BMW F 450 GS Spied: Prepping Hard To Beat Royal Enfield, KTM And Honda

Quick Highlights: 

• BMW F 450 GS has been spotted testing overseas

• Looks almost production-ready 

• Could launch in India by the end of this year itself 

BMW Motorrad’s upcoming adventure motorcycle, the F 450 GS, has been spotted testing yet again. This time around, the bike looks almost production-ready, as it has some interesting changes over the concept model, which was first showcased at the 2024 EICMA show in November last year. 

Adventure Ready For Ladakh

The first thing which will catch your attention is the headlight. The bike which has been spied testing, gets a vertically stacked dual-LED setup unlike the one on the concept model. Personally, we’re relieved as this will ensure a good visual distinction over the R 1300 GS (which has the same X-shaped headlight as the F 450 GS concept). Overall, the bodywork on the spied version looks the same as the concept model.  

Other visible changes over the concept model are the addition of alloy wheels, which look similar to those of the R 1300 GS as well. While the concept model had a 21/17-inch cross-spoked tubeless wheels setup with knobby tyres, the spied bike gets a 19/17-inch alloy wheel setup with dual-purpose tyres. The F 450 GS also gets a golden-coloured handlebar, which goes well with the golden-coloured fork. 

Other changes over the concept include a radially mounted Bybre brake calliper at the front, Bybre caliper at the rear, a different exhaust, a split-seat setup, a larger windscreen, and a different rear sprocket. It also gets saddle stays, sump guard, knuckle guards and a top box (some or all of which could be offered as accessories), pillion grabrails and a different LED taillight. Interestingly, the tailight looks similar to the one on the G 310 GS, which has been discontinued in India.  

A Strong Heart

BMW Motorrad also revealed the engine specifications of the F 450 GS Concept model and it is likely that the engine will be made in collaboration with TVS. It will be powered by a 450cc liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine, which makes 48PS. The concept model has a kerb weight of just 175kg but only time will tell how much the production bike weighs. Apart from the engine, the bike gets long-travel suspension at both ends, and the spy shots also suggest that the fork will be non-adjustable. Also, the subframe is different when compared to the concept.

More Features

While it was no secret that the upcoming baby GS will get a TFT console, the latest spy shots have revealed that the bike will get a rotary-style dial on the left-hand side of the handlebar to navigate through the TFT. This is something which we have seen on the larger GS models as well. Apart from this, we expect BMW Motorrad to leave no stone unturned and give the F 450 GS all the bells and whistles, such as lean-sensitive traction control, cornering ABS, and most probably multiple ride modes. 

Coming Soon!

While BMW Motorrad has not revealed an official launch date for the F 450 GS, the brand did say in an instagram post in February that the bike is coming before the year ends. Expect the motorcycle to be unveiled at the 2025 EICMA motor show in November, and make its India debut by the end of this year or by early next year. As for the price, the BMW badge will command a premium, and is expected to set you back around Rs 5 lakh (ex-showroom). Once launched, it will go against the Honda NX500 and the upcoming CFMoto 450 MT - both have sub-500cc parallel twin motors. But more affordable single-cylinder ADVs with comparable performance include the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, KTM 390 Adventure and the upcoming Hero XPulse 421 in India.  

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