Twenty-Four Hours
With A BMW F900R (The Review No One Asked For)
The 2021 BMW F900R by all admissions is a sporty aggressive muscle bike, for me though, despite its impeccable design I was left wanting more. My time with the bike was brief but inspired a few thoughts and opinions that I felt were worth sharing so, here is my story.
Over the last 10 years, I have been riding adventure bikes with the occasional sport bike cycled through my collection as a secondary toy. The most fun and notable would probably be a Ducati Monster and a Buell xb9s. With that said, I have BMW motorcycles in my DNA and have ridden many of their bikes produced in the last 30 years. The closest in style to the F900R would be a 2020 G310R. That bike was quick and snappy for what it was, but always left an experienced rider needing more. When I had the chance to spend a day with the 900R I was excited to see what the big brother of the 310 could do.
The 2021 is an 895cc, 99hp water-cooled 4 stroke inline two-cylinder. As soon as I sat in the cockpit, I was harkened back to the 310R immediately. Not only did I feel at home, but I was excited to push myself and the bike to see what it was capable of. After a quick mirror adjustment and a few spins on the wonder wheel, I turned the TFT screen to sport mode and off I went.
The bike was immediately responsive and the power delivery was better than I expected. Although the 900R claims to be a cool 20 lbs lighter than my new 1250GSA, the difference felt much greater. After a short ride twisting the throttle without hesitation and flying down a few mountain roads, I was home.
The first twenty minutes were exciting and had me jazzed about a BMW that I never gave much thought too. After I dismounted and gave it a once over, I decided I needed more, right away. So, I ran into the house and grabbed my favorite pillion, my 9-year-old daughter. She was excited to sit on something new and find some twisty roads with Dad.
As we started down the mountain she was pleasantly startled by the torque and acceleration and decided to hold on just a little tighter than normal. At the first stop sign, I look back to check on her and was greeted with a big smile and a thumbs-up. With that smile, we headed into town to grab some dinner.
The F900R was a perfect city bike; small, nimble, and easy to maneuver around the hustle and bustle. After our quick bite and we headed back home but decided on the long way in an attempt to squeeze in a little more fun on some back country roads.
The next morning, knowing my time with the bike was drawing to a close, I gave it one more ride down the mountain and decided to get on it more than the night before and see if I could push it a little harder.
Heading west with the morning sun beating on my back, the bike had no problem taking every corner I threw at it. Hell, I swear I heard it laughing as we passed the slow morning commuters dreading their morning drive to the office. Most of us spend our days doing something to earn a living, for me its morning rides like this that make it all worthwhile.
Without hesitation I can say my favorite thing about this bike is the design. The lack of frame under the engine and low slung exhaust reminded me of the trellis frame that is synonymous with the early Ducati Monsters. It really is a thing of beauty and bound to catch the eye of any Moto enthusiast.
Over the next few days after turning the bike in, my opinions ranged from good, bad, and mediocre. You see, BMW did a great job on this bike. However, for me, it had me longing for something else. Whether it was more space for touring or just more power, something was missing and didn't fill the hole in me that riding usually does.
It wasn't until I spent time on my '81 R100R and my '23 R1250GSA that I realized, for me, the soul of BMW is the boxer engine. Although the F900R was a great bike, it felt like it could have been any other naked sport bike.
It was there in the last few junctures and afterthoughts that I realized what the full potential of this bike was, or could have been. That’s when it hit me, I rode a great bike but what I was hoping for was the R1250RS. With my expectations finally in check, I can say the 900R is a solid commuter bike and would make a great daily rider for new BMW riders. However, for the rest of us OG’s, we’ll stick with our boxers and always be fulfilled.