BMW F 900 R and F 900 XR Launched In India

The BMW F 900 R and F 900 XR have been launched in India. While the F 900 R sports naked comes in just one variant, the F 900 XR is available in two: Standard and Pro. BMW has priced the F 900 R at Rs 9.90 lakh while the touring friendly F 900 XR retails at Rs 10.50 lakh. Its Pro variant carries a price tag of Rs 11.50 lakh (all prices ex-showroom, India).

The F 900 R is the successor to the F 800 R sold overseas. Unlike its predecessor’s underseat-mounted fuel tank, the F 900 R gets a conventional fuel tank which allows for a slimmer tail section. This change has made the seat more accessible to shorter riders. Its F 900 XR cousin is a road-focused adventure tourer like the Ducati Multistrada 950. While its design is similar to the larger and more powerful S 1000 XR, the bodywork is more compact. It gets similar traits like twin LED headlamps, adjustable windscreen, and long-travel suspension. Both motorcycles feature LED headlamps, LED turn indicators, a dynamic LED tail lamp, and a 6.5-inch colour-TFT instrument console with Bluetooth connectivity. 

Both motorcycles are powered by an 895cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin motor that delivers 105PS at 8500rpm and 92Nm at 6500rpm with 87Nm available between 4500rpm and 8500rpm. Electronic safety aids include traction control and two riding modes: Road and Rain. Besides, the F 900 XR Pro variant gets cruise control. Both the F 900 R and F 900 XR get a six-speed gearbox with slipper clutch while the F 900 XR Pro gets an additional bi-directional quickshifter.

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The F 900 R and F 900 XR get a unique steel bridge-type frame with the parallel-twin motor acting as a stressed member. Both get 43mm upside-down forks and a preload and damping adjustable monoshock. The F 900 XR gets 35mm and 30mm more suspension travel at the front and back respectively. Its Pro variant even gets a semi-active electronic suspension. Both motorcycles feature 17-inch wheels with 120/70 ZR 17 front and 180/55 ZR 17 tyre sizes. The F 900 R gets stickier Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S21 tyres while the F 900 XR gets touring-oriented Michelin Road 5 GT tyres. Braking hardware on the duo consists of dual 320mm front discs with radially-mounted calipers and a 265mm rear disc with dual-channel ABS. 

The F 900 R weighs 211kg with a 13-litre fuel tank and a seat height of 815mm. Being an adventure tourer, the F 900 XR gets extra cladding that takes its weight to 219kg. It also has a larger 15.5-litre fuel tank and a taller 825mm seat height.

While the BMW  F 900 R competes with other naked bikes like the KTM 790 Duke, Ducati Monster 821, Triumph Street Triple RS and Kawasaki Z900, the F 900 XR takes on the Ducati Multistrada 950 and the Kawasaki Ninja 1000.