BMW’s GS range of adventure motorcycles has done it all. These bikes have circled the globebroke Hundreds of thousands of milesand visited some of them the most remote places on earth. But if there is a bike to all-encompassing – too good at everything, too often the objectively right choice – it gets boring. It’s the struggle of the late ’90s Yankees or the early 2000s Patriots: When you’re always expected to win, winning is just never as interesting.
For the F900GSHowever, BMW has changed this formula. This isn’t a staid highway tourer with a few dirt chops, but a chassis built to be all things to all people, all the time. It’s actually worse in many ways than the F850GS it replaces, which makes it a lot more fun.
Full disclosure: BMW sent me to Las Vegas, Nevada to blast the F900GS and CE02 through the city streets and desert sands. Even though it was only April, it was one of the hottest experiences of my life. The company paid for my flight, accommodation and meals.
BMW says the F900GS is a successor to the previous F850, and the spec sheet shows some nice changes over the old model: The new bike’s boring engine produces 105 horsepower and 68.6 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 15 horsepower and 5.6lb-ft from the old bike and a 22lb weight reduction brings the F900GS to 482lb wet. There’s still a beak if you Really I squint looking for it, and the options sheet is full of typical modern BMW equipment. Riding modes, GPS preparation, keyless driving, heated grips and the Akrapovič muffler are standard. Everything starts at $13,500, but you probably won’t find one at a dealer for under $16,000. Sounds like a GS, right?
Yes, but not the ones you’re thinking of. See, BMW isn’t entirely right when it claims that the F900GS is simply following in the F850’s footsteps. In reality, the bike is reminiscent of something that has long been absent from the company’s product range: this 2000-2008 F650 Dakar, a bike that has sacrificed on-road comfort and performance for all-out off-road capability. Although the F900 doesn’t have a low-power single-cylinder engine or an exhaust hidden under the seat, it’s closer to its dirt-oriented predecessor than you’d expect.
The F900GS foregoes much of the classic GS style in favor of an enduro-typical look and looks better for it. I always thought the F850’s headlights didn’t match and my own F800 look a little dweeby, but the F900 looks fantastic from every angle – the headlight I was so unsure about at launch has won me over in real life. The rear is slim and light, and the taillight assembly is so minimal that I really wonder how this is legal on American roads. There are only two taillights, which are responsible for lighting, turn signals and brake lighting, which can make it a little difficult to see the third taillight in real driving. However, it’s worth it for the clean look.
To follow this design, BMW explains that the F900GS is more focused Off-road performance than anything else. Travel has increased by more than a full inch at the front, over 9 inches at the fork, and nearly 8.5 inches at the rear, and a number of ergonomic improvements are specifically aimed at riders who spend their time on two legs instead of a seat . Think of it this way: It’s a GS that offers factory handlebar risers but no vibration-dampening rubber in the footpegs.
Off-road, all of these changes make for an extremely confidence-inspiring driving experience. Compared to other ADVs, the bike feels narrow between your legs, pushing you to push a little deeper into the dirt or gravel. Away from the asphalt, the weak point in this bike’s system is clearly visible Me as its driver, but it still convinced me to tackle terrain I really had no business going into – at least not in the desert heat of Nevada.
The GS’s suspension definitely felt stiff in the gravel, but even the base wheel is adjustable for preload and rebound damping on the rear shock and front forks, with the front wheel also having a compression adjustment dial. As I set out, I was warned that it was intended for a heavier rider than me, and heavier riders on the trip didn’t share all of my complaints. However, for the toughest dirt riders, BMW offers another upgrade: the Enduro Package Pro sports suspension with stronger front forks and a more adjustable rear shock absorber.
But while the F900GS gains dirt-friendly design, suspension and ergonomics over its predecessor, it also loses in road comfort. City streets and winding side streets are no problem. The engine is a gem on tarmac, eagerly revving all 105 horses, and the suspension inspires confidence even on a surprisingly cool mountain full of twisties. It wants to lean forward, enjoys powering out of corners, and likes to show that off-road performance doesn’t mean you have to miss out on fun once the tarmac hits.
The problem arises when you look for the second half of the often abbreviated segment name: Adventure on tour. On long highway rides, all the ergonomic changes that make the F900GS stand out in the dirt suddenly become a pain. The narrow seat that felt so slim between your legs off-road starts digging into your pelvis, and the jagged ones Footpegs send the vibrations of a motor through your boots. The bars also surprisingly vibrate at highway speeds.
However, the worst thing about highway driving with the F900GS is definitely the windshield. I’m not traditionally a fan of stock windshields, but this one made for one of the loudest rides I’ve ever experienced on a motorcycle. The wind kept pounding against my helmet and really made me alert my Arai XD-4The position of the sun reached its peak when air pressure occurred during shoulder checks.
Of course, these problems are fixable. BMW offers other seats and windshields, and aftermarket suppliers are already putting together their own models. (Puig had a windshield available before I even swung a leg over the F900GS.) The bike’s weaknesses are things the aftermarket can easily spot, and the harder-to-change aspects – the engine, the suspension, the rider triangle – are fantastic.
Rather than following in the footsteps of the all-rounder F850, the F900GS aims to be an enduro first and an ADV second – the word “enduro” was almost twice as common as “ADV” in BMW’s product presentation at the launch event. It’s worth asking whether a 483-pound, twin-cylinder, 105-horsepower bike can ever really fit into such a lightweight segment, but there’s also no real word for the more dirt-oriented side of adventure, such as bikes like yours KTM 890 Adventure R or Hold 700.
The BMW F900GS is fun to drive in the dirt or on a winding back road, and tolerable on the highway. It’s a new face for the GS range, both literally (with its finally symmetrical front end) and metaphorically, for a brand that has long been derided with accusations of a “worn-out touring bike”. Instead of making everything boring, the F900GS has a design twist that adds character to the rest of the driving experience. If I had $16,000 to spare, I would know which bike in the segment I would buy.