're ham-fisted with the lever under brakes. Both features make getting around a track that little bit easier and will slice a little off your lap times. Chassis & Suspension The powerplant is hung from an alloy chassis. The main structure of the frame is a pair of large beams joining the swingarm to the steering head. They go almost vertical before bending once and making a straight line to the steering head. The suspension is also good. Made to BMW specifications by Sachs, the fat 46mm forks, fully adjustable rear shock and awesome, massive, banana-shaped double-sided swingarm which rides in an eccentric mount so it's position can be adjusted. To me, it's a beautiful thing. I want to hang one in my office, so I can look at an example of elegant engineering every time I come to work. Yes, I know that makes me sound like someone who indulges in too much self-pleasuring, but if I wasn't passionate about the bikes, I wouldn't be writing this now… BMW has learnt from others' mistakes - the suspension is clearly marked with numbers so you can see at a glance what the setting is. No more counting clicks, and you can make some of the adjustments with the bike's key, to boot. Oh, if all suspension was so easy to adjust… I was disappointed to discover the rear shock's preload wasn't so easily adjusted - although BMW assured me there's a tool supplied with the bike which makes the job, well, less of a pain. Personally I think the slight weight penalty paid for an hydraulic adjuster would be worth the few hundred grams, but then I'm someone who does actually adjust their suspension. Having said that, I didn't play with the suspension settings during this launch, at least not enough to come to any conclusions. With just a handful of track sessions available on a brand new bike on a track I'd never seen before and the first two of those sessions being wet, I decided fairly early in the day that if the suspension felt OK, I wouldn't mess with it much, leaving that sort of fine tuning to my local launch of the bike, which is slated for February. It was and I did: the bike's suspension felt fine, and for someone of my ability - quick road rider, competent on a track, not a racer - it felt like a little tuning with the clickers and preload would make it excellent. In the real world The launch of the S 1000 RR didn't include any riding away from the track, but I'm willing to make a few predictions. Firstly, this is typical Supersport, not typical BMW - the riding position, aggressive with low handlebars and high footpegs, won't suit everyone. The fairing, for all it's wind-tunnel developed penetration, will offer little weather protection. And the compact nature of the S1000 will make it less than perfect for anyone tall - I am, and found the riding position on the track to be OK. I reckon I'd prefer a K 1300 S for most road use though. As a ride day bike the S 1000 RR has gone to the top of my 'most desired' list. The combination of high performance, useful technology and active safety make me want one for those high-speed road rides and track use. What about racing, you ask? Not sure yet, is my answer right now. It will be interesting to see if the optional DTC and Race ABS is permitted by the racing authorities in the Superstock class, and if so it will make this machine very competitive, especially in the wet. On the other hand, it's a new bike from a manufacturer not known for its race bikes, so development could be difficult and frustrating: in that sense it could be a bit of a gamble. From a value point of view the BMW is more expensive - but not excessively so - than the Japanese machines but cheaper than the higher-specced Italian sportsbikes. As such, I think it will find a market. BMW Australia had taken 100 deposits prior to the Sydney Motorcycle Show and isn't likely to get more than 200 units for the whole year, so if you're keen you might have to make a decision fast. It's not clear what stock levels will be like worldwide. Demonstration models should be in dealers during February for you to check out. Nigel Paterson is the Publisher of Australia's Cycle Torque magazine. 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