Here’s All The Dope On BMW’s New Sports Tourer

BMW has launched the 2020 S 1000 XR sports tourer in India with substantial updates to both the bodywork and the feature list. Here’s all you need to know about the new BMW S 1000 XR: 

Revised Design

Gone is the asymmetrical headlamp design and in its place is a new slimmer twin LED headlamp setup. The S 1000 XR gets a completely new bodywork and a shorter tail section. Overall, the sports tourer looks more compact with tauter body lines than before. There are two colours on offer: Racing Red and Ice Grey.

New Features

The 2020 S 1000 XR gets all-LED lighting, a 12V power socket, adjustable brake lever, 2-step adjustment for the windscreen, and a 6.5-inch colour TFT instrument console with navigation and Bluetooth connectivity. The bike sold in India also gets electronically adjustable suspension at both ends. 

Same Powertrain 

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The bike is powered by the same 999cc inline four-cylinder motor seen on its predecessor. It delivers the same 165PS at 11,000rpm and 114Nm at 9250rpm. It gets a 6-speed gearbox with a slipper clutch. The S 1000 XR is yet to get BMW’s new ShiftCam motor, which the new S 1000 RR gets and will soon be seen on the upcoming all-new S 1000 R as well. It gets a 6-axis IMU-based rider aids, two riding modes: Rain and Road, BMW Motorrad Race ABS and ASC, wheelie control, engine drag torque control, a bi-directional quickshifter, cruise control and hill start assist. 

New Frame

The S 1000 gets a new and lighter aluminium bridge-type flex frame that uses the motor as a stressed member. Together the frame and swingarm are 2.1kg lighter than before. Suspension components include 46mm forks with rebound and compression damping, 150mm of wheel travel, a monoshock with adjustable damping, and 140mm of wheel travel. It gets BMW’s dynamic ESA that electronically adjusts the suspension damping at both ends. The S 1000 XR rolls on 17-inch alloy wheels with 120/70 ZR 17 front and 190/55 ZR 17 rear Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring radial tyres. Braking is courtesy dual 320mm front discs with radial four-piston calipers and a 265mm rear disc with a two-piston caliper. 

Lighter Than Before

Thanks to substantial weight savings, the 2020 BMW S 1000 XR is now 8kg lighter than before. It weighs 228kg which is a whopping 27kg lighter than its closest rival, the Kawasaki Versys 1000. The seat height is a tallish 840mm and the fuel tank is 20 litres. BMW claims a fuel-efficiency figure of 16.13kmpl so we can expect a range of around 320km. 

Pricing and Rivals

The BMW S 1000 XR will be available in India in just one Pro variant priced at Rs 20.90 lakh (ex-showroom India). That’s a price hike of Rs 40,000 over its predecessor’s Pro variant. The S 1000 XR competes with the Kawasaki Versys 1000. At Rs 10.89 lakh, the Versys is significantly more affordable but the S 1000 XR is superior in almost all other aspects.