2024 BMW F 900 GS Review – First Ride

Despite having been around the longest, BMW’s middleweight machines haven’t been leading the pack since the current adventure craze took off. As of late, the F 800/850 haven’t been top of the performance heap on-road or off. BMW aims to change that with its all-new F 900 GS. A bump in displacement along with a thorough redesign and new options may very well be the ticket to putting the Beemer back into serious contention within the middleweight ADV brawl. Lucky us, we got to head to southern Spain to see if BMW’s latest adventure bike was a stud or a dud.

Losing weight and increasing performance is always a welcome recipe when it comes to making a tasty motorcycle and BMW has done just that with the F 900 GS for 2024. In addition to the redesign being more svelte visually, Berlin has managed to drop 31 pounds from the middleweight GS while bumping up the Parallel Twin’s displacement by 42 cc to 895 cc. In this latest redesign, BMW tells us the F 900 GS is sporting 80% new parts, and after seeing an overlay of the previous silhouette on the new model, the new design is even more impactful.

In looking for weight savings, BMW went from a steel fuel tank to a plastic one resulting in a nearly 10-pound weight reduction. Unfortunately, fuel capacity was also reduced by 0.2 gallons giving the F 900 GS an untenably small 3.8-gallon capacity. In addition to the tank, the new tail section, swingarm, headlight, Akrapovič muffler, battery, and side stand all contributed to the 31 el bees shaved from the old model. While we’re not tipping the scales at the lightest end of the middleweight ADV spectrum, we’re headed in the right direction at a claimed 483 pounds.

BMW says it’s getting 105 hp out of the new mill at 8,500 rpm. That’s a 10 hp increase from its predecessor. The last F 850 we had on the dyno spat out 77.2 horses at 7,700 rpm. BMW achieved its power increase by enlarging the bore by 2 mm to 86 mm. Unsurprisingly, with the unchanged 77 mm stroke, torque has increased just under one pound foot with 68.6 lb-ft peaking at 6,750. Our last dyno run showed the 850 producing 56.1 lb-ft at 5,300 rpm. What BMW has managed to do is make the torque and power spread feel more engaging by shortening the secondary transmission ratio in addition to adding three teeth to the rear sprocket. Naturally, this helps bolster the low- to mid-range peppiness of the Parallel-Twin. A 270-degree firing order is carried over from the previous mill which adds character and traction.

The F 900 GS comes equipped with a fully-adjustable Showa 43 mm inverted fork with 9.1 inches of travel, housing rebound in one side and compression in the other while preload is adjusted in each. The rear shock is also adjustable for preload and rebound damping with 8.5 inches of travel. BMW offers an Enduro Pro package ($1,500) which includes a titanium nitride-coated 45-mm fork claiming added rigidity, and a fully-adjustable ZF Sachs rear shock, in addition to raised handlebars and a wear-resistant M Endurance chain. BMW claims the Enduro Pro package’s suspension weighs 0.4 pounds less than the standard suspension. While the upgraded suspension doesn’t add travel, it’s said to feature more advanced damping. The up-spec ZF Sachs shock is adjustable for preload, with high-speed compression and rebound able to be adjusted without tools. Only adjusting the low-speed compression requires a screwdriver.

Three variants are available for the F 900 GS: Blackstorm Metallic, which also features blacked out components, Passion ($275), which showcases the bright São Paulo Yellow with a red subframe, and Trophy ($545), which has the classic Light White red and blue color scheme and gold wheels (all of which are cross-spoked and tubeless). In addition to these variants and the Enduro Pro package mentioned above, the Dynamic/Premium package ($1,750) includes keyless ignition, a GPS cradle, TPMS, Ride Modes Pro (Dynamic, Enduro, Enduro Pro), a quickshifter, cruise control, and the M Endurance chain or you can get an amalgamation of the two with the Off-road Package ($2,500) which also includes knobblier tires. Needless to say, as always, you won’t be hurting for options when shopping with BMW. As equipped, our test units hovered around the $18,000 mark.

Andalusian adventure

We started our day on-road mostly with the Passion variant in the splendid São Paulo Yellow color scheme. Pictures don’t do it justice, it’s a striking styling choice. As we made our way into the mountains, I quickly noticed the handlebar felt comfortably wide, but had to sit at the very front of the seat to feel natural when reaching for the grips. The 34.3-inch seat height is made more palatable by the narrowness of the bike’s hips and lets you reach the ground a tad more easily. After a day in the saddle, most of us in the American contingent felt the contours and/or foam of the seat wasn’t making for a great experience. I also noticed during the road portion that my boots kept contacting the passenger footpegs when riding or simply pushing the bike around while seated on it. Thankfully, they’re bolt-on and were removed for our stint in the dirt.

After the ergos, once we got into the mountains and were able to stretch the proverbial throttle cables, we really got to experience what would end up being the star of the show: the updated Parallel-Twin. The boost in hp is always welcome, but the shorter gearing and larger rear sprocket also play a big part in making the F 900 GS feel much more sporty than its predecessor. Letting the motor lug into corners and then slingshot out of the other side was an absolute blast and even with the 21-inch front wheel, it’s still a hoot to ride in a sporty fashion.

As the pace picked up, I noticed the shock needed some serious attention. There was too much movement, too quickly, and the bike didn’t feel balanced with the front end. After adding some preload, and then more, and a bit more the bike was feeling more level, but still needed some damping adjustment. The rebound adjustment also helped, but I would have liked to have spent more time with the bike on-road to search for the best setting.

The Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A4s handled our brisk road pace with ease, and although we’re working with axial-mounted two pot Brembos up front, they did an adequate job of slowing things down. Likewise, the rear brake was easy to modulate – and off-road, the adjustable pedal is a convenient, welcome feature.

The combination of less weight, a more exciting motor, and adjustable suspension take the F 900 GS to a different level off-road. I felt confident in fast loose gravel, picking my way around slowly, or anything else while on our off-road portion of the ride. Myself and another rider even went back into a quarry area for some extra credit while the rest of the group carried on. I enjoyed my time with the standard F 850 GS, but it’s easy to say the 900 delivers a much more exciting experience. The suspension seemed to hold up well and I didn’t have any issues like what I’d experienced on the road. That said, I didn’t have a chance to test out the sport suspension due to a mix up, but I was told that also stepped up the GS’s game as expected.

As the F 850 GS was a substantial upgrade from its forebear, the F 900 GS is yet another step up in terms of performance for both gelände and straße. Even with some quibbles noted, they don’t distract from the overall experience the middleweight GS offers and with the dizzying array of options and accessories on offer from BMW, you should be able to get a machine tailored to your preferences. Of course that comes at a cost – one that is at the high end of the spectrum – but that’s for you to decide for yourself. Glückwünsche, to the folks at BMW for creating another model worthy of the GS moniker.

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