IDENTITY CRISIS

One is the spiritual successor to a legend, the other is a radical step into the future. But which GS is the right adventure tourer for you?

- WORDS KARAN MATHUR PHOTOGRAPHY HIYAN CHAUHAN

When you think of adventure motorcycles, one image instantly comes to mind – a BMW GS. For years, the big boxer-twin has reigned as the undisputed king of the class. But now, things have changed. The all-new R 1300 GS has arrived, and it's sharper, lighter, and distinctly more road-focussed than ever before.

So, the question is – in its pursuit of on-road perfection, has it sacrificed the rugged, go-anywhere spirit that made the GS name legendary? Ironically, the answer might be sitting right next to it. The F 900 GS Adventure, a middleweight by designation, seems to have inherited the very soul of the old R 1250 GS.

But this isn't a straightforward comparison of which bike is better. It's an exploration of two philosophies wearing the same iconic badge. And the only way to do it was to take both machines off-road and push them to their limits. And that's precisely what we did.

BOXER PUNCH VS. PARALLEL PROWESS

At the heart of these two machines lie two very different personalities. The R 1300 GS comes with an all-new 1300cc ShiftCam boxer engine – a powerhouse producing 145bhp and 149Nm of torque. The best way to describe its power delivery is as a force of nature – a gut-punch of acceleration that demands you keep up. In contrast, the F 900 GS Adventure's 895cc parallel-twin feels far more playful. With 103bhp and 93Nm on tap, its power delivery is linear and exploitable – even if you stay in the same gear, you feel you can get more out of it.