I’m a huge fan of the middleweight segment, be it for naked bikes, adventure bikes, and sport-touring bikes. And BMW’s been offering quite an impressive lineup of middleweight models under its F 900 series, with three to be specific: the F 900 R, F 900 XR, and the newly released F 900 GS.
More on the latter, later, as Executive Editor just came back from the Vegas desert having put it through its paces and jumped it.
Now, over in France, BMW has made its two F 900 road-going models a bit more special by launching Sport Editions of the F900 R naked sportbike and F 900 XR sport-tourer. These two models have been part of BMW’s stable for quite some time now, and serve as mid-tier offerings in their respective categories.
So, what makes these bikes so special?
Well, for starters, they’re about the closest thing you can get to an M-badged middleweight duo. As you know, BMW recently launched the M 1000 R and M 1000 XR—top-tier offerings in the naked and sport-touring segments, respectively. And so the F 900 R and XR Sport Editions mirror these bikes’ styling to a tee, as they’re draped in M-inspired liveries.
Even better still, if you opt for the Pro package, you get an SC-Project exhaust system to go with your sporty livery, too.
Performance-wise, not much is different between the standard models and these fancy-looking Sport Editions. They’re both powered by BMW’s 895cc parallel-twin engine which is being produced by Chinese manufacturer Loncin.
BMW claims about 105 ponies from its middleweight engine, which is just about right when compared to the competition.
So, how much will you have to pay for these Sport Edition models? Well, the F 900 R Sport Edition carries a price tag of 11,950 euros, or about $12,878 USD, while the F 900 XR retails for 14,350 euros, or around $15,464 USD.
It’s pretty cool that BMW has given its middleweight bikes the M treatment, despite most of it being cosmetic. It makes the brand’s hyped up M livery more accessible to riders who don’t really need neck-breaking levels of performance. It’s just a shame that these models are exclusive to the French market.
But hey, if we ask nicely, maybe BMW will release the F 900 R and XR Sport Edition in other markets, too. Please, BMW, bring them...everywhere?
