Sources and most images: BMW Motorrad.
A brand new look for GS.
Not only has BMW bumped up the capacity of their popular middleweight adventure bikes, but it’s a whole new, sharper look for this traditionally somewhat conservative brand.
The 2024 BMW F900GS gets the more powerful 895 cc parallel-twin from its cousins, the F900R and F900XR. That bike stands with two other new models—the BMW F900GS Adventure, and the down-tuned F800GS.
Yup, you read that correctly.
The three bikes share several upgrades, but it’s the F900GS that we reckon should catch the consumer’s eye. It joins some fine company in the form of Triumphs 900, Suzuki’s DL and KTM’s 890.
The trademark dual headlights are gone, in fact the new bikes barely even look GS. It’s all about Rally styling these days and Motorrad has taken note.
The three models stack up like this:
The F900GS is the core model, the F900GS Adventure adds extra long-distance capability, and the F800GS is a down-tuned version. All three bikes get more vooma. According to Motorrad websites, the new 900 engine is 10 hp up on power from the outgoing 850, bringing its output to 105 hp at 8,500 hp. It also features updated mapping.
The torque increase is slightly more modest -1 Nm, bringing the 900’s torque to 93 Nm at 6,750 rpm. The F900GS Adventure makes the same numbers, while the F800GS clocks in at 87 hp, 2 hp more than the 2018 F800GS made.
Lots of standard features:
As you’d expect from Motorrad, the bikes come standard with LED lighting, a TFT display with a Bluetooth connectivity suite, keyless ignition, ABS, traction control, and a whole suite of riding modes. All of them are dressed in redesigned body panels and come in some interesting colour designs.
The new BMW F900GS is more slender and lighter. BMW has swapped the 850’s steel fuel tank out for a 14.5 l plastic unit. The bike gets a new subframe. The Akrapovič tailpiece is standard, cool if you consider the weight saving. The F900GS gets new Showa adjustable suspension and tips the scales at 219 kg wet.
BMW has tweaked the bikes ergonomics, lowering the foot pegs and moving the bars to optimise the F900GS for off-road use. It gets enduro-style foot pegs, an upgraded brake lever, and an aluminium side stand. All three bikes get a new folding gear lever.
There’s an adventure upgrade package for the F900GS, which includes everything from a heavy-duty chain to additional off-road-specific rider modes, and even a set of titanium nitride-coated forks. BMW’s dynamic electronic suspension adjustment system is also available for the F900GS and F900GS Adventure.
Adventure:
Moving to the F900GS Adventure, you get an adjustable touring windscreen, a comfier seat, and a 23 litre fuel tank. The Adventure also shares the core model’s Akrapovič exhaust, 21F/17R wheels, and suspension. It’s also pictured with crash bars and luggage racks, which BMW has always included on their GS Adventure models.
The F800GS sits lower, with 19F/17R cast wheels, less suspension travel, and an 815 mm seat height. As usual with these down-tuned models, BMW is pitching it at newcomers, smaller riders, or anyone who doesn’t quite need the go-anywhere ability of its bigger siblings.
Each bike comes in a range of unique colour schemes, including BMW’s traditional white, blue, and red ‘GS Trophy’ design, and the very pretty ‘São Paulo Yellow’…. That F900GS looks pretty tasty.
The F900GS makes more power than the Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro and only loses out on torque to the KTM 890 Adventure R.
But is it as good as those?
Time will tell. Hopefully BMW SA will keep us posted and we’ll get to take a spin…
Meanwhile…
The new GS1300 Bavarian Bomber has just been launched and as usual, images and speculation are doing the rounds.
These is a lot of good stuff going on under the skin, lighter, faster and every conceivable bit of electronic trickery known to mankind…
This from BMW:
“The new BMW R 1300 GS: “Next level GS” featuring new boxer engine and new suspension, with significantly reduced weight and increased GS competence all round.
BMW Motorrad established the new segment of touring enduros more than four decades ago with the R 80 G/S. The BMW GS with boxer engine has been the undisputed leader of the competitive field ever since. To ensure this remains the case in the future, BMW Motorrad has opted for an almost completely new design for the new R 1300 GS, with an impressive weight saving of 12 kg compared to the previous model.
The centrepiece is once again the legendary two-cylinder boxer engine. Its new design is more compact than ever before thanks to a gearbox located under the engine and a new camshaft drive arrangement. From exactly 1 300 cc it produces an output of 107 kW (145 hp) at 7 750 rpm, developing a maximum torque of 149 Nm at 6 500 rpm. This makes it by far the most powerful BMW boxer engine ever to be produced in series.”
How much power is enough?
Well that’s a rhetorical question, but we do really like the new direction that this 100 year old company, (Yes it was their birthday bash just recently), is taking. Love the styling.
Cannot wait to see the new bikes.
The new 1300 was officially be revealed at the new BMW Motorrad World, right next to the factory today.
The opening ceremony was streamed via livestream on BMW’s social media channels. We hope you caught it!
