You may not realize it, but BMW’s S1000XR is really the bike you need, even if you don’t like the tall “quasi ADV meets The Jetsons” appearance. Okay, I didn’t exactly just call the XR ugly, but it doesn’t exactly speak to one’s heart in the same way BMW’s R nineT does. But after you ride it, you realize that it speaks to your emotions and fires up your adrenal glands with its high-performance engine and incredibly capable chassis, which has an upright and commanding seating position. After a day spent riding the XR in northern Ontario in Canada, in the pouring rain, I don’t have all the answers for you. Having recently spent a week riding two-up with my wife through northern Italy on a 2015 Ducati Multistrada, I can tell you these bikes are natural adversaries. But we will have to reserve a fair comparison until we get them on the same continent, on the same roads, in identical conditions. We had waited for months to ride this new adventure-tourer (what BMW calls “Adventure Sport”), whose engine engine has been plucked from one of the most significant sportbikes ever made, the BMW S1000RR. Unfortunately, the day’s forecast had me crying in my coffee—rain was on the agenda, and it wasn’t going to let up the entire day. 
In the S1000XR, the 999cc inline-four puts out a claimed 160 horsepower at 11,000 rpm, versus 199 for the RR. The last S1000R we tested on the dyno put out 150 hp, and 77 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheel, so the XR will be in that same performance ballpark. In standard form, the S1000XR has a pair of ride modes: Road and Rain. Other standard fare includes Automatic Stability Control, with basic traction and wheelie control that work in conjunction with the more basic standard ABS. But if you tick the option box for Ride Modes Pro (see pricing for all options at end of story), TC is upgraded to the more sophisticated Dynamic Traction Control, while two additional ride modes are accessible including Dynamic and Dynamic Pro. The real difference here is the updated sensor box, which detects the bike’s bank angle and applies TC accordingly, while also allowing more aggressive riding with less wheelie and traction intervention depending on mode selected. My S1000XR bike was heavily optioned with Ride Modes Pro, D-ESA (see below), and ABS Pro (see below), plus Gear Shift Assist Pro, which allows clutchless upshifts and downshifts. After starting out in the Rain mode, it didn’t take long for me to switch over to Road. On the wet tarmac, grip from the standard Bridgestone T30 sport-touring tires was quite good, and shutting off the DTC didn’t create too much drama. I tried to get the back tire to spin under hard acceleration exiting corners in second gear, and the bike simply hooked up. It wasn’t until I hit some rain-soaked dirt roads that I was able to get the rear wildly spinning. Roost! 
With the majority of bikes in this category using two- or three-cylinder power—the exceptions being the XR and the Kawasaki Versys 1000 LT—I thoroughly enjoyed this application of BMW’s inline-four. The electronics allow the engine to be almost anything you want it to be—mellow and smooth, or snappy and aggressive. The engine is totally tractable, with excellent bottom- to midrange grunt, capped off by an excellent top end. Fueling is well mapped, while the rider aids do their job without making themselves unwelcome. My only complaint about the engine? It tended to deliver a fair amount of vibration through the tall and wide handlebar at cruising speed, which could get old on a long ride. The BMW chassis is anchored by an aluminum frame and a dual-sided swingarm. Wheelbase, compared to the S1000R’s, has grown by a significant 4.3 inches. At 60.9 in., the XR wheelbase is just a tad shorter than the KTM 1190 Adventure’s and a tad longer than the BMW GS’s. The swingarm itself is responsible for 2.5 inches of this growth, while mellower front-end geometry (25.5 degrees of rake, 4.6 in. of trail) makes up the rest. The base model BMW S1000XR comes equipped with a manually adjustable shock with provisions for preload and rebound adjustment, while the upside-down fork also adds adjustable compression damping. The long-travel suspension provides 5.5 inches of rear travel and 5.9 up front. If you really want to experience the XR’s chassis at its best, opt for the optional Dynamic ESA semi-active suspension. The rider can select from three preload options (that can be further tweaked in the settings menu), and then select the D-ESA setting, either Road or the firmer Dynamic. The system adapts damping to the riding situation in milliseconds based on information fed to the ECU from the bank-angle sensor, throttle position, DTC, ABS, and spring-travel sensor. 
At 33.1 inches, the height of the standard saddle will not be for everyone, which is why there’s an optional (at no charge) high seat that raises it to 33.7 in., or a low option that brings it down to 32.2. And when the lowered D-ESA option is combined with the Low seat, the S1000XR seat height drops all the way down to 31.1 inches. With wet roads the order of the day, I spent most of my time in the Road D-ESA setting and selected the single-rider preload setting. With our route encompassing a mixture of highway, country lanes, and back roads with lots of patches and broken pavement still being repaired from the winter, it was an ideal test for the suspension. If there is any single option package you should choose for the XR, make sure it includes D-ESA. In short, the system works as advertised, providing excellent damping in every riding condition I experienced, with the added benefit of easy preload setup when you load your side cases, or throw a passenger on the back, or both. To give credit where due, I have to say that the XR worked quite well on a couple of wet and muddy dirt roads. Even with the spoked cast-aluminum 17-inch wheels, the bike was quite easy to ride, despite conditions that bordered on sloppy. The XR had no issue gaining momentum and soaking up bumps, and the stability was very good. The ABS proved good, too, and it’s really the most critical factor in riding a big ADV quickly off highway. 
As with BMW’s “go” modes, you can also upgrade its “slow down” mode with ABS Pro. This bank-angle-sensitive ABS was first available as an option on the HP4 superbike, but for the first time it’s now an option on a regular production BMW. The system allows aggressive ABS to be applied even when the bike is leaned over, providing optimal braking in every condition. Like the standard ABS, it can be shut off completely if desired. In Road and Rain, maximum stability is the goal with no rear-wheel lift. In Dynamic, it will allow small stoppies, while in Dynamic Pro, full priority is given to the shortest stopping distance, even if it means the rear tire is off the ground. During the course of the day, I had a couple of opportunities to tax the ABS and was impressed. Riding at a pretty fast clip in the wet is made possible by the system’s predictability and knowing that it had my back. Thanks to a fogged helmet visor, a few corners snuck up on me, but I grabbed a firm bite of XR front brake and slowed without any drama. Another good test was a real panic stop on a surface street, when my lead rider suddenly changed his mind about running a yellow light. Even a full-force stop over wet paint lines couldn’t get the XR’s panties in a bunch. But the system’s ability to slow the bike on the aforementioned muddy wet road impressed me the most, primarily because this ABS doesn’t have a specific off-road mode. Remarkably, I was able slow the bike without too much effort despite the street-based tire and fairly squishy surface. At the end of the day, I walked away with the sense that the 2016 BMW S1000XR is going to give the other players in this league a good run for their money. But I also left with some unanswered questions because my tires never touched dry road all day. With multiple bikes in its lineup that do some of what the new XR is capable of, BMW was a bit skeptical at first about entering this new segment. But the Bavarian company has managed to build a bike that blends the excellent travel traits of the GS/A twins with the sportiness of the S series. It’s one hell of a lot of fun, a practical and comfortable adventure-touring machine. Is the new BMW S1000XR the perfect bike? We don’t know just yet, but I predict it will top a shootout in the modern sport-adventure class. 
Base Price: $16,350 Price w/Standard Package: $17,295 - GPS Preparation - Heated grips - Cruise control - Saddlebag mounts Price w/choice of Premium Package or Dynamic Package: $18,750 Includes: - DTC - Dynamic Traction Control - ABS Pro - Ride Modes Pro - Gear Shift Assist Pro - Cruise control Price w/Touring Package: $18,750 Includes: - Dynamic ESA - GPS preparation - Heated grips - Cruise control - Centerstand - Luggage rack - Saddlebag mounts Individual Options - Ride Modes Pro (w/ Dynamic & Dynamic Pro Modes, DTC, and ABS Pro): $450 - Dynamic ESA/Gold Forks: $950 - Gear Shift Assist Pro: $475 - GPS preparation: $205 - Heated grips: $250 - Low suspension (must order Dynamic ESA and Low Seat): $220 - Heated grips: $250 - Cruise control: $350 - Hand protection: $100 - Anti-theft alarm: $395 - Centerstand: $175 - Luggage rack: $150 - Saddlebag mounts: $140 - Low seat: $0
| SPECIFICATIONS | |
|---|---|
| 2016 BMW S1000XR | |
| ENGINE | Liquid-cooled inline-four |
| DISPLACEMENT | 999cc |
| BORE x STROKE | 80 x 49.7mm |
| COMPRESSION RATIO | 12.0:1 |
| CLAIMED HORSEPOWER | 160 hp @ 11,000 rpm |
| CLAIMED TORQUE | 83.0 lb-ft @ 9,250 rpm |
| GEARBOX | Six-speed |
| FINAL DRIVE | Chain |
| CLUTCH | Wet slipper, hydraulic, multiplate |
| FRAME | Aluminum |
| WHEELBASE | 60.9 in. |
| RAKE | 25.5° |
| TRAIL | 4.6 in. |
| FRONT SUSPENSION | Upside-down telescopic fork with optional D-ESA |
| FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL | 5.9 in. |
| FRONT WHEEL | Cast aluminum alloy, 3.5 x 17 |
| FRONT TIRE | 120/70ZR-17 Bridgestone T30 |
| REAR SUSPENSION | Linked monoshock with optional D-ESA |
| REAR WHEEL TRAVEL | 5.5 in. |
| REAR WHEEL | Cast aluminum alloy, 6.0 x 17 |
| REAR TIRE | 190/55ZR-17 Bridgestone T30 |
| FRONT BRAKE | Two 320mm radially mounted four-piston calipers |
| REAR BRAKE | 265mm disc, 2-piston caliper |
| FUEL TANK CAPACITY | 5.2 gal. |
| CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT | 357 lb. |
| CLAIMED WET WEIGHT | 502 lb. |
| SEAT HEIGHT | 33.1 in. |
| LENGTH | 86 in. |
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