FIRST RIDE BMW F900 GS

Story by Mike Seate  •  Photos by Kevin Wing/BMW Motorrad

I know what you’re thinking, faithful readers, what’s a bloody adventure bike doing in Cafe Racer Magazine, and in an issue dedicated to Serious Speed, no less. We wondered much the same when invited to sample the new-for-2024 BMW F900GS in the ­Nevada desert. Aesthetically, the chunky styling and tall suspension evoke chaps in Cordura riding suits with visions of “Long Way Round” inside their Schuberth flip-open helmets. But let loose on the long fast roads and roller coaster mountains of Southern Nevada, the F900’s churning, buttery-smooth parallel twin engine makes for some seriously rapid progress.

Personally, I’m no fan of riding motorcycles in sand, mud and other surfaces that make cornering hard and rear wheels skid. However, we’ve spent more than a year with Royal Enfield’s Scram 411, a mid-sized dual-sport single that’s somehow won over everyone on the CRM team who’s ridden it.

So in the interest of maintaining an open mind towards all things with two wheels and handlebars, we spent a long, hot and very sunny day exploring just what makes motorcycles like the F900GS so popular.

For starters, most of the journey was on smooth, paved roads. This carefully selected mix of highways and twisty mountain passes revealed how poised and quick this 485-pound machine is on its wheels. A good 30 pounds were shaved from the previous model, making this the sweetest-handling ADV bike we’ve yet sampled. But wait, aren’t these knobby tire-wearing, rock-vaulting bikes supposed to be clumsy in corners? In theory, yes, but BMW’s answer lies in upgraded suspension in the form of a 43mm Showa inverted fork with a whopping 8.5 inches of travel and a matching adjustable shock that bounces a stream-fording 9.1 inches. The chassis is composed of a tubular steel trellis with 28 degrees of rake and a stiff aluminum swingarm. This configuration makes for sure-footed control when the going gets bumpy and plenty of smooth progress on the tarmac.

Such stratospheric suspension travel does, indeed, translate into an equally tall seat height at 34.3 inches, but not to worry. The clever people in white lab coats at BMW have devised a lower accessory seat that drops the distance between bum and pavement to just 32 inches. Likewise, I blanched at the sight of a spindly 21” front wheel, but the skinny rim seemed to have no negative effect on ride quality.

Comedian and CRM road tester Alonzo Bodden has long been an advocate for the new generation of quick, ergonomically friendly adventure bikes and it’s easy to see why. As a second motorcycle in the garage, the F900 is a worthy companion to your cafe racer, and you might find yourself buzzing along backroads with less pain in the knees, lower back, wrists and whatever else Advil was designed for. Still, the F900 may have received a complete technical overhaul, but its looks are nothing you’d lust after. The white, blue and day-glow red graphics are certainly sporty, but the lengthy tail section, duckbill front fairing and general Tonka truck styling leave this rider unimpressed. One wonders if all adventure bikes need be so downright oogly?

But the point of this experience is not to swoon over how cool and sexy a bike like the F900 is. Instead, it’s meant to cover miles without complaint, and that’s where the F900GS really shows its strengths.

There are electronic rider aids to spare, with six-axis IMU, traction control, heated grips, a smartphone connection and a USB charging port. Did I mention both Rain and Road riding modes? BMW also offer plentiful upgrades like a Full Enduro package that makes it easier to climb the sort of obstacles that make goats nervous. My favorite and fully unexpected feature was the motor, a raspy, quick-off-the-throttle beauty that pulls like LeBron James in a club on Ladies Night. Regardless of which of the six gears you’re in, the two cylinders work in unison to create the perfect level of thrust and/or grunt. I’ve long believed 100 or so horsepower to be just about perfect for a street machine as it’s enough to make for exciting acceleration without making control more difficult. The F900 pulses out 105 ponies at 8,500 RPM and 69 foot-pounds of torque at 6,750, both sweet spots for everyday riders and riding.

The extra 50cc over 2023’s model is further buffeted by forged pistons and two counterbalancers to smooth out engine pulses. The odd 270-degree firing order helps create one of the grooviest exhaust notes going, with my ears constantly telling me this powerplant would be perfect in a sportier chassis, wrapped in polished alloy bodywork…but I digress.

If you’ve yet to sample one of these do-it-all motorcycles, it’s worth at least a brief demo ride, as bikes like BMW’s F900GS reveal what the other kids have been raving about all these years. No, I’m not trading in my black leather and low bars for a nylon one-piece and stainless bags anytime soon, but if I ever find myself needing to vault the Matterhorn or make my way along a 100-mile fire road, this would be the go-to machine. CR

2024 BMW F900GS

MSRP: $13,495

Engine: 895cc water-cooled, eight-valve parallel twin

Transmission: Six-speed with slip-assist

Brakes: Twin Brembo two-piston calipers with 305mm rotors and cornering ABS, front: 220 rotor with single-piston Brembo caliper.

Wheels: 21×2.15 spoked front, 4.25×17 rear with alloy rims

Suspension: Fully adjustable Showa 43mm inverted forks with 9.1 inches travel; Showa shock with preload and rebound adjustment 8.5 inches travel.

Power: 105 horsepower at 8,500 RPM; 69 foot-pounds torque at 6,750 RPM

Fuel Capacity: 3.8 gallons

Fuel Economy: 43 MPG

We Dig: The amazing engine and spot-on cornering

We’d Ditch: The too-tall suspension