On June 6, 2023, BMW Motorrad officially pulled the cover off its M 1000 XR prototype. 2023 is the 100th anniversary of BMW Motorrad, so the company is keen to celebrate in every possible way it can. Since the first two M motorcycles in the BMW Motorrad lineup have so successfully carried the high-performance badge through from the automotive to the motorcycle side, it’s only fitting that the third bike to bear the M badge should appear in 2023.
As the ‘prototype’ designation implies, this isn’t the full-fat M 1000 XR reveal just yet. That, BMW Motorrad says, will come sometime in the back half of 2023. Instead, this is a tantalizing glimpse at what’s to come, as well as confirmation that yes, it’s the M 1000 XR—and yes, it’s the ‘crossover bike’ that you’d expect from anything with an XR in the name.
Although BMW Motorrad is keeping the details of the M 1000 XR close to its chest for the time being, here’s what we do know. It is, of course, powered by the same inline four-cylinder engine as is found in the S 1000 RR, which makes a claimed 200 horsepower. The curb weight is 223 kilograms, or about 491.6 pounds. Top speed of the M 1000 XR prototype, BMW says, is about 280 kilometers per hour—or just under 174 miles per hour.
Gallery: BMW M 1000 XR Prototype
Part of how this is possible is, of course, enhanced M aerodynamics. Specifically, BMW brought its winglets into play for the M 1000 XR prototype, which they say was done with “the aim of ensuring superior riding stability even at high speeds.” It’s yet another instance of seeing technology first developed and utilized in racing applications brought to a production model that riders can go out and buy. (Or, at least, they’ll be able to buy later on in 2023, when it goes from being a prototype to being a production model. You get the idea.)
As we mentioned when BMW dropped the M 1000 XR teaser last week (at the time of writing, anyway), Peter Hickman was spotted at the 2023 Isle of Man TT taking the M 1000 XR prototype for a lap around the most famous island in motorcycle road racing. In fact, Hickman testing the prototype is what the official M 1000 XR Prototype video that BMW Motorrad released is based around, so be sure to take in the sight and sound with your headphones on.
