When the BMW R1100 S was launched a few years ago the factory claimed that it was the sportiest machine yet to leave the factory.
It was a great bike, but performance-mad South African riders felt it lacked the cutting-edge delivery of a real sports machine. Never slow to respond, the German company ‘s local division recruited Gauteng horsepower specialists Vanderlinde Conversions to develop an exhaust system that would give the 1100cc twin more power and something more interesting than an asthmatic wheeze for the rider to listen to.
The new pipe was sent off to the German factory for approval, and they in turn produced a performance chip for the fuel-injection system. The nett result of their combined efforts was a 12% gain in power and a healthy bark from the twin pipes that peep out from under the seat.
The R100 S Sport, as it is now known, has replaced the standard R100 S completely in this country. Apart from the improved power the machine now comes standard with BMW’s sports suspension kit, a wider rear wheel and a steering damper. Because the pipes and computer chip are fitted locally the buyers get the original chip and exhausts as a bonus.
I rode the standard R1100 S at the launch some time ago and loved it, but hadn’t yet had a chance to ride the Sports version, so when Pinetown Dealer Tommy Johns offered me a demo for a couple of days I didn’t spend much time pondering on better things to do.
Apart from the South African tinkering, the Beemer has been improved in a couple of other ways. The magnesium cylinder heads now flaunt dual spark plugs on each side, but as their purpose is to reduce emissions rather than improve performance I won’t bore you with any more detail about them.
The bike now also uses BMW’s EVO brake system, that links front and rear brakes when the handlebar lever is squeezed. Thankfully, the electronics don’t activate the front stoppers when the rear brake pedal is depressed, so it’s totally unobtrusive. Hard riders use the back brake to help stabilise the bike when things get dodgy, and the last thing you need then is for the front end to get involved. The bike I rode also had ABS – which works brilliantly and will be standard on all machines in a couple of years – and heated handlebar grips.
The big BMW may not be as aggressive a sports bike as some of the Japanese and Italian race-replicas, but then again, not many of the motorcyclists I know are capable of getting the best out of those machines anyway.
In the real world, polluted by traffic cops, cattle in the road and drunk pedestrians it’s superb. It takes off from the line like a politician chasing a vote, and the massive torque means that you don’t have to stir the gear lever every time you need to teach some snotty-nosed upstart in a tin-can a lesson. Twist the grip, enjoy the hearty drone from the pipes and just reel the bugger in. Handling is brilliant. Because of its steering geometry and weight the BMW doesn’t turn in as quickly as the superbikes, but the up-side is that the bike is incredibly stable – it follows a line at any speed without flinching.
I found the six speed gearbox a little reluctant to snick into first gear occasionally, but once on the move it shifted crisply, with each successive gear change delivering a good hard kick in the bum from the torquey boxer twin. Lovely stuff.
At R115 500 with ABS, heated grips and a two year unlimited distance warranty the BMW is a real contender for real-world motorcyclists. A maintenance free shaft drive, sporty styling, 200 km/hr cruising ability, and rock steady handling make it the most practical fun machines around.