• Is a new BMW F 850 GT or XR middleweight sport-tourer being tested?

• The engine is clearly a parallel-Twin most likely the 853cc unit in the F 850 GS.

• This model will fill BMW’s middleweight sport-tourer gap.

Is Motorrad testing a BMW F 850 GT or XR middleweight sport-tourer? BMW Motorrad understands that they need a bike to fill the void of a more accessible middleweight sport-tourer in terms of performance, weight and especially price.

From the pictures, we can deduce that the new bike is equipped with new 853cc parallel-Twin which powers the F 850 GS and F 850 GS Adventure. The prototype bike has a sharp styling like that of the S 1000 XR sport-tourer.

You can also see large side cases (panniers) and top boxes fitted to them. So, could this be the future F 850 GT or F 850 XR to replace the current F 800 GT?

The spy shots also show a lowered seat height, complementary of the 17-inch road wheels and shorter, road-oriented suspension. The F 850 GS, on the other hand, wears a 21-inch wheel up front and longer suspension for off-road duties.

Another observation is the taller windscreen with a TFT screen below it. The new sport-tourer ought to feature traction control, cornering ABS, cruise control, quickshifter, Dynamic ESA and LED lighting should it follow the premium F 850 GS’s specs.

We’re guessing that BMW is gunning for the Yamaha MT-09 Tracer GT, but will the German manufacturer match the Japanese’s low price?

We shall see.