I got mine from Max BMW in Troy. They were able to get the bike on time as promised and offered a fair trade in on my 1098S. I wasn't overly impressed with my salesman in person though. At least I got my bike...
As far as a comparison of the 1098S to the S1000RR...
"As far as riding the bike. It's pretty soft down low compared to the Ducati. I've ridden V-twins for years and wasn't really sure I'd even enjoy riding an inline four again. My bike before the Ducati was an RC51, and before that a CBR600.
Similarities...hmm, they both have two wheels and run on gasoline? That's about where the comparison ends really.
The BMW handles a lot better than the Ducati. It simply felt smoother. I rode some back roads that have some potholes from the winter left on them and the BMW was a much smoother riding bike that handled them better. My Ducati had already been down to GMD Computrack for some suspension set up, and still the BMW was better.
While the BMW weighs more, the weight is low and the bike actually felt lighter and like it turned in quicker than the Ducati does. Handling is a breeze on it. I didn't get into as much as I would have liked due to not being used to the bike.
As far as power, it's a typical inline four versus v-twin comparison. The inline four is soft down low, but once it revs a bit it just comes to life. The Ducati vibrates excessively, where the BMW is super smooth. I could actually use the mirrors on the BMW. They're little more than decorations on the Ducati, although they look better on the Ducati. I didn't putt around on the bike, but I didn't rip on it either. It only had 80 or so miles on it when I took it out so the tires were barely run in. The front end was off the ground a few times and I didn't even really notice it. It just gently came up and I realized it when it set back down under moderate acceleration. The electronic shift assist was pretty amazing. You basically just touch the shifter and it retards the ignition and engages the next gear. You don't touch the clutch or chop the throttle. This means you can do full power upshifts smooth as butter. To downshift you have to use the traditional method, but the slipper clutch that it comes with makes that pretty effortless as well. On the highway I did bring it up to about 105-110 mph and it just wanted to keep going. The bike never shook or did anything unexpectedly.
With regard to comfort, the BMW was more comfortable for me. The only thing I wasn't too fond of was that the brake pedal is down a bit far for my liking sometimes making it hard to reach for. Not the end of the world since with the ABS on (it can be switched off, same with traction control), the front and rear brakes are linked together.
The fit and finish on the bike seems to be on par with any of the other manufacturers. The dash is a combination of analog tach with electronic speedometer (I'm sure all electronically controlled) and it comes with a built in gear indicator and programmable shift light. The shift light is designed to be programmed to come on when you're getting close to the shift point and off when it's time to shift...so it's more of a warning than anything else.
The brakes were good. Not quite as grabby as the monoblock's of the Ducati, but the design is still a brembo caliper and more than adequate for the job.
All in all, if you're thinking about getting one...go demo it. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Seems that most of the reading I've done from people who have gotten one did it like I did. Rode it out of curiosity and then had to have it. I don't remember having that much fun on a bike in a long time. And my girlfriend even said it must be amazing for me to be willing to give up my Duacti for it since I do love my Ducati and it's been a great bike." - I wrote it for another forum so it's a cut and paste.
Shane
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