For a long time, the G 310 GS was the cheapest way into the GS family in India. The F 450 GS replaces it, and it is a different kind of motorcycle. It has a new 420cc parallel twin, and the top variant, the Trophy Edition, also gets the Easy Ride Clutch.
BMW launched the Trophy at ₹5.30 lakh ex-showroom in April. In September, the price went up by ₹30,000, so it now costs ₹5.60 lakh. I have spent some time with it, and I mostly like it. The engine is the one part I am still trying to figure out.
Design
I like the design. It reminds me of the older GS siblings, with the beak, the flyline and the tall stance. The X-shaped headlamp comes from the R 1300 GS, and the Trophy's Racing Blue with red and white accents suits it well.
It also gets you a lot of attention. A lot of people asked me what bike it is, and how much it costs. The answer to that is ₹5.60 lakh ex-showroom.
It looks heavy, but it doesn't feel heavy at all. BMW says the kerb weight is 178 kg, and the bike is very well balanced. I am 183 cm tall, and I was able to flat-foot it on the 845 mm seat.
It is a fairly large motorcycle, though. In traffic, you have to be careful while manoeuvring it in tight spaces.
Easy Ride Clutch
The Trophy gets BMW's Easy Ride Clutch, or ERC. It is a centrifugal clutch that engages after roughly 2,500 to 2,700 rpm, so you can move off and come to a stop without using the clutch lever. You still change gears yourself, and the Trophy also gets a quickshifter.
It takes some time to get used to. The feeling of not using the clutch is a bit uncanny at first. But it works well, and the bike doesn't stall. And if you don't want to leave it to the system, you can take over manual control with the lever at any time.
Suspension
The suspension is really good. The Trophy gets the sport setup, which means a 43 mm KYB upside-down fork with adjustable compression and rebound, and a rear monoshock with travel-dependent damping. Both ends have 180 mm of travel. It is slightly on the stiffer side, and I like it that way. Heavier riders may like it even more.
Engine
The 420cc parallel twin makes 48 hp at 8,750 rpm and 43 Nm at 6,750 rpm. BMW says 80 per cent of that torque is available from 3,000 rpm, and the engine does have great pull. It stays very refined till about 80 to 90 kmph.
Once you start pushing it, you can feel the engine working. I was able to push it past 120 kmph, but it felt a little stressed at that point.
The character is the part I find hard to describe. It is not very refined, even though it is a twin and it carries a BMW badge. But it is also not as characterful or as frantic as the 390 Adventure. It sits somewhere in a strange, boring middle.
BMW has gone with an unusual 135-degree crank on this engine. The idea is to keep vibrations in check and give it a throaty sound, but I would not call the result either refined or exciting.
The saddle is quite nice, for both the rider and the pillion. The brakes are good and bitey, with a 310 mm disc at the front.
What it doesn't get
This is the part I find bizarre. At ₹5.60 lakh ex-showroom, the bike gets a 6.5-inch TFT, riding modes that change the throttle response, and heated grips as standard. But there is no Hill Hold Control and no cruise control.
Without Hill Hold Control, the bike can roll back when you stop on a slope, and there is no parking brake either. Reviewers have also found that leaving the bike in gear on an incline doesn't reliably hold it in place. That feels like an odd gap on a bike that is built to make starting and stopping easier. Cruise control is not offered even as an optional extra, which is a miss on a bike that is meant for long distances.
Verdict
There is a lot to like here. The design, the balance, the suspension, the saddle and the brakes are all good, and the ERC works well once you get used to it.
The engine is where it doesn't quite make up its mind. It pulls well and stays refined in the first half of its range, but it is not as smooth as I would expect from a BMW twin, and it is not as exciting as the 390 Adventure. At ₹5.60 lakh ex-showroom, that is hard to overlook, and the missing Hill Hold Control and cruise control make it harder.
If you want a light, good-looking GS that is comfortable for two, this does the job well. Just know what you are getting with the engine.
Photo Credits: Abhijeet Landge, BMW Motorrad
