2020 BMW S 1000 XR breaks cover at 2019 EICMA

- BMW Motorrad unveils 2020 S 1000 XR at 2019 EICMA 

- Majorly updated in terms of styling, hardware and electronics 

- 10kg lighter than its predecessor 

BMW Motorrad has finally put all the speculations to rest by unveiling the next-generation S 1000 XR at the 2019 EICMA show in MIilan. While it looks much sharper and aggressive than before, the changes go beyond cosmetics as the motorcycle features majorly revised set of hardware and electronics. 

Starting with the heart of the matter, the touring motorcycle borrows its powerplant from its sportsbike sibling, the 2019 S 1000 RR. This newly-developed 999cc, inline four motor develops 162.2bhp at 11,000rpm and 114Nm at 9,250rpm on the XR. As per BMW, the 4th, 5th and 6th gear ratios on this engine have been made longer to suit its touring character. It also gets electronic drag torque control set up which prevents the rear wheel from slipping on aggressive acceleration and downshifting. Also, this engine weighs 5kg lesser than the previous mill.  

Weighing at 226kg (dry), the new S 1000 XR is 10kg lighter than the previous-gen model. Contributing to this are the lighter set of components including suspension, swingarm and chassis. What’s more, it also features a majorly upgraded electronics package. While the existing model gets two riding modes, the new version comes with four, including Rain, Road, Dynamic and Dynamic Pro. Other features include Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), wheelie control, ABS Pro, Hill Start Control and HP Shift Assistant Pro (for quick up and down shifting). All the information is displayed on a fancier-looking 6.5-inch full-colour TFT instrument cluster which comes with four theme options.  

The 2020 BMW S 1000 XR will be available in two colour options including ‘Ice Grey’ and ‘Racing Red/White Aluminum.’ The latter will be available at an extra cost. Following its global launch, the motorcycle will most likely come to India as well. Looking at the updates, it will demand a considerable premium over the existing model which retails at Rs 17.65 lakhs (ex-showroom).