Bahnstormers are giving me a free brand new bike of my choice in compensation for the delay. I can keep it all winter if I want and do as much mileage as I wish and then just hand it back when the S1000RR is here. I test rode a GSA and an XR today and reckon I'll go for the latter and do some mega miles euro trips through the Alps and Dolomites and into Austria for GrossGlockner that I wouldn't do on my own bikes! Its depressing that the RR is being delayed until October or so but its a great gesture by BMW and I reckon it will be fun to tick some boxes I wouldn't have otherwise managed to do.
Actually this is a bloody valid point. Through all the maelstrom of crap that's been the V4 recalls have any of the unfortunate customers had any money back?
BMW are a class above. The end. You’d assume it’s because they have more money than Ducati: it’s not, it’s that they value customer more. IME
It's just the German culture, decency and professionalism is ingrained. There will be people in the upper circles of Motorrad that will be genuinely furious about their own performance concerning the launch so far.
And that's why I have a BMW Motorrad sat in my garage, their warranty and Cs is brilliant so I figured what better bike to do this year's euro trip on
I was offered a bike for the whole time as well but they couldn’t give me the S1000R as someone else had it and they only had 1 demo bike at the dealership. I wasn’t interested in taking the XR or GS they offered as it’s not anything like the bike I’ve ordered. In the end I opted for the £500 voucher but I don’t think that’s much compensation for a whole summer without a bike.
I had the same disappointment regarding the bikes that were available but now I've had to time to think about options and test rode the XR and the GSA I'm quite happy with the situation. I haven't considered doing any touring for a few years as I'm not interested in it enough to go out and buy a touring focused bike but since I'm getting a new one for free I'm now making plans to really kick the ass out of it and make my way to a whole bunch of places I have been considering visiting. The XR is the obvious choice for me as it has plenty of hooligan capabilities but I am still curious at how popular the GS Adventure is. Everyone who has one seems to fall in love with it. Riding the GS was like doing everything in slow motion having to plan your braking points and corners etc though which doesn't really do it for me. The XR is like an S1000RR with big bars and a lazy seat. Its not particularly sexy but its fast and could definitely handle some track action.
We’ll go out for a ride when I get mine, see if the GS is like slow motion Fastest road riders don’t brake...they just turn and drive
I’ve got a test ride next week and if I like it am ordering an m sport I’m not even kidding myself for a 2019 delivery so dealer will supply it in March on a 20 plate Means I’ll use my bike this year and part ex it to them over the winter
That’s a good result can’t really knock that customer service I wouldn’t think many manufacturers would offer that.
It definitely felt like a sports bike as opposed to a tourer/adventure machine like the GSA. It did feel a bit 'last year' since its based around the old S1000RR engine and chassis but thats not such a bad thing.
I would anytime take a GS over an XR for touring.... Maybe is only me but the XR I rode had a buzzing/vibration at pegs and bars. Well done to Bahnstormers for giving you a "free" bike and BMW for not releasing a 90% ready bike....
This is the 2nd Xr I've had and the 2nd time I've bought one for touring (other bikes have been owned), can honestly say that the 'vibes' thing really isn't an issue especially since adding some heavier bar ends between grip and outer handguard. In truth I never suffered with it before, that was on the older 2016 model (red) and this newer 2018 model (HP) has additional rubber dampening at the handlebar mount points, but I got some anyway because for a few quid why not eh https://evotech-performance.com/products/bmw-s-1000-xr-handlebar-end-weights-2015-1 Yes it's revvy but that's because it's an L4, but I'm fairly confident that if you want a bike you can really rag around at the other end then there's no other 'tourer' that's anywhere close to the speed and ability of this for spirited riding. You can sincerely make many a superbike rider feel slow and it absolutely rails through corners. The last one I took to the nurburgring was incredible, comfort all the way there and laugh in your helmet fast when doing Laps Just had a mate fit the Akrapovic race headers and sc project end can on the new one (he's the little chap working while I'm drinking tea) going to get it ecu mapped soon enough but it's fairly common and thus expected to be well over 160bhp at the wheel. They're certainly fast, all I need to do now is fit the bar ends, find the seat (kidding, it's now back on) and change the rubber out for something a little more my taste (M7rr or Roadtec 01) I'll buy the RR next year if I can pick up a 2nd hand or ex demo on pcp, but for this year's tour from Santander all the way back up through to Caen I'll be hooning the Xr in comfort
Thats exactly what I'm thinking to use it for. How have you found the long journeys on it, can you cover long distance in comfort? I'm wanting to take it all the way down to South Italy, Austria and Croatia since its free mileage! I find the S1000RR quite uncomfortable on the knees and whilst I did the journey on the Panigale I would never do it again. This is the one reason why I'm considering the GSA - to see if I discover a pleasure in just riding long distance with ease?
I'm 6ft 3 with long legs (I'd look really odd otherwise), comfort it's fine especially with the Sports HP seat which I've had on both bikes. The GS will feel more 'Ducati' obviously as it's not the L4, but the Xr will absolutely trounce anything even remotely calling itself a tourer when you get it wound on. It's just a different league of tourer, it's more big framed superbike and if that's what you expect then you'll not be disappointed Quick shifter and blipper are sublime, riding position is nice and neutral but wide bars good for levering it round the bends. At the end of the day there are better tourers for touring and that's probably why some feel it's too revvy, racey and in some cases, vibey. Don't buy it if you actually want a classic 'tourer' But if you want something that's comfy enough to sit on during the miles and boring slogs, then when you get to some beautiful roads you want a superbike type experience, it's sincerely the only thing I've found that gives you that. It literally is the S1000rr on well dampened stilt like suspension, and if you're worried about vibes my advice is just wind on the throttle, that kinda gives you something else to think about
For balance on a Ducati site, the multi will easily keep with an XR IME and many others. Likely because of its mid range punch. It gives up some power but seems to match in acceleration terms. On the world here...
