New Sports Tourer From BMW Spotted Testing

Spy shots have trickled in of the latest touring motorcycle from BMW. Spotted with the bodywork heavily camouflaged, the motorcycle is expected to fill the gap that exists for a sub-1000cc road-oriented sports tourer. More importantly, the as-yet-unnamed tourer is expected to replace the long-in-the-tooth F 800 GT sports tourer from BMW.

The shots also indicate that the bike will be powered by the parallel-twin motor from BMW’s trail-oriented tourer, the F 850 GS. However, it remains to be seen if BMW decides to pump up the power produced by this engine for the GT. For the record, in its current state of tune, the F 850 GS’s engine puts out 95PS of power and 92Nm of torque.

Powertrain apart, the most interesting bit about the spy shots is how the motorcycle looks. Keen readers will identify the uncanny resemblance the bike has to the 9Cento concept that BMW debuted earlier this year at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. The front three-quarters, especially, leave very little to differentiate between the two motorcycles.

The motorcycle will also stay faithful to its sports touring credentials with lower-travel suspension and smaller 17 inch wheels than the corresponding GS version. These aspects will make the bike easier to mount and more stable at slower speeds. And as evident from the pictures, there is also ample space to stow away luggage for a weekend getaway.

Although BMW has so far remained tight-lipped about the launch of the new F 850 GT, we expect it to happen sooner than later, especially when you consider that the F 800 GT has been soldiering on since 2013.

Image courtesy: MCN