BMW F800GT....any experiences?
Discussion
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I bought a 2014 one owner 5200 mile minter, full bmw service history in July this year. It’s top spec, luggage, heated grips, ESA etc.... paid 5 grand as I knew the owner and he helped me out.
Coming from a KTM 1290 gt, KTM 1290 super adventure and Hayabusas, it’s not that nippy, however, you can use all the power most of the time and it handles very well.
Mines probably a stop-gap until funds allow something bigger but I really enjoy it. Fortunately I haven’t been out with birky41 or toxicnerve this year as I’d get mutilated but it does everything very well. Being in such good nick and low miles I may even keep it. It doesn’t pretend to be a hugely fast bike but I hope to do some decent euro tours on it next year. So far so good and no regrets in buying it thus far.
Well this is all most encouraging stuff.
Thanks folks. My previous BMW experience wasn’t brilliant but that was a bargain basement F650GS which, judging by the number of bi-metalically corroded bolts, had spent most of its life in the sea. Also found some aspects of BMW design utterly baffling - replacing the headlight bulb on the 650 involves removing the (fake) tank IIRC.
Anyway, that was then, this is now.
Will have to arrange a test ride.
Thanks folks. My previous BMW experience wasn’t brilliant but that was a bargain basement F650GS which, judging by the number of bi-metalically corroded bolts, had spent most of its life in the sea. Also found some aspects of BMW design utterly baffling - replacing the headlight bulb on the 650 involves removing the (fake) tank IIRC.
Anyway, that was then, this is now.
Will have to arrange a test ride.
^ FYI replacing the headlight bulb on the F800GT was horrific. I am not bulls
tting or exaggerating, two BMW techs worked non-stop on it for 90 minutes. These are guys that know what they are doing and it was 3 man hours.
If you don’t read up in advance on correct technique, you can break the bulb retaining clip. The reason it took 3 man hours was, after the clip was broken (by me), they tried to fix it without taking the front of the bike apart (1 man hour), then taking the front of the bike apart (1 man hour) and fixing it so it never breaks again (1 man hour).
If the clip has already been modified or if you know about the weakness and the correct technique in advance, then you don’t need to dismantle anything and the bulb can be changed in a few minutes. Get it wrong and holy fking fk, it’s bad. It’s actually got potential to get even worse as you need to take the whole headlight assembly out, with fairing off. There are screws holding the assembly in which BMW have loctite’d in, only it’s the Loctite you need to heat up to remove so you can strip the head trying to remove them if you don’t know.
It really was mind bendingly bad. My head hurts just remembering it.
tting or exaggerating, two BMW techs worked non-stop on it for 90 minutes. These are guys that know what they are doing and it was 3 man hours. If you don’t read up in advance on correct technique, you can break the bulb retaining clip. The reason it took 3 man hours was, after the clip was broken (by me), they tried to fix it without taking the front of the bike apart (1 man hour), then taking the front of the bike apart (1 man hour) and fixing it so it never breaks again (1 man hour).
If the clip has already been modified or if you know about the weakness and the correct technique in advance, then you don’t need to dismantle anything and the bulb can be changed in a few minutes. Get it wrong and holy f
king fk, it’s bad. It’s actually got potential to get even worse as you need to take the whole headlight assembly out, with fairing off. There are screws holding the assembly in which BMW have loctite’d in, only it’s the Loctite you need to heat up to remove so you can strip the head trying to remove them if you don’t know. It really was mind bendingly bad. My head hurts just remembering it.
Edited by Iminquarantine on Thursday 22 October 22:28
I had this one for a few years. Went to the Isle of Man on it, and last year took it across Europe on the Old Gits tour. Think I did just over 10k in total
Wind protection as standard was rubbish, but I fitted the screen off a cross channel ferry which greatly improved matters. I loved that I could use all the power most of the time, and the bike was fairly chuckable, and pretty comfortable (longest day I managed was north of 600 miles).
Servicing costs were typical BMW, and the only really annoying failure I had was the rear light unit failing, necessitating the removal of most of the rear portion of the bike. Oh, and a stone getting caught in the drive belt forcing an earlier than necessary change
I enjoyed my time with the bike (mostly) and so sometimes miss it. Replaced with a K1300S which will probably be replaced itself next year as I've not bonded in the same way as I did with the F800
CookieR said:
the only really annoying failure I had was the rear light unit failing, necessitating the removal of most of the rear portion of the bike.
This is what’s lurking at the back of my mind, stalling my decision.My own experience with an F650GS was totally ruined by some of the utterly daft Bavarian design flaws. It appears they think their bikes will never, ever go wrong so why would an owner need to dismantle it?
Have just traded it’s predecessor the F800ST, after running it for two years. Was given the GT by the local BMW dealer when it was in for servicing and there’s not an awful lot of difference.
As a bike to ride on a daily basis, there’s not a lot to dislike. The engine might not make the best noise - if that’s an issue, but it has plenty of torque, so is plenty quick once you get used to short shifting.
No real gremlins on the later ones either, belt drive is maintenance free and brakes are good.
Handling is way better that people realise, suspension is pretty compliant, which is a bonus on our shoddy road surfaces...tip it into a corner and use the torque to accelerate out - actually
quite a lot of fun on the twisties.
Traded mine with Ben at Cult motorcycles and it’s currently listed on his website, if you wanted something with a known history and willing to consider the ST rather than a GT.
As a bike to ride on a daily basis, there’s not a lot to dislike. The engine might not make the best noise - if that’s an issue, but it has plenty of torque, so is plenty quick once you get used to short shifting.
No real gremlins on the later ones either, belt drive is maintenance free and brakes are good.
Handling is way better that people realise, suspension is pretty compliant, which is a bonus on our shoddy road surfaces...tip it into a corner and use the torque to accelerate out - actually
quite a lot of fun on the twisties.
Traded mine with Ben at Cult motorcycles and it’s currently listed on his website, if you wanted something with a known history and willing to consider the ST rather than a GT.
Raoul Duke said:
Have just traded it’s predecessor the F800ST, after running it for two years. Was given the GT by the local BMW dealer when it was in for servicing and there’s not an awful lot of difference.
As a bike to ride on a daily basis, there’s not a lot to dislike. The engine might not make the best noise - if that’s an issue, but it has plenty of torque, so is plenty quick once you get used to short shifting.
No real gremlins on the later ones either, belt drive is maintenance free and brakes are good.
Handling is way better that people realise, suspension is pretty compliant, which is a bonus on our shoddy road surfaces...tip it into a corner and use the torque to accelerate out - actually
quite a lot of fun on the twisties.
Traded mine with Ben at Cult motorcycles and it’s currently listed on his website, if you wanted something with a known history and willing to consider the ST rather than a GT.
Thanks for posting. Do these have the same headlamp bulb replacement issues of the later GT?As a bike to ride on a daily basis, there’s not a lot to dislike. The engine might not make the best noise - if that’s an issue, but it has plenty of torque, so is plenty quick once you get used to short shifting.
No real gremlins on the later ones either, belt drive is maintenance free and brakes are good.
Handling is way better that people realise, suspension is pretty compliant, which is a bonus on our shoddy road surfaces...tip it into a corner and use the torque to accelerate out - actually
quite a lot of fun on the twisties.
Traded mine with Ben at Cult motorcycles and it’s currently listed on his website, if you wanted something with a known history and willing to consider the ST rather than a GT.
The bulb replacement problem isn’t really a problem if you know how to change the bulb in advance. Following the instructions in the manual can easily lead to problems.
If I was buying one I’d consider changing the bulb immediately at a time of your choosing. You absolutely do not want to be figuring this out in darkness in a Halfords carpark.
If I was buying one I’d consider changing the bulb immediately at a time of your choosing. You absolutely do not want to be figuring this out in darkness in a Halfords carpark.
CookieR said:
I had this one for a few years. Went to the Isle of Man on it, and last year took it across Europe on the Old Gits tour. Think I did just over 10k in total
Wind protection as standard was rubbish, but I fitted the screen off a cross channel ferry which greatly improved matters. I loved that I could use all the power most of the time, and the bike was fairly chuckable, and pretty comfortable (longest day I managed was north of 600 miles).
Servicing costs were typical BMW, and the only really annoying failure I had was the rear light unit failing, necessitating the removal of most of the rear portion of the bike. Oh, and a stone getting caught in the drive belt forcing an earlier than necessary change
I enjoyed my time with the bike (mostly) and so sometimes miss it. Replaced with a K1300S which will probably be replaced itself next year as I've not bonded in the same way as I did with the F800
Not the GT, but I've had an F800S for nearly 60k miles now as a commuter to get to and from work.
On my second belt - first one snapped at about 40k. If i breaks it doesn't do any damage as it just falls off rather than flail around. If the GT uses the same length Contitech belt as the ST and S models, then they are now available aftermarket for about half the price they were when they were a BMW-only item.
Not the last word in excitement, but it has more get-up and go than the power figures would suggest, mainly as it is a torquey motor. I've used it on a fair few long trips (350-300 miles) and it is pretty good apart from i get a numb right foot after a while - but they might just be me. I changed to a double-bubble screen which helped with buffeting. Fuel economy is excellent, and one of the reasons I haven't changed to a different bike. I average 62mpg, and on the motorway at a steady 75-80mph it will be well into the 70s mpg-wise.
I'd buy another one.
On my second belt - first one snapped at about 40k. If i breaks it doesn't do any damage as it just falls off rather than flail around. If the GT uses the same length Contitech belt as the ST and S models, then they are now available aftermarket for about half the price they were when they were a BMW-only item.
Not the last word in excitement, but it has more get-up and go than the power figures would suggest, mainly as it is a torquey motor. I've used it on a fair few long trips (350-300 miles) and it is pretty good apart from i get a numb right foot after a while - but they might just be me. I changed to a double-bubble screen which helped with buffeting. Fuel economy is excellent, and one of the reasons I haven't changed to a different bike. I average 62mpg, and on the motorway at a steady 75-80mph it will be well into the 70s mpg-wise.
I'd buy another one.
boyse7en said:
Not the GT, but I've had an F800S for nearly 60k miles now as a commuter to get to and from work.
On my second belt - first one snapped at about 40k. If i breaks it doesn't do any damage as it just falls off rather than flail around. If the GT uses the same length Contitech belt as the ST and S models, then they are now available aftermarket for about half the price they were when they were a BMW-only item.
I recall reading that the GT belt is longer than the S and ST - the swing arm is longer so it makes sense. On my second belt - first one snapped at about 40k. If i breaks it doesn't do any damage as it just falls off rather than flail around. If the GT uses the same length Contitech belt as the ST and S models, then they are now available aftermarket for about half the price they were when they were a BMW-only item.
I'll be able to confirm in 4,000 miles :-)
Update on the riding position: I fitted the peg lowering links just now. Much more comfortable, but YMMV depending on your body shape. This moves the pegs by a total of 30mm down and forward, addressing one of the common complaints about the riding position.
It changes the position of your feet in relation to the brake and gear shift. Brake just as easy to use. Downshifts just as easy, upshifts slightly less comfortable but I feel I will adjust after a few miles.
I won’t be standing on the pegs anymore though. Sometimes I stand on the pegs even on touring bikes to drive full speed over speed humps. With a greater lever arm to the retaining pin, there will be more stress on the pin if you load it up.
It changes the position of your feet in relation to the brake and gear shift. Brake just as easy to use. Downshifts just as easy, upshifts slightly less comfortable but I feel I will adjust after a few miles.
I won’t be standing on the pegs anymore though. Sometimes I stand on the pegs even on touring bikes to drive full speed over speed humps. With a greater lever arm to the retaining pin, there will be more stress on the pin if you load it up.
So I’ve gone for a ‘65 plate, with 37k on the clock but a twelve month warranty instead of the usual three, on the back of a full BMW SH.
No luggage, but then I thought about it and can count on one hand the times I’ve used the Triumph boxes.
Bit sad to break up an all British garage (with the other vehicles being a Land Rover and a Caterham) but it’s all made in China now anyway. Won’t miss the actual name “Tiger”. Always struck me as a bit ambitious for what was a fairly mediocre bike at the end of the day.
No luggage, but then I thought about it and can count on one hand the times I’ve used the Triumph boxes.
Bit sad to break up an all British garage (with the other vehicles being a Land Rover and a Caterham) but it’s all made in China now anyway. Won’t miss the actual name “Tiger”. Always struck me as a bit ambitious for what was a fairly mediocre bike at the end of the day.
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