Dealer Demo Ride: "If you break it, you buy it!"

[Lightcycle]

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Took my 1250GS in for some warranty work, and while I was waiting, the sales manager threw the keys for a 2024 F900GS at me, "take it out for a spin, let me know what you think".

Cool!

Not sure if I was allowed to take the bike off the pavement or not, but better to beg forgiveness than ask permission, right?

The F900GS is the latest iteration of BMW's "mid-weight" Adventure bike. I've had a storied history with the F-series bikes, starting with a single-cylinder F650CS way back in 2004, then the F650GS twin and its next version F700GS.

All of those GS bikes were the street-oriented version - 19" cast front wheels, limited suspension travel and clearance. With the introduction of the F650 twins, BMW put out a parallel GS model (pun kind of intended) which was more off-road focused: 21" wire-spoked front, taller suspension and higher clearance. This was the original F800GS and it was a game-changer when it first debuted in 2008. Significantly lighter than the flagship R1200GS, it made sense as a true 50/50 off-road/travel machine and the sales figures reflected it.

In 2018, when it came time to refresh the F800GS, BMW opted to increase displacement and named the new version the F850GS. However, with the slight bump in power, came a disproportional increase in wet weight. The F850GS now came in dangerously close to the R1200GS on the scales. The market reacted strongly to this, and sales of the F850GS tanked. Not only were people shunning the porker, competitors saw an opening created by BMW's dropping of the ball and new mid-weight kings emerged, like the KTM 790 Adventure R and Yamaha's Tenere 700, lighter and more off-road focused. They ate BMW's lunch and spit the bones in their face.

Fast forward to the F900GS, brand new for 2024. Taking it off the side-stand, I noticed it was significantly lighter than the outgoing F850GS. Good news already.

Although its 105 horses were comparable to its competitors, and exactly the same as the 890 Adventure R, the torque curve is very broad and there's good, useable power at the bottom of the rev range - exactly what you want in an off-road machine. More good news! Contrast this to the 890 engine, which we also own, where the low-end torque suffers a little.

Handling was good, BMW opted to put decent shoes underneath the 900GS - Metzeler Karoo 4s, and long-travel suspension soaked up rocks and bumps, and the lighter weight made it easier to handle in tight turns. I didn't take it to any gnarly enduro-type trails or single-track, so no data on that.

Not a big fan of the colour - it's called Sao Paolo Yellow. It's the same colour as some of BMW's performance cars as well, namely the M4.

I spent a total of three hours out on the backroads and FSRs. I enjoyed the sound of the Akra pipe when you got on the throttle. Surprisingly this exhaust is a standard option.

My overall impression of the F900GS is that this is BMW's playing catch-up. I don't think it's better than the 890 Adventure R, nor the Ducati Desert X, but it does hold its own and if you're dead-set on a BMW version of the mid-weight ADV bike, you can't go wrong with the 900GS. The engine is a standout with its low-end and broad powerband. Otherwise, the KTM under-slung fuel tank remains the absolute pinnacle of low-centre of gravity, off-road handling. No other ADV comes close to that design when it comes to delivering a nimble, bike that belies its not-insignificant curb weight.

I brought the bike back to the dealership, muddy and dirty, like a proper ADV bike should look. The sales manager grimaced as I handed the keys back. "Oh I didn't know you were going to take it off-road!"

I shrugged and asked, "So, do you mind if I take out an R1300GS next...?"

Long pause, looks at the dirty 900 - "Fine, but if you break it, you have to buy it"

 

[Lightcycle]

It was pretty late in the day, when I returned the F900, so I returned back the next day to try out the R1300GS.

The sales manager saw me dressed in dirt-bike gear and he didn't seem very happy. Begrudgingly handing over the keys, he gently reminded me, "if you break it, you buy it". Waited for me to nod my understanding and released the keys to me.

Would you let a guy dressed like this take a $30,000 motorcycle out on a demo ride?

It's not secret that I'm a huge fan of the flagship R*GS bike. I've had some version of the big GS in my garage for 20 years.

Not a fanboy though. I can sit down for a good afternoon and tell you all of the things that are wrong with the bike. The largest issue I have with the outgoing R1250GS is the weight. Like all flagship models, BMW has jam packed the bike with every device and doodad imaginable, and the latest R1300GS doesn't buck the trend - radar-controlled cruise control, automatic ride height adjustment... stuff that I will never, ever use and just adds more weight to the bike.

The common retort to my complaints is, "the bike is not intended for off-road use". This despite all the marketing showing the GS drifting side-ways in dirt. The reality is that the vast majority of R*GS bikes never stray off the pavement.

This was aptly demonstrated by the demo bike I was taking out. It was specced exactly like a potential R1300GS owner would want, optioned to the gills with all the 'tronix, shod with very street-oriented Anakee Adventure 90/10 tires.

So, what *do* I like about the R-bikes?

I love the boxer engine. I love the low-end grunt, the predictability of the power curve. A lot of people complain about the characterlessness of the engine, but I find it's perfect for off-road, the flat-twin is mounted so low in the frame makes such a heavy bike feel so much lighter. I also think the telelever front suspension is another great feature off-road. No fork dive makes for better handling, and although it doesn't provide as much feedback as telescopic forks, on dirt + the fact that Euro 5 rules state that you can't defeat front ABS, this kind of makes it a moot point.

The sales guy tells me, "You're going to really feel the difference between your 1250 and the 1300, it's 25 lbs lighter!"

Lies. All lies.

25 lbs off a 550 lb motorcycle is only a 4.5% reduction in weight. I couldn't feel any difference at all.

BMW cheats a little on the weight "reduction", because it's measured without any options, plus they took away 1L of fuel capacity for the R1300GS. If I were to weigh this bike the way it's optioned out, I am going to go out on a limb and say that this bike weighs *exactly* the same as mine. Boo!

Power is bumped from 135hp to 145hp. I spent most of the time off-road, so I didn't really feel much except maybe I could spin up the rear easily at lower revs? Maybe? I dunno. On the road, it would probably make more of a difference.

I'm very familiar with the controls as this is just the next iteration of my current ride, so I spent a bit of time customizing the Enduro Pro mode the way I like it: full throttle, no rear ABS, no traction control, off-road suspension on the ESA. This, so I could get a like-for-like comparison.

The bike does feel smaller in every dimension. Shorter wheelbase, which should theoretically help in turns, but I didn't feel that much difference. My buddy who was riding with me said it looked more proportional to my elven-like stature. I no longer looked like a mouse on top of an elephant.

I told him to F-off.

IMO, despite it's extensive redesign, the R1300GS is a very incremental, evolutionary increase from the outgoing version. At least in the dirt.

I absolutely hated the automatic ride-height adjustment. It lowers the bike by 30mm when you slow down for a stop light, and raises it when you go above 50 km/h. Similar to the Harley-Davidson Pan America. I found it very disconcerting when you're not expecting it, and I fully expect this system to be one of the first things to break, especially if you off-road the bike. I'm not the target demographic for this feature, so I'd definitely option my bike out without this.

The last few years, I've fine-tuned what I like about off-road ADV bikes, and one option I would definitely get on my next big GS is the sports suspension. More of an off-road suspension, it gives you 20mm of extra travel. My wife's Norden 901 Expedition has this extra travel and it feels wonderfully plush in the bumpy stuff.

I spent a good long day on the R1300GS and returned it just as dirty as the F900GS. The sales guy checked the condition of the bike top-to-bottom with a microscope and satisfied that I hadn't caused any permanent damage that couldn't be fixed with a hose and a sponge, invited me to try out anything else I wanted to.

I love the relationship I have with the local dealers that they know me well enough just to walk in, grab a key and ride a bike anytime I want. It's like having a huge garage stocked with brand new bikes all the time.

So would I replace my R1250GS with a R1300GS?

Nah, I like it, but I'd probably wait another iteration or two for more noticeable changes in performance before I upgrade. I kept my original R1200GS for 12 years, will probably not trade in the 1250 for quite a while longer.

I rode down to the next dealership to see what else I could test-ride...

 

[mimico_polak]

1. How much did the dealer pay you for that great review?
2. How was the R1300GS?
3. Did you break it? buy it? or both?
4. Was it a new salesman since they didn't know about your baller card?

 

[Lightcycle]

1. How much did the dealer pay you for that great review?
2. How was the R1300GS?
3. Did you break it? buy it? or both?
4. Was it a new salesman since they didn't know about your baller card?

1. Haha, if only. Was it a great review though? It was an okay bike, I'd still recommend a 890 for the best 50/50 ADV.

2. See above. Liked it. Not enough to trade in my 1250.

3. Didn't break it, but the sales guys *DO NOT* like when you take these bikes off-road. I get it, they still need to be in saleable condition after its demo usage, but if it the marketing literature shows the bike going off-road, they should expect it, shouldn't they?

4. Honestly, I don't consider myself a baller. I just like all kinds of riding - on-road, off-road, short day trips, long-distance touring. I like having the right tool for the right job and if that means having a specific bike for each kind of riding, then I'll do my research thoroughly, get what I feel is the best bike for the job and keep that bike for a long time instead of constantly trading in bikes before the first break-in service and getting hosed in the process.

Form a $ per km perspective, I'm probably one of the most frugal motorcycle owners out there...

But different (four) strokes for different folks.

 

[Lightcycle]

I've never ridden a Tenere 700 before.

I see them out on the trails all the time. In a sea of orange, plastic bikes, they stand out as the most popular alternative to the 890s and 690s that are so plentiful.

I don't really pay attention to reviews from the motorcycle media. Every bike they review is always "AWESOME!", "Best ever!" A positive review is the only way they guarantee to keep getting motorcycles from manufacturers to test ride.

But when so many riders out in the real world vote with their wallets and buy and take the Tenere 700 out on the trails, they can't all be wrong, right?

They local Yamaha dealer is a multi-line dealership that also sells Ducati. I get my Hyper serviced there and I've been engaged with the sales staff in very long, protracted talks about picking up a Desert X.

I asked to take out the Tenere 700. I hoped that they didn't talk to the BMW dealer, because I intended to take this bike off-road as well... And also this is the only T7 they had in stock.

Getting on the bike, I got my first big surprise. Holy heck, this bike is super-light! I'm gonna have so much fun on this!

The second thing I noticed was a distinct lack of gadgetry and buttons on the left-hand switch console. No Nintendo D-Pad controller, no plethora of up-down, toggle switches. Just the standard, high/low beam, turn signal and horn switches. Kinda like... a street-legal enduro...

There are no ride modes on this thing. There is an ABS off button that can disable rear or front/rear ABS. I think this is new for 2024, previous year models had to pull fuses to disable the ABS.

Next thing I noticed when I pulled away - really bad driveline lash. Kinda like... my enduro... It took a few minutes to get my clutch hand used to smoothing out the throttle, but this is not a big thing. Just underscored how dirtbike-ish the T7 is compared to other mid-weight Adventure bikes.

Out on the gravel, I get the A-Ha moment. This thing should not be compared to the 890, Desert-X, F900GS, etc.

It's only pumping out 72 hp, much less than the standard ~100 ponies that all the mid-weight ADV bikes are pushing. But it's almost 50 lbs lighter. That puts it into another category, IMO. It's halfway between a KTM 690 and an 890, better road manners than the big single-cylinder thumpers, better off-road than the heavier 890 twin.

Very nimble bike!

Despite a respectable 16L of fuel - larger than the F900GS - somehow it's much more thirstier despite the engine being down on cubes.
I put on about 150 kms off road and went from 75% fuel to lighting up the low fuel warning light. Granted, this was a heavy-throttle-handed 150 kms, but I did a quick Google search and most people are saying they get 250-300 kms to a tank. That's not a lot.

No bad things to say about the T7. Oh wait, there's a minor complaint: the stock exhaust sounds terrible. Off the gas when the exhaust note takes over from the engine noise, it literally sounds like a wet fart. It does not sound good and is begging for an aftermarket alternative.

But I totally understand why it's so popular in the real world. Out of the bikes I've recently tested, this is *by far* the one I'd take off-road and enjoy the most. I could easily picture taking this on gnarlier, tighter tracks that the other bikes would suffer on.

I returned the bike at the end of the day with an empty gas tank and a big smile on the face.

The sales woman who lent me the bike did not have the same smile when she saw how dirty the bike was.

Although I took the Ducati Desert X out on a demo ride late last season, it was only a road ride, and I wanted to test it out on the dirt. This was now looking pretty unlikely. Still I booked it for the next day and the later on that evening, the sales woman called me up and asked if I planned on taking the DDX off-road.

"Maybe?" I responded.

She said the guys in the back had a really hard time getting the T7 cleaned up again after my test ride and requested that I keep the Ducati on pavement.

Hmmm... I may have to wash the bike myself before I return it...

 

[Lightcycle]

*sigh* The Ducati Desert X...

I have been in love with this bike ever since the concept version came out in 2019.

Concept version unveiled at EICMA 2019

Originally based on the Scrambler 1100 air-cooled platform, the production version eventually utilized the liquid-cooled V2 937cc engine which the Monster, Multistrada, Panigale and Hypermotard are also based on.

I am *very* familiar with this engine, and when I took it out for a road ride at the end of last season, it was kind of anti-climactic. No surprises, it felt like my Hyper, but with a different ADV rider geometry. It felt so good on the road, I didn't believe it would make a good off-road machine.

When I picked up the bike for the test ride, the sales lady confirmed with me, "So you're not taking this one off-road, right?"

I replied, "I will bring it back in exactly the same condition as it's in, right now..."

Tons of riding modes on this thing, six in total I believe. Kinda overkill, because you can customize each mode in terms of power, abs, traction control, wheelie control, engine slip control (electronic slipper clutch), quick shifter u/d, etc.

I only ever use two modes: off-road and on-road. So I spent a few minutes confirming that the default Sport and Rally modes were what I wanted - full power, no ABS, no TC, no wheelie control, yes to engine slip control, yes to quick shifter. Very customizable. Very cool.

Last time I rode this bike, I had written this off as probably not good off-road.

Wow. How wrong could I have been?

Immediately, with only a modicum of throttle input, the rear broke traction so easily, and I was fishtailing the back wheel like a windshield wiper, kicking up so much loose stone and dirt that my buddy riding behind me on his GSA dropped waaay back out of the ensuing roost.

Holy hell, this bike is soooo fun and easy to control with the throttle!

I didn't spend enough time to pin down exactly what made this bike so lively. 50/50 weight distribution? Longer wheelbase? I suspect it's the V-twin power that gives so much torque down low that you don't have to spool the engine up to get the rear moving underneath you. Whatever the case, the bike responds well to body movement: move your bum back a little to gain more rear wheel traction, hump the tank a little and you can very easily (and predictably) steer the rear with the throttle. Loads of feedback! I was surprised that the bike felt so intuitively easy to handle right off the bat.

Very pleasantly surprised.

The stability and tracking of this bike is exceptional, most likely due to it's longer wheelbase than the average ADV. I'm curious how it would do in the tighter, gnarlier stuff.

The Quickshifter is as good as the KTMs, which is the best I've ever tried. Very smooth in every gear and RPM.

It has the problem that most ADV bikes have, in that the centre of mass is very high up and you feel it when you take it off the sidestand. Still, not bad for a 21L tank - the largest of all the bike I have tested. Not a deal-breaker by any stretch.

I admit, most of my lust for this bikes is the looks. It has that rally-like silhouette that's gotten very popular in the last few years, moving away from the Angry Bird beak design of the BMW GS. I think it's the sexiest ADV bike on the market, and I'm glad that it has the off-road chops to match.

Is it better than the king, the 890 Adventure R? I don't think so. But it is a better road bike and it does look better.

And I still want one.

The only issue is that there is considerable overlap with my R1250GS. They're very similar bikes in terms of where I'd ride them and what I'd do on them, so it's not feasible right now to have two of the same kind of motorcycle.

I did promise to return the bike in the same condition as I took it out

Didn't get too dirty, but in the interests of remaining in good standing with the sales staff (and future test rides), I did give it a good wash.

I must be the only person ever to take a demo bike home to clean it...

The sales lady scrutinized the bike when I returned it.

"Hey, is this bike cleaner than when we lent it out to you this morning?!?"
"Um... Maybe...?"

LOL.

As I was gushing about the DDX, she saw her opening: "Then maybe this will interest you, then:"

2024 Ducati Desert X Rally

The hotted up version of the DDX: top-shelf 48mm Kayaba closed cartridge forks and rear suspension with 20mm more travel suspension, Excel wheels, carbon fibre skid plate...

le sigh...

I replied, "Yeah, I saw that. I was trying to avoid eye contact. Because $30K..."

 

[shanekingsley]

You should totally write bike reviews!
Those were great to read and you are a lucky guy.

 

[sburns]

Wow $293 "vehicle processing" A fee to take your money, insane.

Good reviews. How many bikes do you have now?

 

[Wingboy]

Have you given any more thought to trials? There's a lot of them for sale out west.

 

[nobbie48]

Back to the break it part.

I was at a GM dealership and saw guy on a test drive hit a guy backing out of a parking spot. It wasn't going to buff out of either car.

1) A parking lot crash is an insurance wasteland.

2) If the dealer goes through insurance does a brand new car get carfaxed?

3) Can the dealer actually push for the test pilot to take responsibility?

 

[Jay Alexander]

Back to the break it part.

I was at a GM dealership and saw guy on a test drive hit a guy backing out of a parking spot. It wasn't going to buff out of either car.

1) A parking lot crash is an insurance wasteland.

2) If the dealer goes through insurance does a brand new car get carfaxed?

3) Can the dealer actually push for the test pilot to take responsibility?

1) An accident in a parking lot still follows standard fault-determination rules of any other accident in Ontario.
2) Technically, if there's a claim on a vehicle it should be included in that vehicle's history.
3) Yes, they could I guess. But dealerships have their own special type of commercial insurance, similar to garages. It really depends on the rules of demo rides, and the dealer's insurance. I'm not an expert on commercial insurance.

 

[nobbie48]

1) An accident in a parking lot still follows standard fault-determination rules of any other accident in Ontario.
2) Technically, if there's a claim on a vehicle it should be included in that vehicle's history.
3) Yes, they could I guess. But dealerships have their own special type of commercial insurance, similar to garages. It really depends on the rules of demo rides, and the dealer's insurance. I'm not an expert on commercial insurance.

IMO Parking lot drivers could teach drunks a few things about ignorance.

I thought that with a few exceptions parking lot rules were "Pay your own bit". HTA not generally involved.

With the exception of genuine premeditated fraud, collisions are rarely profitable.

 

[Lightcycle]

How many bikes do you have now?

I have three bikes. My wife also has three.

But ever since she got her Norden, she never rides her sport-touring bike, so she gave it to me. So I guess I have four bikes now.

I like having the option of taking a "sportier" ride out once in a while, but we moved out here to ride off-road specifically. So I'm toying around with trading in the sport-touring bike for another ADV. Or two trials bikes. Or a couple of snow bikes. Or a supermoto...

Speaking of, this one just came into the dealer recently. Also on my Lust List:

But too much overlap with the big Hypermotard. If they come out with a 450 supermoto then *that* would warrant serious consideration.

 

[Lightcycle]

Have you given any more thought to trials? There's a lot of them for sale out west.

Ya, electric trials. Along with several other hare-brained schemes.

Big dreams. Small garage...

 

[Lightcycle]

3) Can the dealer actually push for the test pilot to take responsibility?

Depends on the dealer.

I've lived here for about four years and I've learned how small town business works. At another smaller dealership, the second bike we bought from them, the owner told me that a personal cheque was fine. I was flabbergasted. I took out a bank draft anyway, and put it in an envelope. When we went in to pick up the bike, I handed the envelope over. The owner never even opened it as we rode off with a brand new bike.

Most business here is done mainly on reputation, along with a firm handshake and looking the other guy straight in the eye. Everyone knows each other. People talk. If you screw someone over, nobody in town will ever give you the benefit of the doubt, and it's a pit that's difficult to climb out of. Conversely, if you consistently show you're a stand-up guy, opportunities flow faster than water because business becomes so much easier and faster when you can quickly move past trust issues.

The BMW/Honda dealership I deal with is a huge outfit. They have insurance that they can push fixes on their demo fleet through. However, off-road use is not covered. I have a pretty good relationship with the sales manager there. At the beginning of every season, he loans several bikes to our school for marketing purposes. All that he asks is if they get banged up, we fix them up before we return them at the end of the year. Right now, we're the only riding school in town. It's a very sweet deal for both companies.

Anyway, when I returned the F900GS back from my dirt ride, he told me that if I had pranged the bike, he would have asked me to fix it on my own dime. Then he gave me the keys to a $30K R1300GS, knowing I'd take that out off-road as well. He said he trusted that I would make things right if anything happened.

Small town business.

I like it a lot.

 

[bigpoppa]

Next on the list....tuareg 660

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