Coincidentally, I rode a BMW S1000RR last week as well. And it's an amazing motorcycle. Little disappointing to hear about the issues it seems to have. But for the hour I drove it around (i.e. blasted down the highway and some curvy backroads), I absolutely loved it. Absolutely stable at whatever speed I was going, very comfortable riding position, and my god, that quick shifter is pure sex.
I've tried some other bikes as well. The Monster 696, the Monster 1100s, the Triumph Speed Triple 1050 and the BMW F800R. I'm going to ride the Hypermotard 796 next week, but I think my mind is made up already anyway.
The reason for all these test runs is that I'm going to trade in my Ducati 998. I've come to the conclusion it's the most beautiful motorcycle ever made, but compared to more modern bikes, it's terrible to drive (except at really high speeds... like really really high speeds). You have to treat it like the animal it is to get some joy out of it. And that's going to cost me either my life or my driver's license at some point. That's why I decided to take a step back to something a little (just a little) more practical.
And the bike that stole my heart was the Monster 1100s, especially in real life a beautiful machine to look at, fast enough without being crazy fast (lots of torque), very easy to drive and comfortable for extended periods of time and super stable down the most patchy and bumpy of roads. I love it.
The 696 is fucking excellent as well, but I think it might start to feel just a little slow after a while and it feels a little less stable down really fast corners when compared to the 1100s (though that's obvious considering the lack of ohlins shocks).
The BMW F800R is a piece of shit, starts to shake A LOT at 120km an hour, which is what you drive all the time on the highway. It's unstable down bends, and for an 800, it feels slow. And apart from that, the whole thing just feels shoddy. My girlfriend fell in love with one and test drove it for a couple of days, but it turned her off completely. And during the three days a 5 centimeter crack appeared in the front mudguard. Stuff like that doesn't inspire confidence in the rest of the build quality.
The Triumph was fast, but the seating position felt a little more tour oriented and the extra speed wasn't what I was looking for. The 1100s is at the sweet spot for me. And the Ducati just looks that much better when you have them side by side.
Anyway, I'll probably be making a deal somewhere in the next week. And I'll post some pics here when I get it.
I feel bad for letting my 998 go, I still love it I guess, but I can't wait to have a drive-able motorcycle once more
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