BMW F 900 R & F 900 XR Pro
BMW Motorrad dive into the middleweight segment with two new machines. Will they be good enough to take on the established competition?
Bavaria’s larger 900-cc duo bring more to the table
Early last year, just before the CoVID-19 outbreak, I travelled to almeira where I had the opportunity to thrash a pair of new bavarian motorcycles through the foothills of southern spain’s famous sierra Nevada mountain range. the story is documented in the March 2020 issue of Bike India. after experiencing these machines on some of the best riding roads in the world, we now head out on home soil with the f 900 r roadster and its touring-inclined sibling, the f 900 Xr, to see how they fare in Indian conditions. While the naked f 900 r replaces the bMW’s popular f 800 r roadster in international markets, it is the German brand’s first foray into our bustling naked middleweight segment. While this busy space has driven big bike sales for several manufacturers over the last few years, bMW Motorrad have, so far, chosen to stay away, concentrating instead on more premium motorcycles for the Indian market, such as their globe-trotting Gs range and the four-cylinder s 1000 rr superbike.
With their fresh new designs and matching red and silver colourways, both bikes look extremely attractive. Perfectly filling the role of a naked roadster, the f 900 r comes across as muscular and aggressive, incorporating minimal bodywork into its sharp design. your eyes will be drawn to the muscular tank and down towards the forwardsweeping radiator shroud, which is adorned with the aspirational blue and white roundel. a scooped-out seat leads back to the stubby tail section, with an leD tail-lamp and turn signals positioned out on the overhanging rear fender. forward illumination is managed by a single leD headlight with a stylish leD Drl incorporating the motorcycle’s “r” logo above a bright horizontal strip.
While its naked sibling goes the minimalistic route in terms of design and plastics, the f 900 Xr is wrapped in a generous fairing that envelops the twin headlamps and conceals the top half of the twin-cylinder motor. It also gets an adjustable windscreen for a bit of protection from the elements, a roomier riding position, and a larger fuel tank, all of which indicate its touring intent. there are a few more subtle differences between both the bikes, which we’ll get into in a while.
both these bikes are powered by a parallel twin motor and are built around bMW’s steel bridge frame architecture, similar to the f 750 Gs and f 850 Gs that were launched in 2018. While the frame is mostly unchanged, this engine gains 42 cc over its predecessor, pushing displacement up to 895 cc. the additional capacity has been gained courtesy an 86-mm bore, which is two millimetres more than the 850’s, while both motors share a 77-mm stroke. the payoff is 10 more horsepower at peak than the old engine’s 95 hp, and a meatier spread of torque through the mid-range. Peak twist is unchanged at 92 Nm, although over 87 Nm is available from as low as 4,500 rpm, ensuring responsive acceleration through the rev-range. a 90-degree crank-pin offset and an irregular 270-degree firing order mimic a V-twin, and endow the motor with a fair bit of character, while the loping exhaust note at idle is reminiscent of a ktM or Ducati powerplant.
Now I’m usually partial to aggressive and sporty naked bikes, which is why it was surprising that after spending a couple of days with both bikes in spain last year, the Xr was my pick of the two. Contrary to my usual proclivity towards all things sharp and sporty, the touring variant impressed me with its all-round ability, seamlessly combining excellent performance and handling with a healthy dose of practicality and comfort. With both bikes standing before me now, a year later, I opted to hop on to the Xr first, to see if I would still enjoy it as much as I did back then.
the comfortable and upright riding position on the f 900 Xr lends itself well to getting through the urban sprawl, and the bike feels slim and nimble enough to squeeze through gaps and get ahead of traffic. the 270-degree parallel twin’s healthy spread of torque means that you don’t need to work the gearbox too much to maintain forward drive, and the motor pulls strongly from anything above 3,000 rpm. It’s a similar situation out on the open road; the motor feels effortless and tractable cruising along at triple-digit speeds in top gear and simply rolling on the throttle is enough to pile on the speed and make quick overtakes. a downshift or two may be called upon if a sudden burst of
The F 900 R roadster will definitely add a touch of excitement to the naked middleweight segment