It’s been a tough few weeks for the BMW F450GS , spending as much time on dirt as on tarmac, and I’m beginning to see what it’s made of: figuratively and in a literal sense too.
Road tester Justin nicked off with it for a week while I was on hols and put nigh-on 1000 miles on it tracing the Trans-European Trail from Calais to Paris and back. The little Beemer performed admirably when on its wheels… and stood up nicely when a bit of cross-rutting saw Justin take a tumble at 25mph or so.
A scuff on the right flank, a slight bend in both brake levers and a broken mirror mount were all that happened: the rear brake pedal arm is steel, so that bent straight again without issue, and the mirror mount was expertly, invisibly repaired with chemical metal, for now… maybe some folding mirrors are needed.
The parts needed for an as-new are not expensive, though they are on back order until September. I’d hoped to have the bike equipped with BMW’s own accessory crash bars from the off for this reason – I intend to use it like this. I’ll be looking for aftermarket options.
Back in my hands on UK soil, it’s been off-road again, this time with me for the first time. Honestly, hopes were low: it’s small of wheel and short of suspension compared to other options. Yet, during a day roaming Norfolk’s sandy/rocky/dusty green lane network, I had few issues. Deep sand is near-on impossible to navigate well: it’s too sketchy, and whether it’s the front Conti TKC80 Mk2’s tread or just the tyre profile, it seems to float and push across the surface of the sand rather than try to cut in and grip.
But the firm suspension manages what travel is there well: I didn’t bottom out often, or catastrophically. Even the undercarriage didn’t clout the deck hard. I think the stumpy wheelbase and firm suspension help keep it riding high.
Finally: an ERC (Easy Ride Clutch) report. It still isn’t bothering me (the trails I rode lacked slow, technical spots), but it came back from France engaging at higher rpm: before, it began driving from 2000rpm with full bite at 3000rpm, but it does it all close on the 3000rpm mark now. I’ll be keeping a watching eye on it.
The handguards deflect foliage (or cold winds), and the pliable plastic has withstood both Justin’s medium-speed slide and my own 4mph topple in the sand. Simply pull them back straight. The matt plastic does collect grime, though – and chlorophyll as you bushwhack along overgrown green lanes.
Content Lead - Chris is a former editor of Performance Bikes and Practical Sportsbikes magazines, with two decades of professional writing/riding experience, and now heads up MCN’s road testing department. He has road tested everything from 50cc Vespas (in fetching pink) to world championship race bikes via diesel bikes, hand-change vintage machines and more… Chris’ own bikes tend to be on the sportier side, though his current Ducati 996 shares garage space with a 1972 Mobylette 50V (don’t ask), and there’s always at least one project on the go – currently, his tools are busy with a 1979 Laverda Mirage 1200 garden-find undergoing full restoration. He has also raced a variety of machinery at club level, and when he can get a pass-out from fatherly duties, he likes a road trip. Completing the North Coast 500 on a Honda Grom ranks as a personal favourite.