I opened my first column on this bike with a very bold statement, "The F900 XR is NOT a sports bike, but in truth I have spent much of the past thoroughly enjoyable three months of riding rather thinking that it is. Well, sort of.
The upright seating position, two-position front screen, wide bars, satnav, hand guards and centre stand all screamed 'Adventure' to me in appearance. But twist the throttle and allow the 'beans, and the capabilities of the 895cc inline two-cylinder engine get the heart pumping and adrenalin spiking toward the heights associated with more sport-focused machines. An exceedingly agile, smile-enducing machine through the twisties, but with a commanding road presence that keeps you extremely visible to other road users.
I guess the latter is why it has had to go back to BMW for a polish and be ready for its next duty as a lead bike at this year's London Marathon - I, for one, will certainly be looking out for what became a welcome companion over the past 700-plus miles.
New sensations
This BMW was MSL editor Mikko's first gambit in introducing me to the Adventure scene and probably wasn't what I was expecting at first. Though this was only to be a short-term loan to get me a little more acclimatised to a more upright seated position with the potential of a full load of luggage and ease of the long haul, which was a personal pre-requisite.
These elements did remind me a lot of the long-term Fazer-thou I ran for Fast Bikes many years ago, but bikes have come a long way since then and the tech on this bike would make Microsoft envious.
Denne historien er fra December 2022-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra December 2022-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Honda CRF1100L ES Africa Twin
Without panniers he was adventuring nowhere - so at least Bertie's got something sorted now
BMW R 12 nineT
Chad gets a track day surprise when BMW's R 12 nineT turns out to be surprisingly fun on track
Test fleet: VOGE 525 DSX
After testing the Voge's abilities on a long ride, it was time to take it to the Cotswolds and see how it would manage on the rougher stuff
Portuguese Perambulations
Nearly over before it had begun, a brief workshop stint allows Spain and Portugal to be explored
Highway to Heaven
Three friends take on the challenge of riding the length of Canada, from Vancouver in the southwest to Inuvik in the north. The road is long, the conditions merciless, and wildfires are tearing through the country. To top it all off, the final leg of the journey is the ultimate test of gravel riding skills, nerves, and courage - it's the legendary Dempster Highway...
Battlaxes at the ready!
We tend to take tyres for granted, never really looking at them in any detail, or at how they work, just hoping that they keep us shiny side up at all times. Even in the wet
Ducati Riding Experience
When I rode the Ducati DesertX to France last year, I did have a bit of an explore on some easy fire roads and gentle green lanes in the wilds of the Médoc area, but was left with the feeling that, had I the experience, the DesertX would have been capable of taking me along some more extreme trails to some even more exciting places. If only there was a way of finding out just how well the Italian adventure bike could cope with some more extreme terrain...
Four pot flyer
Many said that sports bikes, and particularly bikes in the traditional Supersports class that was populated by 600cc inline fours, were dead. Maybe they spoke too soon?...
Eastern adventurer
With an increasing interest in smaller capacity adventure bikes, the market expands with a new entry
First Time Lucky?
It's ironic that the first all-new MV Agusta model to hit the marketplace right after Italy's No.1 trophy brand was acquired by Austrian giant Pierer Mobility, owner of off-road titans KTM, should be the company's first dual-purpose model of the modern era, powered by MV's all-new 931cc three-cylinder engine that's destined to form the basis of a whole series of new models in coming months and years.
