12/11/22
“Confidence breeds speed. Traction builds confidence.” These were Blake Conner’s words in “Electronic Warfare” in the August 2011 issue of Cycle World. In that article Conner and crew pitted the first generation of electronic-rider-aid equipped superbikes such as the Aprilia RSV4 Factory, BMW S 1000 RR, Ducati 1198, and Kawasaki ZX-10R. Now 12 years later those words rang truer than ever as Conner hit the track in Almeria, Spain, for the first ride of the 2023 BMW S 1000 RR.
There are a multitude of modes and settings on the new winglet-equipped RR Beemer that control everything from rear tire traction to wheelies to ABS to suspension. It can all seem overwhelming and even overcomplicated until that first lap is turned. The new BMW allowed Conner to ride harder and with more control than he could without all those electrons relieving some of his mental load. Confidence breeds speed, and the new BMW builds confidence. Check out his full review of the 2023 BMW S 1000 RR here.
If scraping apexes and shagging tires isn’t your thing, maybe a bit of travel is. We sent CW’s photo director Jeff Allen on a journey in Nepal on a Royal Enfield Himalayan, reaching 15,000 feet on this epic high-altitude tour. The views were breathtaking, figuratively and literally. Fancy replicating the adventure chronicled in Allen’s “Royal Nepal Adventure?” Royal Enfield runs yearly tours, and it may be the best bargain in motorcycle travel out there.
As always, there’s more than we can fit into this email. Check out cycleworld.com for additional tests, reviews, and news.
Ride on,
Justin Dawes
Executive Editor
