BMW F800GT: PH2 Ridden

A great sporty tourer but does anyone actually want such a thing?

What has happened to the sports tourer? A few years ago there was the iconic Honda VFR800, Aprilia Futura (remember them?), Ducati ST models, Triumph Sprint ST and Honda Super Blackbird all jostling for position. These were bikes that could be ridden two-up to the south of France and then while your better half was busy shopping you could explore the local twisties. Nowadays all that is left in this class is the aging Sprint GT, VFR and, well, that's about it. The rest are expensive and heavy full-on tourers such as the VFR1200 or FJR1300. Where can you point a finger as to the reasons for this decline? Fashions and the economic climate.

Long road ahead? This BMW's got your back

The popularity of bikes such as the Honda Crossrunner (which ironically uses a VFR engine), KTM SMT, Ducati Multistrada and Triumph Tiger have all brought fast-steering 17-inch wheeled handling to the adventure market while machines such as the Z1000SX and FZ1 Fazer are naked bikes that have been converted to semi-sports tourers with minimal effort and maximum cost saving. True, the VFR and Sprint are dedicated lightweight sports tourers, but the VFR is pretty much unchanged since it went VTEC in 2002 while the GT is an updated ST, which first appeared eight years ago. Against this background it does seem a strange decision by BMW to launch a sports touring version of its parallel twin 800.

What have we got?
The F800GT is basically a F800ST with a new set of clothes and a more advanced fuel map that boosts the parallel twin's power from 85hp to 90hp while torque is 63lb ft. The GT (Gran Turismo) side is taken care of by a larger full fairing and improved luggage facilities and riding position with safety addressed by ABS as standard fitment which can't be turned off. As with any BMW you also get a full range of optional extras and acronyms which include traction control (ASC), electronic suspension (ESA), alarm (DWA), heated grips (HG), luggage (L), GPS (GPS), pillion (WiFe), etc...

It can do the miles but it's also capable here

On the move
The F800 parallel twin engine is a strange old fruit and seems to suit some bikes more than others. The F800GS and older F650GS models are great uses of the motor while personally I've never got on with the naked F800R. In the GT the engine seems to have found a perfect home.

Despite having the same firing order as the GS, modifications to the fuel map and throttle bodies/exhaust have taken the GS's raw and aggressive edge off the motor and smoothed it out to a very pleasant sports tourer engine. As well as an excellent throttle response the GT is relatively vibration free and even sounds quite good. It's a very easy engine for covering distances with a good spread of low down power helping cut down the gear changes and although it certainly isn't the fastest, it is more than happy to cruise at motorway speeds.

The bikes we rode all came with BMW's electronic suspension (ESA) and traction control (ASC) fitted. With a fairly minimal 95hp, non aggressive power delivery and the grip finding characteristics of a parallel twin engine the ASC was pretty redundant even in the damp conditions, however for the £335 it costs to add (it can be retro fitted) I would probably pay the extra this option for safety's sake. The only time the ASC gets in the way is when you are pulling wheelies, something I can't see many GT owners attempting...

Sensible, mature ... no, not Jon, the bike

Comfort and touring performance
There is no point having a touring bike that requires you to stop every hour to either fill up or relieve aching limbs and with the GT you can cover decent miles before having to pull over. The riding position is very comfortable and with 55mpg easily achieved (you can push this to 65-70mpg if you try) the 15-litre tank should see over 150 miles before needing filling. Personally I'd have liked to see the GT capable of over 200 miles on a tank, so maybe a 20-litre item would have been good, but BMW have made every effort to keep the GT's weight down to give it sporty handling.

On my rather damp ride on the GT it showed an accomplished sporty side. Adjusting the ESA from Comfort to Sport did seen to firm the rear end a bit and through the corners the GT was fairly agile. A 50mm longer swingram when compared to the F800R does seem to have reduced a bit of the speed of turn in, however once leant over the GT was stable and assured.

ABS is among the many acronyms

Conclusion
Despite the GT being a very pleasant bike to ride the case for actually buying one seems marginal, which is probably why the sports tourer market is starting to die a death. Those who do still want this kind of machine will certainly enjoy the GT, it does exactly what you want from a sports tourer and delivers a comfortable ride, decent handling and over 55mpg frugality. But do these potential owners still exist?

With a £8,095 OTR price (which is the base model with no fancy bits apart from ABS) the GT is around £1-2,000 cheaper than the VFR800, Triumph Tiger and KTM SMT. However it is about the same cost as the £8,499 Sprint GT when you start to include panniers etc which come as standard on the Triumph.

With the GT BMW are hoping to attract younger riders who may not want the weight of the Boxer engined tourers (it can be restricted to A2 compliant 48hp) or older riders who are getting on a bit and downsizing for the same reasons.

The GT is a charming bike that ticks all the right boxes and if you are in the market for a sports tourer with a low seat height and decent looks it should be certainly considered. But you have to question just how many riders are in this market.

BMW F800GT
Engine: 798cc parallel twin
Power: 90hp@8,000rpm
Torque: 63lb ft@5,800rpm
Top speed: 130mph (est)
Weight: 213kg (wet)
MPG: 55
Price: £8,095

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Artstu

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226 months