BMW Motorrad Malaysia today unveiled two new premium motorcycles, the New BMW S 1000 XR and the New BMW R 1200 RS, which are set to raise the benchmark for sports, touring and adventure motorcycles in the country.
As the fourth member in the BMW Motorrad line-up of high-performance motorcycles with straight-four-cylinder engines, the new BMW S 1000 XR builds on the tantalising and unique mix of innovative technology, performance and safety already inherent in its existing models and takes it to the next level by offering this repertoire of core characteristics in a brand-new segment defined as ‘Adventure Sport”. ‘Adventure Sport’ encompasses dynamic touring qualities, sporty performance and high levels of comfort as well as outstanding everyday usability.
The New BMW R 1200 RS, meanwhile, takes sports touring to a whole new and truly thrilling level. Powered by the flat-twin boxer engine that succeeds in transposing the all-round qualities of the original BMW RS concept from 40 years ago into the modern day to stunning effect, the new BMW R 1200 RS is the consummate all-rounder for both travelling and sporting deployment.
Following on from the BMW S 1000 RR and BMW HP4 superbikes as well as the BMW S 1000 R roadster, BMW Motorrad is now unveiling the fourth member in its line-up of high-performance motorcycles with straight-four-cylinder engines.
The stand-out character, emotional appeal and versatility of the new BMW S 1000 XR are firstly reflected in the motorcycle’s design, ensuring an impressive statement. Its strikingly contrast-rich and sculptural surface design lends extra potency to the new motorcycle’s dynamic looks, while its layering structure allows impressive plasticity and three-dimensionality in the bike’s fairings. The asymmetrical side fairings underline its affinity with the sport segment while its slim lines accentuate the lightness and agility of the new BMW S 1000 XR.
The dynamic design and pronounced attention to detail in the brand’s first adventure sports bike is easily recognisable through the deliberate asymmetry design of the headlight reflectors, which are framed in a symmetrical outer contour. The dynamically-styled twin headlights which light beams aperture are asymmetrical ensures not only excellent lighting power and optimum illumination of the road ahead, but it also gives the new BMW S 1000 XR its unmistakable face. The new adventure sport bike can additionally be specified with an optional LED daytime running light positioned in the centre between the two headlight units.
Meanwhile, the air intake in the central section of the front end reproduces the hallmark RR “split face”, further emphasizing its supersport influence while its rear end, with its slim, light form, is short and snappy to represent a visual tribute the new BMW S 1000 XR’s agility and fleet-footedness. Its rear carries a crisp, compact look which is accentuated by a new licence plate mounting as well as a striking pentagonal end silencer to enable a high banking angle as well as allows the rider to attach not just panniers, but also a luggage grid with excellent load-carrying capacity.
Further sophistication and technical flavour has been added to the design of the new BMW S 1000 XR. This is seen in the opulently designed yoke which has been glass bead-blasted, while the tapered aluminium handlebars combine optimum control and solidity in an elegant form. More close attention to detail can be seen in the fuel tank surround which incorporates bold constrast and scultural flair while the tank cover is a two-component construction featuring a rubber surface around the filler cap and straddle area. The forged foot peg system for the rider and passenger is likewise the product of sophisticated manufacturing laced with impressive attention to detail.
Meanwhile, the state-of-the-art technology for the new adventure sport bike is nothing short of its style and function – the new BMW S 1000 XR redefines the performance spectrum ranging from adventure through sport to touring in its own enthralling style. The new adventure sport bike is powered by a straight-four-cylinder engine similar to the DOHC unit that powers the BMW S 1000 R roadster. It has a stroke/bore ratio of 49.7 to 80 mm and uses a valvetrain with small, lightweight single rocker arms. In combination with a short, toothed, sprocket-driven camshaft drive chain, maximum rpm stability and precise valve timing is achieved. The mixture formation continues to be based on fully sequential, cylinder-selective fuel injection with two injectors per cylinder.
Nevertheless, to ensure optimum cylinder charging at low and medium engine speeds, the layout of the cylinder head ports have been modified and the valve lift curves recalculated. The rev speed threshold has also been lowered by around 2,000 rpm and the bike now employs the latest-generation engine management, paving the way for a full E-Gas ride-by-wire system.
The 999 cc in-line engine delivers a maximum output of 160 hp and generates a maximum torque of 112 Nm. In delivering a punchy response at low and medium revs, the liquid-cooled engine has abundant quantities of torque on tap, resulting in tremendous pulling power and exhilarating acceleration which are accompanied by a high peak output and a usable rev range spanning over 10,000 rpm. In conjunction with the optional Gear Shift Assist Pro, this means that it is just as easy to cruise along wih minimal gear changes as it is to adopt a sporty riding style or embark on an adventure trip on the new BMW S 1000 XR.
Together with the standard ABS system, ASC also substantially increases the range of use of the new BMW S 1000 XR on top of providing a significant boost of safety particularly when riding over split-friction surfaces.
The chassis is built around a newly developed perimeter frame made from aluminium which is welded together from four segments – the steering head, the engine and swing arm mount, plus two side sections. The rear frame is made from torsionally rigid aluminium sections with a pentagonal profile to give the new adventure sports bike the increased load carrying capacity needed for touring and long-distance travel. Wheel location at the rear is carried out by a newly developed double-sided swing arm which is welded together from cast aluminium-alloy sections.
With a road-ready weight of 228 kilograms when carrying a full tank of fuel, a slight change in chassis geometry has been made to meet the requirements of an adventure sports bike. For example, the castor angle of 65.4 degrees is 0.8 degrees more raked than on the BMW S 1000 R, while the wheel castor of 117 mm is 18.5 mm longer than the roadster’s. The rear-wheel swing arm has also grown in length by 65 mm to 670 mm and the wheelbase now measures at 1,548 mm; all of which deliver superior traction and handling stability for sporty rides along country roads, and the benefit of supreme directional stability when travelling on the motorway at high speed even with a passenger and luggage on board.
Beyond which, the front wheel of the new BMW S 1000 XR is also equipped with an upside-down fork which features inner cartridge insert, allowing both rebound and compression damping to be adjusted. Total spring travel is 150 mm while the rear wheel totals to 140 mm where a central spring strut with adjustable spring preload and adjustable rebound damping is employed.
The versatility of the new BMW R 1200 RS can be further enhanced with two riding modes – “Rain” and “Road” – featured as standard alongside traction-enhancing Automatic Stability Control (ASC) as well as ABS system which substantially increase the range of use of the new sports tourer while ensuring riding safety. Riders can also opt for the optional “Dynamic” and “User” riding modes with the Riding mode Pro feature which also includes Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) instead of the standard ABS system.
To complete the powerful yet distinctive sports touring personalities of the New BMW R 1200 RS, two different styling variants are made available. The basic variant features the colour schemes of Lupin Blue Metallic or Light Grey Metallic, while the “Style 2” variant features Granite Grey Metallic Matt or Black Storm Metallic.
The retail prices on the road, without insurance and including GST for the New BMW S 1000 XR and the New BMW R 1200 RS are:
BMW S 1000 XR – RM 112, 900.00
BMW R 1200 RS – RM 101, 900.00
The new motorcycles from BMW Motorrad are also complemented with special four year financing programs from BMW Credit Malaysia with an offer of ownership of the New BMW S 1000 XR from a monthly installment of RM 1, 588.00 and the ownership of the New BMW R 1200 RS from a monthly instalment of RM 1, 488.00.
