Hello from Los Angeles

[Alfasteve]

Hello All,

I purchased my 2016 S1000XR two weeks ago. I flew to El Paso, Texas and rode it back to Los Angeles.  I ended up putting 583 miles on it in one day.  On my first test ride, I was surprised that it was severely lacking in power.  It rode fine, just had no punch whatsoever.  I have no idea why, but two days later she was a lion, all 160hp accounted for! I tried all modes, made no difference.  It had 28k miles on it.  Perhaps the owner didn't ride it like I do and the ECU learned? No idea why.  It felt extremely neutered. 
Now she's terrific, and the quickshifter makes all the difference, what a gamechanger. 
She has a bad case of the clunky clutch basket in neutral with the clutch lever released.  I'll just have to live with that a while till I replace the coupling cap.  And yes, she is vibey.  My hands are still a bit numb 10 days after the ride.  I think the previous owner has aftermarket bar ends in there already but I'll fiddle. 
Luckily I don't do much long distance riding as I live in southern California and all the best roads are nearby.  She's terrific on the twisties.  A nice compliment to my '17 Aprilia Tuono V4. 
The S1000XR is replacing my '12 Multistrada 1200S.  The Multi doesn't have any vibes and has a slightly better riding position, but he XR is a more modern bike.  Rides more plush, and it does walk away from the Multi in a race. 
The Givi Trekker panniers are marvelous, so easy to use, remove and replace.
Cheers!  Steve
https://photos.s1000xr.uk/image/FvOdx

[Mareng1]

Welcome!

Not in "Rain mode" when you collected it?

That's about all I can think of.

[Alfasteve]

Nope, maybe "ice" mode because that's what it felt like! And I wasn't at 20,000' elevation either.  ;)
I wish I could turn back time, because there is that possibility it was in Rain mode, but the next day when I put the dongle in for Dynamic Pro, I noted it didn't feel any stronger than when I purchased it.  As long as nothing changes from here on out, I'm perfectly fine. She really pulls nicely, terrific sounds, too.
Thank you!

[af1-windy]

  to the clan..

Not sure I can shed any light on the lack of power, unless of course it had been stood for a long time and it just took a long time to clear its throat..

Would you mind doing me a big favour? Could you measure the widest point across the panniers and if you have time take a photo from the back... thanks in advance 

  windy

[Antares]

Originally Posted by Alfasteve

Hello All,

I purchased my 2016 S1000XR two weeks ago. I flew to El Paso, Texas and rode it back to Los Angeles.  I ended up putting 583 miles on it in one day.  On my first test ride, I was surprised that it was severely lacking in power.  It rode fine, just had no punch whatsoever.  I have no idea why, but two days later she was a lion, all 160hp accounted for! I tried all modes, made no difference.  It had 28k miles on it.  Perhaps the owner didn't ride it like I do and the ECU learned? No idea why.  It felt extremely neutered. 
Now she's terrific, and the quickshifter makes all the difference, what a gamechanger. 
She has a bad case of the clunky clutch basket in neutral with the clutch lever released. I'll just have to live with that a while till I replace the coupling cap.  And yes, she is vibey.  My hands are still a bit numb 10 days after the ride.  I think the previous owner has aftermarket bar ends in there already but I'll fiddle. 
Luckily I don't do much long distance riding as I live in southern California and all the best roads are nearby.  She's terrific on the twisties.  A nice compliment to my '17 Aprilia Tuono V4. 
The S1000XR is replacing my '12 Multistrada 1200S.  The Multi doesn't have any vibes and has a slightly better riding position, but he XR is a more modern bike.  Rides more plush, and it does walk away from the Multi in a race. 
The Givi Trekker panniers are marvelous, so easy to use, remove and replace.
Cheers!  Steve
https://photos.s1000xr.uk/image/FvOdx

It's not worth fixing, and I don't even think that's the source of the issue, mine has been doing it since Day 1, it is just what it is, it's probably some backlash in the transmission when it's not under load. As for the riding mode it may have very well been in Rain mode and when you inserted the dongle it defaulted to road or something, power is the same in Road, Dynamic and Dynamic Pro, just less and less assists, however in Rain mode power is noticeable and severely restricted, especially in the lower gears. For vibes, try retorquing the engine mount bolts and the bars, can make a difference.

Interesting comparison to the multi, I've ridden a 2020 1260S a lot now, probably 1000miles+ and I find the XR superior in every aspect, including vibes (higher frequency but way lower amplitude vs the Multi). Only place where the Multi takes the cake for me is the screen and electronic suspension options.

[Alfasteve]

Hello there,

Happy to measure them when I return home.  My iPhone photo makes the ass look bigger than it is.  I see them as just about even to the bars, maybe a tad bit wider.

Would you mind doing me a big favour? Could you measure the widest point across the panniers and if you have time take a photo from the back... thanks in advance 

  windy
[/quote]

[Alfasteve]

Much appreciated on the advice!

The manual states Rain mode does reduce torque output, but I checked many times, and tried all modes. I inserted the dongle on day #2.  It wasn't until Day 3 that the bike somehow woke up. 
I'm not used to a bike making such horrid noises from the gearbox, but the more I read, the more I'm beginning to understand it's not uncommon.  There are lots of cases where I've read where another coupling cup makes the sound go away.  It's not a priority to me any more.  The only time it annoys me is when I'm stopped at a light.  The Multi never numbed my hands, ever.  The XR does it regularly, and it has aftermarket bar ends, but I'll dig more into that in the future.  I may get some barkbusters as well. 

Again, thank you for the advice!

Originally Posted by Antares

It's not worth fixing, and I don't even think that's the source of the issue, mine has been doing it since Day 1, it is just what it is, it's probably some backlash in the transmission when it's not under load. As for the riding mode it may have very well been in Rain mode and when you inserted the dongle it defaulted to road or something, power is the same in Road, Dynamic and Dynamic Pro, just less and less assists, however in Rain mode power is noticeable and severely restricted, especially in the lower gears. For vibes, try retorquing the engine mount bolts and the bars, can make a difference.

Interesting comparison to the multi, I've ridden a 2020 1260S a lot now, probably 1000miles+ and I find the XR superior in every aspect, including vibes (higher frequency but way lower amplitude vs the Multi). Only place where the Multi takes the cake for me is the screen and electronic suspension options.

[af1-windy]

Hi Alfasteve, thank you for the photo and the info on the width.. I know photos of panniers always seem wider than in real life, I've taken photos from every angle trying to get one that looks as it does when stood by the bike but have had no luck..

I'll measure the panniers I have and see what the difference is, if any, then I'll decide if I want to go with the Aluminium Givis. 

  windy