BMW S1000XR 2021 First Ride (Guest Starring the BMW R1250GS)

[@RikkyTang]

Timestamps 0:00 Welcome and the plan for today 0:35 That seat... 1:22 The windscreen at slow speeds 2:12 Can I get my feet down easily? 2:48 Where is Hill Hold? 3:24 Handy din socket for my USB adaptor (not sponsored!) 4:02 How is the front-end dive on this non-Telelever machine? 4:38 Specs list: Dual carriageway speeds (vibes/mirrors) 6:24 No vibes to speak of at lower speeds 6:36 Quick shifter at slow speeds 7:03 Engine is nice and tractable 7:20 I get to see the rear lights of a new S1000RR 7:46 Rejoining the carriageway.... (revs at about 80) 9:01 Phone is still charged! 9:24 That windscreen at speed 10:14 I find some backroads... 12:35 No throttle snatch to speak of 13:09 Bike spec info 14:10 Mid range power is good - not great 14:40 Suspension chat* 15:13 No tingles! 15:33 Market research... 16:47 Any pops & burbles from the exhaust? 18:01 Does the windscreen interfere with you eyeline? 18:22 Sounds like something wrong but "they're all like that sir" 18:42 Bend swinging 19:59 Quick shifting when leant over does not upset the bike 20:23 I tend to run out of throttle travel! 21:19 Still no tingles! 21:46 Pros and cons & fuel economy... 23:51 Where have I seen those rear lights before? 24:12 GS time! Familiarising myself 25:53 Slow speed U-turn 26:17 My arse is happier straight away! 26:21 Torque... you gotta love it! 26:39 General comments/first impressions 27:45 Joining the carriageway... 28:40 GS screen is better than the XR one 29:06 The XR does feel a lot smoother though 29:26 Joining another carriageway 29:54 I hadn't figured out the D-ESA/Ride Mode link yet* 30:08 Lets accelerate 30:39 Specs list and wheelspins! 31:33 Rain stops play 31:50 A lower final drive ratio than mt R1250R adds fun factor 32:02 Turn me on! 32:29 Birdstrike! 33:26 First birdstrike but I have punted a sheep before... 34:17 Gutted, but summing up early 36:04 Navigation moan... 36:48 Wet but not defeated! 37:10 Shaft drive for the win!

[@pistolpete6321]

I’ve owned both and your pros and cons of each bike are spot on. I prefer the inline four of the XR which is what I own now and absolutely love it! Great video!

[@RikkyTang]

Thanks PistolPete! It's great to know that you liked the video and that I made some valid points about each of the bikes, cheers 😊

[@pbofan]

I can’t agree with you more, Rikki… that “yanking” low-end torque and mid-range pull of the twin boxer, especially with the variable Shift-Cam output of our R1250R, is intoxicating… I don’t think I could ever go back to a top-end four-cylinder where you have to work and rev it up to experience the same thrill.

[@nihar77p]

Nice review . I have seen a lot of comments / reviews comparing the 1000XR with the 1250GS and In My Humble Opinion one just can not compare a comfortable sports bike (1000XR) with a true adventure motorcycle(1250GS). Both are for 2 completely different use cases.Both are true GEMs in their own fields. The S1000XR is just an incarnation of the s1000R with a comfortable riding dynamics suited for folks who want to Have fun on the city roads, twisties, would like to ride long distance once in a while and never bother to go off-roading .And the looks of the bike(S1000XR) are amazing .As fas as my requirements are concerned , this one checks all those boxes and is one of the best all rounders that one can purchase.

[@dorstefan]

Both are great motorcycles that are made for two different type of clients.

[@nihar77p]

Very well said . Both are meant for for 2 different use cases . Now it's the buyer's choice what he prioritizes .

[@RRRRefuelRideRace]

Great job Rikky. Very detailed comparison. I rode a GS this summer but never the XR. :) Those interested can check it. I may describe it as a "magic carpet" bike. Very sophisticated, comfortable and easy to ride. The suspension was also nice. BMW boxer? Amazing. Thanks for this Rikky.

[@RikkyTang]

Thanks RRR, yes I was very impressed with the GS - I didn't expect to like it so much 😊

[@RRRRefuelRideRace]

@@RikkyTang I can say it also. Very nice bike indeed. :)

[@wakajawaka44]

Blimey a bit of a stretch from Gloucestershire to Welwyn Garden City! Nice video, always a relaxing and informative review. Thanks for uploading Happy New Year! SW France

[@RikkyTang]

Yep its a bit of a trek... I set off at 6am! But they are a great bunch so it's nice to get over there. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 😊

[@Fernando90054]

Everybody has a GS. GS’s are everywhere. It is undoubtedly a great all around bike. For me, I would go for the XR ✌️✌️

[@martinotoole3103]

Nice review albeit scuppered with weather. I have a GS 1250 due in this week. Can’t wait

[@RikkyTang]

Excellent, it's one hell of a bike!

[@paulbaker1347]

Another entertaining video Rikky. You know you'll have to do the "pheasant test" on every bike video from now on! Merry Christmas.

[@RikkyTang]

That would certainly be a USP for my channel hahaha Merry Christmas to you!

[@scottstetson2879]

I own a 2020 1250 GSA and love it. I did try the S1000 XR and did not like it in 2020, but a week ago I tried the XR again and it was not too bad . I could see myself owning one , but would definitely need to get a new seat.

[@RikkyTang]

Yeah the seat is a weird one! Owners say that you get used to it... and there is a You Tuber called The Cuban Rider who rides the wheels of these on track days! There is a rumoured M100XR... I wonder if the seat will change for that one?

[@scottstetson2879]

@@RikkyTang all I can say is I hope so. BTW, Since you rode the MV Agusta TVL, do you think the TVL can be compared to the XR? I found a used TVL that was bought from a wholesale action. A 2021 with only 800 miles on it. It was very nice. I am 6’2” tall and did not get much buffeting. The engine was very nice with good low end power, not great like the 1250 engine in our bikes. Only problem was that the warning lights came on during my test ride, but they did turn off after a minute or so. And the bike was next to impossible to get on the center stand. Not knowing the original owner, I do not know if it was lowered or not and that there may be an electrical problem concerns me.

[@Gary-UBIQUE144]

The GS quick shifter gets smoother when properly run in.

[@RikkyTang]

1st gear to 3rd didn't improve over 10,000 miles on my R1250R, but 4th to 6th weren't too bad. Never as good as modern competitors though!

[@scattmanscattman9816]

Nice video Rikky. Please let us know also your impressions about gs compared to your r1250r.

[@RikkyTang]

I wish I could have ridden the GS for longer... but yes I liked it more than I expected. I appreciate the fairing which will make riding less tiring than on my R model over longer distances. The suspension seems more composed than my R model when my bike is in Road ESA too. And while it was not dark on this ride, the GS has LED lights that are sure to be much better than the halogen units on mine. On the downside it's heavier than my bike and if I owned one I would have to buy a new garden gate as well because the handlebars are too wide to fit through the current one! I can see why the bike is so popular as a road bike despite the styling! I'm looking forward to the new 1300 model that is rumoured to be announced this year.

[@ribalderr6052]

the XR's a thousand CC now?, wow. good job as always, you break it down good, and real. what season there Doesnt it Rain?. an this is from a guy in Florida lol. an those country roads- wide open but the hazards!, geez, a dang pheasant. an sheep?!.

[@RikkyTang]

I think you may have got two XR's mixed up! I was riding the 1000cc four-cylinder, but there is also the 900cc parallel twin that BMW sell too. Don't even mention the weather - it's grey or raining in the UK about 70% of the time!! On the other hand that's the reason we call it our "green and pleasant land" so it's not all bad 😁 I'm lucky I've got away with only two animal strikes on the road at my age haha!

[@demonic082]

Not sure about the current crop of boxers but it used to be with the oil cooled ones. R and GS were the shortest geared and RT was the tallest with the RS somewhere in between. BMW don't seem to publish such detailed specs anymore

[@RikkyTang]

I have been doing digging :-) You have to find the owner's manuals for each model... with the wetheads the RT has a final drive ratio of 2.75:1, R and RS are both 2.818 and the GS is 2.91 (all the gear ratios are identical). The final drive units are interchangeable and I've toyed with the idea of one day sticking the GS unit on my bike! Depends on how long I keep it for...

[@AmenCornerRider]

Thanks for guiding me to this Vid Rikky. I think it would be easy to "get a little silly" on this bike 😂 The crack of the S1000R but more comfortable and upright? Yes please. I realize the weight of the bike is much higher than the R1250R and that might concern me a bit. I had to get used to the weight of the 1250R, took me a little while. Thanks for this brilliant review. 🙌🏽

[@AmenCornerRider]

Whoa... that bird strike 😲

[@RikkyTang]

Hey I'll be more than happy to be proven wrong! 😊 Yes the bike does certainly get pretty lairy if you let it, plus it has all the technology of the R1250R and more! I hope you do get to ride it and it's all that you are looking for 😁

[@RikkyTang]

@@AmenCornerRider Yeah... I think the bird came off worse than me though!

[@specialandroid1603]

The XR seat is odd, does not allow the rider to sit further back if they are long in the leg etc. Its also uncomfortable after about 80 miles (for my bony rear). The seat is easy to sort though by going custom, after which the bike is just great.

[@RikkyTang]

Does seem like a big risk that BMW took to sell a touring bike with such an unusual seat but I guess that sales of the bike have been decent enough regardless!

[@RRRRefuelRideRace]

These birds... I think that the last time you got also something from the sky, just do not remember if you got hit.

[@RikkyTang]

I think I did have a close shave once before!

[@ricardo6861]

Did they bill you for the GS damage?

[@RikkyTang]

Yes I did get charged. Basically I was taking out one of their demo bikes like any potential customer would - if the bike gets damaged on a demo ride, the rider is liable for the damage. I did only get charged at cost for the parts though which I did appreciate.

[@crumblymal8479]

What a bugger Rikky them there Pheasants are just about as stupid as stupid can get .What did the shop say if I was you I would have been devastated at damaging the GS luv it in the triple black that would be the one I would have . Great watch for Christmas day it's a real shame it got so wet though I think I would consider the XR though it's a nice bike and I do like inline 4's .cheers : )

[@RikkyTang]

The shop wasn't too upset thankfully - they've had bikes come back in worse states! The GS looked and went very nicely I have to say... pretty tempting to be honest! Nothing much wrong with the XR really and who knows, in a year or two my tastes may change again and it might come back onto my radar 😁 Thanks and enjoy the rest of your Christmas!

[@HJM1974]

I have a deposit down on a lowered triple black GS for March. I can’t wait 😝. I hope BMW didn’t charge you an excess as a result of that bird strike 🥲

[@RikkyTang]

That's going to be awesome congrats! I did have to pay for parts & and hours' labor but they didn't mark them up so it could have been worse!

[@mandiwacker]

i own a R1200R LC and a S1000XR from 2021. Both Bike are great but very different! The most fun i have is to change the Bikes….

[@RikkyTang]

Oh yes the R and the XR will cover a wide range of riding needs! Congrats for owning both 👍

[@Gary-UBIQUE144]

Need rain mode in rain to prevent back wheel slip….

[@Dave-ym7eq]

So did you prefer the xr to the new s1000r as the xr seems more comfortable to ride but with the same power

[@RikkyTang]

I woke up early this morning, read your comment and then I couldn't get back to sleep for thinking about it 😂 I'm not sure which I would pick... I love the light weight of the single-R model but then the upright riding position of the XR is more comfortable. Then again I don't like the seat on the XR and I don't like the windscreen. It's close but on balance, I think the XR would be my choice... I think part of the reason would simply be because I've already owned the naked version, albeit the previous generation.

[@Dave-ym7eq]

@@RikkyTang wouldn’t of fancy hitting that pheasant on s1000r with no protection 😂😂🤦🏻‍♂️

[@davidwinfield-bennett7071]

Bang it into Dynamic pro! life changing lol

[@RikkyTang]

I had an S1000R so I know what it's like 😁

[@tonydavis5053]

Inline 4cyl if in doubt, down shift!

[@RikkyTang]

I can't help myself sometimes - I like a tractable engine! I loved my old Bandit 1250 for it's low down grunt but I have to remember that the engine on that thing was 25% bigger than the XR and was tuned for torque so smaller 4cyls can't behave the same way. Sorry for the slow reply!

[@hawkslayers1]

As soon as you said I'm not going to lie I stopped watching why people use that term is beyond me I'm sure your review was going to be honest 😢

[@RikkyTang]

This seems like a strange overreaction to what is a very common turn of phrase, that's rarely expected to be taken literally.

[@hawkslayers1]

@@RikkyTang that’s the problem try to be different not using the same silly language others use 👍🏼

[@RikkyTang]

@@hawkslayers1 No thanks, I'm happy to use language that will be perfectly acceptable to the majority.