Extend your adventure and confidence in the dirt and on the road.

If you were to ask me before this experience what my favourite GS model was it would, without hesitation, be the R1250GS, of course. It’s a big hitter in the adventure category and one could argue that its capabilities are hindered by its weight. But I’ve always preferred the big boxer over BMW’s midsize offerings because of its low centre of gravity and bottom-end torque. Even for a short-statured rider like me, standing tall at 5’ 5” on a good day, it would be my weapon of choice. I’m allowed to have opinions and I’m also allowed to change my opinion as I know more and new experiences shift my already stubborn views, and that is exactly what happened when I rode the new BMW F900GS in Spain.

It’s important to recognize that this is a completely new platform from BMW, not to be compared to the previous F850 series. The F900GS is built up from a completely new chassis, upgraded suspension and revised engine. Not to mention a substantial weight loss of 14 kilograms. This is mainly due to 4.5 kg saved by switching to a plastic fuel tank (from the previous model’s steel version), as well as a 2.4 kg loss on the rear end, and 1.7 kg lost by opting for an Akropovič silencer, which is now stock on all models.

First, we rode the Trophy version on gravel and sand through the mountains of Spain and into steep-walled canyons, where we quickly found the capability of this new model. Compared to previous versions, the F900GS is without a doubt built for serious off-road capability while still giving the option to riders to use it as a touring vehicle.

Updated Powerplant

The F900 parallel twin is, of course, based on the previous F850GS, first introduced in 2018. With an increase in capacity to 895 cc (previously 853 cc)
and bore increased by 2 mm, with the new bore/stroke of 86 mm x 77 mm compared to 84 mm x 77 mm, respectively. The F900 sports a 270/450-degree firing interval and produces 105 hp at 8,500 rpm and 68.6 lb-ft of torque at 6,750 rpm with a wide powerband.

The rear sprocket now sports three more teeth (47 teeth versus the previous 44), with the gear reduction multiplying the sensation of more low-down grunt, which was particularly handy for the steep hills we encountered off-road. All that low-end grunt saved my bacon when I accidentally
upshifted into neutral instead of…