Maximum Adventure-Sports Power: New BMW M1000 XR

[advrider]

BMW’s XR series has always been aimed at street use, with long-travel suspension for bad roads or maybe even a bit of gravel in a pinch (definitely not the bike’s strong point; the most adventurous thing about the S1000 XR is its looks). Well, that street performance just got a big boost with the launch of the new M1000 XR. This bike combines tech from BMW’s S1000 RR with real world sensibility, and enters the world as BMW’s third M-series motorcycle.

The press release from BMW sums it up, really, with this opening quote from product manager Dominik Blass:

Based on the current S 1000 XR and S 1000 RR, the product substance of the M 1000 XR – M XR for short – has been tuned to meet the specific requirements of a long-distance sports bike. The riding dynamics speak for themselves, both on the country roads as well as on the race track and on long-distance journeys.

So what exactly does this mean in practical terms? It means max output of 201 hp from the four-cylinder engine, which was pinched from the superbike. It means a 491 lb dry weight (less, if you go with the M-Competition carbon fiber accessories). It means a chassis that was designed to handle everything from long touring miles on back roads to hard, fast laps on a track.

Four-cylinder fun

This bike’s engine may be transplanted from a superbike, but it was modified for touring use on the street, with a 47-tooth rear sprocket, up two teeth from the RR model, for better acceleration. As well, gears 4-5-6 are shorter than the S1000 XR. The M-model’s 201 hp hits at 12,750 rpm, and max torque of 83 lb-ft hits at 11,000 rpm. In case you wondered, that’s more than 30 hp over the standard, just-updated S1000 XR model…

Trick bodywork

The M1000 XR also gets winglets, something we didn’t even see in MotoGP up until about a half-decade back. BMW says these provide 12 kg of downforce at 220 km/h. Not that you’d ever go that fast, right?

Electronics powered by a six-axis IMU should help you keep your wheelies nice and civilized. Photo: BMW

Chassis change-ups

The M1000 XR has trick suspension to handle all that power. The 45 mm upside-down fork uses closed-cartridge tech. Of course the suspension has lots of built-in adjustability, with electronically managed Dynamic Damping Control to help you keep the machine dialed in to whatever you’re riding on, whether it be the smooth fun of Road Atlanta or the less-than-stellar pavement of a twisty rural road. There’s also an adjustable steering damper, to help you keep that front end planted at speed.

Better brakes

This machine uses BMW’s M-series brakes (which also required some re-working of the fork legs). BMW developed these components based on lessons learned from its World Superbike racing program, and the M-series brakes include a radial pump for more stopping power.

Not exactly the same tune as BMW’s superbikes, but basically the same engine with some gearing revisions. Photo: BMW

Elite electronics

BMW built its latest-gen electronics into this machine, powered by a six-axis IMU. This includes stuff like Brake Slide Assist, which helps you control brake drift when cornering. Star Trek stuff! Adjustable engine braking, launch control, traction control, ABS and a wide range of riding modes come standard, optimizing your bike for low-traction rain conditions, or dry streets, or the track! The bike has a 6.5-inch TFT display that includes an OBD interface for the M GPS Datalogger system, as well as the M GPS Laptrigger (unlock code required for these tricky bits).

But wait, there’s more!

As said above, you can throw the M Competition package at this bike as well, which mostly consists of carbon-fiber bodywork and wheels. That kit also includes adjustable footpegs and comes with a code to help you set up the Laptrigger system.

We haven’t been given pricing or availability for this machine yet, but we expect those details soon.

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