Small fuel tanks make for nice wet weight numbers

The tongue weight is the real mystery if you do not have a GOOD tongue snake. Having good weight distribution in both tow vehicle and trailer is also very important. Great video!

Its like owning a sports car, take it out for a Sunday ride

The one problem with the Sport Touring segment is actually trying to find time to… sports tour. ….2 kids, a house to pay for, work, kids travel ball… it’s hard to even find time.

made in china hell nooooooooo

I have an old BMW F650GS twin. A lovely bike, so this F900 interests me a lot but hearing the engine noise which seems thrashy and harsh inputs me off a little.

Great work Ian, what id want to know is can the 900 be "tuned" ? decat clean up and clear all the exhaust with a light minimal muffler, a decent air filter and the ecu tune for hp and efficiency. On the 1300 super work go proper though those chunks of metal around the engine pffft seriously ive owned a few and dropped them around corners on tar on extreme angles with loose pebbles and sand on a tar roads and mostly had to replace the plastic covers on the side of the heads once the head cover after slipping and sliding for over 12 meters. I still got back on and rode it home.

Final: “finally we have a GS that can go toe-to-toe with the best” and then names all bikes of a category, LOL. So that says it clear - it’s the last in line.

China engine on this Bmw

KTM have a shit engine with cam problem, Husqvarna have the same engine. Electronic is shit too.

The 300 gets good milage in place of that high speed

Hey man awesome vid and explanation. Ive been riding Harley's for 24,5 years now, and im thinking of gettig a ADV bike. I want something powerful to tour/ride on highways, i dont care to do offf road. Id be buying it for long hauls and the eventual security you get on gravel or back country roads it offers. My question is: do you think ill be fine with a 500cc for road trips (powewise), or should i look at bigger bikes such as your beautiful ATwin? TIA😎

If you had to choose between transalp 750 and tenere world raid?? Witch is better for all around use for you?

KTM 890R Norden or desert X

That price point is a big pill to force down. Fuel capacity could be higher. Should come with crash bars for that price, too. It's absolutely stunning for sure but I really feel like when you buy a bike at that level of expense, you shouldn't need to add anything to it after the fact. It's should come with everything you'd want.

Snorkel's are up here.. yeah - that's where you suck water when crossing rivers... :D

Yamaha Tenere , simple and lest expensive

BMW GS Endure hands down

The pegs/exhaust area on the right looks like a real leg breaker.

Much better review than most car review channels.. Honestly. This is the sort of information that potential car buyers need but most review channels do not provide.

Great video. What amazing scenery!

That Ibex 450 is PACKED with features!

None of the F series bikes have ever had a BMW engine. Not even the G series bikes.

Great review as usual. I think BMW has been lost in the dust with the middle weight category. Being buzzy above 70 mph is unacceptable. I guess the BMW engineers haven’t figured that out. I remember going from the GS to the Africa Twin I felt so much better after long highway miles due to less vibration. My progression of bikes in the last 9 years is a 2015 800 GS then a 2017 Africa Twin and now a Transalp. I think detuning an engine for the lower end bike is BS . I really think you are over thinking the air filters. Todays filters can be packed with dirt before they have any restrictions. A dirty air filter just says it’s doing its job.

Nice video, I have experienced that feeling of having bitten off more than I can chew off road many times, great video.

Not sure of the bike's weight, but when i saw you trying to lift it off the ground,😮 made me appreciate my dr650 that little bit more🙂

Hello Ian, I'm considering buying a 390 this week. I decided to pass on the Twin for a light weight ride as my introduction to Adv Touring. I'm an experienced rider and at this point in life (66 years old), I'm no longer an aggressive rider. 75 street / 25 dirt, would do lower difficulty single track and would love fire roads. I can pick up a 2020 for $5,000 low miles and if I love the bike and want to keep it I can upgrade the suspension for $2K....."if" than makes a significant difference? My only concern is the rims, while not being an aggressive rider do I need to be concerned if I lower the tire pressure for sand and hit a rock that day. While I do pick my lines well, shit happens? Your thoughts?

What kinds of exercises do you do to keep your self fit?

I would probably test the Norden 901 Expedition

Hey Ian, love your channel...long time subscriber, any chance you have plans on updating your buyers guides with updated models, bikes you've since reviewed, etc.? In the market for a new mid-sized bike and would love to see how the V-Strom 800 DE, F900 GS, and others fit into your "On Road", "Off Road", "Comfort" & "Fun Factor" ratings. Keep up the excellent work!

Ian, you will be happy to know that Klim has taken your suggestions and used some of them them. I Just bought the Baja S4 Set Newest version includes a D30 (uncertain of CE Level) back protector and the fit has been refined. No chest protector pockets but i am sure that will happen in time.

35 liters per bag haha just bought them

As always, great content, very authentic. I will pick up my Aprilia 660 in a week from now and cannot wait. Anyone having accessory recommendations such as luggage setup please share….thinking of SW Motech luggage rack with Enduristan soft bags . Safe and fun riding everyone at all times!

I’d buy the new tiger 900 rally pro

It would be nice if you could smile instead of looking so emotionless. I can't watch your videos because of that.

If this had 125 mile range id buy

If you want to use the bag regularly and avoid the locking hassles then you can buy 2 g hook buckles that fit into the locks, then you fit a small looped strap on the g hooks which you can use to connect to the permanent buckles. If you go touring and want to use the permanent buckles and locks as designed, then you can just remove the g hook buckles.

Here is Oz, the 900 GS are selling around $26,500 AUD on road. Most are advertised as demos to allow drop in RRP. The go to comparison for me would be 2024 F900 GS Enduro pack plus the Dynamic pack compared with 2023/4 Nordern 901 Expedition. The Nordens brand new can be had for a little less money but as demos you would save around $3,000 AUD. Leaving price aside, the specifications are very similar so for me it would come down to riding the bikes in all conditions. With the design of the Norden I would expect it to win off road and be equal or slightly under the BMW on the highway. I have a 901 and find it hard to fault. Both are good looking. I have BMW brand loyalty and maybe that would swing me along with a possible improved long term resale value.

You just glance over the fact of going 30 in 5th gear. The bike did that on its own?

As a former f800gs owner and current f900gs I couldnt be happier. Ive tested them all ducati, ktm, triumph...f900gs was for me the ONE. Great video!

2024 Moto Guzzi V85TT or 2024 CFMoto Ibex 450

What front tire are you running? What size tires are you running? Did you pull off the vapor catch system and install the taco smog kit? I just got a 501s 2024

That air filter access is a buzz killer. I’m liking so much about this bike but, damn.

Excellent review Ian. Really enjoyed it 😄👍