BMW Motorrad has shared on its social media handles a fast-paced teaser of a couple of motorcycles that will launch here soon. Pay close attention and you’ll find that the bikes featuring in the video are the 2020 BMW S 1000 XR and the F 900 XR.
The S 1000 XR and the F 900 twins (the F 900 XR and the F 900 R) are all new for 2020 and made their debut at EICMA 2019. While the F 900 R wasn’t a part of the video, we believe that BMW Motorrad will launch it here with the F 900 XR. In fact, we expect the F 900 twins to launch soon after the countrywide lockdown is lifted. The 2020 S 1000 XR, on the other hand, will launch a few months later. Once the lockdown ends, bookings for the updated models should begin at dealerships across the country with a few test ride units available as well.
The F 900 twins are powered by an in-line twin-cylinder engine that finds its roots in the F 850 GS. However, on these new bikes, the displacement has been increased to 895cc from 853cc. The bump in size brings in an increase in power, with 105hp (previously 95hp) at 8,750rpm, while peak torque remains unchanged, at 92Nm at 6,500rpm. Both motorcycles are also built around the same chassis, but the F 900 XR has a 15.5-litre fuel tank while the R's is smaller, at 13 litres. The XR also gets greater suspension travel – 170mm (front) and 172mm (rear) – in comparison to the 135mm (front) and 142mm (rear) on the F 900 R.
The S 1000 XR now features the engine from the new S 1000 RR and is also better equipped than its predecessor. BMW says the new bike is 10kg lighter, and this is while accounting for all the equipment that used to be optional extras on the old bike but are now part of the standard equipment. The bike's inline-four engine produces 165hp at 11,000rpm and 114Nm of torque at 9,250rpm, with a tweaked gearbox that now features longer fourth, fifth and sixth gear ratios. Additionally, the new S 1000 XR also features an anti-hopping clutch, engine drag torque control (MSR) and electronically controlled suspension damping as standard.
We’ve already ridden all three of these motorcycles at the international press ride and you can click here to read our review of the F 900 R and F 900 XR.