BMW has launched the F900 twins in India. The standard F900 R kicks things off at Rs 9.90 lakh, while the F900 XR Sports Tourer is available in two variants – Standard (Rs 10.50 lakh) and Pro (Rs 11.50 lakh) (all prices ex-showroom).
Both the bikes share the same chassis and engine but differ in terms of styling, riding position, suspension travel and a few other aspects. Powering both the motorcycles is a new 895cc, inline-twin engine that is based on the 2018 BMW F 850 GS' motor but with a slightly larger bore (by 2mm) and higher compression ratio. The powerhouse outputs 105hp at 8,750rpm and 92Nm of torque at 6,500rpm, through a 6-speed transmission.
The Sport Tourer XR has a fuel tank capacity of 15.5-litres while the R gets a smaller 13-litre unit. In addition to this, the XR, courtesy of its purpose, gets greater suspension travel at 17mm at front and 172mm at the rear as against the 135mm at front and 142mm at the rear of the F 900 R.
In terms of features, the standard variant of both the motorcycle comes with two riding modes – Road and Rain, traction control, 6.5-inch TFT screen with Bluetooth, and LED headlights. The top-run XR variant gets added features like cruise control, a bi-directional quick-shifter and Dynamic ESA. Optional features for the F 900 R comes in the form of cornering lights, keyless ignition and Pro riding modes.
Buyers should note that without the Dynamic and Dynamic Pro modes, one cannot manually stiffen the suspension and will have to make-do to its natural response to road conditions. Apart from that, there will also be no ABS Pro, which is BMW lingo for cornering ABS, also absent would be the Dynamic Traction Control and Motor Slip Regulation.
In the domestic market, the F 900 R rivals the KTM 790 Duke, Kawasaki Z900, Ducati Monster 821 and soon-to-be-launched Triumph Street Triple R. The F 900 XR, on the other hand, does not have a direct rival at the moment. However, speaking in terms of pricing the motorcycle will lock horns with the Kawasaki Versys 1000.
Comments
0 comment