ROAD TEST: 2020 BMW S1000XR THIS IS TOP OF CLASS FOR ‘SUPER’ ADVENTURE BIKES
The introduction of BMW’S much revised S1000XR was accompanied by perhaps the most precisely Powerpoint-ed presentation I have ever seen from the motorcycle industry. It detailed the difference between two segments: Adventure Touring — typified by the company’s best-selling R1250GS — and Adventure Sports (which the new S1000XR fits into).
It even detailed how their different owners — “Freedom Fighter” for the R1250, and “Eddie Lawson” for the S1000 — morphed into adventure riders.
While such research explains why the XR has a revvy 999-cc in-line four, what was more interesting is how keenly BMW has massaged this second-generation XR in response to the feedback received from focus groups.
Mind you, I don’t think they needed to talk to thousands of owners to understand the most important improvement to the XR would be calming the previous bike’s incessant vibration. Five years ago, pretty much every motorcycle journalist told them that when the XR was introduced.
Not only is the new engine inherently better balanced, but BMW also redid the handlebar mounting to better isolate its natural secondary vibrations. Throw in longer gear ratios in the top three gears — the engine revs eight per cent less in sixth gear — and you have a becalmed S1000XR.
Superbike owners migrating to Adventure Tourers complained not only of their seat height but the width of their new mounts, which forced them to splay their legs out wider at stoplights. Combined with the taller seat height, they felt ill at ease compared with the low, lithe machines they were used to. That’s why the S1000XR is offered with six seat-height options — ranging from a low of 790 mm to a high of 860 — and the entire motorcycle has been made narrower. Not only is the engine 12 mm shorter across the beam, but the frame rails where the rider’s legs dangle have been squeezed.
Unlike sport bikes — and every other adventure bike I have tested — the new XR has a deeply sculpted and surprisingly firm “bucket” seat. I found it quite comfortable, but some might find it a little confining.
One more thing that BMW’S research tells them is that superbikes-turned-adventurers want lots of modes. They might not know why they want them or what they’re good for, but the S1000XR has them in spades.
BMW’S Dynamic ESA Pro electronic suspension adjustment system has a wider range than ever, Dynamic being almost RR firm, while Road is actually surprisingly accommodating. There’s a Hill Start Control mode, a mode to disconnect the rear ABS for offroad use — as if any XR will ever see even a gravel road — and even a wheelie-control system. For the life of me, though, I was pretty sure the whole point of combining 165 horsepower with high handlebars was to permit easier mono-wheeling. Nonetheless, if BMW is right and S1000 prospects measure their contentment by the number of submenus their man-machine interface promises, they’ll have a hard time containing their happiness with the XR.
Less vibration, adjustable suspension, and easier lowspeed handling are performance improvements that’ll benefit everybody. The last major change for 2020, however, may be more controversial. It turns out former superbikes don’t like the traditional sit-upand-beg adventure-bike riding position, so BMW has rendered the new XR more comfortable — or familiar — by lowering the 2020 XR’S handlebar 10 mm and moving it forward another 20 compared to the outgoing model.
I hope their research is right, because this change will alienate at least some who might be otherwise adventure bound. In truth, the S1000XR now feels more like a naked bike with a fairing than an adventure bike. There’s a little more control in the corners, but less comfort on the highway. BMW says this is what XR riders want. But I predict someone is going to make a killing selling S1000XR bar-back handlebar risers.
Thankfully, the big four’s eagerness to rev remains. If you’re an ex-superbike rider, you’re going to love the way this engine claws for revs. Its 165 hp may be muted compared with the 205 the S1000RR boasts, but compared with other adventure bikes, it’s a monster. An addictive monster. I may not have liked the new riding position, but that might be a good thing because I don’t think my licence could survive a comfortable S1000XR. If you like your adventure bikes “super,” the S1000XR is right at the top of the class.
Oh, and one last thing about those focus groups. It turns out that BMW owners — surprise, surprise — like a deal. The previous generation’s comparatively bargain pricing (for a BMW) was the most popular reason for buying the old S1000XR. Well, the 2020 XR costs $19,750, which is $1,650 more than the previous version. I’ll leave it up to you to decide if the researchers were listening.