XR is a good bike, neither the dvt or XR are beautiful so to say ones ugly vs the other is a bit pointless. The XR is very easy to ride slow yet ridiculously easy to ride mega fast, but far more sporty than the dvt so be warned. Honestly I didn't get this vibration thing people mentioned when I had one but I wasn't looking for it, most of the time I was barreling too fast in to a bend banging down through the auto blipper and firing out the other side. Honestly, they're a great bike but it's not a pipe and slippers gig
Glad to see I started yet another great thread. Agree and disagree with them all . Definitely bought the Enduro with my heart but paid the price (literally) . Only time will tell if the Head (BMW) route was the right one so will stick around and let you know . Did try the XR and wow what a bike , Fast ,handles so well but Vibrates at the wrong speed and BMW telling me they would put lead in the bars just didn't sway me to buying one. We went down to Rimini to the WDW on the Diavel and had a blast and just love all that torque so will still look at one next year just for the hooligan aspect. PS. Eats tyres though.
I've ridden the XR a couple of times and I didn't get the vibes thing either. There were some (if you want a bike that feels like its battery powered, buy triumph Explorer which is unnaturally smooth) but nothing worth making a fuss about and nothing some bar weights wouldn't sort. I wouldn't buy one because I didn't like the engine. Its got no torque. It goes when you wring its neck but after grunty twins it just felt anodyne. I guess you have to like I/L fours and I just don't. Chassis is wonderful though. For performance and character, if I had to have a four it would be the MT10. Trouble is its hideous beyond belief and impractical with a small tank and a raging thirst and the suspension isn't in the same class as the XR. I'm not impressed with the finish quality of any of the MT range either. Seen far too many rough ones. They are cheap though and I guess you get what you pay for. But... an MT10 engine in an XR chassis might just tempt me away from V twins. As it is, for upright adventure/sports tourers I'll stick with KTMs. I'm afraid I've never been convinced by the Multi and the reliability issues have put the lid on it.
Looks are indeed subjective Damo, but I sincerely believe the DVT is a much better looking bike than that Panzer parts bin tank above. Ducati have hidden the ugly subframe, the swing arm is beautiful, the lights are attractive and symmetrical etc etc. The XR, along with most of the BMW range, is pig ugly, but they have never concentrated on being cat walk models like Ducati, BMW have always been outside grafters with rigger boots on, and are happy to be that way. If BMW could cure the horrendous vibrations I felt when I test rode, it would be a good bike (Although, I personally don't think an IL4 suits the adventure style bike), but it is still painfully ugly, no matter how accomplished it is.
What year did you test ride? The '17 model year onwards had a mod for that. I think also that the Adventure style for the XR is only an aesthetic. It's an upright sports tourer. You wouldn't be taking that off-road anymore than you would an S1000R. I suppose if you were making a comparison: S1000rr = Panigale S1000r = Monster S1000xr = Multistrada R1200GS = Multistrada Enduro I think the XR is mega, my mate and his mate have one apiece and genuinely it was a great bike to ride, compared to the Fireblade I was out on with them on a ride up to Whitby they rocked. I was miserable on the 'blade and they were faster and happier.
Test rode one in '15 and one in '16, and was not overwhelmed with either. Fast, but souless, and I missed the V-twin. If you just want to go fast, then yes its a good bike, but I think its as ugly as sin, and when I open my garage, the looks are a part of it, not a big part, but a part none the less. I also think that no matter what you label it, Adventure, sports tourer etc, the riding position for me, didn't suit the IL4, and it still vibrated like a pair of love eggs. Even the guy down at Bahnstormers (Eddy I think) said "the vibes are better, but not fixed" And I'm sorry, but if I spend north of 15k on a bike, it should work straight out of the box without needing to fix an existing issue. It will always be a personal thing, and to date, my DVT has had no issues (And yes, I am looking to sell for an SDR, but that's only cause I have had 3 multis and fancy a change). The performance difference is there no doubt, but as with most things, its down to the rider, and my mate who has an XR, never leaves me for dead on most roads we ride, so for my money, and if a gun was to my head to buy another Multi/XR/1290 style bike, it would be a multi again, but again, it's all down to personal choice. I don't think there are any truly bad bikes out there nowadays (except maybe from China) but the XR is just to buzzy and frantic for my tastes.
Agree about there not being any true horrors out there. The worst you can typically say about any given bike these days is that it's either a bit bland or doesn't tick a particular subjective box for an individual. I guess that in situations like bumpy, slimy single carriageway roads on the North Yorkshire Moors like so many situations these days an upright bike was the right tool for the job. Agree as well about the IL4 vs. v-twin character. I guess that's why I went GS rather than XR. The shaft drive was a factor but also the flat-twin configuration is more fun but not intrusive when you want to enjoy the scenery rather than being the centre of attention. My own subjective view was that the Multi was pretty shouty and wanted all of my attention all of the time which was fun in short bursts but I thought might prove wearing over the course of a several thousand Km holiday. Horses for courses I guess, which was part of your point.
