Motorcycles

BMW unveils the 2015 S1000XR ... we quiver with fear

BMW unveils the 2015 S1000XR ... we quiver with fear
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike: should be an absolute pearler
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike: should be an absolute pearler
View 56 Images
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike: should be an absolute pearler
1/56
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike: should be an absolute pearler
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike: should be an absolute pearler
2/56
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike: should be an absolute pearler
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
3/56
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
4/56
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
5/56
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
6/56
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
7/56
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
BMW's S1000XR: aluminium frame based on the RR sportsbike and R nakedbike
8/56
BMW's S1000XR: aluminium frame based on the RR sportsbike and R nakedbike
BMW's S1000XR: aluminium frame based on the RR sportsbike and R nakedbike
9/56
BMW's S1000XR: aluminium frame based on the RR sportsbike and R nakedbike
BMW's S1000XR: ABS Pro controls braking in corners
10/56
BMW's S1000XR: ABS Pro controls braking in corners
BMW's S1000XR: aluminium frame based on the RR sportsbike and R nakedbike
11/56
BMW's S1000XR: aluminium frame based on the RR sportsbike and R nakedbike
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
12/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
13/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
14/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
15/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
16/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
17/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
18/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
19/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
20/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
21/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
22/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
23/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
24/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
25/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
26/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
27/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
28/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike: should be an absolute pearler
29/56
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike: should be an absolute pearler
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike: should be an absolute pearler
30/56
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike: should be an absolute pearler
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
31/56
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
32/56
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
33/56
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
34/56
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
35/56
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
BMW's S1000XR: aluminium frame based on the RR sportsbike and R nakedbike
36/56
BMW's S1000XR: aluminium frame based on the RR sportsbike and R nakedbike
BMW's S1000XR: aluminium frame based on the RR sportsbike and R nakedbike
37/56
BMW's S1000XR: aluminium frame based on the RR sportsbike and R nakedbike
BMW's S1000XR: ABS Pro controls braking in corners
38/56
BMW's S1000XR: ABS Pro controls braking in corners
BMW's S1000XR: aluminium frame based on the RR sportsbike and R nakedbike
39/56
BMW's S1000XR: aluminium frame based on the RR sportsbike and R nakedbike
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
40/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
41/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
42/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
43/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
44/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
45/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
46/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
47/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
48/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
49/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
50/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
51/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
52/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
53/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
54/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
55/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
56/56
BMW's S1000XR: design sketch
View gallery - 56 images

Next in the flurry of new bikes from EICMA Milan 2014 is BMW's answer to the magnificent Ducati Multistrada – the S1000XR. Featuring the same wild-eyed 1000cc, 160-horsepower, inline 4-cylinder engine that scared the wrinkles out of my undercarriage in the insane S1000R nakedbike, the XR is a fire-breathing, road focused light adventure bike with as much potential for long-range touring as it has for blowing the mirrors off sportsbikes in the twisties. It also features this year's latest must-have gadget – lean angle-sensitive ABS Pro, as well as BMW's wonderful cruise control unit to round out an impressive electronics package.

If you're familiar with the BMW S1000R nakedbike, and you owe it to yourself to make sure you are, because it's one of the greatest road bikes ever built and an astonishing demonstration of how peak horsepower doesn't mean a damn thing on the road … anyway, if you're familiar with the R, the XR is a very similar beast.

BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike

Dressed in slightly more respectable clothing and aimed at an older market, the XR is one of these light sports adventure bikes we're starting to see more of. The theory is simple enough: people like the look and the riding position of the big adventure bikes like BMW's R1200GS, but most riders never venture beyond the odd gravel road - thus the off-road tires, long travel suspension and hardy baseplates of the big adventure bikes end up making them worse for what they actually get used for: mainly road riding.

Ducati's Multistrada set the tone for this kind of machine by being basically a sportsbike in an adventure chassis. Wildly impractical for real bush-bashing, it excelled at nearly everything else, especially hard, twisty road riding. The S1000XR looks like a very similar sort of machine, with a couple of extra tweaks.

Like the S1000R, the XR has a "detuned" version of the S1000RR inline 4-cylinder superbike engine. It loses 40 horsepower in the conversion. But if the R's aggressive power delivery is anything to go by, you're not going to miss a single one of those ponies; the road-focused version of this engine is an absolute torque beast that actually ends up accelerating you vastly quicker than the RR superbike at any legal road speed and a fair way beyond. It's a beast.

Electronics-wise, the XR gets the same package as the R, with Rain and Road modes, and an optional "Dynamic" package with two more modes, all of which set the lean angle-sensitive traction control, wheelie control, ABS, engine power output and throttle response to suit the way you're riding.

BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike
BMW's S1000XR sports adventure bike

Optionally, there's a Touring package that features pannier mounts, heated grips, mountings for a sat-nav system, center stand, luggage grid and BMW's excellent electronically adjustable suspension, fully integrated into the riding modes setup.

There's also a Dynamic package that opens up access to those extra riding modes, adds a quickshifter, the all-important cruise control and a new addition to the S1000 family – ABS Pro, a lean angle-sensitive braking system that makes it much, much after to brake hard while leaned over in a corner.

BMW has been kicking goals left, right and center in the last five years or so, with one model after another that elevates its class. We see no reason why the S1000XR shouldn't be another raging success. Well, maybe one reason – the S1000R has a kick like an angry mule, and if the XR is the same, it's gonna scare some riders off!

Here's our video review!

Review BMW S1000XR

Source: BMW

View gallery - 56 images
4 comments
4 comments
canderso
"Adventure Bike" is such a losely thrown around term these days. It seems like more "adventure styled" bikes than actual adventure bikes. $15K gets you a comfortable street bike thats slightly taller than normal. Or spend $5k on a brand new KLR and do some actual adventure riding. No one wants to take this or the $20K KTM on actual trails. Might scratch it.
Jay Finke
What, no tree catching cylinder heads protruding from the sides ?
AaronHayes
Maybe I fit the 'older' buyer reference. I have ridden the S1000R and love it but this is the type of bike that will fit all of my needs without me needing chiropractic.....
Road, fast, touring, bit of dirt trail when I make a wrong turn or the GPS doesn't tell me, shit road ahead, you will be washing me tomorrow.
EvilBunny
@Jay Finke You call then "Tree-Catchers" I call them "Pinned-under-the-heavy-ass-bike-prevention" Devices...hahaha