Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

I suspect you can make substantial progress under 7k on that....

Think the the gs500 wheels fit, the front calliper needs an adaptor plate. Think the front wheel bearings need to be changed to different inner diameter not sure on the spindles.

Had the DR as a road bike, and didn't go beyond the M25.

Or I could just use google to get the answer - https://www.supermotojunkie.com/threads/dr350-to-gs500-wheel-swap-help.150850/?id=150850

Please don't start the running in discussion ;)

Is it a real BMW without a boxer engine or telelever suspension? ;)

Happy new bike day.

Yea I think we mentioned this a little while back. I would, but nah.

For the pure supermoto experience I think I would buy a DRZ400SM then buy a set of S wheels. Higher overall outlay but it would all be fit and forget. That was actually the plan until the 350 came available at a good price.

It gets there very quickly in all gears, despite not using ‘full load’ as the manual puts it.

Some absolute gems in there about what/what not to do when doing burnouts or wheelies and maximum speed with luggage (220kph).

There’s a guy on site with a GS in HP colours and all the luggage and it’s about a meter wide with the bars! I reckon this is pretty BMW 😛

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There's no getting away from the BMW's having a less lairy attitude than the R1/GSXR/Ninja brigade. Not sure the BMW's are any less capable. I guess the price means that the guys who go through R1's like Bic pens stay away from them.

Just had a look at the price of R1's. WTF

I'm a biiiig fan of the slightly older S1000rr ~2015

(looks wise at least, never ridden a big boy bike like that myself)

I think I’d avoid a GSXR for as long as I intend on keeping alive/my license (if I ever get it!!!). Even the bandit was asking to go faster, GSXR would never slow down.

BMW are weirdly towards the value end of the scale - especially considering the tech that's included. Group 16 insurance for the R and 17 for the RR though!

Yes, I hadn't noticed that shift.

A friend had an S1000 as his first big bike. Destroyed 2 gearboxes in a year driving solely in traffic. He did admit that it was wrong bike for the job after a year :)

I’d love one but I’d go for a 600 over a 750. Just wouldn’t get out of 2nd gear on the 750 living in London

I absolutely love those front lights.

I'm a biiiig fan of the slightly older S1000rr ~2015

Still not a fan of the spikey rear end but yeah they are pretty bikes.

Probably wouldn’t get it out the carpark there, let alone 2nd.

Wiltshire is great, B-roads for every occasion.

Exactly. Loved my 600 for bopping about town and occasionally getting out into the lanes but my Z750 was wasted on me in London

@PhilDAS - What are you riding now?

Bikeless after selling the Kawasaki last year. I intended to replace it but then I just had other things going on that needed the money spent on them

Was there that much difference? Always assumed the 650-900 genre was basically similar power to i4 600 but less need to wind them up to get it.

Not a vast amount but noticeable. Just different really. Both i4s though. YMMV with a twin.
I had a Suzuki GSR 600 which I loved, it was my first bike. The throttle was a little snatchy when easing off but other than that it rode great, steered like it was really light and felt like it just went where you were wanting it to go without any input. It was a screamer though, not much power low revs which I actually prefer around town. It still shifts but you're not going to accidentally pop the front wheel coming away from lights. It really kicks in around 5k revs and keeps pulling right up to redline which from memory was around 12.5k. It had around 90-95bhp and weighed 190kg iirc. Sadly someone turned across me without indicating whilst I was filtering on it and it gouged the exposed alloy frame writing it off.
Replaced it with the Kawasaki Z750 which is more like 115bhp and 220kg or something. It had much more linear power, pulling hard early on and no "vtec kicked in yo" feeling half way through the revs. It felt like a rocket ship to me, I did have a few squeaky bum moments when accelerating gently around corners in the wet on cold tyres. I found though when leaning it over in the bends that it felt like it wanted to get back upright so needed constant input which gets a bit tiring and I noticed the extra weight. The brakes left a lot to be desired too. It was also bloody uncomfortable to sit on

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And on the gearing, that was probably the main difference for in the city as the GSR was pretty forgiving and would cruise around in 3rd at 30mph whereas the Z wouldn't do anything under 20-25mph in 2nd so you spend a lot of time jumping between 1st and 2nd in town

I’m on my fourth GSXR thou and they are highly recommended. They’re small, light as the 600/750s, the older ones are supremely grunty, pretty comfortable, rocket ship fast and bomb proof. I recall BMW based the first S1000RR on the GSXR K5 architecture?

I think the new S1000RR is the best looking bike BMW have built yet.

I recall BMW based the first S1000RR on the GSXR K5 architecture?

Yep heard this a few times too. Always fancied a GSXR 750, but do you think the weight difference these days has decreased enough to make the 1000 a better choice?