Cycle News

Cycle News 2025 Issue 24 June 17

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/1536483

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 104 of 137

P104 RIDE REVIEW I 2025 BMW F 900 R REVIEW 2025 BMW F 900 R ($8995) ENGINE Parallel-twin, 4-stroke DISPLACEMENT 895cc VALVETRAIN DOHC BORE X STROKE 86.0 x 77.0mm COMPRESSION RATIO 13.1:1 COOLING SYSTEM Liquid TRANSMISSION 6-speed HORSEPOWER (CLAIMED) 105 hp @ 8500 rpm TORQUE (CLAIMED) 68.6 lb-ft. @ 6500 rpm FUEL SYSTEM Electronic fuel injection, ride-by-wire CLUTCH Wet, multiplate slipper, anti-hopping function FRAME Bridge-type steel FRONT SUSPENSION 43mm inverted fork, fully adjustable; 5.3 in. travel REAR SUSPENSION Monoshock, preload and rebound damping adjustable; 5.6 in. travel; optional ESA FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL 5.3 in. REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL 5.6 in. FRONT BRAKE 4-piston radial-mount calipers, 320mm floating discs, ABS REAR BRAKE 1-piston floating caliper, 265mm disc, ABS FRONT TIRE 120/70-17 in. REAR TIRE 180/55-17 in. RAKE 26.0° TRAIL 4.5 in. WHEELBASE 59.6 in. SEAT HEIGHT 32.9 in. FUEL CAPACITY 3.4 gal. WEIGHT (CLAIMED, WET) 459 lbs. S P E C I F I C AT I O N S time when it gets on one wheel. After all, this bike is a direct descendant of the F 800 R that legendary, late stunt rider Chris Pfei- ffer used and developed until his untimely death in 2022, so it's got the genes to be a bit of a loon if needed. This was pretty much a new bike deliv- ered straight to Cycle News, and that meant the gearshift was incredibly stiff at first when going back down the gearbox. This personality trait gradually relaxed a little, but it was still a fairly uncomfortable gearshift, so I hope by the time your 900 R reaches 750 miles on the odometer, the gearshift becomes a lighter and smoother affair. Ride comfort from the fully adjustable fork was excellent, and the 900 R had a little ace up its sleeve with its remote preload adjuster knob under the seat, so a quick two-up ride to our local café was more than comfortable. As the miles wore on, I became quite a fan of the 900 R's seat, at least in terms of the padding and shape. A couple of hours in the saddle didn't yield too many aches or pains, but I'd still be going for the one-inch taller sport seat to alleviate my poor knees and get a bit more blood flow going if I were sticking a 900 R permanently in the garage. The BMW F 900 R left me a little perplexed as to BMW's current stance on naked bikes. They have two of the most bonkers nakeds on the market in the M and S 1000 Rs, but there's really nothing below them that represents a real stepping stone into that level of hyperbikeness. The F 900 R is certainly not that stepping stone, and although it was fun enough, it doesn't have the personality or the perfor- mance of any of the current middleweight nakeds. Now, hang on. I know I said earlier I had to reevaluate who this bike is for, but I'm still none the wiser, sadly. What I will say is that if you don't get any of the extras, sub-$9000 is a pretty rocking value for a naked such as the F 900 R, and the extras, although adding nearly 30 percent to the price tag, are definitely worth it in my book. CN

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Cycle News - Cycle News 2025 Issue 24 June 17