IT’S NEW BUT IS IT WORTH IT? Adventure-lite BMW F900GS
Comes of age with more power, less weight and hardcore styling
BMW have gone down a muddy path with their new £11,999 F900GS and it couldn’t be more different from the F850GS it replaces. With its bigger parallel twin cylinder engine, taken from the F900R/XR, and a new steel chassis, it’s lighter and more powerful, but crucially has evolved into a genuine, big BMW-badged enduro bike.
With its shrunk-to-fit new bodywork and chopped-down rear end it looks purposeful, especially with chunky Metzeler Karoo 4 off-road rubber fitted for the trail riding part of our test, here at its world launch in southern Spain. The white, red and blue GS (below, right) is also fitted with a £1430 Enduro Pack that includes a fully adjustable shock and chunkier forks, 24mm handlebar risers and wear-resistant chain, plus a handful of extras that elevate the cost to £15,080.
This all adds up to a BMW off-roader that’s a whole heap easier to manage in the dirt: lighter, narrower and less angry on the power. That said, it’s still a 219kg, 104bhp machine and you need to have your wits about you, but the GS is always enjoyable and never intimidating on the loose stuff.
With an extra 10bhp on tap, the F900GS is more willing on the throttle than the F850GS. There’s a nice bark from the new standardissue Akrapovic exhaust can and the power delivery is smooth and controllable, especially in the off-road riding modes.
The BMW’s extra urgency also comes from a weight loss programme. It’s down 14kg to 219kg thanks to a lighter swingarm, new aluminium sidestand, exhaust can, tail section, battery, headlight and a slimmer fuel tank that’s now plastic instead of steel. It’s also down half-a-litre to 14.5 litres, but with a claimed 60mpg it should still give you a theoretical 204-mile range.
‘Power delivery is smooth and controllable’
High-spec machine
Switch to the tarmac and the machine is every inch a GS with its big, colour dash, familiar switchgear, wide bars and an even more spacious riding position thanks to 15mm higher bars and 20mm lower pegs. The yellow bike you see in the pictures is bogstandard (ish) with new fully adjustable Showa forks and more road-focused Bridgestone AT41 dual-purpose rubber. As standard, it’s blessed with more goodies than ever, including heated grips, a manually adjustable screen, handguards, LED lights, 12v charger, phone/satnav holder, two-way length/height adjustable gear lever, two riding modes, traction control and cornering ABS. BMW have still managed to slide in a couple of extras on our bike, with a £480 Dynamic Package and more toys, raising the cost to £14,180.
If you want a luxurious, adventure-shaped BMW tourer to effortlessly gobble up the miles, an R1250 or 1300GS is still the one to go for, especially if you plan to carry a pillion and lots of luggage. The F900GS, meanwhile, is perfectly capable of doing it all and far more manageable off-road, but it’s physically smaller and the hard enduro seat gets uncomfortable after a couple of hours.
Comfort aside, it’s hard to fault on the road. With more than 100bhp it doesn’t hang around (it’s lighter and more powerful than a Honda Africa Twin) plus it’s neutral steering, stable and confidence-inspiring through corners, despite running a 21in front wheel. Brakes are full of feel and power, too.
But is it fun?
Capable as it is, the bike lacks drama and excitement. The engine has such a flat power delivery it’s easy to bang into its limiter when you’re not looking and, while it handles perfectly for a big mud-plugger, it isn’t involving. It’s also up against a bewildering array of rivals from the £14,995 Ducati Desert X and £13,199 Honda Africa Twin, to the £9699 Honda Transalp, £12,899 Husqvarna Norden 901, £12,699 KTM 890 Adventure, £10,699 Suzuki V-Strom 800DE, £14,495 Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro and £10,110 Yamaha Ténéré 700.
We’ll be testing them all head-tohead in the future, but if you really want a manageable BMW off-roader the F900GS is the best bike in their range. There’s also a new bigtanked F900GS Adventure and budget F800GS with a handful of upgrades but without the complete overhaul of the F900GS.
A Suzuki GSX-8S
simply by getting a quote at www.mcncompare.com
£11,999
BMW F900GS
895cc 8v parallel twin
Pressed steel, engine as stressed member 43mm Showa USD forks, fully adj. R: Single shock adj preload and rebound damping. (Optional semi-active)
2 x 305mm discs. Cornering ABS
265mm disc. Cornering ABS
870mm