2024 BMW M 1000 XR Review – First Ride

Anyway, I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I’ve been to some places. I’ve seen some things. I’ve ridden motorcycles in incredibly exotic locales around the world thanks to my job, but I somehow keep finding my way back to the Iberian Peninsula. Let’s just disregard that it's a central locale for the rest of the world to travel to so it makes logistical sense for many manufacturers. The roads, oh, the roads. There is no shortage of serpentine tarmac in this part of the world, and what’s better is that people actually like motorcycles here, instead of just tolerating them. As I slipped the clutch a bit more than expected to get rolling, I was reminded I’m perched on a carbon-clad, hopped-up version of BMW’s Sport Tourer with the 999cc Inline-Four Shiftcam engine hiding under said carbon. Off we went for what would no doubt be a thrilling ride. We climbed the mountain and into the atmosphere much earlier than expected. A vague tail light was all I had to follow as the lead rider had mostly disappeared into the mist as we ascended. Like I said earlier, fantastic.

The M 1000 XRs we rode were fitted with the M Competition Package, which gets you a handful of bling, and carbon fiber all around, but the two things that make the biggest difference are wrapped in rubber at each end. BMW says the “road ready” weight with the M Competition package is 485 pounds. That’s a 6.6-pound weight savings over the standard M 1000 XR (and 15.4-pounds less than the S 1000 XR). Purchasing that lightness will only cost you $5,495 which, if you only wanted the carbon wheels, isn’t actually a bad deal. As tested, the bikes we spent our time on retail for $30,500.

While the extra ponies over the base model are always appreciated, 170 hp versus 201 hp for a streetbike is already overkill. If you’re tracking your sport tourer, well, maybe that’s a different story. For our Andalusian rip, the chassis, brakes, and power were at the forefront of the experience – in that order. If you’ve never ridden a motorcycle with carbon fiber wheels, it’s hard to imagine just how much of a difference shaving that much unsprung mass makes. Dare I say the steering is nearly telepathic. Choose a line, adjust mid-corner, whatever you need to do, it’s almost as if the bike has done it before you’ve fully comprehended the action. It’s truly an eye-opening experience. Of course, for a street bike that will potentially have to reckon with less than ideal roads during its lifespan, brittle wheels can be a tradeoff. The internet is full of stories about carbon wheels failing catastrophically. The forged hoops on the standard M might be the prudent choice for the practical of us.

The M’s upgraded closed-cartridge electronic Marzocchi suspension works in conjunction, of course, with the lithe wheels to make the entire chassis a willing dance partner in the Spanish countryside. While cornering, the M 1000 XR is stable, whether it be through tight switchbacks or bumpy sweepers. On the highway, your first line of suspension is the cushy seat. It’s truly comfortable. I can’t remember the last time I was this happy with a stock seat. In addition to the luxe saddle, the suspenders do an equally good job of absorbing bumps on the highway or around town. The fact that you can dial the suspension in with a few button presses for your comfort or performance is nearly requisite these days on a bike of the M XR’s ilk, and I found the settings to work well when swapping from one end of the spectrum to the other.

Regardless how you feel about wings, on a schnitzel this spicy, I’ll take all the downforce I can get. The (claimed) 201-horsepower tourer is all too ready for lift off as you spool the power up toward its 14,600 rpm redline. A lot more time and perhaps a racetrack would give a better test than a half wet/half dry half day’s jaunt on board the M 1000 XR, but to say the engine delivered an exhilarating experience is at least the understatement of the day. The larger sprocket and shorter gears in 4 through 6 help the M to never feel long in the tooth. It doesn’t have the same pavement-crushing torque that a V-Twin may deliver off the bottom, but the mid-range is plenty healthy and will catapult you from corner to corner as the revs build. Maybe it was simply the g-forces from the acceleration, but I had a smile smattered across my face for the entire (dry) part of the ride as my fellow countrymen and I chased down our lead rider.

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