How does the BMW F 450 GS compare to its rivals?

The BMW F 450 GS is the latest ADV to join India's highly competitive Adventure bike segment. Launched at ₹4.70 lakh and going all the way up to ₹5.30 lakh, it is on the higher end of the ADV spectrum. Does it have what it takes to take the crown off the single-cylinder motorcycles, like the KTM Adventures and the Royal Enfield Himalayan? Let's find out.

Performance

The BMW F 450 GS is powered by a 420cc parallel twin engine with a unique 135-degree crankshaft. It produces 47.3bhp at 8,750rpm and 43Nm of torque at 6,750rpm and is mated to a six-speed gearbox. BMW offers a quickshifter as standard in all variants except the base, and the GS trophy variant gets BMW's Easy Ride Clutch (ERC), which eliminates the need to use the clutch below 2700rpm in stop-and-go traffic and even while starting or slowing down.

Here's how it stacks up compared to its rivals.

Suspension and brakes

The BMW F 450 GS is equipped with fully adjustable KYB USD fork up front and an adjustable KYB monoshock at the rear. On the braking front, it has Brembo callipers with BMW branding. The front gets a 310mm disc with a 4 piston caliper and a 240mm disc at the rear with a single piston floating caliper.

Its rivals, like the KTM Adventure, get adjustable forks from WP front and rear, the Royal Enfield Himalayan and the Honda NX 500 get non-adjustable Showa suspension, and the Kawasaki Versys X gets basic telescopic forks up front and a monoshock at the rear.

Wheels and tyres

The BMW F 450 GS rides on a 19-inch wheel up front and a 17-inch wheel at the rear and comes equipped with knobby Maxxis tyres. Rivals like the Honda NX 500, KTM Adventure 390 X and the Kawasaki Versys-X 300 also come with a 19-inch front and a 17-inch rear setup, while the Himalayan and the KTM Adventure S get a more contemporary 21-inch front and a 17-inch rear. The KTM also offers the Adventure R model with an 18-inch rear wheel, which is a more off-road-focused offering.

Dimensions and weight

The BMW F 450 GS is one of the lighter motorcycles in its segment, weighing in at just 178kg with a fuel tank capacity of 14 litres. It has a seat height of 845mm, which can be adjusted to 830mm with a lowered seat and increased to 865mm with an optional rally seat.

Equipment

The BMW F 450 GS is one of the best-equipped motorcycles in its segment. It gets a large 6.5-inch TFT display with 4 riding modes: Rain, Road, Enduro and Enduro Pro. It gets a quickshifter on the exclusive and the GS trophy and the GS Trophy also gets the easy ride clutch. It has traction control, dual-channel ABS and heated grips but misses out on cruise control.

Rivals like the KTM Adventure series offer similar equipment to the BMW, with a TFT display, ride modes, quickshifter, ABS, and traction control, but it gets cruise control as standard on all models, which is a big plus. The Himalayan and the Honda NX 500 offer similar equipment, with a TFT display, ride modes, ABS, but miss out on a quickshifter and cruise control. One thing to note is that the Himalayan does not come with traction control in any of its variants. The most basic of the bunch is the Kawasaki Versys-X 300, which gets a basic semi-digital instrument cluster with just dual-channel ABS.

Prices

Prices for the BMW F 450 GS start at ₹4.70 lakh for the base model and go up to ₹5.30 lakh for the top GS Trophy variant. It is one of the most expensive middleweight ADVs in India, with only the Honda NX 500 being more expensive, while the single-cylinder bikes are around a lakh cheaper. Here are the prices of all the bikes.

In conclusion, the F 450 GS is a well-equipped bike with a strong engine, but demands a premium over the KTMs and Royal Enfeilds. But it is more value for money compared to the Kawasaki Versys-X 300 and the Honda NX 500.