Welp, here they are—the F900 GS and the closely-related F900 GS Adventure and F800 GS Adventure, as teased by BMW earlier this week. Let’s look at what’s new for 2024!
Updated engines
All these machines are big-bored versions of previous BMW motors. The F900 series appears to have the same parallel twin as the F900 XR, making a similar 105 hp at 8,500 rpm and 69 lb-ft of torque at 6,750 rpm. A 270-450 firing order is supposed to deliver a beefier soundtrack through the Akropovic exhaust (included as stock!), but dual counter-rotating counterbalancers will ease out any unpleasant vibes.
As for the F800 version, it makes a very healthy 87 hp at 6,750 rpm and 67 lb-ft of torque at 6,750 rpm. It’s actually an 895cc engine just like the 900s, just detuned, and it can be detuned even further to 45 hp for beginners.
Stock, these bikes come with Rain and Road ride modes. Owners can add further ride modes via BMW’s accessory program. The 900 models come with quickshifter as standard as well.
New chassis
All these bikes come with adjustable suspension fore and aft, and the F900 GS Adventure comes with added suspension travel for off-road riding. The engine serves as a stressed member of the chassis in all these bikes, and the 900 models come with a new subframe that reduces weight. All 800 and 900 models also have a new plastic fuel tank that’s lighter than the previous tank. And even the small parts, like the new shifter and aluminum kickstand, are streamlined to cut weight.
The result: The F800 GS weighs 227 kg at the curb. The F900 GS and F900 GS Adventure are 219 kg and 246 kg respectively – the Adventure obviously beefing up due to inclusions such as crash bars and the larger 23-litre fuel tank (the 800 has a 15-litre tank, the standard 900 has a 14.5-liter tank). Of course, a 21-inch front wheel is standard on the Adventure, while the other bikes get 19-inch front wheels.
Flashy electro-features
All these bikes come with LED headlights, including a nicely re-designed unit on the 900 models. They also all come with updated 6.5-inch TFT screens; previously, the 750 (now the 800) had analog gauges. Leaning-sensitive ABS and traction control come standard on all these machines, and electronically-adjustable suspension is an option.
Heated grips may be a more pedestrian feature than IMU-driven electronics, but they are still very important on a bike in our Canadian weather—and they’re standard on all these new models, thankfully.
Other useful accessories
BMW didn’t penny-pinch, also throwing in handguards on all models. The F800 GS gets a rack for carrying the Variocase included—a low-cost add-on that will no doubt help sell a lot of official accessories! Speaking of which, along with the electro-options (ride modes, electrically adjustable suspension) that were mentioned earlier, you can expect a wide range of BMW parts such as seats and luggage to launch soon.
Pricing and availability?
At this point, we have seen no MSRP or arrival date for Canada. We will update you when possible, but we do expect these machines available in early 2024 at prices similar to this year’s models (but higher).
