Last year, BMW truly shook the world with its F 450 GS concept bike. Since then, it’s made plenty of headlines, and we even brought you the first spy shots of the ADV out in the real world. While that cleared the air about several things, some more details of the upcoming ADV have now come to light. And they are confirmed by none other than BMW project leaders.
The BMW F 450 GS Will Feature An Optional Automatic Transmission
Speaking to MCN, one of BMW’s project leaders has confirmed the F 450 GS will have an optional automatic transmission. This tech will be based on BMW’s Automated Shift Assistant announced last year, which is currently an optional equipment on many flagship bikes like the R 1300 GS and R 1300 GS Adventure. If so, this would make the F 450 GS the first sub-500cc adventure bike with such a transmission.
It makes sense, too, since the baby GS aims to be an adventure-tourer with both highway and off-road abilities. Both applications can benefit from automatic gearboxes, as we’ve seen on bikes like the Honda NC750X and Africa Twin. If that’s too fancy, BMW plans to sell an optional quickshifter and blipper, too. So you’ll have the base bike with a six-speed transmission, with an option to either plonk on a quickshifter or an automatic transmission.
Whatever you pick, it’ll come paired with the new 450cc, parallel-twin engine. BMW claims a peak output of 48 horsepower, thanks to special materials such as magnesium in the mill. Add to that the targeted curb weight of 385 pounds, and these numbers give it the best power-to-weight ratio in the class. How much the weight rises in production trim remains unknown, however.
BMW F 450 GS Engine Specs
|
Capacity |
450cc |
|
Layout |
Parallel-twin |
|
Power |
48 HP |
|
Torque |
NA |
|
Transmission |
Six-speed |
The F 450 GS Will Debut By The End Of 2025
With The Aim To Make The GS Lineup More Accessible
In addition to the details, BMW’s top honcho revealed the production version will break cover by the end of 2025. That means it’ll be part of the company’s MY26 lineup. Once out, the company’s aim with the F 450 GS will be to make the GS experience more accessible. Yes, the G 310 GS has tried to do that, but it didn’t hit the mark for many folks. Here, BMW claims the idea is to take heavy inspiration from the R 1300 GS’ riding dynamics.
BMW Project Manager said:
For some customers, bigger isn’t always better and we wanted to give the option to have the same GS quality and style, in a much smaller package. It’s true that a lot of riders are downsizing, and this is the perfect bike for the job – and we will be releasing the production version at the end of this year. There will be rider modes, the option to have a quickshifter and more, as even though the capacity is small, it will still offer everything that a rider will need to have the best experience on and off-road. In-keeping with the R 1300 GS, we’ll also only be offering it with a 19-inch/17-inch wheel combination too.
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