BMW Motorrad is ready to hop on the BS6 bandwagon by launching the all-new F 900 R in India on 21 May. The naked street bike was globally unveiled at the EICMA show last year. Now, with only a day left for its India debut, we tell you what to expect from the middle-weight German offering.
Design:
The F 900 R is a quintessential roadster with a muscular styling. It gets a compact, low-slung headlamp unit which is flanked by sharp fuel tank extensions. The chiseled fuel tank nicely blends with the stubby tail section to lend it a beefy appeal. As for the ergonomics, the straight and wide handlebar along with slightly rear-seat footpegs make for a commanding riding stance.
Electronic aids:
BMW has equipped the F 900 R with decent amount of features such as full-LED lighting and a Bluetooth-enabled TFT instrument cluster. While ABS, two riding modes (rain and road) and Automatic Stability Control come as standard gizmos, opting for Ride Modes Pro package gives you access to more features such as cornering ABS, Dynamic Traction Control (DCT) and two additional riding modes. Other standard features include adjustable brake and clutch levers and 12V socket.
Engine:
The 895cc, parallel-twin engine of the F 900 R is derived from the same 853cc unit which does duty on the F850 GS and F750 GS. On the street bike, it churns out 99bhp at 8,500rpm and 90.08Nm at 6,500rpm. The six-speed gearbox can be made more exciting with an optional bi-directional quick shifter.
Cycle Parts:
The F 900 R is based on a steel trellis frame and rides on 17-inch cast-aluminum alloy wheels suspended by a non-adjustable 43mm upside down forks up front and a monoshock with preload and rebound damping adjustability at the rear. Braking is handled by twin 320mm discs with four-piston radially-mounted calipers at the front and a single 265mm disc with a single piston floating caliper at the rear.
Pricing and Competition:
The ex-showroom price of the BMW F 900 R might go up to Rs 13 lakh which will be confirmed only during its official launch on 21 May. The motorcycle will lock horns with other naked street fighters in India such as the KTM 790 Duke and Yamaha MT-09.
