If you’ve read my thoughts on BMW’s F 900 GS Enduro, you’ll know I’m a fan of the German brand’s latest iteration of the mid-capacity adventure bike platform. It’s the bike the F 850 GS always should’ve been: light, sharp, and seriously capable off-road. But there is a glaring issue with the F 900 GS for those among us that like to point our adventure machinery at the horizon and discover distant and mysterious places — that piddly little 14.5-litre fuel tank. For some, a tank that size on an adventure bike is a dealbreaker. Enter the F 900 GS Adventure. Same new and improved F 900 GS platform, with a proper 23-litre long-range payload and more creature comforts than you can poke a stick at.
The heart of the beast is the same 895cc parallel-twin you’ll find shoehorned into the rest of the F 900 range. Output sits at 77 kW (105 hp) at 8,500 rpm with 93 Nm of torque at 6,750 rpm. It’s a punchy unit with a 270-degree firing interval that gives it a satisfying V-twin-like power delivery. Unlike the 850, which was a rather mellow unit, the 900 has some serious shove to it. There’s 10 more horsepower and an extra Nm of torque at your disposal and, while that may not seem like much, in the real world it makes a massive difference. There’s solid punch right off the bottom, with a broad and linear spread of power right through the rev range, including some serious top-end punch — it likes to be revved if you’re so inclined.
The variant you see pictured here is the Ride Pro. In addition to the standard gear like the 6.5-inch TFT and heated grips, the Ride Pro package is like a burger with the lot: Dynamic ESA, Keyless Ride, Gear Shift Assistant Pro, Riding Modes Pro (including Enduro Pro), Cruise Control, LED fog lights, and an M Endurance chain. It’s a comprehensive list of fruit.
At 246 kg wet, the GSA is a fair bit heavier than its skinnier brother, but I didn’t find it particularly top-heavy, even with that 23-litre fuel payload. BMW has done a decent job of keeping that mass reasonably low.
With that said, whether you load up on an F 900 GS Adventure comes down to two things, I reckon: price and how far you want to stretch your fuel stops. You see, the Bavarian manufacturer’s R 1300 GS only carries four litres less fuel, has a bucket load more power and torque for those long highway miles, is equally as good, if not better, off-road, and is lighter. If money isn’t tight and you’re not doing massive stretches of outback riding, it’s a tough decision.
Responsibility for soaking up the lumps and bumps is handled by a fully adjustable 43mm Showa fork and monoshock on the bum that offers preload and rebound adjustment. The Dynamic ESA rear shock (included with the RIDE PRO variant) worked brilliantly in every situation I threw at it and coughing up for the RIDE PRO pack is worth it just for the shock, in my opinion. Out of the crate, the front fork is a little soft and dives quite severely when you get on the brakes, but there’s enough adjustability on hand to tune most of that out. Both ends soak up road and off-road imperfections with aplomb and, for a big unit, landing jumps are handled very well indeed — I was surprised.
The cockpit is dominated by that 6.5-inch TFT dash, which remains one of the best in the business — bright and easy to read and easy to navigate once you learn your way around. The bar and peg positioning are spot-on for both sitting through the slab and standing on the pegs when the bitumen ends. The seat is well shaped and comfy, and pillion accommodation looks reasonable as well. The windscreen is adjustable — although it’s a bit low for my 186cm frame and throws a stream of air right at my helmet at the highest setting, BMW offer a range of screens to customise your rig.
All in all, the cockpit is a well thought out and comfortable place to be perched, whether you’re sitting for long stints or standing and getting your enduro on. Of course, being a BMW, it comes with a truck load of electronic wiz-bangery: a bi-directional quickshifter that bangs through the six-speed box with velvety precision, a gaggle of ride modes depending on the options you pick, cruise control, switchable ABS and traction control and, of course, heated grips to keep your paws toasty.
The BMW F 900 GS Adventure isn’t trying to be the lightest or most aggressive off-roader in the shed; that’s what the GS is for. Instead, it positions itself as a premium, refined long-hauler. It takes the much-improved 900-series platform and adds the range and protection needed for serious touring without sacrificing off-road performance too much.
If you want supreme off-road chops or bulk power, your money can be better spent elsewhere, but for the rider who wants a premium, comfortable, well-appointed mid-capacity adventure bike that can smash out massive kilometres and still handle the dirt when called upon, the F 900 GS Adventure is bang on the money.
