VOLUME 57 ISSUE 28 JULY 14, 2020 P61
P
inning the throttle on a
four-cylinder BMW is
one of life's great joys.
When a Beemer four is on the
pipe, there are very few two-
or four-wheel machines that
can stay with it.
It's been this way for years.
Those who have been fortu-
nate enough to experience the
luxuriously bonkers K 1300 R
will attest to the pupil-dilating
experience that naked bruiser
offered. The same for the S
1000 RR superbike, which set
new levels of tech and sheer
in-yer-face acceleration for the
superbike category back in
2010.
The XR variant is equally
mind-warping in how it will get
you from A, straight past B, and
hurtling towards C quicker than
a machine with the word "tour-
ing" in its tagline has any right
to. Unleashed to the world in
2015, the original BMW S 1000
XR had a few niggles—namely
an almost intolerable ability to
send a rider's hands, feet and
bum to sleep thanks to sundry
vibrations—but it was still an
absolute gem of a motorcycle,
capable of blitzing corners and
drag strips, all while retaining
the sophisticated demeanor of
a retired (but still very much in
shape) heavyweight boxer.
I had one in my garage for
18 months in 2016 and simply
adored it, to the point where I
became used to the vibrations
(sort of). But that was then,
and for 2020, the XR gets the
full BMW makeover with new
chassis, motor, suspension,
body and electronics. Lots of
electronics.
THE
GERMAN
SUCKER
PUNCH
THE BMW S 1000
XR IS ALL-NEW FOR
2020 AND PUSHES
THE TERM "SPORT
TOURING" TO THE
VERY EDGE OF
JUST SPORT
BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT PALMER
