Photo: cycleworld.com
Cycle World got their hands on a new set of spy shots of the upcoming BMW S1000XR, a crossover machine which is expected to be officially unveiled at the Intermot fair in October in Cologne, Germany. While a true crossover was missing from the Bavarian manufacturer’s line-up, it looks like this situation will soon be taken care of, with a rather undissimulated poke at the Ducati Multistrada.
While the tech-loaded Multistrada is a pretty cool travel bike if you only plan to leave the good asphalt occasionally and for short distances, its new competitor will most likely add to the electronic systems, trying to play this as a trump card. Still, pricing will definitely make a big difference, especially as the customers of these bikes are sort of pondering between a more street-worthy machine and a more full-on off-road one.
The 2015 BMW S1000XR will most likely share the engine and the revised chassis of the S1000R roadster, with different suspensions and hopefully tougher wheels, two of the departments which have been seen failing lately with certain BMW bikes. We can dream about 150 horsies from the de-tuned S1000RR power unit, and with the peak torque point maybe lowered a bit for more grunt in the lower region of the tacho.
Even though the bike mass seems to be centralized and mimics the way real enduro-touring bikes “group” everything together, the fairly low ground clearance and lower exhaust are clear indicators that this bike is not engineered to tackle tough roads. However, the pillion seat seems to provide a comfy ride and plenty of leg room for long hauls, while the racks appear to easily accommodate full panniers for generous storage.
Hence the crossover label for the 2015 BMW S1000XR, a bike which has been styled designed to offer a dash of the magic allure of the R1200GS, but without interfering too much with its customer pool. Again, if the price is right (though we don’t expect a BMW liter-class bike to come in cheap), Ducati Multistrada could be in big trouble. For more photos visit cycleworld.
The 2015 BMW S1000XR will most likely share the engine and the revised chassis of the S1000R roadster, with different suspensions and hopefully tougher wheels, two of the departments which have been seen failing lately with certain BMW bikes. We can dream about 150 horsies from the de-tuned S1000RR power unit, and with the peak torque point maybe lowered a bit for more grunt in the lower region of the tacho.
Even though the bike mass seems to be centralized and mimics the way real enduro-touring bikes “group” everything together, the fairly low ground clearance and lower exhaust are clear indicators that this bike is not engineered to tackle tough roads. However, the pillion seat seems to provide a comfy ride and plenty of leg room for long hauls, while the racks appear to easily accommodate full panniers for generous storage.
Hence the crossover label for the 2015 BMW S1000XR, a bike which has been styled designed to offer a dash of the magic allure of the R1200GS, but without interfering too much with its customer pool. Again, if the price is right (though we don’t expect a BMW liter-class bike to come in cheap), Ducati Multistrada could be in big trouble. For more photos visit cycleworld.
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