Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1053896
2019 BMW F 850 GS FIRST IMPRESSION P80 and the ride modes of Road and Rain come standard, with DTC (Dynamic Traction Control), ABS Pro and Dynamic Mode available as a packaged optional extra. The F 850 GS also gets Enduro Mode Pro, which gives the rider full power and disengages the ABS from the rear of the bike, although it has a preset traction control set- ting you cannot adjust. Changing the rider modes is not simply a case of changing the throttle response with the 850 GS. As we have seen with bikes like the BMW S 1000 RR, a mode change affects a whole range of things including suspension behavior, traction control and ABS, and even though you can go in and change certain parameters within individual modes like having ABS or DTC on or off, not being able to dial in say, level-two traction with level-three ABS, is a bit of a downer. The ride, however, is anything but a downer. Middleweight adventure bikes are really coming into their own these days, as peo- ple begin to realize maybe they don't need a full-house 1200 GSA to go basic adventure riding, let alone a ride that might see them head south to Tierra Del Fuego. The 850 GS's new engine is a gem of civility, one that can easily change its spots by switching between the five available maps to move the peg and bar position, mixing and matching with the seat heights/shape to get the ideal riding position you're after. But you can only do it once—lest you buy all four different seats when you pick up the bike from the dealer. Adjustability is the name of the game here, and BMW knows riders of all shapes and sizes want to go adventure riding so they're doing their best to get them onto an 850 comfortably. As you'd come to expect from the big B, electronics abound in the GS ride, as do the options. The 850 GS comes standard with traction control (ASC—Au- tomatic Stability Control), ABS, The GS's new dash is a winner. For a bike costing this much, it's disappointing not to see any form of adjustment on the fork. Although many will never touch it, having a clicker would be of great benefit to more experienced riders who want to dial in a certain level of feel to their 850. The saving grace here is the 850's front suspension; while on the soft side, it is beautifully planted on the road, and in the dirt, so it's not all bad. BMW's got four different seats available for the 850 rider, ranging from the tall and flat Rallye seat at 35 in., to the low seat of 32.9 in. which, if you combine with the optional lower suspension kit, will knock another 0.8 in. off the seat height to give you 32.1 inches. You'll be able