Modern motorcycle electronics make the timid rider confident. And the slowish rider kinda fast. What’s more, they increase safety so much that you can dial in your lines on an unfamiliar track in a hurry.
I’ve been to the Circuit of The Americas near Austin, Texas, twice. First, it was to ride the Ducati 1199 Panigale R at the bike’s press launch. Most recently, I got to lap the amazing 20-turn COTA circuit to ride the 2015 BMW S1000RR. It was a dream opportunity that would give me the chance to see if BMW’s sophisticated electronics would aid my confidence and improve my speed.
After following BMW test rider Nate Kern’s lines around the twists, turns, and lumps of COTA in the morning, I was ready to see if the BMW’s electronics were just a safety net or an actual tool to help me go quicker on this highly technical track.
By the end of the day, I was amazed at the confidence the S1000RR gave me—despite the less-than-ideal track conditions and the constant threat of rain. Although I didn’t log lap times, I could tell I had made huge progress. Trusting the RR’s electronics gave me the faith to open the throttle early and aggressively, while the electronic suspension erased any concerns I had with chassis set up. To use a sports analogy: BMW’s electronics, at work on the S1000RR superbike, are as good on offense as they are defense.
Here’s my analysis of COTA, broken down into eight sections. And make sure you watch my onboard video, below.
Turn 1
This has to be one of the coolest corners in the world. I can’t think of any other track where the front straight ends with a seemingly vertical wall that starts at pit exit and ends 133 vertical feet higher at the apex of Turn 1. Good front-end stability from the S1000RR’s DDC suspension makes you feel like a hero as you scrub speed from 170 to 45 mph, with fork damping actively ramping up under load.
Turn 2
Getting the Turn 1 apex correct feeds you back down the hill into this important 100-plus mph right that leads into the esses. It’s the fastest right on the track; edge grip is important. The S1000RR’s revised front end (0.5 degrees less rake, 1.5mm less trail) provides more feedback and improves agility.
Turns 3 to 6
The esses are COTA’s signature section. Rush the corners too fast and you will quickly learn that they are intentionally laid out with an uneven rhythm. Get them right and you can carry good speed all the way to the Turn 11 hairpin. Quickly flicking the BMW from side to side while also putting a lot of load on the front end makes this sequence difficult, but the S1000RR handles it with confidence.
Turns 9 & 10
These two corners are important. Both have blind exits and lead into the Turn 11 hairpin. Total trust in the BMW’s DTC allows the throttle to be snapped open for a great drive off of Turn 9 and through the 110-mph off-camber Turn 10. A predictable rear end is a must, because Turn 10 has highside written all over it.
Turns 11 & 12
These two hairpins bookend one of the fastest straights in racing. It’s three-quarters of a mile in length, so it’s important to get a strong exit out of Turn 11. The TC indicator will strobe like a disco light as the front wheel comes up in second and third gears. Once the front is settled, it’s WFO to an indicated 186 mph. Then, it’s hard on the brakes and four gears down for the 45 mph left at Turn 12. The BMW’s new auto-blip downshift (formerly only on the HP4) works great in threshold braking; just make sure you have the throttle closed all the way for proper function.
Turns 13 & 15
This is another place where COTA tests your patience. This complex actually has five apexes thrown into two corners, the first of which has you trail-braking in and on the very edge of the tire with the fork compressed. The nimble chassis allows the S1000RR to stay on the unique line that leads to the last apex.
Turns 16 to 18
This 95- to 100-mph triple-apex right is off-camber just enough to make the left edge of the track difficult to see. Getting on line and trusting the front is critical. Once you commit, you need to be smooth on the throttle until you pick it up onto the fat part of the tire for a quick-squirt exit. If your name is Marquez, Rossi or Lorenzo, you are burning the tire around here with the back stepped out.
Turns 19 & 20
These two corners are standard racetrack fare, although 19 opens a bit and 20 decreases slightly. The downhill run into the final corner had the ABS working overtime as the BMW slowed from 110 to 55 mph. Early in the day, I could feel a bit of pulsing at the brake lever in Sport mode. In Slick mode, the reduced intervention eliminated kick at the lever.
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