Hammering down the long main straight at an entirely unfamiliar track nudging 260 clicks is exhilarating and, when you spot the fast-approaching kitty litter and the unforgiving tyre barrier beyond that, a little bit scary. Not to worry; jump on the brakes early, flick down through the ratios and crank the bike over hard for the tight 90-degree righthander. Damn! That was easy. Note to self: next time around, get on the gas earlier and brake later… much later.
The track is Circuito de Almería, and it is located in southern Spain. The bike is BMW’s new-for-2023 S 1000 RR M Sport, and it’s running sticky Bridgstone V02 slicks that inspire plenty of confidence despite the cool conditions. And while I did crack the throttle earlier and brake later next time around, truth be told it took me a couple more sessions before I felt comfortable enough on this tricky circuit to put complete faith in those Bridgestone slicks, especially as I had watched one bloke bin it in the first right-hander out of pitlane.
But that bloke was not on an S 1000 RR, and
