BMW’s new F 450 GS promises to bring genuine GS technology and adventure capability into a lighter, more accessible package.
We visited BMW Motorrad Centurion at Bavarian Motorcycles for an early South African preview. The motorcycle wasn’t yet available for us to ride, but we finally had an opportunity to examine it in person, sit on it and decide whether it could fill the considerable gap between the G 310 GS and BMW’s larger adventure motorcycles.
For this edition of The Launch Report, we take our first look at the BMW F 450 GS before its official South African arrival.
Watch the complete preview:
A New Lightweight BMW Adventure Bike
The F 450 GS is BMW’s latest entry into the lightweight adventure-motorcycle segment.
It has been designed to combine everyday usability, touring comfort and off-road capability without the size and weight associated with a full-capacity adventure motorcycle.
Its styling is unmistakably GS.
The angular bodywork, tall stance, compact windscreen and distinctive LED headlight give it a clear family resemblance to BMW’s larger adventure motorcycles. The preview bike’s Racing Blue Metallic paintwork, white frame and GS Trophy graphics made that connection particularly obvious.
This is not intended to be a direct replacement for the G 310 GS.
The F 450 GS is larger, more powerful and considerably more sophisticated. It sits between BMW’s entry-level single-cylinder model and the company’s middleweight adventure range, giving riders another option before making the jump to a larger and heavier motorcycle.
Larger Than We Expected
Seeing the motorcycle in person changed our perception of it.
Photographs make the F 450 GS appear extremely compact, but it felt more substantial when we stood alongside it. It is still a relatively light adventure motorcycle, although it has more physical presence than the G 310 GS.
The difference between the two motorcycles is immediately apparent.
The F 450 GS has a twin-cylinder engine, more advanced electronics, a larger overall structure and a riding position that feels closer to a full-sized adventure bike.
That could make it particularly attractive to riders who find the G 310 GS too small but don’t want the weight, price or performance of something like an F 800 GS.
A Completely New Twin-Cylinder Engine
At the centre of the F 450 GS is a newly developed 420 cc parallel-twin engine.
It produces 35 kW—or approximately 48 hp—at 8,750 rpm and 43 Nm of torque at 6,750 rpm.
Those figures provide substantially more performance than BMW’s 310 cc single-cylinder platform while keeping the motorcycle approachable and manageable.
BMW uses a 135-degree crankpin offset and a balance shaft to give the engine character while reducing unwanted vibration.
We will only know how successful that configuration is once we ride it, but the combination should provide a smoother and more engaging experience than a conventional small-capacity single-cylinder engine.
The motorcycle uses a six-speed gearbox and chain final drive.
178 Kilograms Ready to Ride
BMW claims a ready-to-ride weight of 178 kg.
That makes the F 450 GS considerably lighter than many middleweight adventure motorcycles, although it isn’t an ultra-light enduro machine.
Ben has always been particularly conscious of adventure-bike weight, and the F 450 GS passes one of his most important tests: it remains below 180 kg before adding the rider and luggage.
Lower weight should make it easier to manage in several situations:
- Moving the motorcycle around a garage
- Navigating slow technical trails
- Recovering from a loss of balance
- Riding through sand or loose gravel
- Manoeuvring in congested traffic
- Building confidence as a less experienced rider
The real question is whether the motorcycle feels as light as the specification suggests.
Weight distribution, steering geometry and suspension behaviour all influence how manageable a motorcycle feels. That is something we will only be able to assess during the full road and off-road review.
Power-to-Weight Expectations
With 48 hp and a ready-to-ride weight of 178 kg, the F 450 GS should provide useful performance without becoming intimidating.
It won’t deliver the acceleration or high-speed performance of BMW’s larger adventure motorcycles, but that isn’t the purpose of the platform.
The F 450 GS needs enough power for overtaking, highway use and carrying luggage while remaining controllable on dirt roads and technical terrain.
We expect it to get away from traffic lights comfortably and maintain normal touring speeds without difficulty.
Whether it still feels relaxed when carrying a passenger and luggage will be an important part of our eventual road test.
Claimed Fuel Consumption
BMW claims fuel consumption of approximately 3.8 litres per 100 kilometres.
Combined with its 14-litre fuel tank, that should provide a theoretical range of more than 350 kilometres under ideal conditions.
Real-world consumption will naturally depend on speed, terrain, luggage and riding style.
Nevertheless, efficiency is becoming increasingly important in South Africa. Petrol prices remain high, and adventure riders often travel through areas where fuel stations are separated by considerable distances.
If the F 450 GS can deliver something close to BMW’s claimed figure, it should be economical enough for commuting and capable of useful touring distances between fuel stops.
BMW Easy Ride Clutch
One of the F 450 GS’s most interesting technologies is BMW’s Easy Ride Clutch, or ERC.
The system uses a centrifugal mechanism to engage and disengage the clutch according to engine speed.
This allows the rider to pull away, stop and ride without manually operating the clutch lever during normal use. When combined with Shift Assistant Pro, the rider can also change gears without using the clutch.
Importantly, this does not turn the F 450 GS into an automatic motorcycle.
The rider still selects gears using the conventional gear lever. The system simply manages clutch engagement and reduces the amount of manual clutch work required.
It should also make the motorcycle extremely difficult to stall.
That could be valuable in traffic, during slow off-road riding and for riders who are still developing their clutch control.
The Easy Ride Clutch is fitted as standard to the top-specification GS Trophy.
We are particularly interested in testing how naturally it reacts during technical off-road riding, where experienced riders frequently use the clutch to control power delivery and traction.
Four F 450 GS Variants
BMW offers four versions of the F 450 GS.
BMW F 450 GS Basic
The entry-level model is finished in Cosmic Black and provides the fundamental engine, chassis and standard technology package.
BMW F 450 GS Exclusive
The Exclusive adds equipment including off-road foot pegs, handguards, an engine guard, Riding Modes Pro, Shift Assistant Pro and a clear windscreen.
BMW F 450 GS Sport
The Sport is finished in Racing Red and adds sport suspension with additional adjustment.
BMW F 450 GS Trophy
The GS Trophy sits at the top of the range.
It receives Racing Blue Metallic paintwork, a white frame, white handguards, off-road foot pegs, Riding Modes Pro, Shift Assistant Pro, sport suspension, a tinted rally windscreen, an aluminium engine guard and the Easy Ride Clutch.
The Trophy was the version that appealed to us most during the preview.
Its specification and colour scheme make it look like the complete F 450 GS package, although buyers will naturally pay more for that equipment.
The White Frame Question
Ben’s first reaction was that the motorcycle looked beautiful.
His second reaction concerned the amount of white paint.
The GS Trophy’s white frame looks striking on a showroom floor, but adventure motorcycles don’t remain clean for long. Mud, dust, chain lubricant and boot marks could make maintaining that finish more difficult.
A white frame may therefore require considerably more cleaning than a darker alternative.
This is something we intend to test properly.
Once we receive the motorcycle for a full review, we want to take it away from the showroom, ride it through dirt and find out whether the white frame remains attractive after a genuine adventure.
Cast Wheels Versus Cross-Spoke Wheels
The preview motorcycle was fitted with cast-aluminium wheels.
These should work well for road use, commuting and lighter gravel riding, but riders planning more demanding off-road trips may prefer BMW’s optional cross-spoke wheels.
At the time of our preview, we could not configure the spoke-wheel option on the local website, and its South African price had not been confirmed to us.
We expected the wheel upgrade to add a meaningful amount to the final purchase price.
That cost needs to be considered when comparing the F 450 GS with rivals that include spoked wheels as standard.
The cast wheels may be perfectly suitable for many owners. A significant number of adventure motorcycles spend most of their lives on tar, with only occasional journeys onto maintained gravel roads.
The correct choice will depend on how the buyer genuinely intends to use the motorcycle.
Initial Pricing Expectations
At the time of the preview, the expected entry price was approximately R121,000, while the higher-specification display motorcycle was discussed at roughly R136,000.
These figures should be treated as indicative pricing from the time of filming rather than a current quotation.
Optional cross-spoke wheels, accessories and additional equipment could increase the total considerably.
Even so, the F 450 GS appeared competitively positioned for a BMW carrying this level of technology and equipment.
The final value equation will depend on the exact South African specifications, confirmed retail prices and the cost of the options most adventure riders will want.
Who Is the F 450 GS For?
The F 450 GS could appeal to several different riders.
Newer riders may appreciate its manageable weight, approachable power delivery and electronic rider aids.
Commuters could benefit from its upright riding position, fuel economy and Easy Ride Clutch.
Adventure riders downsizing from larger motorcycles may value the reduced weight without wanting to sacrifice touring comfort or modern technology.
The motorcycle could also appeal to riders progressing from a G 310 GS who want a meaningful upgrade without moving directly to an 800 cc platform.
Its challenge will be satisfying all those riders without becoming too road-focused for serious adventurers or too tall and specialised for everyday users.
What We Still Need to Test
This preview allowed us to examine the motorcycle, but it was not a ride review.
We still need to determine:
- How the engine delivers its power
- Whether 48 hp is sufficient for highway touring
- How the motorcycle handles a passenger and luggage
- Whether the suspension works on broken roads and rough trails
- How manageable 178 kg feels off-road
- Whether the cast wheels limit its adventure ability
- How naturally the Easy Ride Clutch responds
- Whether the white frame remains presentable after riding in mud
- How the F 450 GS compares with its growing list of lightweight adventure rivals
Those answers will have to wait until we receive a homologated South African motorcycle for a proper test.
Final Thoughts
Our first in-person look at the BMW F 450 GS left us impressed.
It is bigger and more substantial than we expected, but still light enough to provide a meaningful alternative to traditional middleweight adventure motorcycles.
The 420 cc twin-cylinder engine, 48 hp output, modern electronics and claimed 178 kg weight create a promising package.
The GS Trophy is the model we would choose based on appearance and specification. Its white frame may require extra cleaning, but its rally-inspired styling and additional equipment make it the most desirable version.
The cast wheels remain our biggest question, particularly for riders who intend to use the motorcycle properly off-road. We need confirmed pricing for the cross-spoke option before judging the overall value.
Most importantly, we now want to ride it.
Looking at a motorcycle in a showroom can tell us about its design, dimensions and perceived quality. It cannot tell us how the engine responds, how the suspension behaves or whether the motorcycle delivers the versatility promised by the GS badge.
We will return when the F 450 GS is officially available in South Africa, get it dirty and find out whether BMW’s new lightweight adventure motorcycle is as capable as it looks.
Watch the complete Launch Report, subscribe to the Torque & Throttle Motorcycle Co YouTube channel, and join us for the full BMW F 450 GS review.
