2015 BMW S1000XR Spied – Inline-Four Multistrada Rival on the Way

Dennis Chung
by Dennis Chung

Spy photographers have captured a new BMW adventure-tourer powered by the S1000RR’s Inline-Four engine. The new model, which we expect will be called the 2015 BMW S1000XR, will be more road-oriented than the company’s bread-and-butter GS line, offering a competitor to the likes of the Ducati Multistrada 1200 or the recently reviewed Aprilia Caponord 1200.

Other publications that have published the spy photos ( Insella.it and MotorcyclistOnline for example) have put forward names such as S1000F or S1000 ADV for the new model, but a trademark application BMW filed with the USPTO suggests it may be introduced as the “S1000XR”.

The spy photos reveal a similar powertrain and chassis as the S1000R, and we expect similar performance numbers as the naked bike’s claimed 158 hp and 83 ft-lb. We also expect BMW’s usual electronics including ride-by-wire, multiple engine mappings, traction control, anti-lock brakes and Electronic Suspension Adjustment technology, if not the more advanced Dynamic Damping Control.

The frame will likely be similar but with a different subframe to provide better support for a passenger and paniers. Up front, we see twin headlights leading to the usual “beak” manufacturers insist on sticking on their ADV bikes, though to be fair, the prototype’s beak is much subtler than the schnoz on the R1200GS.

The S1000XR will be more road-biased than the GS, with its 17-inch wheels and street tires, but the long-travel suspension should make it suitable for the odd fire road. Unlike the shaft-driven R1200GS, the prototype uses a chain like the other BMW I-4 models.

Expect to see more information emerge in the months ahead, leading up to a full announcement at the big European motorcycle shows in the fall, likely Intermot in Cologne, Germany, or EICMA in Milan, Italy.

[Source: Insella.it and MotorcyclistOnline]

Dennis Chung
Dennis Chung

Dennis has been a part of the Motorcycle.com team since 2008, and through his tenure, has developed a firm grasp of industry trends, and a solid sense of what's to come. A bloodhound when it comes to tracking information on new motorcycles, if there's a new model on the horizon, you'll probably hear about it from him first.

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