The most interesting performance aspect I discovered during my short stint on the BMW was the direct result of a simple electrical loop. I'm not sure what BMW is going to call this plug-in patch or if it will be installed on United States-bound models. But when you plug it in, the bike literally makes 11 more horsepower than stock. That's wild, right? Well, the areas the power goes may even be wilder. First, the bottom is awakened. The bike rips with full-on motocross bike ferocity and pulls just as strongly through the range to wherever the top of the top-end is. I didn't really find it. This alternative ignition/EFI mapping or circuit or sequence completely fills in any soft spots of the stock programming. I would later learn that it's a much richer circuit (non-emissions compliant) so it makes sense that the bike came alive.
I really can't wait to see how these bikes land in the States. There's a lot of power potential here.
The chassis and suspension of the G450X are at least as original as the motor. While its components are shared with other brands (Marzocchi fork and hlins shock) the pieces in between are much different. The stainless steel frame feels rigid with minimal flex and wallow. The bike doesn't squat in the rear, and if anything, the seat height feels higher than most in the class.
American rider, German bike,...
American rider, German bike, Spanish trail, borrowed Italian gear-international fun!
As always, bike sag is ultra important, and BMW suspension techs stressed that 40mm of bike sag (no rider) was ideal. In our day, the bike felt a bit high in the seat and reluctant to really settle under acceleration or when entering corners. The only complaint I couldn't settle with ride height and clickers was a stepping-out sensation from the rear. Honestly, this could be an issue with the Metzeler Six Days Extreme tires more than anything. Sag experimentation shall continue and we'll surely be adjusting clickers (which are toolless hand knobs on these hlins shocks-totally cool), swapping tires and riding some serious hours when we get our long-term test bike.
The BMW's fork performance was coming around to our liking about the time we had to call it quits (and pack up for the 12-hour flight back home). They held up well in the stroke and resisted bottoming sweetly, even when jumping motocross jumps with little or no landing. Initially, the set felt stiff and tended to deflect in true trail situations. We were told production bikes feature 15 percent less initial compression damping to the shim stack to deal with the sensation. We clicked the feeling out for the most part, anyway, but we look forward to running a U.S.-spec fork in our own backyard to truly dial it in.
In our quick meeting, I can say the big German bike is stable-feeling, straight-line happy and can accelerate with the best of them. The motor is really impressive for a first-year bike, a first-year model and as a company's first year jumping in. The biggest problem I had was with the right-side engine guard. It kept "imitating" a rear brake pedal and had me sailing past a few corners and right by some surprised photographers.
The unknown is all around this bike. As of press time, we're told the G450X will be 49-state street-legal with California close behind. We don't know if the machine will come with the alternative mapping installed or available from dealers. We also don't know if it will be offered in a competition-only race model (like KTM's XC line). We don't even know what it will cost. So, we'll wait. Like you. And patiently look forward to a time when we have a truly new bike in our garage.