‘A machine is only as good as the person operating it.’
This phrase clearly applies to high-end motorcycles such as the BMW F 900 GS Adventure, which I recently rode on highways around Delhi NCR.
Why the F 900 GS?
For those who love long-distance riding, bikes bigger than 1,000-cc can be too heavy and cumbersome, and sub-500-cc bikes a bit powerless. That’s where the 900-cc fits in – nimble yet powerful.
How does it ride?
In urban stop-and-go traffic, the F 900 GS (I rode the Adventure variant) is cumbersome. It’s quite heavy (246 kg), and has a tall seat height of 875 mm. I have a 5’10” frame, and still wasn’t able to place my feet firmly on the ground in traffic jams.
And on the highways?
It rides like a monster. In my rough acceleration test, it went from 0-100 km/h in less than 5 seconds, and its heavy weight ensured it was stable at high speeds on the highways. On a 23-litre full tank, it showed a range of almost 500 km, which implies a fuel efficiency of more than 20 km/litre. Be it smooth tarmac or broken roads, the ride quality is astonishing – I rode it for about 200 km, and I was more comfortable on its saddle than I would have been in a car. Off the road, its low centre of gravity led to good balance and handling – but you honestly need strong arms, legs, and core to handle it safely.
What about pricing?
Prices start at Rs 13.75 lakh, ex-showroom, for the lighter F 900 GS, and Rs 14.75 lakh for the F 900 GS Adventure. It’s expensive, cumbersome in Indian traffic and summers (the engine heat almost roasted my legs in traffic), but a dream to ride on the highways. It’s a great motorcycle for long-distance riding in temperate and cold Europe, and good for our roads in winters, but as an all-year motorcycle that you would also ride in cities, it doesn’t fit the bill – where made-in-India and designed-for-India adventure motorcycles such as Royal Enfield Himalayan (about Rs 3 lakh) seem sufficient, even for highways.
Competitors are Triumph Tiger 900 GT (Rs 13.95 lakh) and Tiger 900 Rally Pro (Rs 15.95 lakh), KTM 890 Adventure (Rs 15.8 lakh), Ducati DesertX (Rs 18.33 lakh), and Suzuki V-Strom 800 DE (Rs 10.3 lakh).
