BMW 850 adventure bike. Read more

Racing adventure bikes?

A question came up, can you be competitive racing the new breed of adventure bikes?

In this video, I’m sharing with you my story with a BMW F850GS Racing at the Portuguese Baja 500 Portalegre, where we tried to find the answer to that question.

Let’s face it, from the Tecate Baja 1000 to the Dakar routes, any adventure bike can trail ride it, so the question that remains is, can you be competitive with the big adventure bikes?

The question was asked, and BMW Motomil accepted to try and find the answer, in no time a plan started to take shape.

Grab a brand new BMW F850GS, do some minor modifications to suit the rider, choose someone crazy enough to share the track with SSV’s, Dakar Prototypes, quads, and enduro bikes, and aim to race a Baja.

As part of the plan, I was invited to film a little behind the scenes and provide some help as assistance crew.

The chosen race was the Portalegre Baja 500, a Portuguese Baja that being in FIM counts for the world championships, and where amateurs such as ourselves can share the track with names such as Nani Roma.

We knew that this was our first serious attempt at something like this, so we signed up for the hobby class, where instead of the 500kms (310 miles) we would only be racing close to 200kms (125 miles).

The choice allowed us to compare our standard-ish bike to other advs like BMW F800GS’s, KTM 990’s, KTM LC4s, and a couple more worthy adversaries with proven records in the big bike racing world.

I say standard-ish because some mods were done to our bike, however, nothing that we felt would drastically change this model from what many will have in their garages.

The front forks were worked on, and the rear shock replaced, both to suit the driving style and weight of our rider, nothing that most of us won’t do with cartridges, or full suspensions like a Wilbers or a Touratech set.

On the front wheel, we lost one disk and replaced the braking pump, effectively losing some braking power, but increasing the feeling. Not a common choice, but every racer has his quirks, so we obliged.

An Akrapovic can was installed, and the TFT screen was replaced by a more analog option to keep costs down in case of a serious crash.

That’s it, our F850GS was ready to race, and race it did!

The prologue proved itself a battle, not only for us but for all bikes in the hobby class.

The organization decided to get our class racing after everyone, and if you have never seen the damage a racing car can do to a trail, let me tell you, it’s massive!

That night at the paddock the mood was coherent, with all bikers from the hobby class being quite vocal at how difficult it was to try and set any kind of time with a track like that, still, our bike did quite wheel placing mid-pack in the general classification, and first amongst the big bikes.

We spent a couple of hours making a plan for the following day, and in no time, morning was upon us!

A 5:30 wake up call, and we were off to the races!

Our bike started strong, but time was passing in the assistance zone with no news from our rider, we began to worry.

Other riders started letting us know that something was wrong with the rear tire of our F850GS, and we started wondering and planning.

Busted bearing? Blown tire? Something worst?!

Soon enough he pulled up, and behold, the tubeless rim had opened a lip on a hole, and the tire detached from the rim, forcing our rider to race close to 40 kms (25 miles) with only half a rear tire on the rim.

As the tire was surprisingly ok, quick fix ahead!

Squeeze a tube inside the rim, and off he went!

We wondered how much energy he still had, but he launched back into racing mode and started gaining positions and overtaking even smaller bikes.

Sadly, 50 kms (31 miles) from the finish line, something got stuck in the front brake line, cutting a hole in it and completely draining the brake oil, which lead to a crash.

No injuries to bike or rider, but our race was over.

So, can you be competitive and race with new adventure bikes?

Indeed you can, but racing is still racing, and luck will always play its part!

Ainda achas que formação é cara?

BMW F 850 GS, F 850 GS Adventure, F 900 XR first ride review

BMW has brought back its middleweight tourers, but this time with more features and an incredible price drop.

Published on May 09, 2022 07:00:00 AM

It is the natural order of things that a BMW motorcycle should be premium, high tech, and thereby, quite expensive. So you really need to sit up and notice when BMW launches new motorcycles that pack a bunch more features than before, but also come with a huge price drop. In fact, the 850 GS and 850 GS Adventure are now roughly Rs 3 lakh cheaper than what they were last priced in 2019. That not only (now) makes them a great deal, but also has every other rival looking silly-overpriced.

No, BMW hasn’t suddenly turned charitable, and the reason this is possible is because the company has finally been able to bring these bikes in from its plant in Thailand. That helps them benefit from the vastly lower import duty, thanks to the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries. All this while, BMW’s bikes have been coming in from Berlin, but now they’ve been able to emulate what Triumph and Ducati have been doing for a few years with the FTA imports. In fact, this aggressive BMW pricing makes one wonder just how fat Ducati and Triumph’s margins actually are… But let’s save that for another day – here’s what it’s like to ride these new Bimmers.

GOD’S OWN COUNTRY

BMW took us all the way to Thekkady in Kerala to sample these bikes. Half of the day was spent on the F 850 GS and the other half on the F 900 XR, although I did manage to steal a bit of time on a GSA off road as well.

The familiarity in these motorcycles was apparent from the moment the engine fired into life, with a similar feel and sound from the 853cc parallel-twin motor. In the GS and GSA, the BS6-compliant motor now produces 95hp at 8,250rpm and 92Nm at 6,250rpm. Those are the same figures as in the international version, but are actually 5hp and 6Nm up from the BS4 bikes that were slightly detuned for our fuel. This engine is made by Loncin, BMW’s Chinese partner, and like before, its 270-degree firing order makes for a nice deep bark, but there are also more clattery valve sounds at low RPM than you’d expect.

Both, the GS and the GS Adventure use this engine in the same state of tune and it’s a nice performer on the road. Throttle response is pretty smooth, and the midrange performance is very enjoyable. Revving it all the way to the top doesn’t really make much sense, and there are some vibrations at higher RPMs, but for the most part, it’s a good fit for these bikes.

The chassis hasn’t changed much either, so you get a 21-inch front wheel, 17-inch rear and heaps of suspension travel. On the road, these bikes have an addictive, impervious feel where you can just rail through any surface without bother. In a country where terrible roads are still widespread, this is a wonderful asset. But in Kerala, we also got to ride on some beautifully smooth and winding roads, and the 850 was happy to play. The non-adjustable front suspension seems well set-up to handle most situations and the electronically adjustable rear shock can be easily controlled via the TFT dash.

Off road, these bikes were even more fun, with good suspension compliance, lots of ground clearance and more than enough power to get you in trouble very quickly if you aren’t careful. The electronic rider aids are great, too – both on and off road. On tarmac, you now have the advantage of lean angle sensitive ABS and traction control, while off-road you can now individually tailor the Enduro Pro mode. All of this used to be part of the optional Pro Riding Modes package that cost about Rs 1 lakh.

BIG VS REALLY BIG

As for choosing between the GS and the GSA, I personally enjoyed riding the GS more because it feels much slimmer, noticeably lighter and more intuitive in general. The downside is that its 15-litre tank is quite restricted for a big ADV, but that’s not the only temptation to consider the GSA.

For just Rs 75,000 more, the GSA brings you a bigger 23-litre tank, tubular engine guards as standard, and a pair of auxiliary lamps. It also looks positively ginormous in comparison, almost as wide as the 1250 GSA which comes with a 30-litre tank. The engorged bodywork will bring wind protection benefits, but also 15 extra kilos, taking the total to 248kg. This excess bulk is otherwise more aesthetic than essential and it’s up to you to decide whether you like the look or not.

Either way, at Rs 12.50 lakh and Rs 13.25 lakh (ex-showroom, India), respectively, these bikes are an amazing deal. You not only get handsome style and envious badge value but they’re also fully loaded, including keyless start, keyless fuel flaps, and the electronic rear shocks. This unexpected offensive from BMW will surely give the competition a lot to think about.

Ultimately, I had just two grievances with these bikes, and both came down to the drivetrain. The first was that the engine was very prone to stalling at low RPM, which was a proper pain off-road. These 850s lack that effortless low down drive and smoothness that makes their bigger, boxer engined brother such a special experience. The second issue is one we’ve complained about before and that’s the hard, heavy shifting gearbox. A bi-directional quickshifter is standard, but it doesn’t work well at low revs and feels jerky unless shifting with a wide open throttle. This was something we experienced aboard the F 900 XR as well in the second part of the day.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

After an exciting morning of mucking about on some leech-infested trails, it was time to try the new F 900 XR. At first, the XR doesn’t appear to be as juicy a deal as the new 850s, because at Rs 12.30 lakh (ex-showroom, India), it only costs Rs 10,000 less than before. But what BMW has done here is throw a whole lot more features at the bike. The equipment that used to be optional but is now standard includes keyless start and fuel lid, Pro Riding mode package, heated grips, luggage mounting points and an adaptive LED headlamp.

As with the GS and GSA, apart from its new features, the F 900 XR remains a very similar motorcycle to ride. The 895cc motor makes the same 105hp as before and compared with the 850s, the motor feels more responsive, but also seems to have a slightly higher level of vibration.

This bike is listed under the Adventure category on BMW’s website, and it boasts a nice upright riding stance with a good amount of ground clearance. That being said, compared with the 860mm plus seat heights on the GS and GSA, the XR is at a more accessible 825mm. Factor in the 219kg kerb weight and BMW is relying on the XR to be the alternative for riders who find the 850s a bit too tall and heavy.

What those riders will like is that in terms of kit, the XR is right up there with the GS. It has the same 6.5-inch TFT display, a similarly easy two-way adjustable windscreen and the electronically adjustable Sachs rear shock. As with the other two, there are no conventional compression and rebound settings for the shock, but you can select between comfort and Dynamic modes and also set the preload for the additional weight of luggage or a pillion rider.

With its 17-inch wheels and Michelin Road 5GT tyres, the XR is a good handler if you point it at a set of corners. Braking performance is quite nice too and with 170mm of suspension travel, you’d expect this to be quite absorptive on our roads, but that’s where the XR falls back. It isn’t uncomfortable per se, but it is firmer than we’d like and you can’t just ride through broken roads in the same carefree manner as you would on the GS. On top of that, the seat isn’t as spacious and it starts to feel painful quite quickly.

Overall, the XR also commands a fairly enticing price, but it was the two GS siblings that were the stars of the day. Best of all, BMW tells us that this isn’t just introductory pricing that will be jacked up in the next few months – as much of the competition tends to do. The company is going on a real offensive here, and based on what we’ve experienced, it won’t be long before they take over the middleweight ADV space if the competition doesn’t react.

BMW F 850 GSA RALLYE Review | Bike Reviews

The new F 850 GSA is actually a big bike. It looks and feels big when you heave a boot over it and it’s 244kg wet if you weigh it. I’d spent a lot of time on the F 800 GS but not much on the Adventure version. The new bike looks great, much better than the 800 GSA which was a bit fat in the rear courtesy of the enlarged under-seat tank and was just “capable” rather than exciting.

I had my confidence up as I sized up the embankment, after half a day of jumping erosion mounds and drifting hundreds of NSW South Coast and Snowy Mountains corners in search of the perfect pic. Once I started riding, the GSA quickly started feeling smaller.

It’s easy to throw around and the only times I felt the full weight was pushing it a bit hard while playing around in first gear, bush bashing or going slow in a sandy river bed. Even now, looking at the photos, I’m shocked at how different if feels (small) compared to how it looks (big).

After stepping off the R 1250 GSA onto the F 850 GSA I was seriously wondering if you even need the 850’s 21-inch front wheel. The 19-inch on the 1250 can handle some pretty rough terrain. But as I sized up this new obstacle I thought of one thing – physics. That sharp corner I was about to hit would obviously be a lot better with a bigger wheel. And there lies a good reason to choose the 850.

Sure there are others. For starters, weight – the 1250 GSA is 24 kilos heavier, yeah, that’s a fair bit more. Seat height options – the perch on the F 850 GSA Rallye that I was riding was 890mm, which was perfect for my 188cm height, but you can get it down to 815mm with a lowering kit or buy the LS model designed for the vertically challenged.

Upright cylinders – some people just don’t like their pots hanging out in the breeze.

Chain final drive – chains are easier to fix and to carry bits for when BMW Assist says: “Sorry, where are you, you adventurous bastard?”

MORE POWERFUL

The R 1250 engine is way more powerful – 100kW v 70kW. It was interesting to ride in a group of 850s and 1250s on the bitumen and dirt. The 850 could keep up on the fast-ish stuff, although top speed on the 850 is probably about 30-40kmh slower. To keep up you have to ride the 850 harder and kiss the throttle stop a lot more but the bike isn’t screaming, in fact its pumping out a glorious growl due to the 270-degree firing interval and a bit of aural engineering trickery.

I tried my hardest and managed to ride close behind Miles Davis on his 1250 GSA while he put on a masterclass of sliding beyond McKillops Bridge. Search ADB’s page for the GoPro footage that BMW marketing manager Nigel Harvey captured. I’ll tell myself he was going hard because few can ride as well as Miles, but the fact I was staying in touch with him for 15km or so shows the bike can run with the big boys (even if Miles had more in the tank!) The F 850 comes into its own when the track gets snotty and you start getting anxious. Well, I get anxious. I like that little anxiety brain buzz when my eyes open like dinner plates just as I’m confronted with tackling a big obstacle at the edge of my ability, with no way out!

If BMW ever offers me a free bike, any day now I reckon, I’ll need something to tackle my favourite tracks, which are a beautiful combination of rough, rocky and steep. Yep the stuff of most ADV riders’ nightmares (obviously not ADB readers’ nightmares). The 850 is the bike for really veering off the beaten track on that long tour.

So might be the newest “playaz in da hood” (or should that be “da woods”), the Yamaha Ténéré 700 (about 16,500 rideaway from December) and KTM 790 Adventure (21,195 rideaway from June). Time will tell.

Dollars obviously dictate the bells and whistles, which BMW provides in abundance on the F 850 GSA Rallye for 19,765 (plus on-roads), but don’t underestimate actual touring ability.

All five 850 models come standard with the incredible TFT dash. Australia is a dusty place and this dash never gets too dusty to see all the important info like – “ahhh, what mode am I in?” or “Who’s trying to call me while I’m doing this photoshoot?”

Do we even need all those ride modes and silly info displays like the name of the song playing through my Bluetooth comms system? Of course not! Riding with them is nice though. It spices up the ride a bit. And who doesn’t want to view their album artwork on the dash or know how much phone battery they have left or if you have mobile reception to call your daughter on her birthday and tell her how awesome your new bike is?

The 850 is built for huge rides and once you’ve tried little luxuries like cruise control, heated grips and adjustable screens that add very little weight, they’re hard to live without. The ride modes get the thumbs up from me. Road and Rain are standard and, with a dongle plugged in under the seat, you get Dynamic and Enduro plus the magnificent and absolutely necessary – Enduro Pro mode. Why so good?

If you ride with knobbies, or even the brilliant Metzeler Karoos, you’re going to want to lock up the rear and also select a level of traction control to suit the terrain while preserving the tyre. Make no mistake, you can destroy a tyre in a few days and the Dynamic Traction Control (DTC) is a good substitute for those with a ham fist or lack of self-control.

If I could make a request to the software engineers at BMW HQ it would be to have at least three custom options, especially for Enduro Pro. There are just so many varieties of dirt! Currently you have to stop and dive through menus to make the changes. I would like to be able to make selections on my custom pre-sets on the move. I’m sorry, did you say ‘just ride the dam thing’? I hear ya, and agree, but why restrict the tech available? It’s very, very good but could be used more effectively.

KEPT IN CHECK

I left the suspension in Dynamic mode. This automatically adjusts the damping on the run and it was fine for the riding we did. I did bottom out gently a few times. Nothing wrong with that. The front and rear suspension travel, 230/215mm, was certainly okay in the dirt but travel needs to be kept in check to keep it as great on the bitumen.

Too much travel can make a bike wallow and dive under braking. I found out how impressive it was on the blacktop down to Tom Groggin from Thredbo. I was on an R 1250 GSA and Gareth Jones, from sister mag AMCN, was on an 850 leading a pack of 1250s all itching to get past him but in the tight alpine corners the 850 GSA, even with its 21-inch front wheel slowing down its steering, and 23 litres of fuel sloshing around in the now-conventionally-mounted tank, none could get past. I was actually struggling to keep up. Sure, he did race in the World Endurance Championship but, I think, despite feeling tall and more top heavy than a road bike it is certainly equal in handling for road and dirt. Overall it’s hard to fault. I would prefer a wider handlebar.

I did have some trouble reconnecting my phone and Sena Bluetooth comms, the BMW comms seemed to have no trouble. The power is really nice but, after riding the 1250s, some more bottom-end torque would be amazing. It’s more top heavy than I prefer but I’m nit picking because a bigger tank and non-boxer engine will do that.

So what happened at the embankment? The journos were clearly disappointed as the 850 helped me sail into Nitro Circus territory. Dean got the shot too early and missed the full height and graceful landing; well, ahem, at least I didn’t crash!

BMW F850GS Adventure Rallye Specs

Engine Type DOHC, four-valve, parallel twin Displacement 853cc Bore STROKE 84 x 77mm Cooling Liquid Compression ratio 12.7:1 Fuel metering Bosch EFI Tank capacity 23L Transmission Six-speed constant-mesh Clutch Wet multiplate with anti-hop

Dimensions Wheelbase 1593mm Seat height 875/860mm Ground clearance N/A Weight 244kg wet

Suspension FRONT Spring-cartridge 43mm USD, 230/215mm REAR Gas-oil monoshock, 210/195mm

Brakes Front Twin-piston floater, 305mm discs Rear Single-piston floater, 265mm disc

Running Gear Handlebar Tapered alloy Front tyre Metzeler Karoo 3 90/90-21 Rear tyre Metzeler Karoo 3 150/70-17

Price Contacts Price 19,765 plus on-roads Web bmwmotorrad.com.au Phone 1800 813 299 Warranty Three years

THIS FEATURE WAS PUBLISHED IN ADB ISSUE #477 – JUNE 2019 | WORDS: JOSH EVANS, PHOTOS: DEAN WALTERS

Taller ain’t better either

Despite sporting longer-travel suspension — 230 millimetres up front, and 215 mm in the rear — the 850 Adventure’s standard seat height is still a very manageable 875 mm. The standard seat on the 1250 Adventure resides some 15 mils closer to the stratosphere. If you’ve never ridden a big-inch adventure bike, half-an-inch might not sound like much, but take my word for this, there’s a huge difference between balancing 268 kilograms on your tippy-toes and sitting on your 248-kilo 850 with both feet flat on terra firma, especially when the 850’s seat is also a bit narrower.

Yes, the bigger GS can be had with a lower seat. But, then, so can the F 850. And both lowered seats are made lower by simply reducing the depth of the seat cushion, never a good thing for long-distance comfort. No matter which way you slice the foam, the F 850 is, by far, the more manageable GS.

The motor is no lightweight

No, the F 850 can’t keep up with the R 1250. Recently fortified with BMW’s ShiftCam variable valve timing, the big flat-twin now pumps out a KTM-challenging 134 horsepower, about 40 HP more than the smaller parallel-twin used in BMW’s F Series. The R 1250 is, no doubt about it, one impressively grunty motor.

That said, I really didn’t miss it. The F 850 will poodle along at 2,500 rpm in fourth gear and not grumble when you hit the gas. It will take me and my SO so far past any legal speed limit in North America that we’d be shopping counsel, should we be apprehended. And, unlike many other middleweight twins that need to be revved to make forward progress, the F 850 spins just 5,000 rpm at an indicated 125 kilometres an hour when snicked into sixth gear. Seriously, there wasn’t a single time in my two-week test where I lacked for motor, most certainly not enough to want to trade up for those aforementioned 248 kilograms.

It’s all but as well-equipped as its bigger brother

The F 850 GS Adventure comes standard with electronically adjustable suspension, not to mention multiple riding modes and traction control. The digital dashboard is large, bright, and colourful and just as quick on the draw as the bigger GS’s. No, Apple CarPlay is not available, but I, for one, want to get away from my iPhone when I’m riding. Other than music piped into wireless headphones, I don’t want to know Steve Jobs’ name. And no, the F 850 GS’s cruise control does not yet feature the adaptive speed-adjusting radar now available on some larger Beemers.

That said, most of the goodies — aluminum panniers, GPS navigation system, Keyless Ride and various touring knick-knack — that are available for the big GS are also optional on the baby. And BMW’s Gear Shift Assistant Pro — admittedly a convoluted name for a quickshifter — is one of the better examples of the breed. The one thing lacking, of course, is the bigger twin’s shaft drive, but now that BMW has introduced its new M-Endurance maintenance-reducing drive chain, its advantage might be limited. Besides, said driveshaft is a big contributor to the 1250’s avoirdupois.

It’s pretty darned comfortable

While seating is not as spacious on the baby GS — the SO and I were on excellent terms for this trip, so the cuddling required by the 850’s shorter seat was not an issue — it’s comfortable despite its smaller dimensions. The windshield, which is truly diminutive compared with the screens on larger adventure bikes, was surprisingly effective. There was very little turbulence, even at speed, and it reduced the wind-blast significantly. Similarly, the seat-to-peg spread was downright generous, resulting in an easy seating position for my cranky old knees.

Even the seat, thinner than the big GS’s and a little narrower, was pretty accommodating. And despite its basic design — parallel twins are the most rudimentary engine configuration this side of a single — the F 850’s offset crankshaft and balancing shafts kept the F 850 surprisingly vibe-free even.

Lastly, the electronically adjustable suspension is just as impressive on the smaller GS as it is on its larger sibling. In Dynamic mode, the dampers remain firm enough for sporty riding, while in its Off-Road mode, it’s soft, accommodating enough to swallow the really big bumps. Oh, the 21-inch front wheel slows down the handling, but you don’t notice it that much because the F 850 version of the GS is so — as I have mentioned so many times now — relatively light.

What I’ve been trying to say is that there wasn’t a lot of sacrifice, even in touring abilities, for its drop in specification and power. Indeed, though I’m sure to remain in the minority, were I shopping a GS BMW, I’d be opting for the 850 over the big twin. That I’d also be saving as much as 7,450 would be the least of my considerations.

Review: 2019 BMW F 850 GS Adventure

After riding the standard BMW F 850 GS a few months back at the Australian launch in Victoria’s Macedon ranges, I was so impressed that I declared it top of my list of potential new bikes to purchase in 2019. Read the 2019 BMW F 850 GS review here.

So when I was invited to test the Adventure version alongside the new R 1250 GS range last month, I was excited to see how it compared to one of my favourite ADV bikes. For the launch report of the R 1250 GS Adventure see: Launch: 2019 BMW R 1250 GS GS Adventure Review

2019 BMW F 850 GS Adventure

Key differences for the F 850 GS Adventure include a larger 23L fuel tank, which increases the range to around 550km, larger two stage adjustable height screen and hand guards for improved wind protection, wide enduro footpegs, comfort seat, engine protection bars and a stainless steel luggage rack.

These features are all designed to contribute to enhanced long distance capability and comfort, so on paper the F 850 GS Adventure looks to be slightly more touring biased than the standard F 850 GS.

Sharing the same all new 853cc parallel twin engine, with 90 degree crankpin offset and 270/450 degree ignition spacing as the standard F 850 GS, you get the same V-twin mimicking sound, feel and character that makes BMWs new middleweight such a punchy, torquey and flexible motor.

The RbW throttle is snatch free even from fully closed and the anti-hop clutch is light to operate and helps keep the rear wheel under control on corner entry. Multi-level DTC (Dynamic Traction Control) and ASC (Automatic Stability Control) complement this engine perfectly, helping to maximise grip and drive while still allowing some rear wheel steering when you need it. I love this engine in the dirt.

It’s feel, sound and performance are loads of fun, and it just seems to have everything I need in all off road conditions. On the road it lacks the outright power and torque of it’s R 1250 GS big brother, however you have to be travelling on some pretty open roads at well over the National speed limit to ever find it wanting. A HP exhaust is available as an optional extra and I think the enhanced engine note and character it provides is well worth the outlay.

As with the F 850 GS, BMW’s Gear Shift Assistant Pro is available as an option with the Dynamic Package and Lights Package. This system was fitted to my test bike and allows clutch-less shifting both up and down gears. The system works flawlessly on upshifts under acceleration, and downshifts when braking with a closed throttle, however I did find it a little notchy and inconsistent when using a partial or trailing throttle.

In those conditions I still preferred to roll the throttle a little for upshifts or use the clutch when downshifting for a smoother action, however I’d still want the Gear Shift Assistant Pro on my bike, as it’s a big advantage most of the time.

2019 BMW F 850 GS Adventure

Again the rider aids and connectivity technology on the Adventure model are exactly the same as the new F 850 GS. Pre-set rider modes include Rain and Road as standard, with Dynamic, Enduro and Enduro Pro modes available as optional equipment. I used mostly the Enduro Pro mode throughout our test, which allowed for tuning the throttle response, DTC and ABS Pro for rider preferences.

With a bit more GS experience under my belt on this test I found some slightly different settings that I felt worked better for me in certain conditions. While on the F 850 GS launch I had turned the DTC off entirely for hill climbs, and mostly ran with no ABS on the rear on the dirt, on the Adventure I experimented some more and found that I could actually leave traction control active even in steep slippery hills and still maintain momentum and drive.

2019 BMW F 850 GS Adventure Specifications

Colours: Ice Grey, Lupin Blue Metallic, Granite Grey Metallic Price: From 21,280 RRP Ride Away Warranty: Three-year, unlimited kilometre

Claimed Power: 90hp[76kw]@8000rpm Claimed Torque: 86Nm@6250rpm Wet Weight: 244kg Fuel capacity: 23L

Engine: Water-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke engine with four rocker arm operated valves per cylinder, DOHC, dry sum lubrication. 853cc, DOHC, 84 x 77 mm bore x stroke, 12.7:1 compression ratio, Riding Modes, ASC Gearbox: Constant-mesh 6-speed gearbox Clutch: Multiplate wet clutch (anti-hopping), mechanically controlled

Chassis: Steel bridge frame in monocoque design, load-bearing engine, Aluminium double-sided swing arm

Suspension: 43mm USD fork, 230mm travel, directly mounted central spring strut with WAD, preload rebound adjustable, 215mm travel

Brakes: BMW Motorrad ABS, twin front disc brake 305mm, two-piston floating caliper, single disc brake rear 265mm, single-piston floating caliper

Wheels Tyres: Cross-spoke wheels, 2.15 x 21in, 4.25 x 17in. 90/90 – 21, 150/70 – 17

DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase: 1593mm Seat height: 875mm Overall width: 939mm Overall Length: 2300mm

Instruments: Digital multi-function display, optional 6.5-inch full-colour TFT screen

2019 F 850 GS Adventure Gallery

The Verdict | Review: 2019 BMW F 850 GS Adventure

2019 BMW F 850 GS Adventure Review