Middleweight adventures go to war
As adventure bikes get ever-bigger, should we be going for the latest breed of sub-100bhp middleweights instead?
BMW’s new F850GSA bids to outgun Honda’s big-selling Africa Twin Adventure Sport
With BMW’s latest, new ShiftCam GSA now a whopping 1250cc and starting at £14,415 before you’ve even opened the options catalogue, big adventure bikes can be a bit much for many in more ways than one. Which is why there’s now a growing underclass for smaller, more affordable adventure bikes. BMW set the ball rolling with the F800GS Adventure in 2013, a big-tanked, more off-road orientated version of the F800GS parallel twin. But it was the arrival of Honda’s 1000cc, more dirt-biased new Africa Twin in
2016, and particularly its similarly big-tanked, longer-suspended Adventure Sport version last year, which set the standard.
Now BMW are fighting back with a new, enlarged version of the F800. Based on the F850GS introduced last year, which not only bored and stroked the engine to take its capacity from 798 to 853cc but also saw a revised crank and firing order, it follows the familiar adventure recipe of adding an oversized tank, longer travel suspension and extra crash protection to deliver longerlegged, world traveller appeal. And the result, on paper at least, is so similar to the Honda, with not just virtually identical power (95 and 94bhp) from parallel twins, but also comparable off-road aspirations indicated by matching 21in front wheels and lengthened suspension, not to mention price and even paint, that it seemed clear a tough test was required to tell them apart. Time for the MCN250.
In the metal, some differences are immediately apparent. It’s worth saying here that neither are the bog basic models, but they’re closer matched because of it. The Honda is the DCT semi-automatic version, costing £1000 extra, taking the price to £13,999. While although the new F850GSA starts at £10,600, not much of that bike is what you see here. Instead this is, firstly, the Rallye version, with distinctive blue livery, shorter sport screen and gold anodised forks and rims. On top of that it has the Dynamic Package (including extra riding modes, dynamic traction control and quickshifter), Premium Package (including Dynamic ESA electronic suspension), HP Akrapovic exhaust, sat nav, the new, fancy TFT screen and more – which skyrockets this bike’s actual price to £13,230 (not that much shy of the Honda).
But despite all that, as we kit up, ready to head off on our marathon, though undeniably well-specced, the BM doesn’t come over as the more sumptuous, substantial machine, nor one with the style and charisma of, not just the Africa Twin, but also its R1250GSA brother. I take the Honda first and, despite pausing to get used to the DCT, am immediately reminded of its class and capability: the high riding position is almost regal, the ergonomics relaxed, the tall screen gives ample weather protection and
yet it’s still slimmer and lighter than an R1250GSA. The DCT is easy and effective; the twin’s delivery smooth and flexible without being frenzied and its handling, though tall, is intuitive. It’s a bike you quickly, easily get on with, know you could spend hundreds of miles on and which also has the bonus of being a bike you’ll admire in your garage with a cup of tea in hand. Don’t get me wrong: the Honda’s not perfect. The LCD dash seems last generation, there’s no cruise control and the non-adjustable screen is unforgiveable. But I forgive it all that because of the way it makes me feel. We swapped after the Super Sausage and the BMW’s 850 immediately impressed, too, but not quite in the way predicted.
I’d expected to be a little underwhelmed by the Beemer. Though its spec ticks all the boxes, the sum of its parts has little of the charisma of the Africa Twin and less of its stature, something I like, as a bigger bloke. But from the moment I fire
‘It’s clear the BMW is harderedged and focused’
‘Park up on the Honda and you always glance back with pride’
off down the A5 on the 850GSA before hooking left to jive between the hedgerows towards Silverstone, it was clear I was aboard a harderedged, more focused machine. That impression is heightened by the BM’s sport screen, overall stumpier attitude and conventional, quickshifter-assisted transmission, but the F850 still feels more of a performance machine than the more plodding Honda. Despite near identical peak outputs, the BM is quite racy while the Honda’s more relaxed; its steering is a touch sharper and more accurate; the ESA suspension more sophisticated. And it’s probably the F850’s advance in engine performance (a hike of 10bhp
over the old) which impresses most. It might not have the romantic style of the Twin, but in pure invigorating performance and spec, the BM’s unquestionably the better bike. But the Honda in no way lags behind. It’s just as quick; its handling sharp enough to hang onto the BM, it delivers it all in a much more relaxed, effortless way and when you park up you always look back with pride.
I endured the M40 on the BMW rather than enjoyed it and, while most of the Cotswolds was a blast and its tech and dash impressed, the 850GSA never offered the longlegged lushness of the Twin. We swapped back after Buckingham and the Twin was like being reunited with an old friend whereas the Beemer was an effective, impressive tool, but not one I’d particularly bonded with. Milton Keynes and Bedford breezed under its wheels and, while I missed the BM’s dash, ESA, adjustable screen and handling edge I had no great urge to swap back. I was even by now fully converted to its DCT transmission which only adds to the Honda’s relaxed, efficient ease. In truth I’d been impressed by both. The Beemer, with its extra range, suspension and options, is possibly the best junior adventure of all, although I can see some variants of the Tiger 800 giving it a run for its money. But the Adventure Sports, though not perfect nor as well specced, does pretty much all of that and more.