SPIED: BMW Is Making A New Sport Tourer

BMW Motorrad has been caught testing a new sport tourer that looks a lot like its current S1000XR but uses the parallel-twin from the F850 GS.

Spy shots show a brand new BMW sport touring motorcycle that looks like the perfect fit for people looking for a fast enough machine that doesn’t threaten to point skywards at the slightest hint of throttle. The new motorcycle does not look exactly like a laidback tourer, but it won’t break the bank as the S1000XR does.

The test mule seen in the spy shots uses BMW’s new (kind of) 853cc parallel-twin currently doing duty on board the new F850 GS and F750 GS adventure motorcycles. While the engine makes 94hp aboard the ADV twins, BMW will eke out more horses from the mill to suit the new bike’s sport-touring role. 17-inch alloy wheels also replace the bigger spoked wheels on the F850 GS. Shorter-travel suspension will take the seat height lower, making the bike more manageable.

Now if you are thinking you have seen this bike somewhere before but can’t place it, let us do the honours. The test bike looks a lot like the Concept 9Cento BMW Motorrad had unveiled earlier in the year. Edgar Heinrich, head of design at BMW at the time, had this to say about the 9Cento: “It doesn’t always have to be about ‘bolder, bigger, brighter’. We’ve created a bike that combines the appropriate power with reliable sports touring properties and above all, lots of riding fun.”

To make it more palatable and street-legal, BMW has dropped the super-short tail section for a pillion-friendly rear seat and panniers that look like they can swallow a lot more than just a weekend’s worth of luggage. The tiny windcreen is also gone in favour of a bigger, touring-friendly piece shrouding BMW’s latest full-colour TFT dash. If the company were to bestow the tourer with the F850 GS’s tech and components, then we are looking at cornering ABS, traction control, cruise control, quickshifter and blipper, heated grips, LED lighting, and Dynamic ESA (Electronic Stability Assist). Such options are seen more on the higher-end super-tourers.

It looks like BMW Motorrad is targeting the Yamaha Tracer 900GT with the new motorcycle, so it will probably carry a price tag around the $12,000 mark. Are you as excited as I am for BMW’s relatively more affordable sport tourer then?

Spy Shots Credit: MCN