A ‘The new S1000XR gives you even more bike for your money’
Is the new S1000XR new enough? Yes, it is. Not by a vast amount and probably not enough to have hordes of existing XR owners rushing to their dealers but it is an improvement nonetheless. It is now more refined, sophisticated and modern. From its glorious, glamorous TFT dash — a highlight both our readers enthused about — to the reduced (but not completely vanquished) bar vibes, to the more-measured throttle response, it definitely feels a classier machine. Less aggressive, more softly suspended, less popping and banging on a shut throttle in Dynamic mode.
Performance-wise, there’s nothing in it. The good news is that the S1000XR now meets Euro5, so BMW can keep selling it, without sacrificing speed. The bad news is that if you were hoping for more mid-range, bringing its top-gear roll-on closer to the colossal grunt of a Boxer, a Multistrada or a KTM 1290, well, no such luck.
Handling-wise, it’s a step on. A bit lighter, a bit more agile, a bit more front-end confidence, even if we still struggled with that when we rode it against other sports tourers last month. But you have to be willing to work with the new riding position. It’s not uncomfortable but it fixes you in one place. Leave the suspension in Dynamic mode though — it’s springy in Road.
So, in conclusion. The S1000XR is one of the very best sports-tourers money can buy. Like before, it’s an awful lot of money but now, you get even more bike for that money.