After The 900s, It’s Time For The S 1000 XR To Hit Our Roads

BMW Motorrad India has teased the arrival of the updated version of its litre-class sports tourer: the S 1000 XR. The motorcycle received a whole host of updates for the new model year as it made its maiden appearance at EICMA 2019. The new S 1000 XR should be launched in a couple of weeks with a small price premium over its previous-gen model. Prices are likely to start at around Rs 18.5 lakh (ex-showroom India).

If you want the explosive performance of a litre-class sportbike but with an upright and relaxed ergonomics, there’s nothing quite like the BMW S 1000 XR. Sure, the Kawasaki Versys 1000 is a similar adventure-cum-sports tourer but it is outclassed by the Bavarian in performance and kit. The only bike quite like it is the Ducati Multistrada 1260 S: equal in performance and hardware.

The S 1000 XR continues sharing its heart with the S 1000 RR, albeit the unit on the XR misses out on ShiftCam technology (BMW lingo for variable valve timing). The engine tune is obviously lower than its sportbike cousin, putting out 165PS and 114Nm. There’s been no drop in performance despite meeting new emission norms. The usual smattering of electronic rider aids like lean-sensing traction control, cornering ABS, wheelie control, engine drag torque control (kind of like KTM’s Motor Slip Regulation) and a bi-directional quickshifter are standard on the large XR.

While BMW does like to categorise the S 1000 XR in its adventure lineup, it is inept at going off-road. 17-inch cast aluminium alloys (forged aluminium rims are optional), shod with road-spec tyres, cannot handle anything but tarmac. And while it does get longer legs than the S 1000 RR, 150mm of travel is not anything great by adventure standards. However, these suspension units are electronically adjustable with a dynamic response setting that allows the electronics to sense and accordingly adjust the damping characteristics for the terrain you are on.