Closest rival “F900XR – it’s good, yes; but what the hell is it?”
Svelte bike makes it easy to get good grip with legs
The bigger of the two Tracers in Yamaha’s line-up is slightly up on power compared to the BMW. Its 847cc, 3-cylinder engine pumps out 113.5bhp (84.6kW) @ 10,000rpm with maximum torque of 64.5lb-ft (87.5Nm) @ 8,500rpm. Being a triple, the Tracer offers a different feel from the engine, but in terms of looks and pricing the two bikes are closer to each other than you might think a German and Japanese bike to be.
With all the talk in our briefings about electronics, it’s a pleasing break to get out there and ride. We’re in southern Spain, the default for a worldwide bike launch, thanks to good weather, great, quiet roads, decent flights from anywhere and in the winter launch season, cheap, large hotels. But someone forgot about the weather, so it’s raining and cold. Many of the journos are whinging, but I feel it makes for a more realistic test, especially for us Brits!
Riding the F900XR out of the slippery, polished, brick-weave car park and I’m tense; yet the XR seating position feels instantly well thought out and balanced, slow riding and rear brake control is spot on. Throttle response is much, much better than the S1000XR I rode while out there, which was so unresponsive in the standard engine modes it felt like the handlebar grips were loose. But in Rain and Road, the two standard modes, the F900XR throttle still feels somewhat disconnected; you can tell there’s a computer in between your right hand and the engine, like an inefficient middle-manager. Dynamic and Dynamic Pro modes are much, much better, but then we were on wet, polished Spanish roads, so the more intrusive traction control and ABS of the lower modes were more welcome.
We then hit some of the strangest roads I’ve ridden in ages. In the countryside, narrow and obviously of low priority, they meander along the sides of hills and mountains, following their jagged profile. This means second and third gear, hard acceleration (a bunch of journalists put together generally always ends up like this), quickly followed by hard braking and feeling what grip you have as you peel into the corner. And said corners are either blind, or blind with a scary drop on the other side, should you get it wrong. And then there’s the fog, and the sudden cessation of a solid surface, to be replaced by dirt. And the odd black tyre mark heading off the edge, like a plane off an aircraft carrier. Focus, now…
Though I can’t think of a road in the UK that is anything like this, it was good at highlighting handling, the tyres and the way the F900XR could metamorphose from friendly tourer into point-and-squirt supermoto. And it excelled; making this rather odd and unique road like some kind of intense computer game, where I don’t recall blinking, let alone relaxing. The main sensation was the immense amount of engine braking you get – perfect for these roads, but could make two-up riding slightly jerky. It wasn’t bad, just very pronounced. The suspension told me what was happening on the sketchy surface. The brakes were consistent, powerful and predictable. And the power was enough. Hell, even the quickshifter came into play for those downchanges into the ‘slightly tighter than I thought’ corners. And all in the wet. In comfort. With serious consequences if it went wrong. I was seriously impressed with the F900XR. That ride made any normal riding seem laborious; but the XR kept on impressing. Balance is lovely and neutral, ergonomics are perfect – which so many bikes never manage, and the comfort was excellent.
After getting back the chat was all about ‘that’ road, and about all the electronic aids and gadgets. Many may enjoy them, but biking for me has to start with a good mechanical basis; and with the BMW F900XR you have a capable, pokey engine capable of touring or fun. You have a chassis that handles well in all occasions I’ve tried. And you have comfort with practicality. And then, as a secondary feature, you have all the toys.
The BMW F900XR is a new bike which promises, and in my short ride, seems to give a great experience to its rider. Touring, commuting and sporty road riding should be its forte. Is it better than the Yamaha Tracer? Well that’s down to you, your test ride, the price and how good your local dealer is. But go for the XR and I’m confident you won’t be disappointed.