R1250GS or S1000XR - Did I buy the wrong bike?

Had the S1000XR for the day as my 2023 R1250GS was in for a service. What a bike, quite a different experience to the GS.

[@TwoGoTouring]

I’m fortunate to own a GSA 1250 with 30k miles on it since 2021 …. And an MSport S1000XR. If you are solo rider and are on roads, be they country roads, the XR is way more fun than any 1250 or the new 1300. It’s so easy to ride and always puts a dopey smile on your face. Handling and quickshifter are superb. An XR, TE model with full luggage is £20k. I tour with my wife on the GSA and it is a better two up bike. We’ve done the alps for three summers and in dynamic mode the GSA is brilliant….. but the XR is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. 10/10 for grin factor. If you never have a pillion then at least test ride the XR. Terence you just sum it up brilliantly.

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

Cheers and thanks for your direct insight too, I loved that bike!

[@petervautmans199]

could say it better

[@ollietyrrell2429]

Great review , so many GS riders are such fanboys that as far as they are concerned GS is the only bike in the world , love the honesty keep it up

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

Thanks! 👍 I really enjoyed that bike and it has something very different to offer over the GS.

[@EVILSPAWN1003]

Just went from a KTM super duke to a 2024 S1000XR, my first granddad-bike. I thought… This bike, i mean OMG! I’m amazed at it’s capabilities, it’s sure-footedness, it’s power, it’s «flickability»… And it’s comfort! I can still be abit of a hooligan and be comfortable. Bravo BMW!

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

Yes, it's definitely not a Grandad Bike, enjoy the new wheels!

[@olivierdefaux8651]

I call it my Jekyll and Hyde bike. At 6k rpm it’s definitely Hyde. So smooth. And like it’s on rails. So good.

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

@@olivierdefaux8651 Yes, below 6k its not a weakling, just smooth, above it's very exhilarating! 🙂

[@deco5159]

I enjoyed that little ride through the Irish country side mate, and your excellent review of course. This is definitely gonna be my next bike. 👍

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

Cheers, it’s a fantastic bike, incredible engine, brakes and suspension. Enjoy!

[@Englishbikerdan]

I stuck the rear on Min and it made such a difference to the ride height and it felt better to me. Even two up. Nice vid.

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

@@Englishbikerdan That’s great it worked out for you and great to have that easy preload adjustment. I rode the ‘23 model and I believe the ‘24 suspension has been further improved again (not that I thought there was anything wrong with the ‘23). Loving your continuous content 👏.

[@Lar308]

I am 65 and I much prefer my sports bikes (S1000RR + Panigale V2 Bayliss) to the BMW GS. Apart from how the GS looks (not good) I found the 2018 GS1250 I rode last year was a harrowing experience. Top heavy and so bloody big and heavy. Like trying to ride a small truck. I don't like the beak front end of most adventure bikes and all that scaffolding on the sides. Although the new BMW GS 1300 does look much more agreeable and manageable but I have yet to ride one.

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

Its funny, for all the slagging the new GS1300 gets from current 1200/1250 owners there are a lot of folk about such as yourself admiring the more compact and lighter iteration of the 1300 bike. I have only sat on it in the showroom and it feels good. Not so sure about the shrunken pillion space though?

[@petervautmans199]

Yes, in smiles per mile nothing beats the XR, imho. It is a Porsche 911 to a landrover defender comparison.

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

I absolutely loved it.

[@johnfitzsimons3198]

great review Terry, always preferred a sport tourer to an adventure tourer so the 1000xr was defo on my radar when changing earlier this year…so of course i opted for a tiger 1200 gt pro🤣talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place! ride safe T ☘️ JF ps. I think u bought the right bike for your needs.

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

You got the right bike John, it is a premium Shafty Super Tourer. Had they had the ride lowering feature when I test rode it I would probably be riding one now myself. See you at ABR?

[@ttrguy9952]

Terry Great comparison! As far as which one, it just depends on which riding style you do the most of. I think your Daytona will satisfy your Hooligan side. Ride SAFE and BE safe Sir! 👍👍

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

I think the Daytona will scratch an itch without getting me in trouble TTRGUY! :-) I might get that same revvy feel from that as I did the XR. Maybe I just like more than two cylinders :-0

[@ttrguy9952]

@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff I rode the 660 Trident and the 660 is a wonderful engine! I LOVE triples! I can't wait to see yours.

[@MH-xd2nd]

BMW knows their market. Modern UK congested roads are SO much more pleasant on a bike with a softer bottom end. The people commenting it’s gutless need to try it in bad traffic. A torque monster is great on wide open roads but PITA with any traffic. The latest model has little vibes, no more than any other high revving inline 4. I have both bikes to compare and they’re polar opposites which gives the best of both worlds. The seat cups you but an a tour I was fine with the M seat and a cover for all day riding. And this bike can really shift, you just have to rev it as it was designed - keep it above 5K rpm - it’s a sports bike on stilts. Always makes me laugh when people call it gutless sitting there in 4th at 40mph on 2.5K rpm FFS 😂

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

You’re dead right. It’s a fact of life we have to travel through towns and villages, a nightmare on a highly strung bike. Best of both worlds on this bike to my mind.

[@ScottUsher]

I don't know why so many of the reviews of this machine are done in this context. I wish I could produce these movies like these folks do. I own one of these machines & I could properly show you the true beauty of the remarkable capabilities of it. It's in its absolute prime on 60 - 120 mph turns & undulating relief. My quick way to explain it best to someone is to tell them that it's an upright super sport. Or a hyper naked with a full frame loaded wind protection. I outpace modern super sports on those 60-120 mph twisties regularly. Once you get up in the 140 mph universe, the super sports hit their own & pull away. If your not riding on international super bike tracks regularly, you will prefer this machine over any super sport. You can comfortably travel on it, but you would have to put travel tires on it & it easily over rides the ability of those tires. It really needs the sticky tires to manage the power & performance of this machine & those tires don't hold up for long road trips. I get 1200 miles max out of a set of tires & it's always the sides that are gone, never the hard center. I road it with the factory medium tires that it was delivered with & the active rider controls were working overtime to keep me out of the trees. Been using sport road tires ever since & never had a problem except for dragging the center stand on low lean angles. Could just remove it if you want to run harder, but it will opease most thrill seekers with it in place.

[@patrickcox8807]

Good stuff as usual!!

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

Appreciate it!

[@bernhtp]

The XR is the perfect bike to carve the mountain roads of the Picos, Pyrenees or Alps for a weeklong tour at 50 degree lean angles. The best competition comes from Ducati with the Multistrada family. If you don't have some hooligan in you, stick with the GS, which makes you more comfortably numb. The XR probably makes little sense in a crowded, dark, cold, foggy, wet and dismal place like Britain. Rent the XR when going to the continent. I come from the US and my band of lunatics does a moto tour in Europe ever year or two. We are about evenly split between BMW and Ducati for our rental preference. We've learned to pay particular attention to the newness of the tires before accepting a rental given that the XR's (default) tires are softer and sportier and the bike is ridden such. We've done both guided tours (Edelweiss) and our own (Hertz) with success. The 2024 XR appears to have some notable improvement, especially with the more traditional seat shape that allows you to hang off a bit when the spirit moves you. The +5 HP is always welcome even if minimal. The vibration never bothered me before, so improvements there probably won't be noticed. Relative to the GS, I prefer the XR's paniers and top box due to their lighter weight and sleeker design. I got grooves in my hands carrying the GS versions into the hotel when the XR wasn't available.

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

@@bernhtp Thanks for the detailed summary of your experiences with the XR, that makes perfect sense and good info for prospective buyers. Cheers fella 👍

[@jay-sea]

try the m1000xr - if you don't bring much luggage!

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

I've seen the reviews, phenomenal bike!

[@davidhobson7851]

I've toured with my wife on my XR and she loves it

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

Brilliant to hear, thanks for the feedback David.

[@austinmatthews347]

I traded one exactly thesame bike i found the xr as a few issues pegs are in the way of my legs when stood still. Its also top heavy its gutless in the bottom end seat is awful it sounds awfull on idle really harsh sound. Its a 4cyl sports bike trying to immitate an adv bike even bmw moved it from adv section to sports section. It vibes alot

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

I believe the older one vibed a lot, could find no vibe problems on this '23 model. I would trade the description of bottom end as smooth and progressive. Great for town work and the like but yes, a very different delivery to the flat twin. I like the gruff idle sound but then I already own two four cylinder bikes so maybe I am biased there. But agreed, I wouldn't call it an adventure bike. A bit of a hybrid "Tall Rounder" with an emphasis on Sportiness.

[@austinmatthews347]

@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff i have had many il4 and for no apparent reason bmw cannot or will not make there il4 idle quitely like jap engines to me it sounds like a big tin full of cutlery being shook. I like bms there very nicely finished machines but mechanickly japs are better my gsa has had a cam tensioner all the sos system has been replaced and yet it still doesnt work correctly as i toppled overlast week in france and sos never went off rear strut error occasionally comes up to which dealer says nothing to see here. It burns oil and its only on 10k never owned a jap bike that burned oil

[@i3bufitt]

Hi, thank you for this nice review. I feel the same way about the greatness of this bike. However, at more than 110'000Km I am having electrical problems when I wash the bike or when it gets wet. It is a CAN problem, but I can't figure out where it comes from exactly. Any advice would be welcome.

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

@@i3bufitt That’s a tough one, could be anywhere! The only thing I would do is concentrate on the most exposed elements of the electrical system first seeing as it happens with just a wash. Switchgear, the dash connection, any exposed connections around the rear shock/bodywork. Have you put bar risers on, are the cables around the headstock strained? Crazy as this may seem try putting a plastic bag around each set of switchgear and wash the bike as normal. If the problem persists you can rule them out. Next protect the clocks etc. and see if you can at least eliminate components that way. Good luck!

[@Lar308]

How does one blag a courtesy bike from Duffy's? I am just shown the door and told we will call you when its ready?

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

I arrange my last two services well in advance and just asked. If you current insurance doesn't cover you fully comp on their courtesy bike (you must prove it if it does) you can either 1) see if your insurer will do a temporary transfer to Duffy's bike for the day or 2) pay a €50 insurance fee to Duffy's to cover you for the day.

[@jonno94]

So i think it is obvious you are unhappy with your GS. I am curious over why you still purchased the GS instead of an XR in the 1st place? Ive never bought a bike ive disliked and i would always test ride the competition before i made my decision to buy. I realise there is no such "perfect" bike and there will always be a compromise somewhere, but to dislike a bike as much as you seem to after purchasing, does not make sense to me. I don't and have never owned a GS, so not a "fanboy" but i am considering one, amongst others, hence watching your video for other opinions.

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

There are still many many features of the GS I like and enjoy and I am in no hurry to get rid of it. I just expected some elements of it to be better than they are for the premium price. As for not running with the XR to start with I looked at the low seat option of the XR and it looked as thin as toilet paper :-0. I passed :-) Next time around I might consider the low chassis XR with the regular seat? Cheers Jonno!

[@arsa4fun]

Sup guys I’m coming from street bike riding experience used to have r1 with toce exsaust ( that bike was monster ) for 5-6 year’s driving in florida roads from Miami to west palm beach etc , great fun and a lot of fast riding ( they called me “next level” ) to make story short I was off bike for 3-4 years and couldn’t find something fast with nice riding position, I didn’t want super sport no more. I’m thinking to buy this bike I think it would fit my way of riding fast and on the edge with nice position of driving?Ty for response if any

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

The S1000XR @170HP (2024 model) will suit you down to the ground and it has a reworked seat for extra comfort for 2024. It is a relaxed bike when you need it to be though, under 6K RPM it is a smooth easy town bike, get out on the road and it transforms, Jekyll and Hyde like. Of course there is an M version if you want to go bonkers!

[@abhi.k2353]

Should ask you mate, would you prefer s1000xr over 1250gsa in comfort and long journey!

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

S1000XR if no badly made roads, easy choice I think.

[@andyninja949]

The gs is obviously a decent bike but my god it sounds absolute pants lol and an inline 4 is better in everyway and on the plus side you are allowed to acknowledge fellow bikers on different bikes 😂

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

🤣yes indeed!

[@leosee7588]

GS 1300 have more more tork than S1000XR,and tork it’s lots fun.

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

I need to test drive the 1300 yet, I don't mind the look of it either. I did like the turbine like power delivery of the XR though.

[@scotthuxtable5121]

Had to stop watching your VLOG half way through - too painful. Was thinking the whole time; why did this guy spend good coin on a new bike then proceed to tear it down for a different one from the same stable that he could easily have test ridden at the time of purchase. I have no loyalty to either bike, just can’t understand some people’s buying decisions. 😊

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

At time of purchase I had completely discounted the XR as too "Sporty" and never test rode it, had I I would of known better. However, it was a decision I made and I don't look back in super regret, it's the road I took at the time so I will just have to live with my decision. It won't kill me to ride a GS, I'm still very fortunate. Cheers.

[@scotthuxtable5121]

⁠@@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff Fair enough. I guess we all should have a stable of bikes to meet our different needs at the time - but few can afford that; right? Ride safe.