Guys,
I had a chance to do a back to back comparison of a S1000RR vs S1000XR today. So here is a purely subjective review of both bikes.
Engine
Surprisingly, the biggest difference I found was that the engine in the RR is much smoother, admittedly it has 6500 miles rather than 600 on the XR but it was noticeably smoother.
Vibrations & Buffeting
Interesting comparison was the non-existant vibes on the RR and bizarrely the lack of buffeting on the RR - mainly because it is literally 'in yer face'. The XR isn't bad at all it was just that the buffeting was more 'focussed' on the XR whereas the buffeting on the RR was more general and body based rather than head and shoulders.
Mirrors
Rear view mirrors were just as shaky on both bikes. Less so on the right side on the RR, I think mainly because it had a camera mount on the mirror strut which acted as a dampener to reduce the shaking.
Gear Change
One thing I really missed on the RR was the Gear Shift Assist Pro, the ability to go down the box without the clutch is fantastic on the XR and the change quality on the XR was much much better too.
Sound
RR wins, both had Akky slip-ons but the RR just sounded better (and louder). That said, you probably don't want the same sound on the XR because it is for a different audience.
Wind resistance
Weird one this, but I found a difference hence why I've included it. The RR seemed to 'cut' through the wind better - it may be the higher power or because the RR was black and therefore slips through the air better. As everyone knows black is always faster because light bends around it causing less resistance. The XR was white
General
Appreciate that I'm comparing a 4 year old bike with a 4 week old bike but you could see and feel the similarities to make this a valid comparison.
Which would I choose?
Horses for courses, RR for being mad and track days. XR for touring, although it is so capable that it could easily be a 'do everything' bike. I don't need to choose because I'm lucky enough to own both of them.
I wonder what the XR would be with another 30hp !!