BMW F 850 GS Adventure 2019 — Specifications

When Munich decides that a mid-range trail bike deserves truly substantial boots, here's what results. The BMW F 850 GS Adventure 2019 doesn't just dress the standard F 850 GS with a more imposing fairing; it changes vocation. Where the base version played the role of a versatile commuter, this Adventure variant demands the keys to an open route, somewhere between Morocco and Mongolia.

The engine is the same 853 cm3 parallel twin as in the standard version, but BMW has refined it compared to the previous F 800 GS Adventure. The result on the BMW F 850 GS Adventure technical specifications speaks of 95 horsepower at 8250 rpm and 92 Nm at 6250 rpm, a significant gain on both axes. The steel tubular frame, stiffer than the previous aluminum, better absorbs the stresses of rough tracks. The 43 mm inverted fork at the front and the central shock absorber with hydraulic preload adjustment at the rear handle the bumps with reassuring competence, even if purists of off-road riding will note that ESA as an option remains the truly good idea for those who often vary the terrain. The 90/90-21 tires at the front and 150/70-R17 at the rear betray a rather road-oriented temperament than pure enduro, which perfectly fits the positioning of the machine.

What truly distinguishes this Adventure from its base little sister is the range. Increasing from 15 to 23 liters of tank radically transforms the usage profile: with consumption measured around 4.1 liters per hundred kilometers, we approach 550 kilometers between stops. This is the kind of argument that makes all the difference on a long-distance BMW F 850 GS Adventure test. The raised and adjustable two-position bubble, the handguards, the widened enduro-style footpegs, the high handlebar, the longer stainless steel luggage rack: every detail tells the same story, that of a motorcycle designed to ride long, loaded, far. The seat height at 875 mm will nevertheless remain a subject of conversation for less privileged builds, and the 244 kg when full requires a firm arm for maneuvering.

In terms of standard-fitted electronics, the equipment includes two riding modes Rain and Road, the ASC traction control and ABS. It's solid but not dazzling. The real BMW options catalog then opens onto the quickshifter, the Pro modes with Enduro and Dynamic, the cornering ABS Pro, the ESA suspension, and a 6.5-inch color TFT screen that manages navigation, music and connectivity. The BMW F 850 GS Adventure rallye version and the Exclusive version differently dress this common base. The BMW F 850 GS Adventure starting price displayed at 13,300 euros quickly climbs with the Comfort, Touring or Dynamic packs, which remains the immutable rule at the Bavarian manufacturer. Faced with a often better equipped KTM 790 Adventure as standard or a lighter and cheaper Yamaha Ténéré 700, the BMW asks to accept the à la carte options logic.

This trail remains restrictable in A2, which gives it a second life as an evolving machine: the beginner starts with 35 kW, then lifts the restriction when the license and experience follow. It is a real commercial asset, even if the informed buyer who arrives directly in license A may find more bite elsewhere in this displacement. The maximum speed of 197 km/h recalls that this Bavarian rough-and-tumble also knows how to hold the highway, and the wheelbase of 1593 mm guarantees reassuring stability at high speed as on the roads. A mid-size trail that plays in the court of the big trails without seeking to imitate them: it is precisely this positioning that makes the interest of the BMW F 850 GS Adventure 2019 test for those who want to travel seriously without spending the price of an R 1250 GS.