2016 BMW S 1000 XR
FIRST RIDE
P66
Just like a dirtbike with 160hp…
The XR comes with ABS as
standard and the stopping power
itself is provided by Brembo.
Brake force and feel is nothing
surprising – it's feels spot-on
for the road – no fade or any-
thing untoward, but that's to be
expected where the brakes don't
get hammered too much. Take
it to the track and it might be a
different story, but I doubt it.
This is a bike you can take off
road but only on dirt roads, not
proper trails. Like the Multistra-
da, you're not going adventure
riding on an S 1000 XR – it will
handle crappy surfaces with
ease but let's be honest, this is a
roadbike first and foremost. The
fact you can take it off-road is
an added bonus, but I wouldn't
go making a habit of it. But in
case you were wondering, it
does handle nicely on wet dirt
roads, but the limited range of
the road specific tires means dirt
driveways are about as far as I'm
adventuring with an XR.
P U R P L E P AT C H
The S 1000 XR is indeed a very
good machine. But we always
knew it would be. BMW are in a
real purple patch right now, spit-
ting bullets with new bike after
new bike, but the acid test will
be when we stick it up against
the reigning king in the Ducati
Multistrada.
In isolation however, the S
1000 XR ticks all the boxes of
what a sports adventure touring
bike should be: its engine and
chassis comes with superbike
heritage, the electronics house
all the safety systems you'll ever
need, and there's plenty of areas
for you to blow your cash by
checking the accessories list.
The S 1000 XR is not a re-
placement for the BMW GS. The
XR is its own machine, and a
bloody good one at that. CN
The face is a
cross between
an albatross and
a pelican, but
you don't look
at it when you're
riding…
