BMW is unleashing an entirely new F-series parallel-twin range starting with this GS model, which looks set to debut later this year.
While the F800GS was mildly tweaked for 2017 to pass Euro 4 emissions standards, it’s likely to be a short-lived stopgap until a completely reworked machine appears. Speculatively titled F900GS, this isn’t just an update but a clean-sheet redesign.
Starting with the engine, there are new cases and cylinders, surely topped by a new cylinder head as well. Behind it lies a redesigned transmission with its chain final drive now on the left rather than on the right. As a result, the silencer swaps over the right, with a large collector box sitting below a swingarm that, while a similar shape, is also completely new.
Notably, the chassis switches from the current model’s steel trellis to what appears to be an aluminium beam frame, using cast alloy components.
The black finish makes it hard to pick out details, but the frame seems to finish before it reaches the swingarm pivot. The original F800S and F800ST used a similar set-up, with the engine and transmission acting as the rear part of the chassis.
While this bike appears to be the mid-range F900GS, replacing the current F800GS, eventually there will surely be a whole range of machines designed around the same platform. The current line-up starts with the detuned F700GS, which is actually an 800 despite its name, followed by the F800GS and the range-topping F800GS Adventure (see Vol 66 No 20). There’s also the naked F800R and the F800GT tourer, and all five bikes are eventually likely to be replaced by models using the new engine and chassis design.
By Ben Purvis
