2020 BMW S 1000 XR ready to launch

BMW will officially reveal the new S 1000 XR at an international press launch at the end of January. The bike is new for 2020, but it maintains many of the attributes that made the previous iteration such a barnstorming success. As they say, don’t fix what ain’t broke.

Introduced in 2015, the S 1000 XR pioneered what is now known as the Adventure Sport category. With long-distance capability and sports bike performance, the bike was a hugely popular model for the Bavarian company. The bike has been a regular in the bikesales Bike of the Year awards, but it has remained relatively unchanged since its debut, so BMW decided to give it an overhaul for 2020.

Lighter, faster, stronger

BMW claims the new bike is lighter, faster and more agile. The newly developed engine is once again based on the S 1000 RR power plant and BMW says it is 5kg lighter, with adapted gear ratios, further increased mid-range power and engine drag torque control.

The suspension has also dropped weight and BMW has introduced its latest generation Dynamic ESA (Electronic Suspension Adjustment) as standard. There is also an option to upgrade to Dynamic ESA Pro, which has two damping modes and automatic load compensation. The new bike also gets DBC (Dynamic Brake Control) which supports riders through braking manoeuvres.

Electronic wizardry

Elsewhere, the bike features four riding modes alongside the latest generation of DTC (Dynamic Traction Control) and the DTC Wheelie function. It also introduces ABS Pro, an improvement on BMW’s already impressive ABS system. And the instrument cluster has also been redeveloped with a 6.5-inch TFT screen and a handlebar-operated controller.

To the untrained eye, the styling of the bike looks very similar to that of its predecessor, however it has got a makeover and introduces two new attractive colour schemes.

Stay tuned...

The bikesales team will be attending the launch of the S 1000 XR in Spain, where the bike will be put through its paces around the Almeria region. Stay tuned to our social channels, and check back in early February for the full review.

Local pricing and a release date are still to be confirmed.