It’s October and BMW has already expanded its 450 line-up with a new F 450 R sport-naked, expected to take the erstwhile G310R’s place. The motorcycle shares its platform with the F 450 GS, launched in India in April this year. First up, we have the third-generation KTM 390 Duke R which continues to hold onto its position as the dominant name in the performance 400cc segment; Bajaj had spawned a downsized 349cc KTM 390 Duke to make sure it remains dominant in sales charts as well. Then we have the Kawasaki Ninja 500, technically a sportbike but its relaxed ergonomics and performance figures make it comparable to the F 450 R. Lastly, we have the recently updated Aprilia Tuono 457 Special Edition that brought better ergonomics and comfort. If you’re considering any one of these, here’s how they stack up to each other.
Disclaimer: At the time of writing, BMW hasn’t launched the F 450 R in India, nor have the prices been revealed. We’ll update that section once it’s available.
BMW F 450 R vs Rivals: Engine and output
BMW has the upperhand in peak power and torque
Starting with the engines, the BMW has the second smallest engine of the lot, despite which it pulls ahead with the most power and the second highest peak torque of the lot – the Aprilia makes the most, with a marginal advantage of 0.5Nm. The KTM holds its own as the only single-cylinder bike here, while also displacing notably less.
Another notable similarity between two of the twins and the KTM is that they share near identical power-to-weight ratios, despite the KTM’s engine displacing the least of the lot. We’re familiar with the Aprilia and the KTM’s real world riding experience - superbly engaging to ride - and we look forward to finding out how the BMW fares against them.
BMW F 450 R vs Rivals: Dimensions and weight
Duke offers the best balance
With the details we’re able to see on their respective websites, it’s the KTM that offers the best balance of all factors. It has the largest fuel tank as well as the highest ground clearance and lowest kerb weight. Its seat height isn’t the lowest, but neither is it too tall that it becomes an area of concern for most. KTM does not report wheelbase numbers on the Indian website, but from experience we know it to be just enough to be agile as well as stable. If you’re looking for the most accessible motorcycle of the bunch, that is the Ninja 500, but it comes with the lowest ground clearance number too.
BMW F 450 R vs Rivals: Tyres, brakes and suspension
Duke offers the best equipment on paper
All four motorcycles share the same size tyres at the front and rear, and radial tyres as standard. Kawasaki doesn’t share the rear disc size for India, but with the reported numbers, it’s the KTM that has the largest brakes at both ends. The 390 Duke R is known for having strong brakes, aided by its radial, four-piston caliper system; a system that’s also shared by the Tuono 457 Special Edition and the brand-new BMW. However, the F 450 R touts a Brembo front caliper with a 10mm smaller rotor, so the real world braking performance remains to be determined. The Kawasaki is the only motorcycle with a right side up (RSU) telescopic fork. The Japanese manufacturer does not specify the rear disc diameter on the Indian website, nor has it mentioned if it has dual-channel ABS, like the international-spec bike.
Where the KTM and the BMW have an advantage is adjustability. KTM offers compression and rebound damping adjustability as standard; as does the BMW on all but the base variant of the F 450 R. At the rear, both offer adjustable preload and rebound damping as standard. The Aprilia offers standard preload adjustability at the front and rear, which leaves the Kawasaki with the least amount of adjustability for its suspension setup. Its rear preload is the only thing the user can adjust.
BMW F 450 R vs Rivals: Features
BMW’s variants make feature-spread tricky!
Only the BMW has variants in this list and that makes the features on offer a bit tricky. As standard, the F 450 R offers all-LED lighting, traction control, dual-channel ABS that’s lean-sensitive, ride-by-wire, three ride modes (Rain, Ride, and Dynamic), a slip-and-assist clutch, preload and rebound adjustable rear suspension and heated grips. From the second Exclusive variant, you get a bi-directional quickshifter and rebound and compression adjustable front suspension as standard. With the ‘M Sport’ variant you get an additional Dynamic Pro ride mode that’s fully customisable for engine braking, traction, and engine drag torque. The top variant, ‘M Sport with Innovation package’ adds ERC (Easy Ride Clutch) that allows for the vehicle to be operated without engaging the clutch.
The other three motorcycles only have one variant each and the Aprilia and KTM match almost all the features of the BMW. Neither has an equivalent for the ERC, but other features like ride modes, ABS, traction control, and the bi-directional quickshifter are matched by both; though the Tuono reserves the quickshifter as an additional accessory. 390 Duke R offers it as standard, matches the F 450 R’s cornering ABS, and goes two steps further and offers cruise control and launch control as standard too. The Ninja 500 offers the smallest set of features here, with ABS, an LCD screen (versus TFT on the other three, BMW has the largest), and a slip-and-assist clutch. The Kawasaki does not have ride modes or advanced ABS; nor does it get a quickshifter or any control systems.
BMW F 450 R vs Rivals: Price
BMW does not have a price yet
BMW hasn’t revealed the prices for the F 450 R for any market. For context, the F 450 GS, BMW’s adventure tourer based on the same platform, now starts at Rs 4.95 lakh and goes up to Rs 5.60 lakh. Thus, it’s reasonable to expect the F 450 R to slot in at a lower rung, price-wise.
As things stand, the Kawasaki Ninja 500 is the most expensive motorcycle on this list, followed by the Aprilia Tuono 457 at a farther distance. The KTM 390 Duke R is currently the most affordable one of the lot, and despite being the only single-cylinder motorcycle here, has plenty to offer and arguably offers the best value for your money.
Vishal Venugopal
Ved Janve
