Last week I rode my 2023 KTM Adventure R down to MAX BMW MOTORCYCLES flagship store in New Milford to check out the new BMW F900GS.
My love of the adventure motorcycle started in 2003 with the purchase of my first BMW GS, the following summer I went to Ouray, Colorado and up some of the passes in the San Juan Mountains. I was hooked.
That was when I was a young man of 41 years old. I’ve owned a string of GS Adventures along the way. My last was a 2019 GSA and I got frustrated with the wight so I sold it. I replaced it with a 21 GS which I love but for the more aggressive off road riding I seek it’s still a bit much, especially for a day alone.
I’ve been hard after a smaller lighter bike that would still have the legs and comfort to handle a long ride to the good dirt, in other words back roads from the East Coast to the Rockes, ride a BDR or similar and ride home. Taking the big roads off the list also encourages one to look small. I started with a Husky 501 all set up with a big tank, navigation and all that. Great for a day in Vermont but I figured out fast it would be tough to enjoy for two weeks on the road with that big transit.
When Yamaha introduced the T7 I was interested immediately and I was able to get one of the first sold. It was a very underwhelming bike and the suspension required a full and expensive replacement. Nice bike but it carries most of its weight way up high. Combined with being a very narrow bike down low when dropped in the woods it’s actually harder to pick up than a GS. That day was quite an eye opener as the only reason to switch down from the big GS is to have something easier to self rescue with. The best thing the T7 has going for it is the price, it’s a big step up from a KLR but still a long way from a KTM or BMW.
Sold the Yamaha. Next up the KTM 890.
For me going orange was a bold move. I have been gulping the Bravarian Kool Aid for a long time, so much so I spent a few years as General Manager of a BMW Motorcycle shop. There’s a certain comfort (and bias) that comes with this kind of connection to a marque but the new 890 from KTM looked stunning on paper. I ordered one of the first and booked a KTM 790 for an upcoming trip to Colombia with Ricardo of Epico Moto. I could drop 10,000 words on Epico and how wonderful the tours are, but not here. I liked Colombia with Ricardo so much I’m going back in 2025, if you’d like to join me reach out.
Let’s compare bikes!
| BMW F900GS | KTM 890 Adventure R | |
| Weight * | 482 lbs | 456 |
| Displacement | 889cc | 895cc |
| Horsepower | 105 | 103 |
| Tires F/R | 90/90/21 -150/70/17 | 90/90/21 -150/70/18 |
| Front brake | 305mm disc 2 piston calipers | 320mm disc 4 piston calipers |
| Rear Brake | 265 mm single piston caliper | 260mm disc 2 piston caliper |
| Fuel tank | 3.8 gallons | 5.3 gallons |
| Seat height | 34.2 | 34.6 |
A quick dive into the numbers reveals a few subtle yet big differences, none of which should come as a shock to riders familiar with both marques.
The KTM is lighter and all the differences in suspension, tire size and even fuel capacity all support the idea that KTM’s are essentially street legal dirt bikes and the BMW GS is essentially a street bike that does very well off road to a point, when the subtle differences that makes them so wonderful for a 500 day on pavement becomes not so subtle.
Riding impressions
I had very high hopes for the new F900GS. When Zac, from MAX BMW let me know they had arrived the forecast for the next day (in early March no less!) was perfect so I decided to ride a bike rather than take the cage. Back roads it’s about 70 miles.
I suppose because of my inherent BMW bias I never thought of the 890 as a bike I’d choose over my GS for a 70 mile paved back road ride but alas, my GS was on a truck to Las Vegas and I figured I bought the KTM to ride back roads to the good dirt so what the heck, I’ll ride Orange to a Blue dealer. Plus I if I liked the GS enough I know that they’d take the KTM and a vital organ as trade and I could ride home on my new GS. It can be dangerous to ride a trade to check out a new bike so I made sure I left the title behind.
At this point I have to say I have nothing against my 890, in fact I like it quite a bit. What I was a little frustrated with is what you get when you call a shop that also sells chainsaws and side by sides; it’s hit or miss on every contact which is quite a cold shower after 17 years of being a MAX guy. If the GS fit the bill I thought it might be nice to come home, so to speak.
With all this in mind I left my home for the shop. I don’t think I got 10 miles before I laughed and thought “that GS better be pretty special to get me to pay to switch.”
I arrived at the shop, took one look at the GS and said nope, it won’t work for me, but it will likely work very well for a whole lot of riders.
The biggest single difference between the KTM and BMW is the COG, aka the Center of Gravity. Most riders don’t even think of this unless they’ve been riding a boxer GS for a long time. These riders have been benefiting from a very low COG, the lower the COG the lighter the bike feels. If you’ve ever over loaded a top case or rear rack you know of what I speak, weight low is great, weight high, not so much.
Standing on the pegs is when the low COG becomes most noticeable (and beneficial) and when flicking the bike from side to side on tight, twisty pavement. Being narrow in the tank also helps when standing as well.
Like every BMW I’ve owned the fit and finish on the new GS is stunning and to my eye the fit and finish on the KTM is very close if not the same just different.
The F900 rides like a GS. It feels planted, turns in nicely and works as one would expect. It’s a fine middle weight GS with BMW’s expected emphasis on the S in GS which of course translated still means street and comparing specs will confirm this.
For anyone who rides the big boxer GS hard and is looking for the same kind of fun in a smaller lighter bike I fear you’ll disappointed in the 900. It’s narrow down low and wide up high. Without adding the weight of crash bars the fist part of the bike to make contact with the ground is the beautiful, multi colored plastics surrounding the fuel tank. I wanted to lay it on some grass to see what it would be like picking it up, my fear of scratching it overruled this idea.
The 890 AR on the other hand has an ingenious design that puts the fuel tank way down low while keeping the bike narrow up high and it holds almost 30% more fuel than the GS. In the real world that’s close to 75 miles more range. To get this from the GS you’ll need to carry 9 lbs of gas and its container on your rear rack. The motor is more snappy, power comes on quicker and thanks in part to being a lighter bike with lower COG it just feels much zestier than the GS. I don’t think this can be appreciated without riding both bikes, especially in the woods.
Both bikes benefit from modern electronics. If BMW has an edge here I have yet to find it. BMW does have an advantage here thanks to the auto group but this comes down more to the interface and fancy screen than how it all works on the road or tail. The clutchless shifting on the KTM is less intrusive, hoppy and such than the BMW.
Conclusions
As one might expect both the 890 and the 900 are fine bikes and for riders considering both the choice is going to be simple if you can define what it is you want from the bike.
Essentially KTM’s DNA is dirt bikes and winning races. They make dirt bikes that are good on the street, while BMW excels at making street bikes that are good in the dirt. Additionally the KTM is what i would call a very sharp knife that while it can be abused it needs more care and feeding to stay sharp. Let it get dull and that’s when problems start. KTM provides the information you need to do as much as the necessary maintenance you are comfortable taking on yourself.
The GS on the other hand is a tad more “civilized,” from tire sizes to a much more cushy seat the GS is built for the rider that is looking for a good all around bike that does great on dirt roads, good enough on jeep trails while becoming a handful on anything more aggressive. I think it will be interesting to see how the 900 does in the market as the new 1300 GS boxer is a whole lot more bike, will likely have a lower COG, be easier to pick up and only weighs 41 pounds more.
I enjoyed my ride on the 900 but for what I bought a smaller bike the experience reinforced my thought that the 890 is the unicorn I have been looking for.
Now if I could just convince Max to open a KTM shop.