‘It’s the best of all worlds’

Rival bikes may be a tad more exciting or offer additional practicality, but the F900XR is probably the best-balanced middleweight. You get the same rumble (and oh-so-important brand) as a GS; the image of the best-selling S1000XR; performance to match Yam’s Tracer 900; and some of the workhorse appeal of a Honda NC750X. Much more than a spruced-up F850GS, it’s a superbly balanced bike in its own right. In fact, I’d take the 900 over its S1000 big brother.