BMW F 900 R (2024 – ) review

The F 900 R strikes a nice balance between accepted sporty naked aesthetics and the unapologetically confrontational appearance of rivals like the KTM 990 Duke or Yamaha MT-09, all grounded in typical BMW quality and attention to detail. True, the steel frame is nothing especially fancy and the 895cc parallel-twin is a Chinese-built unit shared with bikes like the Voge DS900X we ran on long-term test. But the finishing kit is all top-notch, the radial-mount Brembos up front, adjustable forks and – on our test bike – the upgraded ZF Electronic Suspension Adjustment monoshock with fancy gold-anodised remote reservoirs all delivering on the premium style. This is also the updated version of the F 900 R, with a sportier riding position, lighter wheels and upgraded electronics over the original. You can even buy it in ready-to-race form for entry into the British Superbike Championship supporting F 900 R Cup if you fancy your chances, the spec including new suspension, exhaust and ECU but fixed by the regulations and available off the shelf for a little over 13 grand. You can even have it on finance! Perhaps of little relevance to most F 900 R buyers, but it at least gives the bike some cred to help stand out from the sporty naked crowd.

For the fact the F 900 R isn’t the fastest or most aggressive looking of the middleweight sporty naked class the riding position turns out to be surprisingly focused. And more so on this updated version, with more reach to the lower front end and raised pegs for a racier position encouraging of moving your weight around for the corners. That left your six-foot tester’s legs a little scrunched, but not enough to be crippling and, even with the relatively wrist-heavy riding position, it’s still more versatile and accommodating than a full-on sports bike. Overall, though, the F 900 R is perhaps a more aggressive feeling bike than you might have assumed.

If like the idea of the F 900 R but want more practicality then … buy the tall-rounder XR version instead! The existence of that option at least means the R can focus on the job at hand, which is to say delivering the stripped-back thrills you’d want from a bike of this type. True, there is a pillion seat and some neatly styled grab handles. And the BMW accessories catalogue has luggage options. But a ride on wet winter roads saw our kit covered in road muck off the back wheel and there’s nothing to hide behind on the motorway, either. But you know what you’re signing up for. At least there’s BMW’s excellent screen-based display and associated app-supported navigation, the Comfort Package on our test bike adding (welcome) heated grips, keyless ignition and cruise control. There’s even a centre stand, which might not be ‘cool’ but is a big bonus for cleaning and basic maintenance tasks like oiling the chain.

The 105 horsepower of the 895cc parallel-twin puts the F 900 R somewhere between cheaper rivals like the Honda CB750 Hornet, Triumph Trident 660 or Suzuki GSX-8S and the 120 horsepower or so of faster alternatives like the Yamaha MT-09 or KTM 990 Duke. How much numbers actually matter in the real world is moot, but the engine combines impressive flexibility with a pleasingly gruff and rorty exhaust note. True, it’s no screamer like the triples in the Trident or MT-09 but it’s got more character than you might have assumed from a modern twin. If you need it you can get it in restricted A2 licence trim, too. Overall, a burly 208kg kerbweight blunts its edge a little against the lighter KTMs and Yamaha but at real-world speeds the F 900 R feels fun, exploitable and plenty fast enough to thrill. Braking is also top-notch, the twin front Brembos offering plenty of feel, the rear delivering stabilising bite and the ABS – upgraded to cornering ABS Pro in this update – suitably confidence-inspiring.

You’ll notice the weight but the F 900 R has a class and sophistication in its handling worthy of the premium badge. A lighter battery and wheels for this update help the sense of agility, the forks also getting a wider range of manual adjustment while the Dynamic Pack on our test bike added electronic damping control via a switch on the handlebar. Pretty fancy stuff for a bike of this price, the smoothness of the suspension keeping the contact pressure on the tyres consistent for confidence inspiring grip, even on lumpy roads. The sporty riding position helps as well, the F 900 R offering a more planted feel in comparison with the deliberate edginess of equivalent KTM Dukes and the like but not forgetting the fun factor.

Given its premium image the starting price doesn’t look outrageous, though newcomers like the impressive QJMotor SRK900 we rode recently are a lot cheaper to buy and spicier alternatives like the MT-09 and new Trident 800 are to within a few hundred pounds in starting price and have more powerful and exotic engines. You could argue you get what you pay for, though, and the BMW quality speaks for itself. For the kit even the £10K-plus price of our optioned-up test bike looked reasonable. Middling performance should make it manageable on insurance as well, likewise in terms of appetite for chains, brake pads, tyres and the rest.

Given this is an update of a proven bike and the F series has been around long enough now we’d take some confidence in its reliability. Some snobs may cock an eyebrow at the Chinese-built engine but having lived with it on the Voge we’d say no worries on that score, and the rest of the parts are all of the quality you’d expect of a BMW.

BMW’s warranty is a little more generous than the industry norm, with two years of manufacturer cover and an additional 12 months from the dealer, with roadside assistance also included for the full three years. Servicing at your swanky BMW dealership probably won’t come cheap, mind, intervals coming round every 6,000 miles or annually after the initial running-in check. That’s probably alright on a bike of this nature, though others go longer between services, an equivalent Triumph Trident boasting 10,000-mile intervals for instance. Worth bearing in mind if you cover big mileages.

We’re big fans of BMW’s rider interface, the combination of a crisp screen and the logical turn-and-nudge selector on the left grip familiar from others in the range and easy to navigate. The supporting app is slicker than most as well, and supports turn-by-turn nav sufficient to get you where you want to be without need for a full map. We even plotted a custom cross-country route with waypoints and were able to follow it with no bother. That this is standard is impressive, and even in standard spec the F 900 R comes well-equipped with fully adjustable forks and shock, quality brake hardware supported by BMW’s ABS Pro in an upgrade from the basic ABS of before. The Dynamic Pack has the price knocking on 10 grand but feels worth it for the addition of a quickshifter, the Electronic Suspension Adjustment on the rear shock and additional M Pro riding mode. Not that we felt the need to explore the latter. For another few hundred quid we’d probably add the Comfort Pack fitted to our bike as well, the heated grips, cruise and keyless start all adding to the convenience and offering a bit of premium garnish.

Given it’s not in its usual comfort zone BMW might be fighting to get its voice heard in a very competitive field of sporty middleweight nakeds, all with distinctive characters, strong performance and sharp handling of their own. The F 900 R isn’t the fastest or sharpest but has a level of maturity and premium finish to set it apart, the sporting credibility of that F 900 R Cup race version adding intrigue and turning what could have been an also-ran into a genuinely interesting alternative from the norm.