BMW F800GT....any experiences?
Discussion
Ok, not the most exciting bike in the world but one’s caught my eye and looks like a bit of a bargain...’14 plate, FSH, 23k on the clock for a smidge under £4K.
I’m currently on a Tiger 1050 for my commute but that’s getting rather leggy and is nearly fifteen years old.
The baby Beemer seems to get good reviews as a dull commuter if nothing else.....which is so very me. Also noticed the Met Police have a few in their fleet which is an endorsement of sorts.
Just a bit wary that I’ve got lazy with the power from a litre bike, especially on motorways, and I’m also aware BMWs can have some quirky maintenance issues.
Anyone?
I’m currently on a Tiger 1050 for my commute but that’s getting rather leggy and is nearly fifteen years old.
The baby Beemer seems to get good reviews as a dull commuter if nothing else.....which is so very me. Also noticed the Met Police have a few in their fleet which is an endorsement of sorts.
Just a bit wary that I’ve got lazy with the power from a litre bike, especially on motorways, and I’m also aware BMWs can have some quirky maintenance issues.
Anyone?
I've asked my parking neighbour at work about his orange f800gt a few times.
Other than slightly boring he describes it as the ultimate all rounder.
He regularly gets upwards of 60mpg in it which is great and its been utterly reliable.
Servicing isnt much of a concern when compared to replacement parts.
Parts are expensive, touch wood I've had relatively few issues with my 2012 vintage BMW, but when I've asked for prices from BMW I'm glad I was sitting down.
Indicator switch gear >£350, front wheel >£1200, £500 front light etc (f700gs)... suffice to say the bike hasn't been to BMW for a long time.
If you get a good one im sure they are great.
Other than slightly boring he describes it as the ultimate all rounder.
He regularly gets upwards of 60mpg in it which is great and its been utterly reliable.
Servicing isnt much of a concern when compared to replacement parts.
Parts are expensive, touch wood I've had relatively few issues with my 2012 vintage BMW, but when I've asked for prices from BMW I'm glad I was sitting down.
Indicator switch gear >£350, front wheel >£1200, £500 front light etc (f700gs)... suffice to say the bike hasn't been to BMW for a long time.
If you get a good one im sure they are great.
Have had one for a year - but not had too much chance to use it - Covid! Have done a couple of thousand miles though.
Check if it's had a new belt - they are due at 24k so factor that in to the price.
If you haven't already, check the spec as a lot of stuff was in the option packs e.g. heated grips, centre stand, etc.. Does it come with luggage?
I find it a nice balance of enough grunt but still light enough to enjoy on a twisty road.
Only downside so far (although than a bit bland) is I find the screen throws a lot of turbulence at my head. Lots of info on the forums for that but sadly it seems very dependent on your height as to what works best.
Does sound a good price. I paid just under £5k for my 64 plate with 19k miles. It does have most of the options and luggage.
Check if it's had a new belt - they are due at 24k so factor that in to the price.
If you haven't already, check the spec as a lot of stuff was in the option packs e.g. heated grips, centre stand, etc.. Does it come with luggage?
I find it a nice balance of enough grunt but still light enough to enjoy on a twisty road.
Only downside so far (although than a bit bland) is I find the screen throws a lot of turbulence at my head. Lots of info on the forums for that but sadly it seems very dependent on your height as to what works best.
Does sound a good price. I paid just under £5k for my 64 plate with 19k miles. It does have most of the options and luggage.
Crossflow Kid said:
Ok, not the most exciting bike in the world but one’s caught my eye and looks like a bit of a bargain...’14 plate, FSH, 23k on the clock for a smidge under £4K.
I’m currently on a Tiger 1050 for my commute but that’s getting rather leggy and is nearly fifteen years old.
The baby Beemer seems to get good reviews as a dull commuter if nothing else.....which is so very me. Also noticed the Met Police have a few in their fleet which is an endorsement of sorts.
Just a bit wary that I’ve got lazy with the power from a litre bike, especially on motorways, and I’m also aware BMWs can have some quirky maintenance issues.
Anyone?
I wouldn’t count police forces as any kind of endorsement. Fleets are often used to monitor service issues. I’m currently on a Tiger 1050 for my commute but that’s getting rather leggy and is nearly fifteen years old.
The baby Beemer seems to get good reviews as a dull commuter if nothing else.....which is so very me. Also noticed the Met Police have a few in their fleet which is an endorsement of sorts.
Just a bit wary that I’ve got lazy with the power from a litre bike, especially on motorways, and I’m also aware BMWs can have some quirky maintenance issues.
Anyone?
Crossflow Kid said:
The baby Beemer seems to get good reviews as a dull commuter if nothing else.....which is so very me. Also noticed the Met Police have a few in their fleet which is an endorsement of sorts.
Just a bit wary that I’ve got lazy with the power from a litre bike, especially on motorways, and I’m also aware BMWs can have some quirky maintenance issues.
Anyone?
Well, I bought a used facelift F800GT a couple of months ago with about 2000 miles on it. I think the facelift happened in about 2017. I've put about 1500 miles on it since I bought it and am planning on taking it on a work trip to Belgium next week or week after. Just a bit wary that I’ve got lazy with the power from a litre bike, especially on motorways, and I’m also aware BMWs can have some quirky maintenance issues.
Anyone?
Very easy to ride. I would not say it is boring at all, though i do find great excitement in going to the airport in an anorak to look at airplanes taking off and landing, so judge my level of excitement by that measure.
It's my first BMW and I bought it really because I felt like trying a BMW after a over 10 years of Hondas. I've previously had big touring bikes.
I'll write this taking into account you are coming from a 1000cc bike. The F800GT is much, much easier to ride around town than a big touring bike due to low weight. If you have a lightweight 1000cc sports bike, then it won't be better from a weight point of view. But it is 213kg wet, so that is 80-100kg lighter than the big Japanese tourers. It is just incomparable how much easier it is to ride around town than a heavy touring bike.
The belt drive is very smooth.
Canbus is surprisingly easy to work with, or avoid if you want. There is a switched power outlet next to the battery which I use to power a fuse block with a relay.
I'll list the annoying stuff:
- I think 800cc is underpowered for me; you may find similar if coming from a 1000cc bike.
- Feels a bit buzzy above 85mph and doesn't have the acceleration of a 1000+cc bike at that speed which will obliterate anything else
- Unless someone has fixed the design flaw in the headlight bulb retaining clip on your bike (by taking the front of the bike apart), be prepared to take the front of the bike apart to change the headlight bulb
- The top box is only 29L and will only hold a helmet and nothing else.
- The pegs are quite high up. I'm used to it now but I found it uncomfortable at first.
- The seat is not as comfortable as what you get on a 1200-1300cc big touring bike. Part of the price of the F800GT being 100kg lighter than a big touring bike.
- Seems very easy to trigger the rear ABS, which results in a disconcerting pulsing of the rear brake pedal.
Here's an F800GT on Mulholland (lead bike, not camera bike)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PInCT28k7rQ
Edited by Iminquarantine on Thursday 22 October 09:58
FYI the facelift bike I have described and the 2014 bike are almost identical except for some minor bling. Looks like reasonable price for that 2014 bike. As others have said, the belt replacement interval is 20 or 25 ish thousand miles so factor that into the price. The belt will apparently go longer than that, but this is the standard replacement interval.
GadgeS3C said:
I typically get 200 miles to a tank but I agree it isn't a great range.
Do you run yours with luggage on? I measured my fuel consumption over about a 400 mile block of travelling and got an average of 12.1 miles per litre. This is 55mpg or 5.13L/100km and would give me 181 miles if I let it run dry (I think the tank is 15L). this is with top box and panniers.
Iminquarantine said:
GadgeS3C said:
I typically get 200 miles to a tank but I agree it isn't a great range.
Do you run yours with luggage on? I measured my fuel consumption over about a 400 mile block of travelling and got an average of 12.1 miles per litre. This is 55mpg or 5.13L/100km and would give me 181 miles if I let it run dry (I think the tank is 15L). this is with top box and panniers.
Crossflow Kid said:
How is it on longer trips/tours?
Although my two wheel requirements are mostly based around commuting I do the odd trip here and there.
Would’ve been in the Alps this summer had it not been for you-know-what.
With 10 years before the GT of 300+kg 1200-1300cc touring bikes, my thoughts are coloured by this. Coming from a Tiger 1050, your experience may be different. Although my two wheel requirements are mostly based around commuting I do the odd trip here and there.
Would’ve been in the Alps this summer had it not been for you-know-what.
I'd say the F800GT is quite capable, but compared to commuting or B roads, on a long tour you are going into the region where the 300kg 1300cc touring bikes are in their element, so it is not as suited. A good way to think of the F800GT is a mega tourer, reduced by a third. The weight is down by a third, the engine size is down by a third and echoing the other owner's comment above, wind protection is also down by a third. The distance when you feel like calling it quits for the day would probably also be down by a third. The wind protection may be comparable to your 1050 though.
I would not hesitate to take it on a long trip, but if I was only doing long trips I'd get something else. I'm planning on taking it to Belgium on a work trip soon. The furthest I've taken it so far is about 450 miles over 3 days on another work trip. There is a bit of wind pressure on your shoulders at motorway speeds. I think about 85mph is the maximum sustained comfortable speed for hour-after-hour riding though obvs it will do a lot more. I found the pegs too high on that 400 mile trip and stopped to rest them but that was early on in ownership so I find it more comfortable now. I bought a peg lowering kit but haven't fitted it yet and don't know if I will now that I'm finding the bike more comfortable. Being a twin there are more vibes than the 4-cylinder bikes I've owned before.
Have had passengers a few times, seems quite ok for that.
There are several seats available, but whatever you have, it is non-adjustable. Low, standard which is 800mm, comfort which is 820mm and comfort high which is 840mm.
Edited by Iminquarantine on Thursday 22 October 17:55
Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff