One bike to do it all? This could be it...
BMW’s new F900XR takes on the benchmark Tracer 900GT
Riding Yamaha’s Tracer 900GT and the new BMW F900XR around the MCN250 is like playing sports-touring ping pong. At every twist, turn, roundabout, town and dual carriageway one nudges ahead of the other in your affections. The Yamaha is roomier, but the smaller BMW is more manageable. The Tracer’s clutch lever is so far from the ’bar it may as well be in another county and it doesn’t have an autoblipper, but the XR’s side stand is a worry; flick it down and you always feel like you’re leant past the point of no return, until it finally touches terra firma. The silver one
has more grunt, but the red one has more grip and so it goes on. Yamaha created an instant winner when it Tracer-ised its MT-09 in 2015. Fast, throaty, comfy and affordable, it’s little surprise that it’s the go-to all-rounder for many. This more luxurious £11,195 GT version appeared a couple of years ago with an R1-style colour dash, cruise control, heated grips and 22-litre panniers (we left them off to help us slip through traffic).
In fact, the 113bhp Tracer has been such a success, you can’t blame BMW for wanting a slice of the action, so they’ve given their mild-mannered parallel twin the ‘sports adventure’ treatment, too (how ahead of the curve were Ducati when they released the original Multistrada 1000 back in 2004, or even Yamaha with the TDM850).
Styled to mimic its S1000XR brother the F900XR is a looker in the metal – shiny, fresh and new with lots of nice detail touches from the wings and creases in the fairing to the retina-bursting colour dash. Always under the radar compared to their big boxers and fiery superbikes, BMW have been making parallel twins for donkey’s, but this is the first one to really make you sit up and take notice. The 104bhp F900XR is powered by a F850GS motor, bored out from 853cc to 895cc. It makes the same 68ftlb of torque, but power is up 10bhp. The frame is the same as the GS’s, but the swingarm and chassis dimensions are all unique to the XR.
It might not have the Yamaha’s extra cylinder, but power and capacity are similar and costing just £9825 in base trim (with a threeyear warranty), the BMW rubs the Yamaha’s nose in it at the till. ABS, basic traction control, colour dash, Road and Rain modes, LEDs, adjustable screen and levers and a 12V socket are all included in the price, but go for the £10,685 TE model you see here and you get cruise control, lean-sensitive rider aids, extra modes and heated grips. Our test bike also has the added luxury of Sport, Dynamic and Comfort packages as well as a tyre pressure display, which comes in at £12,460. That isn’t what you’d call cheap, but a Plain Jane S1000XR, which is no faster in the real world, is £14,285 before you get busy with the options.
There’s no getting-to-know-you needed on the BMW. Clutch, gears and throttle are all smoother than the Yamaha’s, the parallel twin purrs sweetly; all as unthreatening as a hug from your gran. Weighing a claimed 219kg it’s heavy to push and paddle around, but it’s physically compact, so it’s manageable once you get going and easy to plonk feet flat on the floor at a standstill, which will be music to the ears of smaller riders and the less experienced. For taller riders it’s slightly cramped (higher seats are available as an option) and with your lower back resting up against the pillion seat it’s going to be very cosy twoup. It feels more Ducati Hyperstrada than Multistrada, but the F900XR is still comfy enough for big chunks of the MCN250 without need to get off and stretch.
It’s nimble through Northampton traffic and Cotswold villages. On the M40 it’s a case of flicking-on the cruise control, sitting back
‘Its triple engine is the star of the show with vivid acceleration’
and watching the dreariness of a February day stream past your visor. Like the Yamaha, its noisy optional sports screen is at its earsplitting worst on the motorway. Like the BM, the F900XR wafts its rider great distances with ease, speed and comfort. It’s softly sprung, but the steering is nicely weighted and with its semi-active shock constantly adjusting its damping, it retains composure when pressing on. Forks are nonadjustable but none the worse for it. Brembos are sharp, but friendly, the rear brake is powerful (although there’s a fair amount of play before it bites) and wet grip is far superior to the Yamaha’s (see box-out).
‘Ride, handling and comfort are all big ticks for the BMW F900XR’
Ride, handling and comfort are all big ticks for the XR, but the motor lacks a bit of low-down oomph and soul. The 270˚ parallel twin gets a move on when you bang it against the 8750rpm redline, but it’s missing the Yam’s instant thrust, so you have to work the BM harder to keep up. For many the XR’s calm nature will be a blessing, but the Yamaha is a different animal. Its triple motor is the star of the show with acceleration more vivid, midrange more muscular and with a howling top end. Delivery is linear, but it lacks the BMW’s smoothness from a closed throttle and like the XR it bangs harshly through its gearbox when you use its quickshifter. The Tracer 900GT is more spacious and you sit in it, cossetted by bodywork, like the flight deck of the Enterprise. There’s more legroom and ’pegs are further back giving the Yamaha a sportier feel. You can’t argue with the quality, but it doesn’t have the BMW’s more modern feel, fit and finish. Firmer set than the BMW the Yamaha has a tougher stance, but it’s never as neutral or as plugged in through a corner as the XR, especially on cold or wet tarmac, as on our test.
Back for our final fuel stop at Oundle, the BMW has impressed with its quality, equipment level, friendliness and frugalness. The Yamaha may not be as polished a machine as its German competitor, but it’s spaciousness and more potent performance ultimately wins us over.