2022 BMW S1000XR Review: BT Moto ECU Flash Transformation

2022 BMW S1000XR BT Moto ECU Flash Review

When the BMW S1000XR first rolled out in 2015, it quickly set the standard for what a sports adventure bike could be. Fast forward to the 2022 model, and it's clear this bike has retained its classy, all-rounder vibe. We particularly loved how BMW brilliantly adapted the high-performance engine from the RR and tailored it for adventure touring. Powered by a 4-stroke inline 999cc engine, the bike boasts 165 horsepower at 11,000 rpm and 84 pound-feet of torque at 9,250 rpm. Not to mention, it's loaded with the kind of cutting-edge electronic features that BMW fans have come to expect. This makes the 2022 S1000XR not only a powerhouse but also a pleasure to ride on long journeys, offering both thrilling performance and supreme comfort. 

Naturally, we were eager to push this bike to its limits with the help of BT Moto ECU Flash and velocity stacks. The BMW S1000XR stands out as one of the most versatile motorcycles on the market, and our goal with this review was to rectify some of the customers’ complaints with this bike. So, let's dive into how the enhancements helped take an already exceptional bike to the next level.

Stock Tuning First Impressions of 2022 BMW S1000XR

When you first swing a leg over the S1000XR, you'll immediately notice its weight—at 520 pounds, it's about 100 pounds heavier than your average sport bike. But don't let that fool you. This bike handles its weight with grace, proving to be an extremely comfortable ride for sport-touring enthusiasts. The balance is spot-on, though we did find myself wishing for a bit more cushion in the seat for those longer journeys.

Throttle response, on the other hand, feels a bit sluggish, akin to what you might experience with the S1000R. It’s a bit lazy, especially noticeable when you're trying to get moving. But then there’s the quickshifter—oh, the quick shifter…BMW has really nailed it and it comes as a no surprise since they make the best quick shifters out there. It’s incredibly smooth, almost seamless, right from the factory setting, and only gets better after the BT Moto ECU flash, which always excites us.

Pushing the bike further into the top end, we switched the suspension to dynamic mode to shake off the overly plush feel of the road mode. It was the right call. The throttle, which felt a bit lackluster at lower revs, really came alive as we pushed harder. Cornering was a breeze too; the bike maintained its composure beautifully, behaving more like a spry sports bike than a bulky tourer. It’s surprising how it delivers that needed punch when you lean into it, even with its size.

Despite our earlier complaints about needing more power, we didn’t have any other major complaints about the bike overall. The shifting remained rock-solid—no wobbles or awkwardness even when downshifting aggressively.

And speaking of performance, we had to test out the 60 through 130 mph sprint. Clocking in at 7.17 seconds, it’s a solid performance for a bike that weighs over 500 pounds.

Overall, the BMW S1000XR really held its own. It was a breeze to flick around, and we absolutely loved its maneuverability. 

But then again, we did notice that the bike could use a bit more RPM and power in the higher range. Also, at startup, the stock cold start revved the engine up to around 2,000 rpm for no apparent reason—a quirk we aimed to smooth out with the flash. So, it was time to roll the S1000XR onto the dyno and show you the results after our tweaks. Let’s see how much we improved this beast with the BT Moto ECU flash.

2022 BMW S1000XR Dyno Tuning and Results Along With Stage 1 Impressions

On the dyno, the 2022 BMW S1000XR, decked out with BT Moto velocity stacks, showed exactly the results we were hoping for. In the graph below, you can see the stock performance marked by the red line, while the blue line represents the performance after the BT Moto ECU Flash Tune. We saw an impressive gain of 11 wheel horsepower just from the tuning, and the best part? The gains were consistent across the board.

What's particularly noteworthy is that the tuned 2022 BMW S1000XR didn’t lose any power at the lower end—often a trade-off with velocity stacks, where you sacrifice some low-end power for gains at the top. Our BT Moto stacks avoided this pitfall, maintaining robust power where this bike spends most of its time running. Additionally, the tuning tweaks extended the RPM limiter, unlocking even more power potential.

After the flash, the 2022 BMW S1000XR fired up without any of that annoying high idle, popping, and stalling we used to see at startup. Hitting the road, the improvements were obvious right from the get-go. Take-offs were noticeably sharper, low RPM responsiveness was on point, and the mid-range felt more robust. It was smoother sailing when cruising, too. It's pretty amazing what a bit of fine-tuning can do to the overall ride experience. The quickshifter, which was already smooth, turned extra buttery with the BT Moto ECU Flash. Both downshifting and upshifting became quicker, snappier, and smoother, and the bike picked up speed more eagerly in the lower ranges.

We'd already noticed a serious boost in power during take-offs, with first and second gears feeling much more energetic. The performance all around was seriously impressive. The stacks did their job well, keeping the power steady at the low end while ramping up horsepower from the low mid-range to the top. Riding this bike post-flash, it was like it wasn't even the same machine.

Moving on to the top-end power post-flash, the throttle was much more responsive and the power delivery was smoother and more linear than before. Upshifting and downshifting remained as slick as ever. To put it simply, riding the post-flash 2022 BMW S1000XR felt like flying.

For the final test, we pushed the S1000XR from 60 to 130 mph to see just how much the flash had improved performance. And the results? The bike was a solid three-quarters of a second faster, clocking in at 6.5 seconds. That huge jump in speed came just from the simple BT Moto ECU Flash Tuning. It’s pretty wild to see such a dramatic improvement.

The Key Takeaways