Best Sport-Touring Motorcycle of 2024: BMW M 1000 XR

As the sport-touring category has evolved over the years, BMW’s M 1000 XR has carved out its own niche within the segment. Having top-spec components, an Inline-Four with 201 hp and a 14,600 rpm redline, and comfort to stay in the saddle for hours on end, BMW’s M tourer hands you the cake and lets you eat it, too. Dripping in carbon fiber, we rode the BMW M 1000 XR complete with the M performance package putting the MSRP right around $30,000. While that certainly isn’t a number to disregard, top of the line sportbikes have been hovering around it for years, and this is basically that – but one that’s downright comfortable whether you’re blasting about in the canyons or on the race track.

The chassis components – from the carbon fiber wheels, to the fully-adjustable electronic Marzocchi suspension and the sporty, but certainly not overly so, riding position – make dancing with this Bavarian an absolute pleasure. Line choices are taken almost telepathically while adjusted effortlessly, the damping characteristics can be changed at the press of a button, and ride modes can be adjusted in great detail. The Nissin-made “M” brakes also inspire confidence while working in conjunction with the Bridgestone Battlax RS11 to control traction. The M 1000 XR basically feels like the entire package for a wide swath of people.

For those looking for the ultimate exotica in a sport-tourer, the BMW M 1000 XR delivers exhilarating performance without an astronomical price tag earning it MO’s Best Sport-Touring Motorcycle of 2024.

Honorable mention

There were a couple of other candidates in the running for sport-tourer of the year that weren’t dripping in carbon – hardly a necessity. Suzuki’s ridiculously named GSX-S1000GX+ snuck in at the end of the year in 2023 as a tech-laden long-legged version of its popular (and MOBO winning) sibling, the GSX-S1000GT+. Nearly as excellent as its GT sibling, the GX carries a $4k premium over its low-slung bro, which can likely be attributed to the electronic suspension. Unfortunately, that suspension didn’t hold up to the premium it brought with it.

The Moto Guzzi Stelvio was also in the conversation as it was based on the modern V100 Mandelo platform we had heaped praise on previously. Although both machines are modern interpretations of what it means to be a Moto Guzzi in 2024, the Stelvio couldn’t pull the win from the BMW’s carbon-clad clutches. There’s also an argument to be made for the Ducati Multistrada V4 RS which definitely plays in this field of opulence, but with the Ducati, the price creeps even higher toward $40k.