Call it what you’ll, however the S 1000 XR has all the time been about masking huge distances at foolish speeds whereas holding you and your pillion in full comfort. That temporary hasn’t modified for the 2020 mannequin; however BMW has redesigned it from the bottom up. I fairly just like the look of the glossy LED lights, however the substantial new bodywork appears extra cumbersome than earlier than.
The exteriors
The seat peak stays unchanged at 840mm, however the seat has been slimmed down the place it meets the gasoline tank, making it a little bit simpler for shorter riders to get their toes down. Climb aboard, and you will see that that the bike feels huge, however not frighteningly heavy. BMW says they’ve saved 10 kilos, however the spec sheet exhibits that the 226kg kerb weight is simply 2kg down on the previous bike. No, BMW isn’t pulling a quick one right here; they’ve reached this determine by accounting for all of the package.
The engine
The XR’s engine has been closely reworked, and is now primarily based on the motor from the brand new S 1000 RR. You wouldn’t guess that from the spec sheet as a result of it has the identical cubic capability, bore-stroke ratio, and even the identical 165hp and 114Nm of torque as earlier than. Then once more, this motor is now Euro 5-compliant, so it’s a good factor that BMW has managed to maintain the efficiency figures from dropping. When we requested why this engine skips the S 1000 RR’s ShiftCam variable valve management know-how, BMW tells us that ShiftCam focuses on top-end efficiency, which isn’t as huge a precedence for the road-biased XR.
Nevertheless, BMW’s focus with the brand new engine was a linear, but meatier energy supply. This is a ludicrously quick bike, and the one approach you may go sooner is with a full-fledged sport bike. 180kph is all the time only a handful of seconds away, and the XR will fairly comfortably cross 250kph. The energy supply builds in a totally linear trend, and the bike feels notably rampant between 9,000rpm and 11,000rpm.
The authentic S 1000 XR confronted points with engine vibrations, however BMW appears to have addressed that and the motor felt clean all through. The 6-speed gearbox is exact and the up/down quickshifter performs as we now have grown to anticipate from BMW — adequate, however not unbelievable. The gear ratios have been lengthened within the fourth, fifth and sixth gears.
The S 1000 XR is extremely efficient, however not simply in a straight line. The bike will get a brand-new chassis, as soon as once more derived from the S 1000 RR, and BMW has managed to avoid wasting a complete of two.1kg from the body and swingarm. The wheelbase has been lowered by a reasonably substantial 26mm, however the steering rake angle has been elevated. On the highway, the steering doesn’t really feel razor-sharp, however the bike leans over with out a lot effort.
For 2020, the XR will get BMW’s ESA digital suspension as commonplace. However, there’s a catch. Only the highest finish mannequin will get the ‘ESA Pro’, which brings within the sportier Dynamic mode along with Comfort. The new XR is brimming with know-how, most of which you’ll have interaction with by way of the 4 using modes — Rain, Road, Dynamic and Dynamic Pro. The final mode is on the market solely on the highest finish mannequin and it gives particular person management over the settings for traction management, wheelie management, engine response, engine-brake management and the digital suspension. The high finish mannequin additionally brings in a bi-directional quickshifter, cornering headlamps, heated grips, cruise management, keyless ignition, hand guards, a baggage rack, a centre stand and extra. The digital security assists collect their info from a 6-axis IMU, so the traction management and ABS each have lean angle sensitivity.
There can be BMW’s Connected smartphone app that comes at no further price and gives navigation information, in addition to extremely in-depth post-ride information. This consists of how a lot throttle, lean-angle and brakes you could have used at any given level in a saved experience, and even if you activated the ABS.
Pricing
BMW finds that almost all prospects in India go for the higher-spec fashions, so it’s doubtless that the S 1000 XR will arrive in its high trim. Launch is scheduled for mid-2020, however the precise timing relies on the COVID-19 pandemic. We consider pricing received’t change drastically; so you’re looking at one thing between ₹20-21 lakh (ex-showroom), which ought to put it proper into Ducati Multistrada 1260 S territory.