Our BMW S1000RR test experience

 

It was a big first for both of us! We had never tried a sport bike and even less rolled on a circuit ! Thanks to the #trackdays BMW Motorrad It's done! And super well done too! Because this weekend we had the honor of riding on a legendary circuit with crazy motorcycles! Let's start at the beginning...

 

Friday: the departure

Flight from Bordeaux to Marseille, on the plane we are excited as fleas! We decide to relax by having a beer. The stewardess questions us with her eyes, hesitates, then lets out a shy “You’re an adult, right?” Camille and I burst out laughing, yes, indeed, we can say that we have been adults for more than 10 years. It's true that with our looks cap and leather, it's hard to give us an age, but still! In short, this weekend is starting to surprise us, and it's not over yet!

Arriving in Provence, Mathieu comes to pick us up with a 4×4 BMW pretty hot (he has a crystal gear lever hehe!) we head to the hotel where the whole team is already having a drink by the pool. We find Brice Daraut THE official photographer of BMW Motorrad (which we know from a few other adventures) as well as John of 4:10, also present for the motorcycle test. The evening goes by, there is chatting, laughing, we get to know the coaches, Kenny Foray (champion supersport driver, superbikee, endurance and electric moto GP), Mathieu Gines (driver and endurance champion) and FSBK), BigJim (driver and stunter), Tom Barrer (extreme sport pilot and rider) as well as Eric (BMW Motorrad coach), so we will be well surrounded! We also meet Julien aka Lord Pumhas, the motorcycle YouTuber and the winners of the Facebook contest who will live the adventure with us! Everyone reassures us, tomorrow everything will go well.

Our first on a circuit

Saturday morning, 7am, a large coffee and a few slices of toast later we meet again.onions the Lédenon circuit. The S1000RRs are all lined up ready to go in front of the paddock. After a briefing from Kenny 'take it easy on the first few laps, the circuit is not easy...', 'take the time to get your bearings', 'be careful'… In short, the pressure is starting to build. Camille takes the first series, Mathieu will ride with her for the start.

She gets equipped, a real armor! We are not used to it! From driving vans..! Here it is a full leather suit, reinforced boots, high gloves, and full-face helmet obligatory..! She straddles the S1000RR in front of her, begins to position herself and takes off followingt her coach. Passage to the checkpoint at the entrance to the circuit: equipment OK. I see her cautiously setting off behind Mathieu. Some drivers are already on the track and they don't hesitate to accelerate! And we can tell you that it's impressive to be overtaken by racing cars launched at full speed!

I see Camille coming up the straight in front of us, she seems delighted and even waves to us when she passes in front of us haha! The BMW team is starting to think we're UFOs! That's for sure, we don't know the middle of the circuit, so the mistakes are on us! But with a smile!

Kenny gathers everyone for a little lesson on motorcycle positions, cornering, straight lines… Everything is new to us and everything seems unreal! How to hold on to a motorcycle with a completely misaligned elbow and knee, if that's possible! haha!

Second session we can each take a motorbike, the sensations are crazy, between the mega motorbike powerful to drive, the trajectories and the super hilly circuit 'it's a merry-go-round' as Camille says! This time it's Kenny who took us under his wing, he goes at our pace and we follow him as best we can by imitating his movements and his trajectory. He's a real learning moment. We are getting our first marks, it's really exhilarating! We finally return to the stand, our eyes full of stars, we have just understood that it was indeed a sport in its own right, with its techniques, its rules and above all a great margin of progression for us!

We are ready to start again with coach Eric, but a driver from the previous session is on the ground, apparently a slide. red flag is agitated, and our tour is finally cancelled.

We go and have a bite to eat with a view of the circuit. These bends seen from above are crazy! Kenny explains a little about his journey and his way of seeing the bike. For example, we learn that for him, riding on the road means facing a lot more unexpected things and difficulties than riding on the circuit..! Everyone has their own vision of things haha!

Back on the bikes, let's go for the session! Trajectory, position, gaze, acceleration, braking... it's mind-blowing! You have to think about so many things at the same time!

It then starts to rain, the circuit quickly becomes an ice rink and the rest of the driving is cancelled. Only Mathieu Gines go do a few laps of HP4 Race (the BMW motorcycle with carbon frame and more 230hp!). Its straight line speed is super impressive!

We are a little disappointed that the weather deprives us of a few more rides, but hey, as we understood on the circuit: 'safety first!'

It's 6 p.m., time to relax, BigJim starts his motorcycle stunt and gives us a mega demo! It's super impressive, he skids, does burnouts, rides on the back wheel with ease..! He asks for two volunteers... And you know very well what's going to happen... Here we are in the middle of the arena, back to back. Jim on a motorbike and Tom in trial bike start to turn around us in the back wheel. The proximity of the wheels, their dexterity and their balance in all conditions are extremely impressive! Crazy sensations to end this day!

 

The debrief!

To finish in style, a little evening at the hotel to relax and share the different experiences! Debrief between all the participants..! We are unanimous and our smiles speak for themselves! We are all under the spell!

THE Lédenon circuit has seduced us all, each at his own level. He is atypical and technical and really forces you to put in place visual cues to know when to brake, turn or accelerate..!

THE S1000RR are crazy bikes. Everything can be adjusted, when you start a mode is activated so that the electronics reassure the rider and forgive his little mistakes, while in mode RacePro3 the bike becomes a real racing car that devours the asphalt and swallows up the bends!

The next morning, the first aches and pains start to be felt... Proof that we were well concentrated and focused on the bike but also that our physical condition needs to be optimized! haha!

 

It's already the return to Bordeaux after thanking the team BMW Motorrad who really made this weekend a success that we will remember for a long time!

Photos taken by Brice Daraut.