BMW S 1000 XR to hit Indian shores soon

After the recent launch of the F 900 duo, BMW Motorrad India has now decided to go one step up, and is set to launch the S 1000 XR, the brand's adventure tourer that shares its engine with the S 1000 RR in India, and they might do it as soon as next month. And that’s not all, as judging by the aggressive pricing on the F 900 R and F 900 XR, the new S 1000 XR will be priced pretty aggressively as well. And, in a move that will no doubt dismay ‘purists’ the new S 1000 XR loses the asymmetrical headlight fascia as well.

The highlight of the S 1000 XR, however, will be its engine. The 999cc inline-four will make 163bhp at 11,000rpm and 114Nm at 9,250rpm. One big difference from the S 1000 RR, however, is that it does not get the BMW ShiftCam tech. Additionally, the fourth, fifth and sixth gears now get longer ratios to modify the performance away from an all-out track screamer to a comparatively relaxed mile-muncher.

Next, as with the S 1000 RR, the XR too has received major alterations to its suspension, frame and swingarm. The new flex frame, which uses the engine as a stress member, also improves the ergonomics of the bike. The swingarm is now 19 per cent lighter with a directly articulated suspension strut for an even more sensitive response. The S 1000 XR also gets BMW’s latest-gen electronically-adjustable suspension as standard. The frame and swingarm are now 2.1kg lighter, with an overall bike weighing in at 10kg less than its predecessor.

Electronics on the bike include a new 6-axis IMU and the standard electronics include traction control, wheelie control, slip control and engine brake function. It also features four riding modes (Rain, Road, Dynamic and Dynamic Pro) and there’s also Hill Start Control Pro.

After the fun we had testing the S 1000 RR on the BIC last year, we're sure we speak for the entire country when we ask BMW to bring this bike here (and allow us to get our paws on it) soon!