NEW BMW F900XR
Now’s the time to go adventuresports
Motorcycles don’t get much more ‘together’ than this. BMW’s new £9825 F900XR might have started life as their F850GS adventure bike, but this is no half-hearted rehash. Engine, chassis, ergonomics and extras gel to create a superbly balanced, rounded experience – and from a bike with the spec and price to make an impact.
It doesn’t take a balloon-headed genius to see what BMW are up to. Jacked-up road bikes – or ‘adventure sports’ – are all the rage, with Yamaha’s Tracer 900 being Europe’s third best-selling bike (behind the R1250GS and Africa Twin). So, they’ve Tracerised the GS.
Actually, that’s selling the F900XR terribly short. The new BMW features serious re-engineering. Its eightvalve parallel twin has a 2mm wider bore and new forged pistons, taking capacity from 853 to 895cc, with a reworked cylinder head and 13:1 compression ratio. They claim 68ftlb at 6500rpm, the same as the GS; the difference is the XR has a wider spread of grunt plus a 10bhp boost, with 105bhp at 8500rpm. There’s even more freshness in the chassis. The GS’s steel frame is retained, but with altered geometry, slimline subframe, new suspension, stronger brakes and 17in wheels. There’s less wheel travel than a GS, but still lots of movement for a road bike. Bodywork, plastic-welded 15.5-litre tank (a world first, they’ll have you know) and 35mm-lower seat are bespoke, too. They’re not playing around.
You can immediately tell as much. The whole bike strikes you as amazingly well sorted before you even reach third gear, and you feel completely confident and at home
‘Easy-flowing handling delivers effortless pace’ ‘You can just hop on and get the best from it’
within about half a mile. Agility at low speed betrays the raked-out fork angle; the F900XR rolls smoothly and freely, with great balance. Dual carriageways reveal decent ride quality, and the twin whirrs smoothly at 80mph (5000rpm in sixth). The easily adjusted twoheight screen is a tad noisy at speed but great at sucking rain off your visor, and though the seat is quite scooped out (like the S1000XR) the riding position is comfy and nicely weighted. The optional heated grips could cook a side of beef, too. On proper riding roads the easy-flowing handling and roll-on flexibility deliver brisk-yet-effortless pace. On engaging Spanish mountain tarmac the XR is sure-footed and inspiring, whether suckered down in wet corners or encouraging big lean in dry hairpins. Third gear is good from under 20mph to over 80mph, and there’s genuinely useful engine braking. Yamaha’s Tracer is faster and a bit lighter on its feet, but the BMW makes up for it with unflappable usability. The standard F900XR gets a colour TFT dash with phone connectivity, Rain and Road riding modes, ABS and basic traction control (ASC, or automatic stability control in BMW-speak). Optional extras on the test bikes include a rear shock with electronic damping, lights that peek round corners, cruise, two-way quickshifter, centrestand and more. They also have Riding Modes Pro which adds extra riding modes, new ‘engine torque drag control’, dynamic traction and cornering ABS, plus a Sport display showing brake effort, traction intervention and lean angle.
It all works brilliantly and is easy to fathom out and operate. However, while the heated grips are welcome and the lean angle indicator is amusing, the XR’s ride and response feel nicest in the standard Road mode. Don’t assume you need to tick all the boxes for the BMW to really reward.
And that’s what will ensure the F900XR’s success. It’s a genuinely capable rival for the established bikes that you can simply hop on and get the best out of, with the right roundel on the side and a real sense of quality, for a keen price – it’s only around £500 more than a Tracer 900.