BMW F 900 R, F 900 XR to launch in India on May 21

BMW Motorrad India has announced that the F 900 R and the F 900 XR motorcycles will be launched in the country on May 21st. The company is working on strengthening its middleweight range in the country and launch of the new motorcycles is the part of the same plan.

For starters, the BMW F 900 R is a naked roadster while the F 900 XR is a sport touring motorcycle. Both the motorcycles have been built on the same engine as well as platform, while on the outside both feature a totally different design along with distinctive riding dynamics.

Since BMW Motorrad India currently lacks a proper middleweight naked roadster in India, the F 900 R could very well serve the purpose in this class. It would be a direct rival to the likes of the KTM 790 Duke, Kawasaki Z900, Triumph Street Triple S and the Ducati Monster 821.

At the heart of the BMW F 900 R sits a 895 cc parallel-twin engine with a maximum power output of 105 PS at 8,500 rpm and 92 Nm at 6,500 rpm. The engine comes hooked to a 6-speed transmission. This is the same unit that's found on the F 900 XR. For the record, this engine is a bored out version of the 853 cc parallel-twin which sits inside BMW F 750 GS and the BMW F 850 GS. The unit features two balancer shafts in order to keep the vibration level low.

Both the BMW F 900 R and BMW F 900 XR also share similar cycle parts as well. At the front-end, the bikes feature 43 mm gold-finished upside down forks with 135 mm travel, while the rear-end comes suspended on a hydraulically adjustable monoshock with 170 mm travel.

Currently, there is no direct rival to the BMW F 900 XR in India.