The F 450 GS’s greatest triumph is that it manages to feel premium and special in a way that its 310cc predecessor never did. This bike is smaller (and a lot more affordable!) than imported BMW big bikes, but there are now clear connections to them, even though it is fully manufactured by TVS in India.
F 450 GS Design and Quality
Its well made and is instantly recognisable as a GS
The first connection is established the moment you spot the motorcycle, and that’s down to the strong visual influence it takes from the bigger R 1300 GS. This is a long, sleek and handsome ADV design, especially in this colour scheme that is exclusive to the Trophy variant that we got to ride. It may not have the same presence as a 390 Adventure from some angles in terms of sheer size, but it never looks unflatteringly small either. More importantly, the bike looks and feels substantial from the rider’s point of view.
Special mention must also go to the quality and finish levels all over. This feels like an expensive bike, not just in the way everything is put together but also in the quality of material finishes all over. The only complaint I had was that my pants seemed to have scraped tiny bits of the fuel tank stickers off where the knee meets the fuel tank. If you’re a tall rider it's worth protecting this area with some PPF when the bike is brand new.
F 450 GS Features
Mostly very well equipped, but the feature spread across the variants could be better
BMW made a great decision to offer a large bluetooth-compatible 6.5-inch TFT display as standard, especially since it is exactly like what you’ll find in the company’s big bike range. The same applies for the rotary jog dial and the rest of the switchgear - if you’re familiar with BMW big bikes, this will feel just like home.
All the electronic safety features come as standard as well, including lean sensitive ABS, traction control, dynamic brake control (deactivates the throttle under heavy braking), and motor slip regulation. You also get three riding modes (Rain Road and Enduro) as standard on all three variants, while the top two get an additional customisable Enduro Pro mode.
Strangely enough, heated grips are standard, but there’s no cruise control. There are also no grab handles or luggage rack even on the top variant and you’ll have to buy that as an optional accessory. The bi-directional Quickshifter is also reserved for only the top two variants, and if you want the adjustable Sport suspension, then you must go for the top Trophy variant. But if you do so, then you must take the unique Easy Ride Clutch that is standard on the Trophy. More customisability in terms of features in each variant would have been nice.
F 450 GS Engine and clutch
The engine and clutch are both unique designs on a production bike
BMW took a different approach with the GS’ powertrain. The 135 degree crankpin offset is unique and so is the Easy Ride Clutch. The former sounds and feels somewhere in between a 270 degree parallel twin and a 180 degree unit that you’ll find in Japanese bikes. It lacks the exciting bassy depth and volume of Aprilia’s lovely 457 engine, and this motor takes a more subtle approach to the way it sounds.
What you will surely appreciate is the superbly smooth and balanced power delivery with a solid and consistent torque spread from as low as 3000rpm. It's a great match for this bike even though it probably won’t make you fall in love at first blip.
There are noticeable vibrations at certain points in the rev range, but they always felt controlled enough that they didn’t become bothersome. Even at highway speeds, my memory tells me that these vibes are less intrusive than on the GS’ single cylinder rivals. A 100kph cruise comes in at 5,500rpm in 6th and the bike settles at 120kph at about 6,000rpm. The engine feels quite unstressed at this point and the vibes only seem to get strong above 8,000rpm. Nevertheless, we only had a few hours with the bike, so more time will be required to provide a conclusive word on vibrations and touring abilities.
Under normal circumstances, the engine would be the talking point here, but it's actually the Easy Ride Clutch. This is essentially a centrifugal clutch that connects the motor to the six speed gearbox. Think of it as an automatic clutch system because you still have to change gears yourself, but the bike takes care of all the clutch work.
The great part of this is that you can come to a standstill without having to pull in the clutch. To pull away, just open the throttle and the clutch will engage once the engine hits 2700rpm. Your sole responsibility is to ensure that the bike is in the right gear at all times. After all, this is a mechanical system and it will attempt to work no matter the gear you’re in. Too much abuse will burn the clutch out and the TFT will flash a warning at you to shift to a lower gear when necessary. It will also warn you if the clutch is getting too hot although we never got this warning on the lightly trafficked Goan roads we were on.
The advantages of this system in jammed city traffic are fabulous and it can also be helpful off-road because it is impossible to stall the engine. However, there is a significant downside in that the bike can roll backwards even when it is in gear and even when the engine is turned off. This means you must be careful when parking on uneven surfaces. Moreover, you can find yourself in a tricky situation if you’re on a steep off-road climb and come to a halt half way up. A scooter-style parking brake would have addressed the former concern and hill hold would have helped in the second scenario, but this bike offers neither feature.
I’m keen to try the manual clutch version because the low rpm engine response on this bike is a little more dull and mellow than I was expecting and I think that is down to the ERC.
F 450 GS Comfort, handling and off road
It’s a comfortable all rounder that can be fun on and off the road, but to a point
BMW has taken many steps towards making this bike as light as possible, including using magnesium alloy for the clutch and alternator covers, which helps keep the engine below 46 kilos. At 178kg, the 450 GS is lighter than all its rivals and it packs the best power to weight ratio in the sub 500cc ADV category.
On the move, it feels as delightfully light and nimble as you would expect and this is a responsive, effortless handler as far as ADVs go. That being said, it's not as easy and accessible as some would expect and that’s because of the 845mm seat height. In person, it feels taller than the number suggests thanks to a wide seat and 5’6” tall riders will find themselves on tip toes. BMW will sell an optional lower seat that reduces that number to 830mm, but we didn’t get to try it.
If you can manage the seat height, you’ll find this to be a comfy riding position that's open, spacious and in line with what a capable adv should feel like. The suspension tune reminds me of the Apache RTX which has similar diameter and travel specs, but it does feel a little firmer here. The 450 can still eat through all manner of bad road surfaces, but it's definitely not as plush and isolating as a Himalayan, and you will get more feedback coming off the road surface.
The upside, along with the light weight should be a fun handling character, but we didn’t get to test this. Braking performance is well dialed, with a good mix of power and feedback from the front on-road, although I did find that the rear was a little easy to lock off-road and could do with more modulation.
180mm of suspension travel along with a 19-inch front and alloy wheels don’t sound particularly exciting for off-road riding, but the little GS does better than you’d expect. The standing ergos give you a good connection to the motorcycle even if there’s quite a bit of lean to the bars. The suspension soaks in bumps and landings quite well and it's only when you hit unexpected bumps at high speeds that you feel the fork bottom out. Until then, the engine’s smooth and meaty mid range, as well as the light and balanced feel make it a fun play thing off-road and there’s a usable 220mm of ground clearance as well.
I would prefer the control of a manual clutch for off-road riding and some more time to evaluate how the bike responds to suspension adjustments as well as how the Maxxis tyres react to lower air pressures, but that will have to wait for another time, Until then, I can confirm that the mini GS definitely puts a smile on your face with a good balance of road and off-road capabilities.
F 450 GS Price and Conclusion
It has genuine appeal and is priced reasonably well
I liked the GS, but didn’t immediately fall in love with it. That’s not necessarily a bad thing because some bikes that are love at first ride can become tiring to live with over time, while others that don’t instantly blow you away can end up building a solid bond over time. I believe that this bike has real potential to be the second type.
There are some drawbacks like the tall seat, and the ERC clutch won't be for everyone, but the 450 GS otherwise promises to be a capable and enjoyable all-rounder. And let’s not forget that it will offer owners the kind of bragging rights that none of its rivals can dream of matching.
Introductory prices are Rs 4.70 lakh for the base model, Rs 4.90 lakh for the Exclusive and 5.30 for the Trophy and these prices are reasonable. Be aware that aftersales costs will be high, although the company is trying to alleviate this by factoring in three years of service support if you pay a slightly higher monthly EMI when taking a loan from BMW Finance.
All things considered, this is an affordable way to get into the exclusive world of BMW, and it's a bike that finally feels like it belongs there.
Dinshaw Magol
Azaman Chothia
Ved Janve
