BMW GS motorcycles are sort of the double-cab bakkies of the motorcycle world. They are very popular, comfortable and equipped to go anywhere but many of them will never leave the tarmac in their lifetime.

The major difference between the BMW F900 GS Adventure and its suffix-less Adventure version is that the former is for dual-cab leisure offerings that stay on the tarmac.

And that’s exactly how we kept things during the week we spent on it recently. In fact, riding this bike is so comfortable that we didn’t want to get off.

Touring-ready windshield

The Adventure comes standard with an adjustable touring windshield. Our test model is equipped with optional air deflectors, which make a huge difference in reducing air turbulence and wind noise when cruising on the open road.

Power comes from an 895cc in-line two-cylinder petrol engine. It is mated to a six-speed gearbox with anti-skip clutch, sending 77 kW of power at 8,500 rpm and 93 Nm of torque at 6,750 rpm to the rear wheel. The mill is not quite Boxer power offered on the BMW F1300 GSbut still very accomplished for a mid-sized powertrain.

BMW claims a fuel economy of 4.4 liters per 100km and perhaps we enjoyed our time in the Adventure too much, as we were only able to get 5.9L/100km over 522km. Which is still very acceptable when you are always in a hurry and which still allows you to travel almost 400 km with the 23 liter tank.

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The BMW F900 GS offers a smooth ride

The Adventure rides on cross-spoke rims, coated in 90/90 R21 rubber at the front and 150/70 R17 at the rear. An inverted, manually adjustable Gabel shock absorber allows 230mm of travel at the front, with the double swingarm at the rear allowing 215mm of travel.

In addition to the standard comfort seat, the suspension proved really useful when traveling over uneven sections of road between Johannesburg and Potchefstroom.

The F900 GS Adventure comes standard with BMW Motorrad Pro ABS, with dual 305mm two-piston caliper discs at the front and a single 265mm single-piston disc at the rear.

The standard seat height is 875mm, which can be lowered to 805mm and raised to 890mm.

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Lots of specs

Standard equipment on the Adventure includes a 6.5-inch TFT color display with BMW Motorrad connectivity, hand guards, heated grips, LED headlights and turn signals, an aluminum engine guard and a power outlet 12V.

The citizen automobileThe test model, finished in Black Storm metallic paint, also includes the Ride Pro pack which costs R43 700 on top of the starting price of R245 000. This includes keyless driving, LED fog lights , cruise control, aluminum saddlebag supports, M Endurance chain, dynamic electronic suspension adjustment and Dynamic, Enduro and Enduro Pro riding modes in addition to road and rain.

Its weight of 223 kg may seem heavier on paper, but you really don’t notice it once you start. Its attractive styling, spirited acceleration, comfort and easy handling make it an attractive package for any rider, new or old.