Our BMW S1000RR test experience

 

It was a first for both of us! We had never tried sport motorcycle and even less so rolled on a circuit Thanks to the #trackdays BMW Motorrad It's done! And done incredibly well, too! Because this weekend we had the honor of riding on a legendary track with some insane motorcycles! Let's start from the beginning…

 

Friday: the departure

Flying from Bordeaux to Marseille, we're buzzing with excitement on the plane! We decide to relax with a beer. The flight attendant looks at us questioningly, hesitates, then gives a shy “You are of legal age, right?” Camille and I burst out laughing, yes, indeed, you could say we've been adults for over 10 years. It's true that with our looks cap and leather, It's hard to guess our age, but still! Anyway, this weekend is starting to surprise us, and it's not over yet!

Upon arriving in Provence, Mathieu came to pick us up with a BMW 4x4 Pretty cool (he has a crystal gearshift, hehe!), we head to the hotel where the whole team is already having drinks 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, He was also there for the motorcycle test. The evening passed, there was chatting, laughter, and we got to know the coaches., Kenny Foray (champion supersport driver, superbikee, endurance and electric MotoGP), Mathieu Gines (endurance driver and champion) and FSBK), BigJim (pilot and stuntman), Tom Barrer (extreme sports pilot and rider) as well as Eric (BMW Motorrad coach), so we'll be in good hands! We'll also be meeting Julien aka Lord Puma, The motorcycle YouTuber and the winners of the Facebook contest will be joining us on this adventure! Everyone reassures us that everything will be fine tomorrow.

Our first time on a circuit

Saturday morning, 7 a.m., a large coffee and a few slices of toast later we metonions 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 isn't easy…', ‘'Take the time to get your bearings'’, ‘'be careful'’… In short, the pressure is starting to mount. Camille takes the first series, Mathieu will ride with her for the beginning.

She's geared up, a real suit of armor! We're not used to this! We're used to riding in vans all the time...! This time it's a full leather suit, reinforced boots, high-top gloves, and a full-face helmet is mandatory! She straddles the S1000RR in front of her, starts positioning herself, and sets off following...and her coach. Passing the checkpoint at the circuit entrance: equipment OK. I see her cautiously set off behind Mathieu. Some drivers are already on the track and they don't hesitate to accelerate! And let me tell you, it's impressive to be overtaken by... racing cars launched at full speed!

I see Camille coming up the straightaway in front of us; she seems delighted and even gives us a big wave as she passes us, haha! The BMW team is starting to think we're aliens! That's for sure, we don't know the circuit well, so we're bound to make mistakes! But with a smile!

Kenny gathers everyone for a short lesson on motorcycle positions, cornering, straightaways… Everything is new to us and seems unreal! How can you stay on a motorcycle with your elbow and knee completely out of alignment, if that's even possible! haha!

In the second session, we each get to take a motorcycle; the sensations are insane, between the mega motorcycle powerful to pilot, the trajectories and the super hilly circuit ‘'It's a ride on the merry-go-round'’ As Camille said! This time it's Kenny who's taken us under his wing; he's going at our pace and we're following him as best we can, imitating his movements and trajectory. He's a real learning moment. We're getting our bearings, it's truly exhilarating! We finally return to the stand, our eyes shining with excitement, having just realized that this is a sport in its own right, with its own techniques, rules, and above all, a huge margin for improvement for us!

We're ready to go again with coach Eric, but a rider from the previous session is down, apparently having slipped. red flag is agitated, and our tour is ultimately cancelled.

We're off to grab a bite to eat overlooking the track. Those corners from above are insane! Kenny tells us a bit about his background and his perspective on motorcycling. We learn, for example, that for him, riding on the road means facing far more unexpected challenges and difficulties than riding on a track! To each their own, 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!

Then it started to rain, the track quickly became an ice rink, and the rest of the session was cancelled. Mathieu Gines part of doing a few laps HP4 Race (the BMW motorcycle with carbon frame and more 230hpIts straight-line speed is incredibly impressive!

We're a little disappointed that the weather prevented us from taking a few more rides, but oh well, as we understood on the circuit: ‘'Security first!'’

It's 6pm, time to relax., BigJim starts his motorcycle stunt And he gives us a mega demo! It's incredibly impressive; he drifts, does burnouts, and rides on the back wheel with ease! He asks for two volunteers… And you know exactly what's going to happen… There we are, in the middle of the arena, back to back. Jim on his motorcycle and Tom in trial bike They start doing wheelies around us. The close proximity of the wheels, their agility, and their unwavering balance are incredibly impressive! What an amazing way to end the day!

 

The debrief!

To end on a high note, a little evening at the hotel to relax and share our different experiences! A debriefing session among all the participants! We're unanimous, and our smiles speak for themselves! We're all charmed!

THE Lédenon circuit He captivated us all, each in our own way. 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 These are crazy motorcycles. Everything can be adjusted; when you start out, a mode activates so the electronics reassure the rider and forgive minor mistakes, whereas in mode RacePro3 The motorcycle becomes a real racing machine that devours the asphalt and swallows up the corners!

The next morning, the first aches and pains started to set in… Proof that we were very focused on the motorcycle, but also that our physical condition needs improvement! haha!

 

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

Photos taken by Brice Daraut.