15/03/2026
The new BMW 450 GS in the flesh at Uppsala Motorcycle Trade Fair. There’s been a quite loud buzz going on around the new “Baby GS” from BMW, and as a Beamer rider myself for several years I was of course curious about this little bike. I know BMWs, especially the GS-models are a subject of yey or ney amongst motorcyclists and not everyone like them or the brand for various reasons. The common complaints are of course the price, particularly the extras that increasing the total price. The next one is the weight which is often seen as too high, and the obvious reason is the design. I say all of those things are valid for discussion when it comes to every brand, not just BMWs. I for one like BMW. They’re solid bikes with great quality, good looking and comfortable, from the small ones up to the 1300 rhinos. And they handle perfectly well in many different environments. Despite this I also think they’re on the heavy side in weight. And the price tag, well; they’re not cheap. But this has change with the 450 GS. 178 kg wet and “only” around 10000 € for a brand new premium bike with great secondhand value is a tempting offer in my book. I just need to make a test run and feel the handling on the road, but it definitely has the upper hand on me considering the competition which for me most of them have too much seat hight. I’m not worried about the low cc, I think BMW are good in that compartment and I don’t doubt that this is the case here as well. Come spring now!
