Bike Review | 2025 BMW F 900 XR Crossover

BMW’s F 900 XR blends comfort with handling, strong electronics and easy real-world performance. More approachable than its 1000cc sibling, it still delivers the tech and usability riders want from a modern sport-tourer. Pommie puts it to the test…

The F 900 XR’s upright ergonomics and sharp chassis make it easy to settle into a smooth, confident cornering flow.

I love this style of bike, I never used to, but as I’ve aged and my bones hurt, I’ve found comfort (literally) in riding more sports-touring orientated bikes. Not only do they have a more upright riding position, they also offer great handling and performance – and the BMW F 900 XR is definitely one of those bikes.

The Triple Black edition cuts a lean figure.

The styling finds a balance between wind protection and athleticism.

The F 900 XR is a more compact and manageable bike than its fire-breathing 1000cc inline four-cylinder brother, and far less intimidating. However, this does not mean that the 900 is less of a bike, in fact for the majority of riders the 77kW [105hp] at 8,500rpm is more than enough power and one-up with no heavy luggage, it’s fast and agile and more importantly, it’s a whole load of fun.

“It’s fast and agile and more importantly, it’s a whole load of fun”

Build quality as we’ve come to expect from BMW is great and the level of equipment and components is excellent. You also have the option of a full 70mm of seat height range from as low as 775mm to 845mm, meaning pretty much everyone should be catered for. I found the standard seat to be comfortable, but because of its scalloped shape at the back, it gave me a fixed seating position so I couldn’t sit quite as far back as I would have liked, but I soon adapted and got used to it.

The BMW has a whole host of tech to make your life not only more comfy, but safer too. This includes cornering ABS, adaptive LED headlights, lean sensitive traction control and a function that disables throttle input during an emergency stop, as well as rear electronic adjustable suspension (ESA).

Clear TFT instrumentation and a two-way adjustable screen.

Plenty of adjustability available on the left-hand switchblock.

With a claimed wet weight of 216kg, it’s relatively in terms of crossover terms, and manhandling the XR out of my shed is easy. There’s a keyless ignition, so with the fobbed tucked safely away in my pocket, I press the start button and the XR springs into life.

]I’m greeted to a nice deep burble from the fairly low-slung single exhaust. I do like parallel-twin bikes, they nearly always sound good – having a 270 degree crank no doubt helps with the acoustics – and it also means there’s decent torque on offer of 93Nm [68ft-lb] at 6750rpm.

Plenty of torque on tap — the XR has no trouble lifting the front when you ask it to.

The large 6.5in dash comes alive and is crystal clear, as we’ve come to expect from modern TFT technology, and navigating your way through all the functions is easy, especially if you are in any way used to the BMW system. In fact, even if you’re not, it’s intuitive enough that it’ll become second nature after a few rides.

The XR’s ZF rear shock features electronic damping control.

Adjustable levers and sturdy handguards add comfort and protection.

Almost all of the electronic rider aids that come standard on the F 900 XR are pretty much customisable, from the traction control to the ABS through to the four switchable rider modes (Rain, Road, Dynamic and Dynamic Pro). You can use them as is in their pre-set form or go into the menu and fine tune them to suit your riding style or the conditions.

Check out our other BMW reviews here…

From what I’m told, all Australian-spec F 900 XRs will be fitted with the Dynamic Package as standard, which includes Dynamic ESA, Gear-shift Assistant Pro and Riding Modes Pro 4. The Triple Black edition I had on test was also fitted with the rear electronic damping control, which allowed me to change rear suspension settings depending on what mode I was in and could also be adjusted via a button on the left-hand switchblock.

Wide bars, balanced suspension and a willing parallel twin give the XR a natural, easy cornering feel.

The 43mm front suspension is now fully adjustable, manually, which is an improvement on the previous model, but I left the front suspension on the stock setting throughout my test, as they front end felt spot on for the type of riding I was doing.

Twin front discs with four-piston calipers deliver strong, predictable stopping power backed by cornering ABS.

BMW’s Dynamic ESA adjusts rear damping on the fly, tailoring the XR’s suspension to each ride mode.

Setting off for my first ride on a chilly 5ºC morning, I dialled the heated grips up to their highest setting as I set off up the road. And after my initial couple of swerves up the straight section of road near my house, I could tell instantly that I was going to get along well with the F 900 XR; the bike turned quickly and felt light, no doubt helped by that nice, wide single-piece handlebar.

“The bike turned quickly and felt light, no doubt helped by that nice, wide single-piece handlebar”

I first selected Rain mode, to test it out with the cold tyres and it really softens the throttle response and smooths it out, making for safer riding should you find yourself in particularly poor conditions. I then selected Road mode, which sharpens up the throttle response and the rear shock, before I swung into some heavy traffic to test  its lane-filtering capabilities. Surprisingly good!

Out on the open road, the XR’s blend of comfort, agility and midrange punch really comes into its own.

The mirrors give pretty good vision and only seem to get a bit blurry at higher freeway speeds, the clutch is reasonably light, but of course it’s really only needed starting and stopping due to the excellent up-and-down quick-shifter.

The up-and-down quickshifter makes smooth, clutchless shifts easy, especially under load.

A clean, functional cockpit with BMW’s 6.5-inch TFT, wide bars and well-laid-out switchgear.

Cruising at 110km/h on the freeway, the engine settles on a nice 4200rpm and has ample torque to overtake without the need for any downshifting. The windscreen is height adjustable across two positions, but I kept it on the lower setting which all but eliminated any helmet buffeting, despite being six-foot tall.

“The windscreen is height adjustable across two positions, but I kept it on the lower setting … despite being six-foot tall”

I soon had enough of the freeway. The XR could sit there all day in relative comfort, and with a predicted 270km from its 15.5 litre tank, there’s decent efficiency too. But I’m not one for straight lines, so I peeled off in search of some decent roads.

Strong torque, balanced suspension and an easy riding position make the XR super fun.

When I finally found some corners the F 900 XR came to life, the 105 horses proved perfect for corner carving, where I could actually use all of that power and BMW’s excellent chassis just enhanced the experience. Slip it into Dynamic mode and the fun only gets better as the throttle response becomes more direct and crisp, with the rear shock firming up to cope with the more spirited riding.

The XR’s tidy rear end houses a single-disc brake setup and a neat, low-mounted exhaust.

The right-hand switchblock houses the heated grip control, ride mode selector and kill switch.

It never ceases to amaze me just how quickly you can push thee upright long-legged sport-tourers through corners; there seems to be endless grip and composure and, even though the bike is pretty tall, it still changes direction well and is ultra stable. The brakes are also excellent and in fact my first application took me a bit by surprise by just how little effort is needed at the lever to induce such stopping power.

I think I had more fun on this 900 than I did on the heavier and more powerful S 1000 XR even though it has an extra 65hp to play with. The lighter weight and versatile engine means there’s less concentration required – it really is a lot of fun. Driving out of corners, popping up through the quickshifter, hearing that beautiful exhaust note and being able to rev the engine all the way to the redline is something I really enjoyed.

Point it at the horizon and the XR is happy –smooth, stable and easy to live with.

Not that you really need to be using the gears so much, the midrange of the engine is such that you can be really lazy with your gear changes and leave it in a taller gear and let the torque of the engine do all the work for you, but where’s the fun in that?

“When you look at it like that, its $23,143 asking price represents pretty great value”

I wouldn’t even hesitate to own this bike. If I was in the market for a sports-tourer, the 2025 BMW F 900 XR can basically do everything and in relative comfort. It’s fast without being silly or intimidating, handles really well, is light enough to have some serious fun on when you find a nice twisty road. It’s all-day comfortable, looks fantastic and has all the electronic wizardry to keep you safe while doing so. When you look at it like that, its $23,143 asking price represents pretty great value.