The BMW S 1000 XR Is The Most Powerful Touring Bike Under $20,000

Touring bikes need performance. This is for a number of reasons, but the primary one is that they’re big, heavy bikes because they need to be comfortable and overengineered. That means a chassis that can take a beating and survive, and that can hold a rider, pillion, and their luggage for a trip, all without complaint through bad roads. And you know those bad roads will rear their head on your trip!

The other reason is highway speeds: all that weight needs to be carried comfortably at highway speeds, and there has to be power in reserve for overtaking. Not to mention going up inclines or riding at altitude. But both of these are practical reasons, and there is one more: fun! On a long ride, you need to be able to have fun, and power may not be able to solve everything, but it certainly solves a lot of things!

Of course, there will always be a budget for any motorcycle, so we’ve picked a relatively reasonable budget (for a full-size touring bike). Here then is the most powerful touring bike under $20,000.

With 170 Horses, The BMW S 1000 XR Is The Most Powerful Touring Bike Under $20,000

Price: $17,995

BMW Motorrad

The S 1000 XR is the crossover version of the S 1000 RR, which means you’d expect a detuned version of the engine for touring. It is detuned from the 205 horsepower of the sports bike, but down to ‘only’ 170 horsepower. And this is the same state of tune as the S 1000 R naked, which means the S 1000 XR pulls no punches as far as performance is concerned. Unlike the naked, though, it has a comfortable seat and seating position, can carry a pillion and luggage, has long-travel suspension, and can take you either on a multi-day ride or the racetrack with equanimity. The base price of just under $18,000 is the icing on the cake, and makes it the most powerful touring bike under $20,000.

Why We Picked The BMW S 1000 XR

• Highest power output among sport tourers, crossovers, and even adventure tourers.
• A detuned S 1000 RR engine, so it will have good torque.
• Good list of features for the price.
• Great options list.

Powered By An Inline-Four Powerhouse

170 Reasons To Get One

BMW

As we’ve just mentioned, the S 1000 XR uses an engine that is derived from the S 1000 RR sports bike engine. We say ‘derived’, because there are a few small things that it lacks compared to the sports bike. The deleted things include titanium valves and the BMW ShiftCam variable valve timing for the intake valves. It still has an appetite for revs, with peak power arriving at 11,000 RPM, a redline at 12,000 revs, and peak torque arriving at 8,250 RPM. This engine is more flexible than the eye test suggests, and acquits itself well as a touring companion.

A six-speed gearbox and chain drive send the engine’s 170 horsepower to the rear wheel. The chain drive might put off some, but for the kind of performance you’re getting, there really isn’t an option. A two-way quickshifter is surprisingly not standard equipment, but an assist and slipper clutch is present. A six-axis IMU and by-wire throttle allow for ride modes, cornering traction control, wheelie control, and engine braking control.

BMW S 1000 XR Engine Specifications

BMW S 1000 XR Chassis

Semi-Active Electronic Suspension Is Standard

BMW

Look at an image of the S 1000 XR chassis, and you’d be forgiven for thinking it is a sport bike chassis. It doesn’t have BMW’s Duolever or Telelever suspension; it is a conventional setup like the S 1000 R, and all it does is offer increased travel at both ends. The rear subframe is bolted on, and it is stronger because of the demands it will have as a tourer.

BMW S 1000 XR Chassis Specs And Dimensions

The suspension is fully adjustable and Dynamic ESA, which is a semi-active electronic suspension, is standard. The wheels are 17-inch alloy items shod with sticky tires, as they should be, and the brakes are superbike-spec 320 mm dual discs at the front, gripped by radially mounted four-piston fixed calipers. Thanks to the six-axis IMU, cornering ABS is present, and for finer control over the electronic suspension, you’ll have to upgrade to the Dynamics package, which adds Dynamic ESA Pro to the S 1000 XR.

No Dearth Of Features

Great Base Price, Lots Of Upgrades

BMW

The S 1000 XR is a premium motorcycle, there is no doubt about that. It is offered with some very good standard equipment, beginning with a 6.5-inch TFT color display. It is Bluetooth and navigation-enabled as well. There is also a USB socket, keyless ignition, and emergency calling. However, BMW pretty much forces you to add on one of its upgrade packages if you want anything beyond this basic feature set.

The white S 1000 XR is an ‘M Package’, and so it costs $3,295. You get a lot of kit for the money, including the GPS LapTrigger, M forged wheels, a lightweight battery, an Akrapovic muffler, a different windshield, the M endurance chain, and a different seat. But you can’t have the white color without this. It’s the same for other features that one would assume would be standard, or at the very least, optional extras as individual items, like a center stand, cruise control, a quickshifter, and tire pressure monitoring. BMW will not sell you these individually; you will have to spec the S 1000 XR with the $2,435 Premium Package. So, at the very least, you are going to spend a base price of $20,430 on an S 1000 XR.

BMW S 1000 XR Notable Features

• 6.5-inch TFT color display
• Bluetooth and navigation enabled
• Adaptive cornering headlamp
• Six-axis IMU
• Keyless ignition
• Emergency call system
• Different upgrade ‘packages’ available
• Long list of optional equipment

BMW S 1000 XR Competition

The BMW Is The Best Under $20,000

Suzuki

There is a lot of competition available in the premium touring segment, but if we narrow our search to crossovers like the S 1000 XR, it eliminates some strong contenders like the Ducati Multistrada V4 S, Triumph Tiger 1200 GT Pro, and KTM 1290 Super Adventure S. With the exception of the KTM, they are all significantly dearer than $20,000 anyway.

We then look at touring motorcycles with long-travel suspension and a set of 17-inch wheels. We’re going to include the KTM 1290 Super Duke GT here, because it is a mere $500 out of budget, and we don’t doubt that with a little bit of bargaining, you’d be able to get it under $20k. It has a stonking 175-horsepower V-twin and all the bells and whistles as standard, at the price.

BMW S 1000 XR Vs Rivals

There are also a couple of Japanese crossovers in the Suzuki GSX-S1000GX+ and the Kawasaki Versys 1100. The former matches up quite well to the BMW, but the latter focuses heavily on comfort and not speed. Another option is the relatively recently launched Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ST, which offers a powerful 150-horsepower V-twin and automatically lowering electronic suspension for under $20,000.