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
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