BMW F 450 GS First Ride Impressions: A Good Tourer But Not Phenomenal

There are a lot of expectations with the BMW F 450 GS. After all, it is the first made-in-India multi-cylinder adventure motorcycle. Until now, we have been thrilled by a lot of singles and some imported twins that don’t quite hit the same spot. Does it live up to the hype? Does this become the brand new default recommendation in the sub-500 cc ADV space? 

Fast But Not Explosive

Let's get straight to business, we didn't get a lot of time with this motorcycle, we only got to spend around an hour and a half riding this motorcycle, testing the motorcycle and a little bit extra to shoot our stories. As first impressions go, the 420cc parallel twin engine is not the most exciting engine out there. It is really, really good because it has this sort of dual characteristic to it. If you want to ride it in a calm, chill manner, it has got enough tractability that allows you to ride it from revs as low as 3000rpm in fourth gear and it will chug along as it did so in the quaint narrow streets of Goa. And out on the highway, when you are cruising at around 100-120 kmph and you want to get a move on to get past some slow moving traffic, just twist the throttle and the GS will surge ahead. 

The motor does make this bike fast, but it doesn't quite have that thrilling aspect to it. Neither does it have the brappiness of a single, which one shouldn’t be expecting here, nor does it have the widespread explosive performance that we have seen on the likes of the Aprilia RS457. BMW has gone for a unique 135-degree crank offset, making it a very mid-heavy motorcycle. The power tapers off after 9000rpm and you will waste time revving it out to the almost 10,000rpm redline. This is a very typical BMW GS trait that is so easily recognisable from its elder siblings, especially the 850-900s of late. Hence, it will do the highway business well with great city mannerisms.

Given this unique tune, there are a bit of gruff sensations that you will feel on the motorcycle. It is quite prominent on the fuel tank as well as the seat, a tad bit on the bars but nothing on the footpegs. This buzziness isn’t bothersome or irritating like the G 310 GS, especially the first-gen's harsh vibrations. But if it is a refined twin-experience that you desire, like the Japanese twin-cylinder ADVs, then you will be disappointed. 

Easy Riding Confusion

BMW has introduced Easy Ride Clutch or ERC with the 450 GS, only on the GS Trophy edition. What it basically is introducing a centrifugal clutch system that allows for clutchless stopping and rolling off from standstill. 

The system is similar to what you find on the Honda Activa, the TVS Jupiter or any other scooter in the market. You slot it into gear and even if you dump the clutch, it will not stall the engine. What it will do is that when you start building up the revs, post 2700rpm, it will start moving forward. The only time you then technically need to use the clutch is to start the bike when it is slotted in any gear.

Overall, the ERC is not a seamless experience. It is something that you will definitely have to get used to. Initially, once the revs climb past the threshold, it feels like it's lurching forward. This is a feeling that can be quite unnerving and over time only will you overcome the lurching feeling. 

Finally, the F 450 GS gets BMW's quickshifter or as it likes to call it, Shift Assist Pro. On our test bike, I found that while the upshifts were smooth, the downshifts were very hard, clunky, notchy and sometimes refused to shift. So, it might be a particular issue of our test unit or for the fact that the engine had barely run in by the time we got to ride it.

Taut Touring

The highlight of the G 310 GS was its plush ride quality, which doesn't seem to have been carried over onto the F 450 GS. Even though the GS Trophy variant has adjustable suspension components at both ends (the other two trims have only preload and rebound adjustment for the monoshock), the stock settings (2-clicks rear preload for solo riding, 10-clicks from hard for the rest of the parameters), the stock tune feels a tad bit too firm for our Indian road conditions. This becomes very apparent when going over broken tarmac stretches or the sharp bumps in the city. It doesn't quite soak them well, especially the monoshock, leading to a bouncy or tossy feel.

It's not in any way jarring or harsh, but given the fact that we have brilliant suspension tuned ADVs of late like the Royal Enfield Himalayan450 , the TVS Apache RTX 300 in its BTO avatar, even to a great extent, the KTM 390 Adventure and BMW obviously had the G 310 GS, this tune feels like a little bit of a letdown. 

So, when you're out on the highway, you will not be unfazed when you encounter a pothole or any undulation, but you will have to be a little bit mindful about such imperfections. This takes away a bit of that carefree nature that you want from an ADV. 

Fun Handler

The trade-off for the slight firm suspension tune is in the handling department because the F 450 GS is one sweet handling motorcycle. We didn't get a lot of twisties on our test ride, but around those sweepers near MOPA in Goa, this bike held its own. It was really joyful carrying those massive lean angles. In fact, the bike felt a lot more capable than what I managed to push it to and perhaps a longer ride in the canyons would be more enjoyable.

Trusting the Maxxis block pattern tyres will hold its own will reap incredible benefits in your cornering endeavours. But mind you, these tyres are mainly good for dry tarmac. A few of the journalists on the ride encountered wet stretches where the tyres didn’t live up to their potential. And even for off-roading, they won’t be ideal. Hence, the first upgrade that I would do if I get the bike is slapping on a pair of Apollo Trampler XR tyres.

And the sizing shouldn’t be an issue on the F 450 GS. The front remains the typical 100/90-R19 size, but compared to the G 310 GS, BMW has gone two sizes smaller at the rear (130/80-17). This helps in the handling department quite a bit and I suspect that even though we haven't done any off-roading, the slimmer profile is going to be helpful. The older 310 felt heavy to steer out of in tight tricky situations, whereas the 450, because it's ultra well balanced and narrow in its footprint, it should be a lot better. 

Lastly, the brakes on this bike are brilliant. Stops in an instant, sharp feedback and overall, a very nice progressive ABS intervention system. 

Spacious And Comfy Ergos

Weight management on the F450 GS is incredible. From the 310 to the 450, BMW has just managed to increase the weight by around 8.5kg. Eight and a half kilos, that's it for an extra cylinder and added capabilities, that is incredible. 

But you need to remember that if you're getting the GS Trophy version, you can't just leave the bike in gear on a slope. If you do, it is going to roll backwards because of the centrifugal clutch. Hence, you will need to be mindful about that. 

The seat height is 845mm, which does read a little bit on the taller side. For shorter riders, swinging your leg over the saddle or getting your feet down is going to be a little bit of an issue. There is a lower seat option in the accessories that drops it down by 15mm. However, this isn’t a dealbreaker for ADV buyers. 

What is incredible is the seating space on offer. Even for a large rider like me, there is plenty of room in the flat saddle to move around. The footpeg position is very natural. The bars can be set up in two positions, one closer to the rider or one further away. I rode both settings and found the closer one to be a bit more to my liking, especially for touring scenarios. Not only is the handlebar position adjustable or the clutch and front brake levers but also the rear brake lever. The serrated portion can be raised or lowered, depending on your preference. 

Good Looking Enough

Riding around the streets of Goa, the GS was an instant head turner, especially in the GS Trophy livery. Tubeless spoke wheels would have just enhanced its aesthetic appeal, not so much the functional characteristics. And since you have decided to spend the big bucks for this bike, would you be willing to shell out another 70,000 rupees? Let me know in the comments.

The baby GS doesn’t fail to disappoint in the features department but you get a sense that it could have a few more bits. Cruise control is a big miss here, as that is an aid that is so highly appreciated on long tours. Instead, heated grips are provided which I didn’t have the will to test out in the 50-degree Goan heat. TPMS would’ve been appreciated as well, though.

Solid But Not Sold

Is the BMW F 450 GS the most impressive made-in-India ADV motorcycle? Well, the expectations from it were pretty high, and if you build it up to a great level, then it's not going to live up to them. If you've kept a very clear and open mind, then yes, you start to see a lot of the positives of this motorcycle, and you might just be willing to live with some of its shortcomings, like the gruff vibes or the slightly taut suspension tune. 

Having said that, this is a very credible tourer. It sits on the highway effortlessly at 120-130kmph, and it will sit there all day long in a rather comfortable manner. The handling dynamics are spot-on for having fun, but the motor doesn't feel quite as engaging as you would like it to be. This is a GS, a BMW GS in its pukka sense. 

Speaking of which, this bike is not going to be cheap to maintain or service. We've heard Rs 30,000, Rs 40,000 or even Rs 50,000 service bills from G 310 GS owners. That was a single, this is a twin. The 450 has fancy materials, like magnesium for the engine casing. So, service bills or in the event of a crash, your bank balance is going to take a bit hit. And obviously you will not buy the Base trim, which is introductorily priced at Rs 4.70 lakh (ex-showroom). The trim doesn’t offer much creature comforts and is a bit pricey. 

You will opt for the Exclusive (Rs 4.90 lakh) or the GS Trophy (Rs 5.30 lakh), as these will add the much-needed bits to make the experience a lot more wholesome. So, if you're already shelling out quite a lot of money to get this motorcycle, you would have prepared yourself to make do with those hefty service bills that come by owning a Bavarian ADV motorcycle.