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Life with my BMW F900 GS Adventure: 5000 km up & few road trips done

8th May 2025, 20:30 by Deepankar Sadekar

As expected from a BMW and a bike in this segment, the quality levels are top notch.

BHPian swami.n recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Presenting Tamil Nadu's First delivered BMW F900 GS Adventure.

A childhood dream to own and ride a big bike is finally a reality

(Thanks to my wife for supporting the decision, without whom this would not have been possible).

This thread has been sitting in the Assembly line for a while now and the odo is already close to 6000km in the 3 months. Finally made some time to get this thread up. This is going to be quite big set of posts when the thread goes live.

Introduction

My fascination for motorcycles began at a very young age when my Uncle(Dad's elder brother) used to make me sit on the tank of his Ind-Suzuki AX100 when I was 4 or 5 yrs old. The very first motorcycle I ever sat on(Dad did not have a geared motorcycle). Have been a Suzuki fan since then. My personal motorcycle journey started with Suzuki as well, from learning to ride in my other uncle's Max 100 and then got license riding his Suzuki Fiero when he upgraded from Max 100.

My First Motorcycle

RE Thunderbird 350 AVL

After getting the license to ride, used to go to college in my Dad's old TVS 50 which was few years older than me. Was constantly asking parents to get me a Suzuki Fiero when I was in Under Grad(UG) but financial position meant, I completed UG with the same TVS 50. Lots if fond memories with the moped, unfortunately no photos of it:-(

When I was in PG and finally parents could afford to get me a motorcycle, the Suzuki Fiero had become TVS and Fiero F2, FX etc. Kind of made me reluctant as it was no longer a Suzuki.

My cousin sister's home had an RE showroom opposite and that was the first time I got to see RE Thunderbird back in 2005. From thinking I will never be able to manage the usual bullets, to wow this bike looks good and also manageable for me, ended up with my first ever motorcycle in August of 2005. The thunderbird remains close to heart till date and will be completing two decades in August 2025. Through the years, it has been absolutely reliable and never let me stranded on any of the trips. Did the first rebore in 2021 with odo around the 1.2lac mark. It had its fair share of typical old RE niggles like oil leak, vibrations, needing a specific mechanic to work on etc.

TVS Flame 125

As the years passed and the RE always needing a specific expert set of hands to keep the same level of satisfaction, and change of office location meant, needing to drop the bike for service over a weekend and having to pick it up only next weekend. The usage was high and service every 3 months meant, that routine was getting a little tiring. So the thought of having a 2nd spare bike which doesn't need a specific expert mechanic and can do the commute with regular service propped up. In 2012, ended up buying a pre-owned low run TVS flame 125 of a colleague who was moving abroad. The spare bike idea was more of a reason to get the Flame with twin spark plugs which I liked since launch. A good bike which became a failure as it was blocked for sometime due to case with Bajaj over twin spark :-)

Suzuki Gixxer 155

Couple of years of juggling between the Flame and Thunderbird, the news of Suzuki launching the Gixxer 155 pulled the heart strings of a childhood Suzuki fan. The Heat and Zeus from Suzuki previously and also the brilliant GS150R did not pull the heart strings as much as the Gixxer did. The launch news and then the reviews of the bike, where every review was singing praises increased the urge to get it. Sold the Flame and bought a Gixxer 155 in Feb 2015.

Gixxer Delivery day pic

Couple of months later, office location moved closer from 80+km daily to 20 odd km daily. For many years, the idea of long trips on motorcycle was a distant dream, as I was already riding 80+km daily and weekends were spent resting. This change of daily commute kind of rekindled the desire to go on longer rides. The refinement of the Suzuki meant, it was the preferred choice more and more be it daily ride or longer ones. As the longer riding became more and more frequent, the need for more power and torque started kicking in. End of 2019/early 2020 I was almost fixed on getting the Interceptor, but fortunately or unfortunately the Covid Lockdown came and threw all the plans haywire. There was no clear picture for a long time on how things are going to turn out eventually. In the mid of 2021, decided against getting a new Interceptor for over 3lac and thought I will get something else for a lower budget for next few years before deciding on a good upgrade few years later as things evolve. Loved the Inty engine, but felt it needed a lot of changes to make it a comfortable touring bike which would rob its looks.

Suzuki Inazuma

And that is how I got a pre-owned Inazuma for a good deal. The Zuma was always a favorite since it was launched in 2013/14but did not have the budget that time. Got the bike from Delhi and did the registration transfer and got the TN plates. Since then, it has been a wonderful machine and taken me on so many trips.

After getting the Zuma and the increase in the frequency of longer trips meant, I was already fixed on an upgrade in few years. In 2022, I started an investment fund for the next bike upgrade in 2025. I was clear, I need a multi cylinder after getting used to the refinement of the twin. Also decided it has to be an ADV which has a comfortable riding position and plush suspension. The humble Zuma despite having a puny 250cc engine, has one of the best in segment suspension. So comfort was a big factor in the next upgrade.

The target was vaguely set to get a new Vstorm 650, because we never know what will happen in 3yrs in the biking arena. But in 2023, news of Suzuki bringing the 800 and the 650 may no longer be available, meant the target was shifted to the then upcoming Vstorm 800.
When things were going as planned and the target for 2025 was on track, came a bolt from the blue, where a good friend and fellow BHPian @rahulkool after testing many many bikes, bought the F850 GSA around Apr 2024. Now he kind of set the cat among the pigeons :-)

All the plans went haywire with the entry of the GSA and the midlife crisis discussions around the bike purchase and our age and physical ability of managing a big bike as we age. Now I was seriously considering getting the Vstorm 800 in 2024 itself. Budget updated from 11lac to 14-15lac.

The Contenders...

Vstorm 800:

Despite me being a childhood Suzuki fan, Suzuki kind of killed the dream by not having tubeless spokes on the 800 while the 650 had it :-(
Other negative, not having Sales or Service of Suzuki big bikes in entire TN. I would have still overlooked if it had tubeless spokes. Having cruise control would have been a good option for a bike in that segment but not a deal breaker like tubeless.

(Pic from Team BHP thread)

Transalp 750:

Honda too had the same deal breaker of not having tubeless spokes. But they atleast have Bigwing showrooms in Chennai. The option of fitting the Africa Twin tubeless wheels on the Transalp was there but it did not have the value if that cost of over a lac is added to the price.

(Pic from Team BHP thread)

Tiger 900:

The top spec Tiger 900 was well over 21lac. So it was way over my planned budget of 14-15lac.
Also the Triumph somehow has not connected with me so far and so was not part of my initial plan either. But when the BMW came into the equation and when the Tiger was also in the contest, the BMW felt better brand value and also the GS felt lot more bang for the buck. Got to admit, design wise the Tiger 900 looks better proportioned than the huge GSA.
The fully loaded Tiger 900 was a few lacs over the 850GSA on road. It has heated seats which the GSA misses out, but doesn't have the electric suspension or keyless or luggage rack standard.
Nothing against the Tiger though, just that it was neither a Jap nor a BMW :-)
Same reason why I did not consider the Multistrada.

(Pic from Team BHP thread)

F850 GSA:

The R1250 GSA has always been a dream machine. Always dreamt of owning the big GS but somehow BMW has always been a distant dream as I never imagined I would be able to afford till the 850 came into the equation.

In comparison to the above two Japs and the Tiger, the F850 GSA was a lot more value for the money we pay. I never imagined I would use the term value for money with a BMW :-)

(Pic from Google)

The Ex Showroom price of the two Japs was around 10-11lac and the fully loaded 850GSA was around 13.75lac. For the 3lac+ difference, the BMW comes loaded with almost everything that technology can offer in the segment. Tubeless spokes, engine guard, bash plate, luggage rack, Fog lamps, center stand all standard(which can be added to the Japs at an extra cost). Some of the stuff which we may not be able to add as accessories are, a bigger engine with more power, keyless, CC, semiactive suspension, a massive 23lts usable fuel capacity before reserve. All this more than justified the price difference and a big factor of the BMW badge to add to the Value quotient. Also the pleasant sales experience at Chennai Motorrad made the choice even more compelling.

Did an extensive Test Ride of the 850 GSA in June or July and loved the bike. Kudos to Kun Motorrad for enabling the same. They gave the bike with a full tank and did not put any restrictions on the distance I wanted to test. I did around 125 to 150km ride around multiple conditions. It was a brilliant overall package. Huge tank, terrific refinement, FE, brilliant suspension and lot of features for the wow factor.

Test Ride bike.

But I did not go for the 850 because, a fund I had planned for the down-payment was maturing in Oct-Nov 2024. I did not want to break it early. Also, globally the 850 was already stopped and the 900 had been launched late last year. So the India launch of the 900 was barely few months away which could be more closer to the fund maturity time.

F900 GS Adventure:

The eventual choice. When I decided to skip the 850 and wait for the 900, I had looked at the specs internationally and kind of calculated roughly the price increase it is going to have over the 850 and fixed a threshold limit. Made the booking on Independence day. I was told mine was the first booking and mine would be the first bike to be delivered in Chennai.

Over the 850, the 900 has a slightly bigger bore, higher compression ratio, so 10bhp and 1nm more. Additionally it gets Forged pistons and a fully adjustable Front Suspension. Safety wise, the 900 comes with a full metal bash plate from the factory while the 850 had a part metal and past plastic unit. Considering these changes, I had decided if the 900 GSA is 1-1.5lac over the 850, it is a good value. If difference gets lot more, then I decided to look at last unsold units of 850 or preowned options. And when the prices were announced, difference was exactly 1lac for the triple black and 1.25lac for the White Aluminum Metallic shade that I opted for.

In the 850 I liked the triple black shade over the kalamata matte, but in the 900 we(my wife & I) loved the white. The triple black in 900 does not have the nice GS stickering on the tank like it had on the 850.

Booking and Buying Experience:

Got a call from Motorrad on 14th of August 2024 regarding the imminent launch of the 900 GS & GSA and the official bookings to be opened in a couple of days.

Paid the booking advance on the Independence day. I was told mine is the first booking in their dealership for the 900. They promised mine would be the first delivered 900 GSA in TN and they kept their word. Delivery could have been a few weeks earlier but for the RTO delay.

The anxious wait for the bike started from 15th Aug and finally ended on 17th November :-)

Checked the bike on the day of official Launch.

The official launch of the 900 happened on 18th October but due to the RTO delays the bike could not be registered till almost mid of November.

When I signed the RTO forms after making the payment

First time seeing my bike before registration.

After making the payment, the insurance was done and the bike was finally sent for registration on 12th November 2024. I had requested for the bike to be sent to RTO on a flatbed and Motorrad helped with the same with the cost paid by me. Initially I was not too keen on flatbed and dint mind them riding it to RTO, but couple of friends suggested to take the option, so that the bike would be with single digit on odo during delivery.

Luckily, I did take the advise and it was heavy rain on that day. Flatbed ensured the bike did not need to go through the rain and slush before delivery.

Parents said 13th Wednesday, 15th Friday or 17th Sunday are auspicious days to take delivery of the bike. Had received the registration number on 12th evening but the HSRP plates were expected to be ready by 14th only. I did not want to take the bike without plates and also 13th had a heavy rain prediction. Friday had some work commitments so requested Motorrad for a Sunday delivery. Initially they said they wanted to have the camera team for their delivery video as this would be the first 900 delivered, but the camera team may not be available on Sunday. Then they did sort things out and confirmed Sunday delivery is possible.

Below are some pics during delivery day.

Thanks to Srini from Chennai Motorrad for the wonderful experience.

Delivered with 2km on Odo and full tank of fuel. Nice gesture from Motorrad. The first time I had to go to a fuel station was after 500 kms after delivery.

Big Shoutout to fellow BHPian friends who made this day very special.

Special thanks to two friends with a 310GS and a 1300GS who rode all the way from Bengaluru just for this.

After delivery, took the bike to the Bodyguard Muneeswaran temple for the blessings and we did a dinner ride to Alankar Restaurant at Rantagiri near Vellore to send off the Bengaluru folks. The 850 of Rahulkool gave company for the 900 through the day.

The GS Crew at Alankar

Ended day 1 with 250 on the odo. Quite an exciting day.

Accessories:

Though the GSA comes fully loaded, I had planned for some basic accessories during the waiting period and some of them were delivered before the bike and some after getting the bike.

Chigee AIO-5 Play for BMW:

(Pic from Chigee website)

The bike comes with the BMW Nav preparation cradle and there is an official accessory mobile mount which plugs into the cradle and provides fast charging with cable and wireless. That was little over 20k. My current mobile phone is old and have no problems mounting on the handlebar on a normal mount as it does not have any high end lens. But when I eventually upgrade, I did not want to end up mounting the phone. Thus end up carrying another phone.

Was evaluating the Carplay/Android Auto options for motorcycle and many international reviews were positive with the Chigee. And them having a model specific to BMW which is just plug and play without needing any wiring and also compatibility to integrate and use with the wonder wheel meant the little premium felt worth investing.

Having their own sales network in India meant warranty and service if needed also we have a local option. Received it couple of weeks ahead of actual bike delivery and was able to install it on delivery day and take the delivery with Chigee mounted.

The screen resolution, touch sensitivity with or without gloves and the overall UI experience is very impressive.

Default Screen

Connected to Android Auto

Front Number Plate Holder:

BMW only delivers the bike with a rear number plate and sticker for the front as the bike does not come with a number plate holder for front.
I have faced instances where Chennai traffic police fine motorcycles without front license plate.

I ordered the bracket from a person in Pune from whom Rahul had got for this 850. It has longer replacement bolts for the windshield holder and fits perfectly for the 900 as well.

This was delivered just few days before bike delivery and got it installed before leaving the showroom. The finish and powder coating was good and the replacement bolts were SS to avoid rusting.

Wunderlich Protection:

Had ordered the tank protection bars and the axle protection sliders for front and rear from Bikenbiker. The stock had arrived in their Chennai store right ahead of delivery and got them installed couple of days after delivery.

The finish is very good matching the stock engine protection.

The tank protection and the axle sliders in below pics.

Motea Rear Tyre Hugger:

The tail section gets pretty dirty in the bike as it had no tyre hugger. Rahul had got this same model from a German brand Motea for his 850 GSA some months back. I could see the amount of difference this made and had decided I would get the same as well. This was a direct fit to the 900 GSA too. Pretty sturdy and good fit and finish levels.

The full set in the packing

The aluminum finish part is the BMW OEM part for which Motea provides a replacement which has the collar to fit the hugger holder integrated. Had to grind a small portion in the axle slider to match the groove in this new Motea replacement part. The same was done for the 850 as well.

Rear view

Side View

A very useful accessory IMO.

Givi Accessories:

Givi Monokey Pannier Adapter for BMW

As I already had a pair of Givi trekker Monokey panniers, I decided to get the the Givi adapters(PL5112) that fits to the stock GSA pannier rack and makes it compatible to mount the Monokey panniers.

Givi Tank Bag:

Wanted a small tank bag which could hold essentials like mobile, wallet, shades etc. The Givi ST602B was ideal size for my requirement.

Got these ordered from Riders Junction.

Very good finish and quality levels as expected from Givi.

Has a cutout for placing mobile if needed.

Sits quite well on the bike. Also visible is the Prospec windshield extender which I had on the Inazuma and moved it to the BMW.

Another very useful accessory IMO.

Givi Monokey Top Box:

I had already purchased a Givi TRK 52lt top box pre-owned during the time I was waiting for the bike delivery. This box came with the Givi M7 plastic base plate from the seller. Unfortunately this was not compatible with the BMW top rack.

The Givi aluminum plate for BMW costs a whopping 18-19k and would make the M7 plastic plate redundant. Tried alternate option below 5k, the Givi universal base plate E251 sourced from a friend for trial but it could only fit at a slight offset. Hence decided to get a metal adapter plate custom fabricated which fixes to the top rack and can hold the M7 plate.

BHPian Vignesh who recently got an R3 and his friend, helped to fabricate this custom plate and we got it plated to get as close to BMW rack color as possible. The outcome was very good and costed just about 3k for the entire job. Cost saved with an added satisfaction of getting involved in the fabrication.

Got this installed at home myself and below are some pics of the DIY.
Used SS bolts and nylock nuts for the entire setup.

Plate fabricated and fine sand blasted and then plated. The friend suggested this to be a better option than powder coating it black to avoid rusting in the longer run.

Shaped exactly to fit under the base plate.

Cut an old tube from cycle tyre and placed between the rack and the plate where metal to metal contact is possible. Planning to get nylon washers/spacers and replace the rubber tube at a later point of time.