BMW S1000XR on the horizon

[petshark]

Things are moving fast all of a sudden. First I found myself about to order a Tracer 9 GT but after a second test ride I was surprised that it wasn't as exciting as I remembered. I decided to keep the 900 GT after all.

But that itch didn't go away. One thing led to another and before I knew it I was looking at XR's. Way too expensive for me but I'll make it work somehow...

I think. 

I'm looking at a grey 2021 with 3800 km, in showroom state. Full option minus M forged wheels, centre-stand and panniers. The previous owner didn't care for them I guess.. Not a dealbreaker for me. Keyless, large TFT, all the rider aids, connected, integrated GPS, crash bars, nice screen, etc. 

Before I take the plunge, is there anything I should know?

I'm especially looking at @Warchild and @fjray who I believe are also XR riders on the forum.

 

[petshark]

So, I did two one-hour test-rides and I'm going to pass. I love the way you sit on the bike, the brakes, dash and electronics are so great and I so want them but the character of the bike just makes no sense for me. 

It is very fast and I love the rush but it didn't scare me contrary to what I had expected. Took it to the redline and rode around in Dynamic mode and Dynamic pro but it don't want to ride around waiting for that power to come in above 7K RPM. It is a sports bike and I would love to own it but I only have room for one bike and the Tracer makes so much more sense. I'm looking at upgrading to the 9 GT again even though it is a real eyesore compared to the XR IMO. 

It was really hard but I'm going to chose function over form.

[petshark]

Also didn't mention the hunting sensation. It's probably me because I felt it on both test bikes and BMW claims nobody complaints about this. Also on XR forums...

It's only fun to accelerate but keeping a steady speed irritates me. I expected sowing machine perfection from BMW and it just hunting and surging in all gears and at any RPM and in any mode. It's subtle yes, but it bothers me. My ECU flashed Tracer is much more stable IMO. The 9 GT without flash is also more stable so I guess it's a downside to all that top end power and EURO5 that they can't fix that. Not for me then... 

I could maybe live with one of these 2 big downsides but not both. And I don't want to flash a BMW as they make it very clear that you lose all warranty. And I think I would need that warranty, having owned a 5 series car in the past.

[tktplz]

1 hour ago, petshark said:

So, I did two one-hour test-rides and I'm going to pass. I love the way you sit on the bike, the brakes, dash and electronics are so great and I so want them but the character of the bike just makes no sense for me. 

It is very fast and I love the rush but it didn't scare me contrary to what I had expected. Took it to the redline and rode around in Dynamic mode and Dynamic pro but it don't want to ride around waiting for that power to come in above 7K RPM. It is a sports bike and I would love to own it but I only have room for one bike and the Tracer makes so much more sense. I'm looking at upgrading to the 9 GT again even though it is a real eyesore compared to the XR IMO. 

It was really hard but I'm going to chose function over form.

One of the bigger motorcycle retailers here in town had a used XR with 23,000 miles for about 7,500. Thought about it but then remembered that with BMWs as well as Aprilia's you need to know your machinic by first name. I decided to say no, and keep the 2015 FJ-09. I didn't test ride it, just saw it on the internet. it was the red and white version, very attractive and the HP was very attractive also. I probably won't do anything different till I retire in about 4 years. Buy that retirement bike. IF, and that's IF I am still riding much at that point. Have had a few friends, acquaintances die the last year in bike wrecks. Since last year in September I've ridden maybe 900 miles of the 3,500 to 4,000 I would have ridden. Still just don't have the urge. I've ridden 1 trip of 3 trips the group has had. I pulled the bike out and rode it once around our lake, 48 miles, an hour ride, That I usually do 2-3 times a month. But that's a talk for another time. Hope you find something that does it for you. 

[Sunde]

I am 100% onboard with what you are saying.
 Having owned bikes like the GSX-S1000 and a VFR 1200, bikes that have much more "oomph" than the T9 on paper but in reality are not really "mindblowingly" more potent or fun to ride. The T9 has somewhat ruined bikes for me, in the best way possible mind you.
 But even trying my friends new Superduke (which is hillarious and nutty in all the ways you'd except) i still wasn't BLOWN AWAY compared to my T9. 
Yes it has power, but it ran kind rough and honestly did not feel very "quality".
And my T9 has all the electronic gadgets i'd want on a bike. 

The T9 really is the holy grail of totally OK. 
 Which means getting something that is plain "better" is actually quite hard.
Unless you are happy buying something twice as expensive anyway. 

Edited June 24, 2022 by Sunde

[petshark]

2 hours ago, Sunde said:

I am 100% onboard with what you are saying.
 Having owned bikes like the GSX-S1000 and a VFR 1200, bikes that have much more "oomph" than the T9 on paper but in reality are not really "mindblowingly" more potent or fun to ride. The T9 has somewhat ruined bikes for me, in the best way possible mind you.
 But even trying my friends new Superduke (which is hillarious and nutty in all the ways you'd except) i still wasn't BLOWN AWAY compared to my T9. 
Yes it has power, but it ran kind rough and honestly did not feel very "quality".
And my T9 has all the electronic gadgets i'd want on a bike. 

The T9 really is the holy grail of totally OK. 
 Which means getting something that is plain "better" is actually quite hard.
Unless you are happy buying something twice as expensive anyway. 

that is so true, if I try to imagine never having known the Tracer 900 I probably would have thought that the XR was the holy grail and be in debt right now. it's only when getting back on the Tracer that I realised that the CP3 engine is so great, playful and balanced that it soured the XR experience. Twice in a row. (I tried to explain that on an XR forum. Big mistake  )

The KTM 1290 engine does nothing for me. The Tracer never felt more refined than after that test ride but that's another story.

Edited June 24, 2022 by petshark

[Sunde]

8 hours ago, petshark said:

that is so true, if I try to imagine never having known the Tracer 900 I probably would have thought that the XR was the holy grail and be in debt right now. it's only when getting back on the Tracer that I realised that the CP3 engine is so great, playful and balanced that it soured the XR experience. Twice in a row. (I tried to explain that on an XR forum. Big mistake  )

The KTM 1290 engine does nothing for me. The Tracer never felt more refined than after that test ride but that's another story.

"that it soured the XR experience. Twice in a row. (I tried to explain that on an XR forum. Big mistake )"
Haaaah i dont doubt it for a second! Some fanbases can be VERY aggressive as i can tell you are aware off.
I'd like to think most of us could resist the urge to take it as a personal insult if someone came on this forum with complaints about the Tracer? I digress. 
  I think you should give the T9 a good look again, they did really go in the right direction (at least mechanically) asthetics are a personal thing obviously. But i can pretty much gather than the new gen T9/T9GT is a good allround evolution of the Tracer 900. 
 

Edited June 24, 2022 by Sunde

[maximo]

I feel some of this. The magic of the FJ that so many of you feel continues to elude me. On paper it's the perfect bike, it checks every box I have, but that doesn't translate to the riding experience. I just took off the bar risers and rotated the bars forward to create a little more fwd lean. I'll take it out tomorrow for a few hours to see if that helps. 

I'm this close (imagine my thumb and index not very far apart) to throwing in the towel and selling it to someone who will give her the love she deserves. 

[betoney]

2 hours ago, maximo said:

I feel some of this. The magic of the FJ that so many of you feel continues to elude me. On paper it's the perfect bike, it checks every box I have, but that doesn't translate to the riding experience. I just took off the bar risers and rotated the bars forward to create a little more fwd lean. I'll take it out tomorrow for a few hours to see if that helps. 

I'm this close (imagine my thumb and index not very far apart) to throwing in the towel and selling it to someone who will give her the love she deserves. 

No shame in that, you have to love the bike and anticipate every time you get to ride it. If it doesn’t do that for you, find something that you truly enjoy. 👍🏻

[KrustyKush]

I bought my 21 GT last January. I’d never seen one before that. No test ride (I don’t put much stock in short test rides). I didn’t care for it at all on the 12 mile ride home from the dealer. I had a great deal of trouble with gear shifting. Couldn’t reliably get my big boot under the shift lever. I spent a week dicking with the shift lever position and then gave up on that because of limitations imposed by the QS switch.

I hated the saddle. It reminded me of the bed of nails FJR saddle.  A half hour on this bike made my body ache  

I didn’t like the sound of the motor except when accelerating hard. Just riding around easy the bike sounded to me like a toy.

I had a heckuva time figuring out the clutch friction zone  Not sure why.  But, even after a month and 2k miles I was still screwing up a simple take-off from a stop.  Irritating.

Most of my problems had to do with all my riding since 2015 being on a Harley tourer.  Night and Day.

 

[Ride365]

Now this would very likely be my next bike, it literally pushes all the buttons for me.

 

https://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/en/models/sport/r1250rs.html?tl=sea-goog-sear-mix-miy-p053-sear-.-20210402-.&msclkid=a0f197a16f401a0227b9f51660def714&gclsrc=ds

Edited June 25, 2022 by Ride365