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The announcement of two new motorcycles in the middleweight category follows the recent release of the F800 S sport and the more touring orientated F800 ST, which is expected to arrive in South Africa in September of this year.
The F800 GS is the perfect solution for riders who desire more power than the F650 GS delivers, but who are daunted by the bulky size and weight of the R1200 GS. This new model will not replace the current F650 GS, which will remain part of the 2007 sales range.
Our guess is that the rumoured F450 GS will be a baby version of the R1200 GS HP2 - sporting an impressively light dry weight and muscled-up off-road ability.
BMW has also confirmed the development of an 800-series naked motorcycle, but declined further information regarding the technical specification of that bike. In all likelihood the F800 R will be largely based on the S-model, sans the fairings and with a stripped down style to capture the trendy naked bike market.
It is expected that the F800 GS will be chain driven but that the naked R-model will share the rear wheel belt drive of the F800 S. Both the GS and R-models are likely to sport engines based on the all-new 798cc parallel twin of the S-model.
According to one BMW Motorcycle dealer, in a seeming bid for dominance of the trail bike/enduro market, extreme adventure riders can also look forward to a new F450 GS super enduro motorcycle. BMW Germany has however denied that the company is currently producing any motorcycles with a displacement below 650cc.
Our guess is that if the rumoured bike is produced, it will be a baby version of the R1200 GS HP2 - with an impressively light dry weight and muscled-up off-road ability. Like the 1200 GS HP, we don't expect such a F450 GS would be the most practical of bikes, although it should be (to a lesser extent) suited to tar.
Be sure to check back to Wheels24 for more information on all three of these models.
Pictures courtesy of Raptors and Rockets.