S1000XR - Touring bike?

[rastuscat]

Recently moved to a 2016 S1000XR. Swapped my GSA for it after I looked in the mirror and realised I'm not Ewan McGregor.

It had no luggage, but I'm sorting that. I have the top box already (Givi Maxia), and the racks for Givi monokey panniers yet to be purchased.

Thing is, the bike has 160 hp, and rides like a sports bike. It's a beast. With an upright riding position, and ADV handlebars.

It's all sorts of awesome, but can it really be a touring bike?

Interested in anyones views.

[geoffm]

Recently moved to a 2016 S1000XR. Swapped my GSA for it after I looked in the mirror and realised I'm not Ewan McGregor.

It had no luggage, but I'm sorting that. I have the top box already (Givi Maxia), and the racks for Givi monokey panniers yet to be purchased.

Thing is, the bike has 160 hp, and rides like a sports bike. It's a beast. With an upright riding position, and ADV handlebars.

It's all sorts of awesome, but can it really be a touring bike?

Interested in anyones views.

Looks interesting. As a previous BMW owner, I am sure it will take care of any excess money you may have.
I always got parts from Europe and the UK. Landed cost then was aroudn 2/3 NZ price.

[neels]

If you can go touring on it, meaning it has a reasonable fuel range can carry your luggage and you can ride the thing for a decent part of the day and still have a functional body at the end, then yes it's a touring bike.

Of course with that many horsies available you might get there a bit quicker.....

[F5 Dave]

Anything can be a touring bike.

But top boxes always compromise handling. Unless you can reverse it over the pillion seat which is a good place.

Put something typical in it and go for a ride. Then take box right off and repeat. Ideally in the wet on fast sweeping roads.
Oh yeah. Front tyre feel. Hello old friend.

I sold the one that was on my Tiger to stop me using it. It was very convenient but spoiled enjoyment. Best left for pizza delivery.

[rastuscat]

Anything can be a touring bike.

But top boxes always compromise handling. Unless you can reverse it over the pillion seat which is a good place.

Put something typical in it and go for a ride. Then take box right off and repeat. Ideally in the wet on fast sweeping roads.
Oh yeah. Front tyre feel. Hello old friend.

I sold the one that was on my Tiger to stop me using it. It was very convenient but spoiled enjoyment. Best left for pizza delivery.

It's not been my experience that top boxes compromise handling. I've been using top boxes for many years, and at no stage have I felt the weight, even when they have been packed.

Likely it's just me being a numb nuts, and not having feel for the bikes I've had. But I can honestly say that the luggage I have used, panniers, top boxes, tank bags, none have compromised my riding.

One thing that did compromise my riding was a sheet of plywood I carried home from Bunnings once. Laterally mounting it almost had me matching the Wright Brothers first flight.

All that said, my bikes in the last few years have had electronic suspension, able to be adjusted for the weight being carried.

[SaferRides]

I've done many trips on the R1. Bar risers, a 30 l drybag and Road x tyres. Good knees help too!

Im not a fan of top boxes. Even my friend the GS rider can feel the difference a fully loaded top box makes.

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[pete376403]

Boris says this about the GS "So, here’s another statement of fact: BMW’s GS is one of the greatest bikes ever built. It is the consummate all-roader, a superb touring bike, and in skilled hands, a hard-charging, incredible-handling scratcher that will shame many sportsbikes." https://borismihailovic.com/2024-bmw-r-1300-gs-adventure-triple-black-review-my-head-has-exploded/

But he really likes the 1000s as well. What a dilemma. https://borismihailovic.com/2024-bmw-s-1000-xr-m-sport-m-1000-xr-competition-gaze-upon-the-summit-of-mount-want/

[HenryDorsetCase]

I am sure it will take care of any excess money you may have.


Brutal but hilarious

[HenryDorsetCase]

Anything can be a touring bike.

But top boxes always compromise handling. Unless you can reverse it over the pillion seat which is a good place.

Put something typical in it and go for a ride. Then take box right off and repeat. Ideally in the wet on fast sweeping roads.
Oh yeah. Front tyre feel. Hello old friend.

I sold the one that was on my Tiger to stop me using it. It was very convenient but spoiled enjoyment. Best left for pizza delivery.

I had a top box on my Suzuki AN125 scooter and it didnt affect the handling at all. Like it was shit to begin with and didnt get less shit with a bunch of groceries in the top box. 24 pack of cans = mad wheelies.

[F5 Dave]

Weight is not the issue in itself. It's where it's placed. Anything behind the rear wheel is dreadful and you can't compensate for it. Well except if you mounted a similar Weight far forward.
It's Mass centralisation in reverse.

[jellywrestler]

24 pack of cans = mad wheelies.

before or after consumption?

[HenryDorsetCase]

before or after consumption?

two to get the courage up, 22 for ballast!

[F5 Dave]

On the way to the Lemming run:woohoo:

Can't believe I drank that stuff, but the crew that attended were of the ethos that it should cost less than a $ a can. it was the 90s or ish. Bike was free.

Don't recall many wheelies now I think of it.

[jellywrestler]

On the way to the Lemming run:woohoo:

Can't believe I drank that stuff, but the crew that attended were of the ethos that it should cost less than a $ a can. it was the 90s or ish. Bike was free.

Don't recall many wheelies now I think of it.

old Monty lived on that stuff, and he was the patriarch of a large number of those people

[F5 Dave]

Oh yeah. Gee was a time ago and you can't get around there any more. After that They organised one at Ocean beach, actually I remember you there, the guys even took the bus.
Don't know if they did another but they were good bash.

[jellywrestler]

Oh yeah. Gee was a time ago and you can't get around there any more. After that They organised one at Ocean beach, actually I remember you there, the guys even took the bus.
Don't know if they did another but they were good bash.

I'M NOT SURE I MADE A LEEMING RUN EARLY DAYS, oops caps, they clashed with racing then

[BMWST?]

https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=356087&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1615013769

Excellent mass centralaization,unless you were wearing that pack

[F5 Dave]

Sadly I probably was. Pack wouldn't have stayed there down the staircase and would have got drenched in the water hazards.

[BMWST?]

Sadly I probably was. Pack wouldn't have stayed there down the staircase and would have got drenched in the water hazards.
I remember my first weekend away on a bike i wore my tramping pack. That was the last time too

[F5 Dave]

Yeah, it was probably 10km from where I parked the van at Ngawi. Went in via the old ladies' route so-called because it was easier.

One, year, a joker took a perfectly good K100 BMW and broke something off the cases down the staircase. He went back to town on another vehicle to get some supplies to try fix it and found someone had already epoxied the crack. Stayed like that I'm told. Bob I think. . .

The man's route was from white rock through the sand dunes. I took my kdx (or DT200?) that way which was right tool for the job. Later, in the dark, Jeff shows up on a GPZ600, 16" road tyres and all. Madman.

[SaferRides]

I remember my first weekend away on a bike i wore my tramping pack. That was the last time tooI did a trip around the North Island when I was 18 on a Honda 250 trail bike using my tramping pack. The bike was fine, except I had to abandon the Gentle Annie leg as the tank was too small. The pack was a Really Bad Idea.

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[rastuscat]

I did a trip around the North Island when I was 18 on a Honda 250 trail bike using my tramping pack. The bike was fine, except I had to abandon the Gentle Annie leg as the tank was too small. The pack was a Really Bad Idea.

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I had a CB250N when I was in the navy in 1982. Christmas that year I decided to ride to Invercargill and back from Auckland, it's where the family lived.

Just strapped all my clobber onto the bike in the NZDF kitbag. Flat stick, the Cb topped out at about 120 kmh loaded up. During that trip it blew the head gasket, which I had to get fixed in Invercargill.

I've had a soft spot for CB250Ns ever since, despite the fact that they are basically gutless sewing machines.

It's a long way from the 250N to the S1000XR, but it's been a long life too, so far.

[F5 Dave]

I did a trip around the North Island when I was 18 on a Honda 250 trail bike using my tramping pack. The bike was fine, except I had to abandon the Gentle Annie leg as the tank was too small. The pack was a Really Bad Idea.

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Reminds me. Several years before the FA50 picture above, I had the same pack on the rack of my CBX550 and set off up the driveway. OMG!
I turned around and checked all the forks bolts as something was dreadfully wrong. But wasn't. I turned the pack around and continue to pick up my pillion, a bit concerned how it would handle with her on the back and the pack turned around.
Well it was better than with no pillion but was still dreadful.
To make it worse we were heading to the cold kiwi early but the weekend it was cancelled.

They closed the desert road behind us. Had to wipe my visor every 4 seconds as you can't see through actual snow. Following tyre tracks with the front wheel oscillating slightly as we were going pretty slow at the thick of it.
Surprisingly she is still friends with me.