Review of my 899

Hi folks,

I'm a new member from SoCal and acquired the beauty shown in the attached pictures last Saturday!

First a I'd like to thank 92GTA and Dynasty for their precious buying tips. Thanks a lot guys!

I hesitated between an s1000RR and an 899 for a long a time and decided to go for the 899 for the following reasons:
- I will primarily use the bike for commuting and canyon runs. The S1000RR would probably have been a better commuter but I know that I would have never been able to handle all that power on the street. The 899 just seemed to a better package, a better compromise, at least for me.
- The 899 is super sexy! Probably the best looking bike out there, with the 1199 of course.
- I was afraid that BMW would renew the S1000RR in 2015 and I would have ended up with a one year old bike that looked dated.

So far I put approximately 300 miles on the bike and I absolutely do not regret my choice. Here is what I really love about it:

- Great chassis, you can really have a lot of fun in the canyons without pushing it (absolutely no need to fight the bike to go fast).
- It looks fantastic.
- The sound.
- The punch of the engine at high revs.
- The throttle response at low revs which make it very easy to drive in traffic.

However, I believe there are few things that could be improved:

- At low speeds (in traffic or when driving around town), you can really feel that the exhaust is just below the seat...
- My previous bike was a 2011 R1, so compared to the R1 the 899 lacks torque at low revs (I know it's obvious but the torque of the R1 was quite sensational)
- The ergonomics of the turn signal switch are not great.
- When wearing boots, I find it impossible to operate the stand. How do you guys do it?

Overall, it's a fantastic bike! I have absolutely no regrets of choosing the 899 over the S1000RR. Probably the best sport bike out there for those who spend most of their time on the streets.