I was never a fan of adventure motorcycles. They look awfully big and are tough to handle. Yes, they are a perfect buy if you like the often tours on the saddle and off-roading to a bit. But otherwise, what’s their use in the city?
One small ride on the BMW F750 GS will change your thoughts, just as they did mine. The first few kms on the bike indicated that has some qualities of a street bike.
Riding through a couple of corners and traffic made me further confirm its qualities. Never did I think of putting a 200 kg-plus bike through gaps like it was your regular street bikes.
So, here we are to check its capabilities and performance through our detailed road test review on the F750 GS.
Doesn’t it look something different?
As I said earlier, I still do not like how adventure motorcycles look. I am a guy who would any day prefer a modern classic or a roadster, calmly cruising down the road. Well, neither is the BMW F750 GS a classic nor a roadster, but actually looks like a fusion of a streetfighter and an adventure motorcycle.
The bike looks a bit quirky, especially the Austin Yellow colour adding up to it. I liked the longer GS snout on the G310 GS, but here it is a smaller one. The LED DRL splits the LED headlamps into two halves and its overall design is something new.
One look at its fuel tank and shrouds and you feel how bulky the bike is. The material used here is fibre, which is very well fitted. No rattles or any unfinished business left. I honestly liked the sharp creases flowing through its body panels.
The brushed silencer looks a bit disproportionate, but if you opt for the Akrapovic exhaust, it will look amazing.
Summing up, I am myself glad that the F750 GS gets all the BMW-styling bits, looking premium rather than sort of a rugged motorcycle.
What about its engine performance?
BMW F750 GS uses an 853cc water-cooled in-line twin-cylinder engine. Wait. You might wonder what is an 853cc engine doing on a 750 GS? It shares its engine with the 850 GS but gets a huge chunk of power and torque cut off.
As a result, the engine produces 77 BHP and 83 Nm of peak torque. To say, the engine is full of enthusiasm and its power delivery can be seen even at the slightest of rev. The power figures look lower from an 850cc unit but trust me, it does not feel like it.
The mid-range torque is nicely carved out, while the low-range seems to create some stutters. Below 2000 RPM, it looks like the bike might stop anytime and you have to keep the clutch in action to make it go.
Between 3000-5000 RPM, you might find yourself cruising most of the time. The power output is so instant that most of the times you might not need the full throttle. Cross 5000 RPM and you go like swoosh!
All these traits make it sound like a city adventure tourer. Being an adventure motorcycle, I can easily imagine it being my daily compadre. That said, it is the road-biased version, meant for long tours.
F750 GS gets a 6-speed gearbox with a bi-directional quick shifter. At higher RPMs (above 2000 RPM) while accelerating, the semi-automatic clutch works the best. The clutch, on the other hand, is a bit heavy for my liking.
The gearing ratios were long, but its quick-revving ability helped us reach triple-digit speeds in no time. The top speed recorded on the bike is 185 km/hr, which came easily. It can cruise all day long at 130 km/hr.
Lastly, the exhaust note of the F750 GS is aggressive, something that I have heard from a V-Twin. But here, it is an inline twin-cylinder setup. Cool, right?
Kitna Deti Hai?
We were able to achieve 24 kmpl on an average with the bike. With a fuel tank capacity of 15 Litres, you can easily get a riding range of something over 300 kms, if ridden easily. With aggressive gear shifts and sudden acceleration, the economy came down to 21 kmpl. Still, you get a similar riding range.
How are the brakes?
Despite being equipped with dual floating disc brakes at the front, the bike lacked its initial bite. The stopping power is progressive, slam both the brakes hard and it stops very quickly. The dual-channel ABS helps in maintaining the balance on this big bulk of a bike. You can also disengage the ABS while off-roading.
Ride handling SURPRISED us!
Ever imagined an adventure motorcycle to be flickable? That’s what I loved the most about the BMW F750 GS. The handling is quite nimble, making zip-zapping through the traffic an easy and confident task. You can actually find yourself taking a lean through the corners.
The handle is set a bit tall, which gives you a composed riding posture and even allows you to stand while off-roading without leaning forward. FYI, the bike tips the scales at 224 kgs!
The grip of the tires was excellent over muddy roads. Despite being a road-biased adventure motorcycle, we put it through mild-off roading. The results were satisfactory, indicating that it is a mild-off roader.
Most of the times I have taken bikes for reviews, I have experienced rains in Delhi. This time was no such exception. The Pirelli road-spec tires helped me in being confident, plus the Rain Mode came to my help in easing the throttles.
The vibrations from the engine are pretty high, and at higher RPMs, disturbances from the handlebar were pretty evident. Although, it feels very stable at high speeds. Another thing troubling was the very short windscreen. Wind blasts were inevitable, which might cause some disturbance after long hours on the saddle.
Summing up, I would say that BMW F750 GS is meant for beginners or inexperienced riders, who are just getting the knack for long tours and slight off-roading. For experienced riders, I would firmly suggest the 850 GS.
Is it comfortable, Duh?
Comfort levels on the F750 GS are quite high, and I actually liked being on the saddle for long hours for a change. Otherwise, during my daily commute, I would really want to have a Chai Break every half an hour of riding.
The 41mm telescopic forks at the front and dual-swing arm adjustable monoshock at the back handle potholes, damaged roads and big speed breakers efficiently. The front suspension is non adjustable but the rear monoshock is electronically adjustable, depending on the riding mode. The suspension height can also be altered through the modes.
It’s upon you to make the suspension stiffer or softer. The road and rain mode use softer suspension, while Dynamic and Endure mode use the stiff setup.
The seat is extra large and spacious, as expected from an adventure motorcycle. It also gets a luggage rack at the back, for the pillion to rest his/her backpack.
What are the features and electronic aids?
This is the part I was really looking forward to you. BMW has equipped the F750 GS with top-notch features. The features list runs huge, long enough to keep you entertained on-the-go.
To start with, it uses Auto LED headlamps and LED DRLs, which are so strong that I could continue my night driving with my tinted helmet.
BMW F750 GS gets a 6.5-inch TFT colour instrument console with some animations. Every single information related to the bike can be seen on the vehicle information option. It also gets navigation, which is connected via the BMW Motorrad App. The maps on the application are very limited and it takes time to set up.
Btw, you have to shell out Rs 60,000 more for the console. I found it to be somewhat necessary and practical. Another unique feature here is the rotary-like controller, which lags a bit.
Riding modes include Road, Rain, Enduro and Dynamic. The first option is for your regular riding with standard ABS and traction control. In rain mode, the throttle responses become a bit slower and the ASC is more active. The dynamic mode is the most fun part, where the throttle gets aggressive and suspension becomes stiff. Enduro mode is basically for off-roading, where you can limit the use of ASC, ABS and Traction Control.
It gets Cruise Control as an accessory. Set the speed and keep cruising, but a slight press on the brake will disengage it. However, once set off, it takes some time to switch on again.
Other its and bits include USB charging port, adjustable brake and clutch levers, adjustable foot pegs and the small windscreen.
Should you buy or not?
At a staggering price of Rs 12.20 Lakhs to Rs 14 Lakhs (ex-showroom), the BMW F750 GS is a bit too premium. Since, we have the pro model with accessories, it is priced at the upper end of the range.
I can easily see this bike as a dual-purpose thing – long rides as well as city commuting. The bike is planted to behave well in the city as well as on the highway. Taking the top quality fit and finish, enthusiastic engine and a whole lot of equipment into consideration, it qualifies as a good buy.
