Same Package, More Value

With the 2022 model, BMW are offering many features, once optional, as standard

- Joshua Varghese 

BE IT AT-SHIRT or a motorcycle, if it has the blue-and white badge and the letters "BMW", one is paying for the heritage along with the product. Being a BMW owner required one to be affluent and that, perhaps, ruled the F 900 XR out for some motorcyclists because for the price back then, the number of features offered as standard were surprisingly low. Of course, this allowed rivals to undercut the F 900 XR but the German manufacturer has levelled the playing field in 2022 by importing motorcycles from their facility in Thailand which has allowed them to revise the pricing and make it competitive, nay, tempting.

Visually, there are no changes at all. Hardly a bad thing because this BMW's sharp design is still as attractive as it was when it was first launched. The sharp lines, large fuel-tank, fairing, and 17-inch wheels are all elements right out of the sport bike handbook but they exist higher off the ground thanks to the long-travel suspension. This contrast is as aesthetically engaging as it is functional and that makes the F 900 XR an interesting prospect from any angle.

In the list of changes for 2022, this motorcycle gets a lot of kit (that was previously optional) as standard and that includes adaptive lights, keyless functions, heated grips, and luggage mounting points.