The BMW S1000 XR is probably the most underappreciated model in BMW’s ‘M/S1000’ range, but it’s still worth considering when the price is right.
The 2024 BMW S1000 XR costs over £16,000, but you can cut 50 per cent off that tag by looking in the right places and surely lose much less than 50 per cent of ‘bike’ by doing so.
It was back in 2015 that the S1000 XR was originally launched, along with a then-new generation of the S1000 RR supersports bike and S1000 R supernaked.
That generation of S1000 RR was probably the least successful for BMW as a superbike, since the Bavarians ditched their factory support for top level racing after 2013. However, in more stock-based racing, the S1000 RR was strong, and much of that was down to its powerful engine and malleable chassis.
Taylor Mackenzie used that powerful, flexible base to win the British Superstock 1000 championship in 2016, and BMW used it to derive that year’s S1000 XR.
Being an adventure tourer, the S1000 XR has many of the things you might expect from a motorcycle of that category, with a jacked up ride height, hand guards, and a generally large presence into which the seat is deeply sunk to a height of 820mm.
The 2016 S1000 XR was one year short of a 5bhp upgrade from BMW (incidentally the same increase was made between 2023 and 2024), but you still get 158bhp and 83lb ft. Plenty.
The bike also comes with semi-active suspension, including a 43mm front fork and single rear shock, but despite being classified as an adventure tourer its limited off-road capabilities are indicated by its 17-inch wheels.
But that is no mistake. BMW of course has - and has had - the GS for more serious off-roading and, in any case, if you bought the bike shown here would you really want to spoil that striking red paint by taking it up a muddy trail?
Instead, the S1000 XR is more suited to long-distance road rides, and if you wanted to make the most of its 20-litre fuel tank, you could do so in this case for £8,091.
