BMW Motorrad has updated the F 900 XR and R to include a few tweaks and updates for 2025, with hopes it’ll land well in the upper-middleweight touring segment – a corner of the market that is seriously congested with some incredible motorcycles.

We fly out to Almeria, Spain, for a two day riding event, day 1 solely focusing on the two updates for the 895cc-powered F 900 range: the F 900 XR and F 900 R.

Let’s dive into what’s new for the 2025 update, what it’s like to ride on extraordinary roads, and if it’s as good as it looks.

As the 895cc parallel-twin motor is shared with the F 900 R (and the F 900 GS), it complies with the same Euro 5+ emissions standards and has the same 105 bhp and 93 Nm of torque on offer. What else is new?

• New upside-down fully adjustable telescopic forks – adjustable damping, rebound, and compression damping with spring preload.
• Now standard-fit Dynamic Tracion Control (DTC), ABS Pro, Dynamic Brake Control (DBC).
• Headlight Pro as standard (adaptive headlight and daytime running light).
• Optimised aerodynamics for the front end, particularly the one-hand adjust screen to reduce helmet noise (more on that later…).
• Hand protectors are standard, as is a new USB-C charging point on the right side of the cockpit.
• New wheels are 1.8 kg lighter, reducing the unsprung weight. Also a 0.8 kg lighter new battery. Total weight for the F 900 XR is 216 kg.
• New slimmer rear end, integrated indicators and brake lights.

The listed price for the base model BMW F 900 XR in 2025 is now £10,890, with the model as ridden on the day priced at £13,740. Models should be available in dealers now, and colour options are red (standard), Triple Black (+£220), and Sport (+£360, as seen in the photos).

The model we rode on the day included, with optional extras including: Dynamic Pack (£830) with Riding Mode Pro, Gearshift Assist Pro, and the Dynamic ESA (Electronic Suspension) on the rear. Comfort Package (£835) with keyless ignition, cruise control, left & right pannier fastenings, GPS mounting point, and a higher windscreen). We also had the anti-theft alarm, centre stand, and SOS emergency call extras.

Voila, £13,740. This is then the full-spec tourer, minus panniers - which from BMW Motorrad are listed at £844 for hard cases, and £771 for soft cases. Considering the overall top spec and fully adjustable suspension (plus the rear being electronic with he add-on Dynamic ESA) it's a great option on paper – though an eternal rival, and point of comparison for most, will be the Yamaha Tracer 9 GT at £14,350 – and that comes with panniers.

Euro 5+ emissions regulations are met, and it’s the same 895cc parallel-twin motor with 105 bhp at 8500 rpm and 93 Nm at 6750 rpm, and the same as the F 900 R I also rode on the day, with 4 valves per cylinder and DOHC.

With a 270-degree crank the power delivery is a little excitable and delivered rapidly through the gears, getting you up to speed very nicely – though does start to feel a little out of breath at the top end of the revs.

Your power delivery through the throttle varies depending on the ride mode you have selected, with the sportier modes having a noticeably sharper throttle feel, whilst rain mode can feel softer and slower – exactly what you’d expect, and want.

On to the twistier Spanish hills, and the quickshifter bonus came in very nicely, with a swift click into the next gear up or down with little to no effort. Powering through a corner into a hairpin switchback whilst clicking up and down the box is always incredible fun, and the XR took it all in its stride. Great twin motor.

Responsiveness and ease of through the bars is always a sign of a quality motorcycle, and the XR excels in delivering an exceptional road feel that was a joy to ride in the endless curves found in the Spanish hills.

Key to that, alongside the bridge-type frame with steel shell and aluminium twin-sided swingarm, are the 1.8 kg lighter 17-inch wheels, and relatively low 216 kg overall weight. Well-balanced, and confidence inspiring through the fully adjustable 43mm forks and real electronic suspension – you can set the rear up for damping and preload easily through the dash, whether on the move or at a stop.

Up front you’ll find braking power from Brembo 4-pot calipers mounted on 320mm discs, with a rear 265mm disc and single piston – now as standard with ABS Pro with various settings, and fed by a six-axis IMU. They’re certainly the mid-level Brembo options, but absolutely do the job, inspiring full faith when coming in to corners, particularly up front. The rear brake was okay, but its position felt a bit unnatural, and I was often searching for it with my foot – and when finding it, not too convinced on the raw stopping ability – not a deal breaker, just one to note for me.

One note I found from the morning ride was the 820 mm seat, despite being a normal seat height, felt quite low in comparison to the bike, and almost a bit too close to the tank for me. Particularly as a 6’3” rider. You can, of course, get a different seat in the accessories catalogue to adjust this feel, but I almost felt too big for the bike as it was. In a world where its bigger sibling the S 1000 XR is by all accounts an XL Bavarian bike, this felt like an Italian medium.

Onto tech and other bits, a key note for me was the windscreen – which I believe is the 30mm taller screen from the comfort package. In the lower setting it was okay, but when adjusted with one-hand into the taller setting it directed all of the wind right into my visor, resulting in a lovely high-pitched noise that I couldn’t put up with. A little buffer plate at the top would solve that, or ducking your head a bit lower, but for me the screen was just a bit too noisy.

One lovely feature, and the same as the F 900 R, is the TFT display, with BMW’s very own scroll wheel interface. Once you get used to it, it’s lovely to use, and you can pair your smartphone with it too. The Sport Screen display also gives you more information on your riding, with traction control, braking, and lean angle all displaying a ‘score’. Just don’t get distracted with that on the ride.

An XR feature is the headlight pro inclusion, which links up to the lean-angle sensor, and activates the inner light when leaning over 10 degrees at more than 10 kmh, working best for lean angles up to 25 degrees – so most effective at medium-speed corners.

Last up, you have a 15.5 L tank to fuel your wheels turning – but as we swapped bikes halfway through the day I can’t give you more info on realistic tank range. Can certainly imagine being two-up with luggage on here, though, if that’s any consolation.

Pros

Premium built motorcycle.

Incredible fun to ride.

Tech heaven, adjustable paradise.

Cons

Windy screen.

A bit too ‘medium’ for a taller rider.

A mornings ride on the BMW F 900 XR in the Spanish hills was a fantastic chance to get a taste of what an owner may well do on one of these – head for the hills and enjoy the ride the entire way. As it’s set up as a tourer, and I’m a taller rider, I thought I’d feel more at home on this than the F 900 R we rode on the same day, but without swapping the seat and adding more buffeting to the screen I’d rather go for the naked bike.

But, that doesn’t take away from the characteristics of an overall top-quality premium machine – the inclusion of plenty of rider modes, adjustable everything, and a seriously compliant on the road motorcycle puts it up there as one of the top options for those after a tourer that can be made available for an A2 rider (with restricted version at the dealership).

Perhaps some will want more power at the top end, but fortunately the BMW S 1000 XR is available for those who prefer to live life on the larger end of the scale. All in, top job by BMW Motorrad.