I went to ride the new BMW F 450 GS with high expectations – I loved the G 310 GS, and expected the new twin-cylinder engine bike to be twice the fun. A few minutes on the seat, however, and the bike didn’t wow me – initial acceleration felt average, and the engine seemed to get rough above 6,000 rpm.
But after riding it for 3 hours in Goa – on highways and hills, and across villages and forests – I felt comfortable, and could have gone another 3 hours without batting an eyelid.
These 3 hours, and not the first 3 minutes, define this new motorcycle developed by BMW in Germany and made by local partner TVS at its plant in Hosur, Tamil Nadu.
What is it?
Powered by a 420-cc twin-cylinder engine (48 hp and 43 Nm) paired with a six-speed transmission that features an innovative Easy Ride Clutch and Shift Assistant Pro, the bike gets a 6.5-inch TFT display, multiple riding modes, and high-end safety features like ABS Pro and Dynamic Traction Control. Prices start at Rs 4.7 lakh (Base), Rs 4.9 lakh (Exclusive), and Rs 5.3 lakh (GS Trophy). Bookings are open and customer deliveries will begin in June 2026.
How does it ride?
It’s a tall bike (845 mm seat height), but the seat has a flat design, and the 14-litre fuel tank lets you knee-grip it in both sitting and standing off-road positions. In traffic, the Easy Ride Clutch (available only in GS Trophy) allows you to start from rest or come to a complete stop without manually operating the clutch lever – it’s similar in experience to intelligent manual transmission (iMT) in some cars.
You can also change gears without using the clutch, but the experience isn’t as mechanical or as smooth as it is in the TVS Apache RTR 310 (uses a bidirectional quickshifter).
The engine provides mature power – controlled low-end torque, but explosive mid-range and top-end. It won’t blow you away from 0-60 km/h, but has the raw power to go from 40-120 km/h and beyond. The engine tends to get coarse above 7,000 rpm, but the bike doesn’t turn uncomfortable – on any terrain.
Electronics are spot-on, but features such as heated grips are unnecessary for the Indian market – unless you’re going to Kaza in January.
Should you buy it?
It’s the most affordable GS ever, and has the quality and capability of 900-1,300cc GS motorcycles. Even though it has solid competitors – Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 (Rs 3.06-3.37 lakh), KTM 390 Adventure (Rs 3.43-3.97 lakh), Honda NX500 (Rs 6.33 lakh), and TVS RTX 300 (Rs 1.99-2.34 lakh) – the F 450 GS has twin-cylinder refinement, off-road capability like a dedicated Enduro Pro mode, weighs just 178 kg, and most importantly has the BMW badge and the looks to turn heads wherever you ride it to.
Specifications
Engine: 420cc, twin-cylinder
Power: 48 bhp (35 kW) @ 8,750 rpm
Torque: 43 Nm @ 6,750 rpm
Top speed: 165 km/h
Transmission: 6-speed
Front suspension: USD forks
Rear suspension: Mono-shock
Weight: 178 kg
Seat height: 845 mm
Tank capacity: 14 litres (2.5-litre reserve)
Front wheel: 100/90 R19
Rear wheel: 130/80 R17
Base: Rs 4.7 lakh (cosmic black)
Exclusive: Rs 4.9 lakh (cosmic black)
GS Trophy: Rs 5.3 lakh (racing blue)
Bookings: Open
Delivery: June onwards
