S1000XR

[Titto]

I tested one earlier, and thought it was "nice". I came away thinking its just a more upright version of the S1000R.....and having thought about it some more, it is just that! Nothing more.
It didn't have the character of the boxer I like, yes it pulls well, yes it handles well, but i prefer the looks of my GS over it and was quite happy to ride away on my GS. No doubt it will sell very well, still a cracking bike but not for me as I thought it possibly would have been!

Now what I would LOVE to see and ride is a boxer engine with a chain drive!

 

[Fanum]

I tested one earlier, and thought it was "nice". I came away thinking its just a more upright version of the S1000R.....and having thought about it some more, it is just that! Nothing more.
It didn't have the character of the boxer I like, yes it pulls well, yes it handles well, but i prefer the looks of my GS over it and was quite happy to ride away on my GS. No doubt it will sell very well, still a cracking bike but not for me as I thought it possibly would have been!

So in summary......if an S1000R would be a perfect bike for you, or very close to the top of that mythical list, but it was too short or cramped or made your back ache, then the XR might well be perfect

If you go into a test ride on a chain driven, DOHC straight fours knowing that you far prefer the feeling of boxer twins with drive shafts, then it's not too surprising that it isn't the bike for you.

Damning it with faint praise in that case is a bit pointless though isn't it?

 

[Wapping]

It pulls well, it handles well, but it's the looks of his GS he prefers. Oh well, £13,000 saved.

Not sure where the burning desire to put a chain on a GS came from, other than saving (considerable) weight and making it easier to fool around with the ratios.

 

[Titto]

Jesus...deep man!
Im just saying it's nice as many bikes are. Im not totally against it, but not loving it! Like I do my boxer or my s1000rr that's what I meant it to come across as....I just didn't get much from it like I was hoping I would. Each to their own.

 

[Titto]

Yes wapping I shan't be getting rid of the GS for a very long time. Its a keeper!

Why not have a chain drive on a boxer? Something different, no doubt would reduce power loss and be a bit more efficient? A quirky thing I think! I like quirky things, after all I own a gs!

 

[Engineer]

I'm not sure if you've ever looked at the radiator on a Goldwing, a 1600 GT or even a modern, reasonably powerful, car? Like the sale of aftermarket headlight guards, the world is not always full of flying stones. I'd like a pound for every (essential) undented oil radiator guard there is, sitting on GS owners' bikes (probably in garages) right now.

radiator guards are a waste of time on the LC unless you are always riding off road, but look at any road bike with a large exposed radiator like this latest BMW and you will see countless bent fins that end up looking a bit crap - the LC radiators are high up and well protected in comparison and don't suffer from this issue. If you use this new bike for only a couple of thousands miles a year in summer then it won't be a problem either.

 

[Fanum]

Jesus...deep man!
Im just saying it's nice as many bikes are. Im not totally against it, but not loving it! Like I do my boxer or my s1000rr that's what I meant it to come across as....I just didn't get much from it like I was hoping I would. Each to their own.

Exactly.

I love my 1150GSA and it's a better bike than I am a rider....I have hit its limits a couple of times, but for what I need it for, want a bike for, and so on, it's just about perfect.

So I'm not looking for, or even hoping for anything else........'anything else' would be superfluous TBH.

Each to his (her) own, but the only reason I responded to your post was because I couldn't really understand why you test rode the XR in the first place.....you seemed to be expecting a better apple flavour from a new improved strain of banana

 

[Titto]

I like to try out different bikes, test the water, nothing more. Its nice to check out the variety on offer.

 

[Fanum]

radiator guards are a waste of time on the LC unless you are always riding off road, but look at any road bike with a large exposed radiator like this latest BMW and you will see countless bent fins that end up looking a bit crap - the LC radiators are high up and well protected in comparison and don't suffer from this issue. If you use this new bike for only a couple of thousands miles a year in summer then it won't be a problem either.

How much is the after-market accessory gig worth, do you think?

And have you ever wondered about why Touratech (and sometimes others) have off-the-shelf guards, protectors and farkles ready to go on day 1 of a new model's release?

It must be coincidence or good luck

 

[(RIP) Edvard Munch]

I vote coincidence those guys are geniuses

 

[DING-DONG]

radiator guards are a waste of time on the LC unless you are always riding off road, the LC radiators are high up and well protected in comparison and don't suffer from this issue.

Have you been drinking again because the above is not true 30 miles into my trip home on a brand new gs I got a stone in the rad ok it never holed but it didn't look good either, prevention is the key and £50 for some rad guards are worth there weight in gold, all it takes is one stone and the state of our roads due not help, I've had several window screens in one year in a work vehicle, the stones seem to be getting bigger.

 

[Engineer]

Have you been drinking again because the above is not true 30 miles into my trip home on a brand new gs I got a stone in the rad ok it never holed but it didn't look good either, prevention is the key and £50 for some rad guards are worth there weight in gold, all it takes is one stone and the state of our roads due not help, I've had several window screens in one year in a work vehicle, the stones seem to be getting bigger.

I think you must be the exception that proves the rule, because I have done 25,000 miles on 2 LCs without any stones hitting the radiators - obviously there is a chance that it can happen in the same way that planes sometimes fall out of the sky but I ain't gonna lose any sleep over it.

 

[Engineer]

How much is the after-market accessory gig worth, do you think?

And have you ever wondered about why Touratech (and sometimes others) have off-the-shelf guards, protectors and farkles ready to go on day 1 of a new model's release?

It must be coincidence or good luck

The only Touratech thing I have ever bought was a little clip on screen deflector that was supposed to reduce buffeting on my first 1200, it cost £80 and did bugger all!

 

[(RIP) Tunneruk]

Sheesh .... this has turned into a psychology thread!

 

[Wapping]

Anyway, it looks like a cracking bike.

Some will not like it as much as their GS or any GS, past, present or (possibly) future

Some will worry that the radiator will be holed or simply get bent fins *

Some will believe the tank's too small, the luggage and pillion capabilities not suitable and that the chain renders it a non-starter

Some will believe it's just a copying of other manufacturers' designs

Some will believe that the electronics are just a form of bling, that 160 bhp and a top speed of 160 mph are never appropriate or ever needed

BMW won't care as they'll sell hundreds. Nor will the hundreds of owners (some of whom may even adventure out for more than 100 miles in a month).... Until that is they find something to moan about or get confused over whether it's really best to oil a chain with old gearbox oil or fit a Scottoiler (using hot weather oil when the mercury hovers slightly above 20c for more than three consecutive hours) whether Barkbusters really will look the bollox, mate and whether their flip front helmet now needs to be changed.




* Top tip of the day. If you ever encounter a bent fin (as opposed to a bent Finn) simple flat bladed cosmetic tweezers are an excellent (and very cheap) way to coax the metal back into shape gently. Engineer can use his girlfriend's.

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

I agree wholeheartedly with the comment about flip front lids. I'd never wear one on a XR.

Andres

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

I bet it will be a great bike, but those massive exposed radiators bother me to the point of it only being any good for the occasional Summer Sunday ride out rather than an everyday machine like the GS.

Would that be the occasional Summer Sunday ride out when you can absolutely guarantee that there will be no road debris whatsoever waiting to puncture that hideously large and no doubt overly expensive radiator/oil cooler assembly

Twas only yesterday that I spotted a LC GSA sat on it's side sidestand dribbling coolant like a pissed up tramp and yes, you guessed it, the radiator had been holed by a stone

 

[Flipfly]

Well I've won a weekend with a BM of my choice, what should I do?

I've ridden a WC and it was ok, the electrics package was completely unnecessary IMHO and clunky in it's operation. The XR electrics though???? I'm very tempted to see if they have one for me because it interests me. The SR electrics have always been complemented and I have yet to ride a bike with a good electrics package. The old 1150RT handled better than the GS so the 17 inch front wheel on the XR could be fun, also, I haven't ridden a conventional fork for some years now, so it'll be interesting to see how they've progressed.
My ideal situation would be a day with the XR and a day with an 800 GS, but if it's one bike for all weekend it's the XR that is floating my boat at the mo.

 

[Wapping]

I agree wholeheartedly with the comment about flip front lids. I'd never wear one on a XR.

Andres

Mate, how else are you going to feel the wind in your face at 90 mph? You'll not feel alive.

 

[Bendy toy]

So much fuss about electrickery.

The only electrical problem on my 7 years old GS is the clutch lever contact not working. And, that was my fault for fitting posh levers. Oh, come to think of it, the ignition coils failed. I clearly should have taken that extended warranty.