Want a lightweight BMW GS that’s made for off-roading? The new F 450 GS concept bike might be just the ticket.
In case you missed it, adventure bikes in the 400-500 class are gaining popularity right now. After the rest of the moto industry basically ignored this segment for a long time, either not developing existing models or not bringing in new ones, increased competition from the Chinese OEMs showed there was a market for bikes like this. Hence, we get companies like BMW throwing around ideas like this.
BMW issued PR for the bike at the EICMA show in Milan this morning, with a lot of general info but no hard-set specs. According to their release, the bike has a parallel twin engine that’s supposed to make 48 hp, so it’s legal for A2-licenced owners in the EU. The engine will come with multiple riding modes as well as an IMU that governs cornering-sensitive ABS and TC systems, and we wouldn’t be surprised if there’s other safety programming available as well. The machine will have a TFT dash that lets you control all these features, and it will also be able to sync with your phone for music playback or satnav.
Marc Weber, the bike’s lead designer, had this to say:
We were able to start the development of this vehicle with a clean slate. The aim was to enable excellent off-road capability and, at the same time, a nimble and precise handling on the road. Accordingly, the BMW Concept F 450 GS is equipped with a fully adjustable upside-down fork and a shock absorber with load-dependent damping, drawing on technology from rally and enduro sport. Through the targeted use of lightweight construction and other state-of-the-art solutions, we can create a sensationally light vehicle close to the minimum weight requirement in the A2 class of 175 kg.
That power-to-weight ratio would be very attractive indeed, although note that the concept bike has a 19-inch front wheel and 17-inch rear, not typical equipment for an off-roader, and another BMW bigwig intimated that a production version might have cast wheels instead. Hmmmm. Maybe this is one of those situations where you get sold a water-down base model and have to pay extra for a tricked-out bike with actual off-road chops? We’ll know more in coming months, as BMW says the machine is almost production-ready.
