BMW has always had a bit of fun with the naming system for its mid-capacity ADV bikes. In previous generations, you would imagine that the F 650 GS, F 700 GS, and F 800 GS used differently-sized engines, but in reality, they all ran the same 800cc parallel-twin motor in increasing states of tune. The Germans keep the confusion going with their latest generation F 750 GS you see here and its off-road focused sibling, the F 850 GS — both use the same, newly-developed 853cc parallel-twin. But there is much more to separate these two machines than just the name.
For starters, the F 750 GS does qualify as the smaller sibling. Where the 850 is all gung-ho about smashing through off-road trails with its big 21-inch front wheel and miles of suspension travel, the 750 is more focused on the road. Suspension travel is far reduced from the 850 GS, down from 230mm to 151mm at the front, and from 215mm to 157mm at the rear. With its 19-inch front wheel, the 750 feels much lower than its sibling. In fact, the 815mm seat height makes it one of the most short-rider friendly, full-size ADVs out there. The chassis and bodywork (including the rather small 15-litre fuel tank) are roughly the same though, so the 750 is still a proper large ADV. It’s just easier to get your feet down on this one.
This creates a world of a difference in terms of the confidence most riders will find. The 850 GS is a tall beast and anyone short of 6 feet tall will not like the 860mm seat height. On the 750, I just swung a leg over and headed into traffic without a second thought. Fresh memories of the 850 flooded back, right from the crisp response of the ride-by-wire throttle to hearing the deep, almost V-twin-like rumble from the engine, thanks to its 270-degree firing order. In traffic, the engine felt almost the same, despite the fact that BMW has sliced a full 13hp off the top, reducing the total to 77hp. The reason it isn’t so noticeable in town is because peak torque is down by only 3Nm. This detune is purely via ECU mapping and the engine internals are identical.
The sense of familiarity is also strong because you are touching and feeling the same surfaces. The top-quality switchgear remains, including the cool iDrive-like rotary dial on the left grip, which, admittedly, isn’t the most intuitive system to use. We are riding the higher-end Pro model, so it gets a full-LED headlamp, an electronically adjustable rear shock, two additional riding modes (Dynamic and Enduro over the standard Road and Rain) and an up/down quickshifter. Just like the 850, the clever rear shock can be easily set up for comfort or sportiness, and preload can also be quickly adapted in case you’re carrying a pillion or luggage. Also like the 850, the quick shifter is a bit hard and clunky at city speeds.
Even though this GS prefers tarmac, it can handle a fair bit of goofing around off-road, as the images will confirm. The suspension absorbs landings with composure and its abilities are more than enough to handle anything our roads can throw at it. But if you’re the type who hunts for off-road trails for the fun of it, you definitely want the 850, or better still, a Triumph Tiger 800 XCx.
On a twisting road, this BMW is quite easily the best-handling mid-size ADV, short of the sporty Ducati Multistrada 950. I had no issues with the simpler fork (no upside-down fork here), and the slightly sharper steering angle (by one degree) works with the smaller front wheel to quicken the steering. As a result, the 750 GS has a secure and planted front end with more feel than the 850, and a whole lot more than the comparable Tiger 800 XRx as well. It also has a generous lean angle on offer, another perk over the Tiger XRx that digs its pegs into the tarmac frustratingly early. The brakes, which feel a bit too sharp off-road, are just right on tarmac, and if you are in the mood, the GS will comfortably gnaw at the heels of a sports bike on a ribbon of flowing blacktop. The only difference is that you ride back home in upright comfort, without a care for the potholes you’ll inevitably meet.
It’s when you’re hammering up a winding road, or pulling a fast overtake on the highway that you feel the 750’s drop in power over its bigger sibling. I’m in agreement with all the other changes BMW has made to the 750, but the drop in power leaves me feeling short-changed.
Nevertheless, this is not a slow bike by any means. A 135kph cruise is comfortable. However, if fast highway hauls are your thing, you won’t like the 750’s tiny windscreen; it does manage to reduce windblast to the point that you’re not fighting the air, but it is far from calm behind this screen. Aside from the windscreen, missing engine belly pan, alloy wheels and different paint schemes, there isn’t much else to tell the two GS siblings apart.
Between the two, the 750 is the GS I enjoyed more and it’s also the smarter one too. Prices start at ₹11.95 lakh (ex-showroom, India) for the standard F 750 GS, but it’s the ₹13.4 lakh F 750 GS Pro version you want. In typical BMW fashion, there are accessories to consider too, so make that ₹14 lakh if you also want the optional TFT display and add in a further ₹10,000 for the Austin Yellow paint scheme. That still makes it about ₹1.2 lakh cheaper than a similarly specced F 850 GS. If only they hadn’t hobbled the top end.
