A third bike in the M series of motorcycles has been announced, with the BMW M1000 XR prototype revealed by the German firm after being spotted in the Isle of Man ridden by Peter Hickman.
It’s based on the current BMW S1000 XR, but uses the in-line four-cylinder engine from the BMW S1000 RR sports bike with ShiftCam technology to put out more than 200hp, with a top speed around 280km/h, or 173mph.
As a modern motorcycle, you’ll obviously get a range of Race Pro riding modes, traction control, and BMW’s Brake Slide control, and potentially DDC active suspension similar to the M1000 R. The bike was spotted in the paddock at the Isle of Man during TT week, with FHO Racing rider and TT star Peter Hickman taking advantage of the closed roads.
Official information from BMW promises further information in the second half of 2023, suggesting that the bike may be launched during the Autumn motorcycle show season for sales in 2024. But it looks pretty complete at this stage, so maybe it’ll pop up sooner. The existing BMW M1000 R is the top spec super naked, alongside the BMW M1000 RR superbike from 2021 onwards.
The current BMW S1000 XR and XR TE have stayed in the range since originally launching in 2015 as a sports touring bike which bridges the gap between the S1000 R and the GS range of adventure bikes. Starting from £15,740, the weight is similiar to the M model at 224kg, but you only get 121kw (161hp), from the 999 cc four-cylinder four-stroke engine.
Keep up with all the latest BMW motorcycle news, including bikes, events and more, here. If you can’t wait for the new BMW M1000 XR, then there are lots of S1000 XR examples currently for sale on eBay.