The S 1000 XR combines the comfort of a tourer with the performance of a supersport motorcycle thanks to its RR-based engine.
If you’re a motorcycle rider, then you’ve debated the type of bike to get at some point. Unless you’re so true to one type of motorcycle, you’ve had to think about compromising either comfort or performance. In fact, I’ve owned sports bikes and cruisers in the past, and I love both. This makes my motorcycle purchasing decision that much harder. No one wants to sacrifice performance, but if it’s your daily, you have to consider efficiency and comfort. If you’ve had this battle, or you anticipate having it in the future, the 2022 BMW S 1000 XR may solve all of your problems. BMW designed this bike with the high-performance engine from the RR, yet dressed it in a touring-bike outfit. This means you are getting SuperSuper performance with the comfort of a touring bike. While we absolutely love the S 1000 XR, it’s not exactly for everyone.
BMW calls this model an adventure sport bike. The design and the riding position of the 2022 BMW S 1000 XR screams “touring,” while the engine offers absolutely no compromise. The combination of the long-distance intention of this bike with the athletic abilities from the engine and suspension make the S 1000 XR a truly special bike. While the RR-based engine provides the aggressiveness of that of a championship-winning SuperSport, the upright riding position and relaxed feel make an argument for daily-use.
So, what is this bike designed for? Everything! Aside from off-roading, this bike can do it all on paper. It even made our list of the most underrated sports bikes ever made. However, we’re not in a classroom and what’s on paper doesn’t necessarily translate on the road. Which is why we’ve been riding the 2022 BMW S 1000 XR every day for the past three weeks to come up with our own conclusion in this review.
The 2022 BMW S 1000 XR comes in three optional colors: Light White/M Motorsport, Racing Red 2, and Style Triple Black. The first is very BMW, the second is fun and flashy, while the third is sleek and aggressive. Our loner bike featured the latter. BMW did a great job capturing the essence of this bike with the design.
Despite the touring-look in terms of height, position, and high front; the sharp and very defined front fairing and headlights simply scream performance and aggression. Even though the front is aggressive, the high handlebars and windshield make for a comfortable design. This bike goes back and forth between performance and comfort in its design so effortlessly. While our loner bike was bare, you can add tons of accessories to make it more functional as a daily. If designs can speak, this one would tell truth: this bike is as much touring as it is a sports bike. Overall, the design of the 2022 S 1000 XR is elegant, sporty, aggressive, and visually-pleasing.
You can’t say technology without looking at BMW’s 6.5-inch TFT display. You can navigate through the display screen using the wheel on the left handlebar. It’s really easy to use whether you’re riding or stopped. In addition to the great display in any riding condition, the system is efficient and easy to use.
Although the screen displays limited data at one time, it offers everything you need, especially navigation through your phone app. Speaking of navigation, BMW left the GPS mount on top of the screen, and it’s just taking up space. It’s time for the mount to go and smartphone connectivity to take over.
The left side of the handlebar also features the suspension control switch. This circles through two suspension settings, while the “mode” button on the right-side circles between four driving modes: Rain, Road, Dynamic, and Dynamic Pro. The latter allows you to fully customize your settings, even turning off the wheelie control. The wheelie control gives you a few settings to choose how much help you want, which makes for a truly fun experience without the stress of going too far up. Between the driving modes and the suspension stiffness you get to control, the S 1000 XR can offer completely different personalities for the rider.
The S 1000 XR sports an inline 4-cylinder, 4-stroke engine with four valves per-cylinder and two overhead cams with tons of impressive specs. The 900cc engine delivers 165 horsepower at 11,000 RPM and 84 lb-ft of torque at 9,250 RPM. The inline-4 works together with a six-speed synchromesh gearbox with spur gears.
Performance doesn’t stop there, as the front features twin floating disc brakes measuring 320mm in diameter with a four-piston caliper, while the rear gets a single disc that’s 265mm in diameter, with twin-piston floating caliper. The front and rear also get electronic self-adjusting rebound/compression damping. The engine, gearbox, and performance of the 2022 BMW S 1000 XR are tremendously promising, but we had to find out for ourselves on the road.
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The first thing we noticed is how high the S 1000 XR actually is. At six-foot-two, I struggled to get my leg around. However, once on the bike, the seat is high enough to accommodate tall riders, yet not too high to make it uncomfortable for average-height riders. With keyless technology, it means your two button presses away from a roaring cold-start. Immediate vibration comes through the seat, which lacks some needed cushions if long rides are your intention.
The exhaust sound is throaty at idle and low RPM, yet screams like the 1-liter SuperSport engine it is at higher RPM. The S 1000 XR has incredible road manners. It feels light and extremely nimble. In fact, you can throw this bike around and feel completely in control. It rides like a far smaller bike. At low speeds, the S 1000 XR felt like a pleasure.
It was time to test out acceleration and see what this bike has in store. Smooth and linear acceleration is the result. The S 1000 XR is incredibly fast, but the scary feelings don’t come until you climb up high in the RPM range. At around 7,000-8,000 RPM, the S 1000 XR takes off its touring clothes, and puts on its SuperSport bike outfit. Let's not forget this engine is similar to Sports bikes like the S 1000 RR.
Although it won’t surprise you, the linear delivery of the power is absolutely brilliant, and the higher RPM range is where the real fun is at. If you are shifting at around 7,000 RPM, you would never guess how quick this bike really is. Above that RPM mark, the S 1000 XR completely changes personalities. You can shift through the gears with or without the clutch.
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Without the clutch, shifting is incredibly fast and precise as long as you’re under load. If you’re coasting, obviously it won’t shift without the clutch. In second gear, I pulled the throttle, and the delivery was so smooth until I felt the front lift up ever so gracefully for the smoothest power wheelie I’ve ever experienced. It was at this moment I realized this bike is fun!
The S 1000 XR is smooth enough for beginner riders; however, we wouldn't recommend it. Once it changes personalities, experience definitely comes in handy. All beginner riders should stick with smaller-displacement bikes, or at least motorcycles that don't have an RR-based engine. Let's not forget the RR's association with the M 1000 RR, a bike that goes head-to-head with the Ducati Panigale. Perhaps the BMW F 900 XR could be a better option for a less experienced rider.
The power-to-weight ratio mixed with the suspension settings make this motorcycle carve up the canyon like a true sport bike. The relaxed seating position doesn’t interfere either, it almost complements it. The ease of leaning this bike and the smooth power coming out of the corner makes for quite a fun canyon ride. With my height and body proportions, using the lever to raise the windshield just didn’t work. It moves the incoming wind up to hit the tip of my helmet, which just felt like a recipe for a headache. I had no issues with the lower setting on the windshield.
When cruising, the riding position is a home-run. It truly gives you the ability to ride all day long, until you realize how unforgiving the seat is. The vibrations coming through the seat won’t bother you as much as the lack of cushioning. Not to mention the design of the seat, which prevents you from having any freedom of moving forward or backwards. If the seat gets more cushions, its design won’t be a bother.
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At slow speed, the S 1000 XR is impressively balanced, allowing you to go between stopped cars with confidence, and make tight turns with ease. It’s truly impressive how BMW can design a bike that can give you pleasure at all speeds. True fun, however, occurs on the open road and the canyon. You have to be careful, however, as the 2022 S 1000 XR can get you in a lot of trouble. It’s fast, and it has no issues convincing you to push it. The question remains, who is the S 1000 XR right for, and who should not consider it?
The worst part about riding the 2022 BMW S 1000 XR is having to give it back. This is a brilliant motorcycle that is worth its $17,945 MSRP (base model). This is definitely one of the most well-rounded motorcycles that money can buy today. It’s aggressive, athletic, and you will almost never need more performance thanks to SuperSport-caliber engine performance. It also gives you a relaxed-riding position that won’t break your back, while offering technology that is convenient and allows you the freedom to customize your ride to your desires. So, if you’re looking for a do-it-all bike, the S 1000 XR is for you.
If your commute is all city driving, the S 1000 XR is an overkill. Why spend the money if you aren’t going to use the performance? You can find bikes that are great cruisers for a fraction of the cost. The bike is great at low speeds, but if that’s all you’re doing, the vibration will be tiresome, and you can find other bikes to do low-speeds better. On extra-long rides, you will need to address the seat cushioning. It sounds like a small problem to have, but unless you have cushions of your own back there, you will pay the price. Not to mention there are numerous other options that provide more comfort. This means the S 1000 XR is a great commuter if your drive is short or on an open road, and it will also make an incredible weekend bike. If you don’t care about comfort, and you simply want the best of all worlds, we can promise you that you will not regret buying the 2022 BMW S 1000 XR.
Bassem has been writing in the automotive industry since day one of his career. The love for any machinery with wheels has been embedded deep into his heart at a tremendously early age by his father. Bassem has created content for a variety of sources in numerous styles, from pure entertainment to the most technical of topics. His work can be found on newsstands, websites, and social media, reaching millions of enthusiasts.