VOLUME 57 ISSUE 28 JULY 14, 2020 P69
Dynamic ESA Pro monitors the
suspension in real-time, monitor-
ing and adjusting suspension
performance every 10 millisec-
onds. The shock itself houses
larger piston diameters, more oil
and lower pressures, so that when
combined with that new linkage-
less swingarm we spoke of earlier,
it gives a smoother and more
controlled ride than before.
The Dynamic ESA Pro is just a
software update, which is a bit of
a bummer considering all you're
paying for is the BMW tech to
switch it on. BMW says that virtu-
ally none of their bikes come just
as base models, anyway, be it for
Dynamic Pro electronic suspen-
sion, quickshifter, cruise control,
heated grips, whatever. As such,
BMW says the take-up rate for the
Dynamic ESA Pro is expected to
be at a whopping 99 percent.
Another new factor is the
Dynamic Brake Control linked
braking system, which works
by reducing engine power and
increasing rear brake pressure un-
der emergency stops. The system
is triggered when the rider grabs
a handful of brake at anything
above six mph with more than five
percent throttle, and can only be
deactivated by the rider intention-
ally changing the ABS setting to
level one.
And just as a throw-in, BMW's
fitted the XR with the Hill Start
Control Pro (HSC Pro) feature that
allows for the bike to be held on
hills when taking off. This comes
from the BMW touring line of bikes
that weigh way more than this XR,
but it's a nice feature anyway—just
so you know, no, it's not a parking
brake, just something to get you
moving smoother.
SIDE THREE: RIDING IT!
In practice, it's amazing how a mo-
torcycle so complex can give you
a feeling of complete connectivity
with the road. The 2020 BMW
S 1000 XR isn't a quantum leap
from what we've had before, but
everything is beautifully refined,
and the ride offered by the new
suspension is far plusher than it
was previously.
Interestingly, the electronics in
the suspension don't feel as vague
as what you get on an S 1000 RR.
Partially, I feel this has to do with
the fact that sport touring bikes
don't rely quite as heavily on the
innate feel from the springers as
sport bikes do, but, regardless,
the XR has pulled off that ultra-dif-
ficult trick of being almost entirely
electronic yet still gives the rider
a tangible feel at the handlebar of
what's going on beneath them.
You can make the ride as soft
Twisty mountain roads are glorious on an XR.
