Here’s All The Dope On BMW’s New Sports Tourer

BMW has launched the 2020 S 1000 XR sports tourer in India with substantial updates to both the bodywork and the feature list. Here’s all you need to know about the new BMW S 1000 XR: 

Revised Design

Gone is the asymmetrical headlamp design and in its place is a new slimmer twin LED headlamp setup. The S 1000 XR gets a completely new bodywork and a shorter tail section. Overall, the sports tourer looks more compact with tauter body lines than before. There are two colours on offer: Racing Red and Ice Grey.

New Features

The 2020 S 1000 XR gets all-LED lighting, a 12V power socket, adjustable brake lever, 2-step adjustment for the windscreen, and a 6.5-inch colour TFT instrument console with navigation and Bluetooth connectivity. The bike sold in India also gets electronically adjustable suspension at both ends. 

Same Powertrain 

The bike is powered by the same 999cc inline four-cylinder motor seen on its predecessor. It delivers the same 165PS at 11,000rpm and 114Nm at 9250rpm. It gets a 6-speed gearbox with a slipper clutch. The S 1000 XR is yet to get BMW’s new ShiftCam motor, which the new S 1000 RR gets and will soon be seen on the upcoming all-new S 1000 R as well. It gets a 6-axis IMU-based rider aids, two riding modes: Rain and Road, BMW Motorrad Race ABS and ASC, wheelie control, engine drag torque control, a bi-directional quickshifter, cruise control and hill start assist. 

New Frame

The S 1000 gets a new and lighter aluminium bridge-type flex frame that uses the motor as a stressed member. Together the frame and swingarm are 2.1kg lighter than before. Suspension components include 46mm forks with rebound and compression damping, 150mm of wheel travel, a monoshock with adjustable damping, and 140mm of wheel travel. It gets BMW’s dynamic ESA that electronically adjusts the suspension damping at both ends. The S 1000 XR rolls on 17-inch alloy wheels with 120/70 ZR 17 front and 190/55 ZR 17 rear Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring radial tyres. Braking is courtesy dual 320mm front discs with radial four-piston calipers and a 265mm rear disc with a two-piston caliper. 

Lighter Than Before

Thanks to substantial weight savings, the 2020 BMW S 1000 XR is now 8kg lighter than before. It weighs 228kg which is a whopping 27kg lighter than its closest rival, the Kawasaki Versys 1000. The seat height is a tallish 840mm and the fuel tank is 20 litres. BMW claims a fuel-efficiency figure of 16.13kmpl so we can expect a range of around 320km. 

Pricing and Rivals

The BMW S 1000 XR will be available in India in just one Pro variant priced at Rs 20.90 lakh (ex-showroom India). That’s a price hike of Rs 40,000 over its predecessor’s Pro variant. The S 1000 XR competes with the Kawasaki Versys 1000. At Rs 10.89 lakh, the Versys is significantly more affordable but the S 1000 XR is superior in almost all other aspects.