BMW

BMW F 450 GS production model leaked in design registrations 

By Ben Purvis

When BMW showed its F 450 GS parallel twin adventure bike concept last year there was never much doubt that a production version would follow - and that machine has now appeared ahead of its official unveiling in design registration images.

It's an important machine for BMW, plugging the gap between the single-cylinder G 310 GS and the F800GS and slotting directly into a red-hot market segment for machines in the 300-500 cc bracket. Customers who want the BMW brand and the GS style but don't feel the need for the big R 1300 GS or even the smaller F 900 GS or F 800 GS might well be tempted by this 450 cc model, which also hits the spot for A2 licence holders thanks to a 48 hp output.

The original 2024 concept hasn't made the transition to production spec without changes. This showroom version adopts a more road-oriented style, retaining the same 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel sizes of the concept, but swapping the show bike's wire wheels for cast alloys. As with other GS models, there's scope for a future 'Adventure' version that comes closer to the look of the original concept.

The engine is the same as the show bike's, an all-new 450 cc parallel twin which is due to make 48 hp to meet A2 class rules, and the chassis and suspension also appear to be unchanged, with upside-down forks, a radial four-pot front brake caliper and a tubular steel frame. BMW claimed a weight of 175 kg for the concept version, and there's little reason to believe the production model will be substantially heavier.

Although both the initial concept and the design images seen here have a conventional clutch and gear shift, it is likely that the F450 will be the second platform in BMW's range to get the Automated Shift Assistant semi-auto transmission option.