Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127563
eIMPRESSION e 1993 BMW RllOORS baselframe into three-pronged plastic supports attached to the bike's main frame. The only tool needed is the key to unlock the seat. During our short day-and-a-half stay on the island, we were given the opportunity to ride the new RllOORS over an BO-mile loop laid out by BMW officials. We quickly and happily realized that in spite of the all-new motor, radical suspension changes, different ergonomics and reshaped fairing, the new R1100RS still feels like a BMW, albeit a much betterBMW. Sheer horsepower and top speed have never been two of the Boxer engine's biggest assets, and they still aren't. But, the RllOORS is significantly more powerful and faster than its predecessor, the R1000RS. Instead, the new Beemer thrives off bottom-end torque, which it has plenty of. The bike we rode had a barely noticeable hesitation off the bottom, but it was nothing a little finetuning of the fuel-injection system wouldn't cure, at least that's what a BMW technician said. Beyond the little hiccup was a super-smooth powerband and an ever-so increasing pull that lasted until it was time to grab another gear around 5000 rpm - pure BMW. It's still by no means a fast motorcycle when compared to some of its competitors in the same class, but it doesn't really seem to matter. It's still faster than before and that means a lot. There's still a slight little buzz of vibration that radiates from the big flattwin powerplant, but it wasn't anything we couldn't live with and overall the new Beemer felt smooth and comfortable. The transmission is still a little notchyand noisy, however. Perhaps the most outstanding characteristic of the new RllOORS is its chassis. It comers extremely well with little effort from the rider. Even though the bike weighs a moderately heavy (claimed) 479 pounds dry, it felt like it weighed a lot less. You can easily feel the better centralized weight and lower center of gravity; it's an extremely well-balanced motorcycle. Even more surprising was the Telelever front suspension system - it works! The front end hardly dives at all when the brakes are applied. It seems to work as well as the Omega system on the In spite of all the new changes, the RllOORS still feels like a BMW - but better! A full-fairing version, including fork protectors, will be available as an option. Redesigned from scratch, the new Boxer motor features an all-new valve-train design to incorporate four valves per cylinder. The engine is, to our surprise, still air-cooled. Yamaha GTS1OOO. The front shock also seems to soak up the bumps quite well. The only strange sensation from the new front suspension is that when the fork/shock compresses, the handlebars pivot downward ever-so-slightly. At first you think the bars are coming loose and are about to come off in your hands, but once you realize that they are designed to move, then you completely forget about it. The only time you really notice the handlebars moving is riding over rough ground when the wheel is using up most of its travel. And speaking of the handlebars, we experimented with the adjustments and they work well, too. It takes a few minutes to complete the job, but once you find the position that fits your riding style, then you probably won't have to mess with it again. We played around with the seat adjustments, too, and it's amazing what a few millimeters will do. There's a huge difference between the lowest and highest setting; we preferred the highest, but then we had our over six-feet of height in the saddle. The seat padding seems to be an improvement over previous models. Another big improvement over last year's RloooRS is the sidestand. You can BMW's new TeleIever front suspesnion system nearly eliminates diving. 30 actually get your foot on it and activate it from the saddle now. The centerstand also works well. These are just some of the things that come to mind after riding the Beemer for the first time, but in all honesty, we just didn't have enough time on the bike to get a true feeling for it. Hopefully we1J get the chance to test one soon, so we can put some serious miles on it and see how it really works. But for now, we can safely say that the new RllOORS is.still one of - if not the - premier motorcycles of its class. But best of all, it still feels like a BMW. ~