mbroyda
Well-known member
Does anyone have one? ride one? what are your thoughts?
I really like the bike on paper, and demo day is 3 weeks away
I really like the bike on paper, and demo day is 3 weeks away
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Bmw s1000xr
- Thread starter mbroyda
- Start date
wonderings
Well-known member
I have not ridden one, but looked at one a few weeks back at Wolf BMW. They are beautiful bikes for sure, looks like a lot of fun. Wolf BMW has there demo ride tomorrow, if you can't wait you might be able to get in on that one.
Face
Well-known member
I had a great little ride on the Endras XR last week. Between running a bit late from a meeting to the dealership closing earlier than I thought, I only had an hour & 15 minutes on the bike. Not enough time to get to the good twisties, but I did hit a couple tight corners and a few sweepers.
Riding position is a fairly upright in the upper body with reasonable leg room. It felt very neutral and natural, and I can see it being very comfi for full day rides. I've previously owned a V-Strom 650, and the position was very similar. I'm 6'2", 185 lbs without gear, with a 34" inseam and I could just flat foot both feet at stops. The front of the seat is a bit wide, and I felt a little pressure on the inner thighs when flat footing. I didn't feel that when touring on a Tiger Explorer and R1200GS in Europe last fall. For me its a minor trade-off for a little more support when hanging off, but for guys with shorter legs, it could be a deal breaker. The seat was firmish, supportive and very comfortable. The high curved back gives a nice pocket to sit in, but limits fore and aft movement. Sideways to hang off a bit was no problem.
That pocket gives some necessary support when twisting the throttle. Acceleration, especially from 5,000 rpm is spectacular. The thing loves to rev, and man does it take off! The shift light was set at 8,500 and it was so easy to just blast through that and bounce off the 11,000 red line. Its a bit of a hard red line with a noticeable cut in power. Shifts with the clutch were very smooth, and the autoblipper downshift worked perfectly. Clutchless banging down a couple gears before banking into a corner is so cool. James suggested to close the throttle when downshifting, and that worked very well. Clutchless upshifting was not as smooth. I've never had a quick shifter before, so I'm not sure if its me or the bike, but in that hour I didn't get too comfortable with it. I found I had to position my foot so that I could feel the lever first, then give a gentle lift to get it to work best. Reaching under and kicking it up didn't work as well, especially at higher revs. Sometimes it didn't shift when I thought it had. I found myself using the clutch half the time to ride smoothly. I totally agree with the Baron's ****s & giggles reaction to the acceleration in this video review.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKksfzmJSVw
Cornering was excellent. The bike tips in really easily. I didn't have a chance to rip a bunch of linked corners, and given I was new to the bike and on a test ride, I didn't want to push it too hard. But still I think once you get accustom to the bike, It will be an awesome cornering machine. I would call it nimble and aggressive.
I played around with the modes and found a noticeable difference between rain and road mode. On a couple gravel sections in construction areas I switched to rain. Acceleration was much softer, and even when I tried a quick roll-on, it was smooth and I could feel the TC controlling things. Dynamic was a little quicker in response than road, but not as big a difference as between road and rain, and was never jerky. I'd say all modes work as advertised. The dynamic suspension was a little harder to identify. I accelerated down a rough road and it didn't feel as harsh as my current bike would in a similar situation. In cornering, the suspension was supportive, but I didn't push it too hard. I therefore guess its doing what its supposed to do. I didn't adjust the preload settings, and I assume it was set for rider only. Hard to say now, but in time I might wish it would have the micro preload and dampening adjustments other manual or electronic suspensions have. It only has 3 preload as well as dynamic or road dampening settings.
One of the best features of the XR were the brakes. At first, and at slow speed, I had to be careful with initial grip, but braking power was phenomenal! Even though there is more suspension travel, dive was minor. I suspect that also has to do with the dynamic suspension. And the back brake that actually works!
Creeping along in traffic at 20 kph (12 mph) in first was a bit jerky, but could be done without feathering the clutch. The wind screen is super easy to adjust with one hand, even at speed. Just reach for the handle and pull up or push down. Reach may be a little awkward with the GPS in place, but should still work. I have a Shark Speed R helmet, which is designed for a more upright riding position and naked bikes. I found a bit more wind noise in both positions than I'm used to, but buffeting wasn't an issue. People have complained about vibrations in the bars around 5,000 rpm. I could feel it, but it was easy to live with.
Riding home I was thinking how the XR is nimble aggressive and explosive in the upper end. My next bike needs to be more comfortable 2-up and carry 3 hard cases, as I plan to do more touring in the future. But I'm not prepared to give up that level of performance or put up with the extra weight to go with a more traditional tourer. The XR should meet the these objectives. I didn't warm to the Multistrada when I test road one back in 2011, but the variable valve timing on the 2015 may address some concerns I had with the earlier version. I'm also intrigued about the upcoming KTM Superduke GT. I'm not in a rush to trade, so I'll try the Multi & Superduke GT, but the bar has been set pretty high with the XR
Riding position is a fairly upright in the upper body with reasonable leg room. It felt very neutral and natural, and I can see it being very comfi for full day rides. I've previously owned a V-Strom 650, and the position was very similar. I'm 6'2", 185 lbs without gear, with a 34" inseam and I could just flat foot both feet at stops. The front of the seat is a bit wide, and I felt a little pressure on the inner thighs when flat footing. I didn't feel that when touring on a Tiger Explorer and R1200GS in Europe last fall. For me its a minor trade-off for a little more support when hanging off, but for guys with shorter legs, it could be a deal breaker. The seat was firmish, supportive and very comfortable. The high curved back gives a nice pocket to sit in, but limits fore and aft movement. Sideways to hang off a bit was no problem.
That pocket gives some necessary support when twisting the throttle. Acceleration, especially from 5,000 rpm is spectacular. The thing loves to rev, and man does it take off! The shift light was set at 8,500 and it was so easy to just blast through that and bounce off the 11,000 red line. Its a bit of a hard red line with a noticeable cut in power. Shifts with the clutch were very smooth, and the autoblipper downshift worked perfectly. Clutchless banging down a couple gears before banking into a corner is so cool. James suggested to close the throttle when downshifting, and that worked very well. Clutchless upshifting was not as smooth. I've never had a quick shifter before, so I'm not sure if its me or the bike, but in that hour I didn't get too comfortable with it. I found I had to position my foot so that I could feel the lever first, then give a gentle lift to get it to work best. Reaching under and kicking it up didn't work as well, especially at higher revs. Sometimes it didn't shift when I thought it had. I found myself using the clutch half the time to ride smoothly. I totally agree with the Baron's ****s & giggles reaction to the acceleration in this video review.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKksfzmJSVw
Cornering was excellent. The bike tips in really easily. I didn't have a chance to rip a bunch of linked corners, and given I was new to the bike and on a test ride, I didn't want to push it too hard. But still I think once you get accustom to the bike, It will be an awesome cornering machine. I would call it nimble and aggressive.
I played around with the modes and found a noticeable difference between rain and road mode. On a couple gravel sections in construction areas I switched to rain. Acceleration was much softer, and even when I tried a quick roll-on, it was smooth and I could feel the TC controlling things. Dynamic was a little quicker in response than road, but not as big a difference as between road and rain, and was never jerky. I'd say all modes work as advertised. The dynamic suspension was a little harder to identify. I accelerated down a rough road and it didn't feel as harsh as my current bike would in a similar situation. In cornering, the suspension was supportive, but I didn't push it too hard. I therefore guess its doing what its supposed to do. I didn't adjust the preload settings, and I assume it was set for rider only. Hard to say now, but in time I might wish it would have the micro preload and dampening adjustments other manual or electronic suspensions have. It only has 3 preload as well as dynamic or road dampening settings.
One of the best features of the XR were the brakes. At first, and at slow speed, I had to be careful with initial grip, but braking power was phenomenal! Even though there is more suspension travel, dive was minor. I suspect that also has to do with the dynamic suspension. And the back brake that actually works!
Creeping along in traffic at 20 kph (12 mph) in first was a bit jerky, but could be done without feathering the clutch. The wind screen is super easy to adjust with one hand, even at speed. Just reach for the handle and pull up or push down. Reach may be a little awkward with the GPS in place, but should still work. I have a Shark Speed R helmet, which is designed for a more upright riding position and naked bikes. I found a bit more wind noise in both positions than I'm used to, but buffeting wasn't an issue. People have complained about vibrations in the bars around 5,000 rpm. I could feel it, but it was easy to live with.
Riding home I was thinking how the XR is nimble aggressive and explosive in the upper end. My next bike needs to be more comfortable 2-up and carry 3 hard cases, as I plan to do more touring in the future. But I'm not prepared to give up that level of performance or put up with the extra weight to go with a more traditional tourer. The XR should meet the these objectives. I didn't warm to the Multistrada when I test road one back in 2011, but the variable valve timing on the 2015 may address some concerns I had with the earlier version. I'm also intrigued about the upcoming KTM Superduke GT. I'm not in a rush to trade, so I'll try the Multi & Superduke GT, but the bar has been set pretty high with the XR
I'm also interested in the Superduke GT. It's funny, but between the S1000RR (supersport, seems like a poor daily rider), S1000R (streetfighter with ridiculously small windscreen), and S1000XR (don't care for highchair ergos), none of them are close enough to what I want. The R1200RS is maybe the closest, but my ambivalence towards the styling and boxer motor is extreme (IDK, maybe I would feel different about it in person).
All I want basically is a Ninja 1000 with semi-active suspension. (And this is all hypothetical, practically my assets are currently in churchmouse strata)
All I want basically is a Ninja 1000 with semi-active suspension. (And this is all hypothetical, practically my assets are currently in churchmouse strata)
mbroyda
Well-known member
Awesome, the guy at Toronto BMW said no one has a demo bike yet....i'll give them a call and try to schedule
mbroyda
Well-known member
Thanks for the feedback
SweetOnion
Well-known member
Uhhhhhhh...... not just you lol.
wonderings
Well-known member
Would be great if all dealers let you do this, I do not think it is the norm though. I have bought 3 BMW bikes in the last 6 years or so and never test rode a single one before hand. Demo days never worked for me, so I just did my research. After the first one though, I knew they were only improving it so I was not as much a surprise.
I can see two sides to this. There's a sizeable minority of riders who just like taking demo bikes out with no intention of buying and that must hack the dealers off no end. Unfortunately though there's no real way to distinguish a serious customer from a tire kicker so in cases where the brand sells well (BMW) then I'm guessing the dealers can afford to do this.
captain farkle
Well-known member
Im looking at both this bike and the Ducati Multistrada, currently ride a Vstrom 650. Check the BMW forums for issues on this bike, there are some. Both bikes need some kinks to be worked out. I really liked the Multistrada did a test drive at GP Bikes, have not tested the XR yet, but there are so many issues with both, going to wait until next year to see if they are resolved. Here is one topic from a forum http://s1000xrforum.com/topic/319-is-the-xr-flawed-bmw-responses/
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mbroyda
Well-known member
I read that tread and it seems like the major issue is a bit of vibration at 5K rpm, some are saying its really not that big a deal others are saying its the end of the world.......im on a Harley now and as far as vibrations go Harley cornered the market......i guess ill wait until i get to demo it to see how bad it really is
Jc100 - i get what you are saying but its not like they are taking a new bike off the floor and letting me ride it; its their demo bike i would assume its there for 1 main purpose.........so potential buyers can demo it
Jc100 - i get what you are saying but its not like they are taking a new bike off the floor and letting me ride it; its their demo bike i would assume its there for 1 main purpose.........so potential buyers can demo it
BMW Toronto is having a demo ride on August 23. Maybe an XR will be available?
I hear you...I was fortunate to be able to pick one up about a month ago. About 3000km later I have some initial impressions.
The bothersome items in no particular order are as follows. The mirrors are fairly useless above 60 km/h, not a deal breaker unless you are leading rides. The vibrations have been documented on a different XR forum and are real, both through the handlebars and foot pegs. I have found acceptable positions on both the bars and pegs to make this tolerable, i.e. went for a 6 hour / 450 km ride last weekend without too much difficulty. Also the cruise control works well and helps in this regard. I am also waiting for some aftermarket bar ends. DIY solutions such as rubber taping the handlebars have been proposed on the other forum - I have not been able to get to it as of yet so not sure if this will work. For now I haven't planned any multi-day trips yet (factory panniers are available but backordered for "several" months - at this point no idea when they will be available) - but this will really determine if the vibrations can be tolerated in the long run. Lastly I am 5ft8.5in on a good day and this is a tall bike. There is no low seat setting or option, and I did not want the suspension lowered. Coming to a stop on uneven terrain can be challenging but so far so good, I have not dropped the bike as of yet.
Other than that I am pretty well in awe of everything else about the bike. The motor, electronic gadgetry, quick up and down shifter, handling, comfortable riding position, and great sounding stock pipe...Any attempt on my part to write a review will not do the bike justice, you need to try one out for yourself. Let's just say that I have been very fortunate to have ridden several iterations of the K1300S (my favourite bike until now) and R1200GS (amazing as well) and the HP4 (insane acceleration, far too dangerous for an old guy like me). The XR to me represents the very best compromise of these other bikes in terms of power, handling, comfort and safety. Bonus - the insurance is less than for an R1200GS.
I spent a messy hour this holiday monday on chain maintenance - but so far this bike has been worth it and I am hooked. If you want to talk about anything in more detail pm me.
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