Your thoughts on a BMW F800GT?

[Noguzznoglory]

I've put 8,000 miles on my F800GT. I love the bike. Great handling, light weight, great power. I don't find the buzziness the other posters mention. Pretty smooth to me. Has great power but the way it's tuned makes it very rideable. Smooth and docile up to 6k rpm then you feel it "come on the cam" and pull like hell up to red line.
The GT is a lot more sport than touring. Slight "lean forward" riding position but not bad. Longest I've ridden was 4 hours from barbers to home without much discomfort. The seat doesn't work well for me and mine has the comfort seat option. I started a seat thread on the F800GT forum and some found the standard seat fine, some liked the comfort seat and some didn't', some found the sargents and Corbin's good and some didn't.
Weather protection is not great but I've ridden it in some pretty serious rain an it was tolerable.
I generally  use my NT700V for longer trips.

[jas67]

I've had my 2013 F800GT since August.   I've put about 4,000 miles on it.    While lacking the engine "character" of a V-twin, it has nice linear torque from about 3,000 RPM to just over 8,000 RPM.    The weather protection is good, but, for cold weather, I made it even better with the addition of Barkbuster Blizzard hand guards, and a Madstad windshield, which was included with the bike (in a box).

The stock seat sucks.    The Sargent seat that is now on it is a great all day seat.

I loved my VFR800, but, hate chain maintenance.    I wanted something lighter than my Breva 1100.    I replaced both bikes with the F800GT.    The forward lean is somewhere between the two.     The belt drive is quite and maintenance free (well, almost; I'll replace the belt when it gets to 40k or so).     It is a little quicker than the Breva, similar to the VFR800, thought the VFR800 had more top end, which I hardly ever used.

Brakes and chassis are great.   The ESA works well, though, I find the handling in comfort mode to be plenty good for 95% of of the riding that I do.

I don't have any complaints with vibration in the handlebars, it is on par with the Breva, though a little higher frequency.   It is quite mild through.

The factory heated grips work great, especially with the hand guards.

Sure the engine doesn't have the character of a Guzzi or Ducati, or even an Airhead, but, overall it is a very pleasant bike to ride.

The BMW touring cases are nice, though just a hair too small to fit my Size-L modular Shoei in.   That helmet fits the bags on the 1992 R100R I have just fine.    I do like that the bags have a bottom "shelf" that exends the full width of the cases so your stuff doesn't fall into the lid when you open them.     Having bags that are key matched to the bike is nice (yeah, I know BMW isn't the only one that does that, but, it is my first).

I've been getting 55-58 MPG in warm weather, and 46-48 MPG in cold weather, which, I think is pretty darned good for a 90 HP, 470 lb bike.     

IMHO, it is a great sport tourer and commuter, as well has a capable and fun sport bike for, well, "mature (read:older)" riders who want sporty, but, not a committed sport bike riding position.

My advice, ride 'em both, and buy what calls to you.

One definite area where the F800GT is better than the Breva 1100 (aside from being lighter weight and better fuel economy), is it has MUCH better low speed manners in stop and go traffic.    The Breva 1100's first gear was a little tall, and gentle launches into a slow speed crawl were a bit rough.    The F800GT is happy to craw along at 2,000 RPM, or even less when I get in traffic.     This wasn't a big problem with the Breva, as usually avoid such traffic situations, but, when encountering such conditions found it to be a little frustrating.

Also, the Breva, and the Norge (which is basically the same bike with more plastic) is a bit top heavy in comparison, so, in moving it around the garage, or, recovering from a near drop when you drop your foot in a hole at a stop it feels MUCH heavier.

One final note, is that I've read some complaints about heat on the left leg in hot weather (F800GT).    I haven't found it to be an issue, and have ridden it on mid 90's humid days.   I found the Breva bake my shins and knees any time the temps were above 80.   The Norge's aerodynamics might be different though.

[charlie b]

I've put 8,000 miles on my F800GT. I love the bike. Great handling, light weight, great power. I don't find the buzziness the other posters mention. Pretty smooth to me. Has great power but the way it's tuned makes it very rideable. Smooth and docile up to 6k rpm then you feel it "come on the cam" and pull like hell up to red line.
The GT is a lot more sport than touring. Slight "lean forward" riding position but not bad. Longest I've ridden was 4 hours from barbers to home without much discomfort. The seat doesn't work well for me and mine has the comfort seat option. I started a seat thread on the F800GT forum and some found the standard seat fine, some liked the comfort seat and some didn't', some found the sargents and Corbin's good and some didn't.
Weather protection is not great but I've ridden it in some pretty serious rain an it was tolerable.
I generally  use my NT700V for longer trips.

Are you on the NT forum too?

I had considered the GT to replace my NT, but, upgraded the T5 instead.

PS "Buzzy" is relative to the rider.  I was one to complain about the bar buzz on the Honda NT700 (I've had arm/hand circulation issues since playing baseball in my youth), while others didn't notice it.  So, if you want to make sure, ride the bike before you buy it.  If it doesn't bother you after 20 min at highway speed it probably never will.

[Yeahoo Whoyah]

ZZZZZZZZZ 

:1:
Buzzy engine too

[NC Steve]

Saw a new one on sale at Touring Sport in Greenville SC  Beautiful.  Riding position seems pretty upright from sitting on it.

I have a friend who bought an F800GT just last week from Frontline BMW in Roanoke, VA. He did a lot of research, and loves the thing so far, although the weather hasn't allowed for much riding yet. He also has a clean VFR800 for sale.

On a similar note, another friend in Southern VA has an F800ST in exceptional shape, with all the goodies including the BMW expandable bags, for sale in the $5Kish range. She recently bought a new Yamaha FJ-09 triple, and the BMW is parked.

[canuguzzi]

MGPILOT, I recommend you not discount the BMW , go ride one, a current year model just like you'd buy.

Vibration that bothers one person isn't bothersome to another. What vibrates on a 2014 model might not on the 2016.

Have some fun, test ride everything you can. Then you'll know for yourself.

[ohiorider]

Vibrations ......... it often varies from bike to bike, and is sometimes curable, or at a minimum, reduced.  Original BMW 4 cylinder K Bike "Flying Bricks" (K100 Series) were buzzy right around 55-60mph, which was really obnoxious, especially since our National Speed Limit at the time was 55mph.  I picked up my first BMW (1985 K100RS) in March of 1986.  I had traded my Virago 750 that got me back into biking.  Left the dealership on my lovely silver sport tourer, and after a 50 mile ride home, I was on the phone to the dealer, asking if something was wrong.  "They all do that.  But there is a fix on the way."

Well, the fix was extensive warranty replacement of foot pegs and foot peg mounting castings.  Some improvement.

Another fix involved loosening motor mount bolts and observing if the frame was under tension (did it spring away from the engine?)  If so, the solution was to install shim(s) between the frame and engine to eliminate the frame tension.  Of additional help.

The vibe problem was virtually eliminated on the last of the bricks with a complete frame redesign, which resulted in a cast cradle frame permitting rubber mounting the engine.  My 1999 K1200RS was extremely vibe-free.  Note - none of the 4 cylinder '"bricks" had balance shafts.  OTOH, the smaller K75 triple did (one shaft with weights which rotated opposite the direction of crank rotation,) and was nearly turbine smooth, except when getting its neck wrung at rather high rpms.

I've also experienced vibes with retro vertical twins (W650 and 790cc Triumph T100.)  The W used a single balance shaft, the Triumph used dual shafts, so most of the vibes had been eliminated via the basic design.  Any vibration was usually caused if I had removed and reinstalled the mufflers.  Here's what I found.  Don't reinstall the exhaust system and draw the bolts up to correct torque.  Tighten muffler clamps and other fasteners only tight enough to hold things together.  Ride the bikes up and down the street through the rev range several times, return to garage and complete torqueing to spec.  Running slightly loose for a few minutes appeared to let things find their home position, so they weren't running under tension.

Summary:  Identical bikes may have different levels of vibes that can be attributed to a variety of causes.  Basic design flaw, or careless installation of exhaust system parts.

[ohiorider]

Here's a well-written and nicely-illustrated article by the late Kevin Ash that describes BMW's approach to reducing the vibes in their 800cc engines used in the F Series bikes.

http://www.ashonbikes.com/bmw_engine_balancer

[canuguzzi]

I had a Yamaha XS500, a parallel twin that was very smooth, rode it across the USA and back starting from the east coast, two up and fully loaded. It had counter balancers and rivaled the Honda 500 Four for very low vibes.

A wonderful machine.

[Chuck in Indiana]

I had a Yamaha XS500, a parallel twin that was very smooth, rode it across the USA and back starting from the east coast, two up and fully loaded. It had counter balancers and rivaled the Honda 500 Four for very low vibes.

A wonderful machine.

Me, too. The only problem I had with it was a top end oil leak. "They all do that, sir.." 

[MGPilot]

I am particularly fond of the "They All Do That" response to something that was never mentioned pre-sale.

Hm.

[MGPilot]

Today seems a little drier in the PNW. Recently, while the East Coast has been so blessed with snow, it's been raining here like a cow peeing on a flat rock. Some areas nearby getting over 3" in the last 24h.

But....today dawns with blue in the skies.  Will see if I'm able to get by Moto International and see/drive an Aprilia Caponord, then over to BMW Seattle to see/drive an F800GT & a recent R1200RT for reference.

Life may have other ideas of how I'll spend the day.....

[JeffOlson]

Today seems a little drier in the PNW. Recently, while the East Coast has been so blessed with snow, it's been raining here like a cow peeing on a flat rock. Some areas nearby getting over 3" in the last 24h.

But....today dawns with blue in the skies.  Will see if I'm able to get by Moto International and see/drive an Aprilia Caponord, then over to BMW Seattle to see/drive an F800GT & a recent R1200RT for reference.

Life may have other ideas of how I'll spend the day.....

Greetings from the Starbucks just north of MI. My Norge is there for its first service. Holy cow, Dave has some GREAT deals on bikes, like a new 2015 (not 2014) Norge for $9,990 or a 2015 Caponord for $9,999!

[Calijackalbob]

get a Guzzi or Fccck off to the BMW Forum. 

[jas67]

get a Guzzi or Fccck off to the BMW Forum. 

Really?    Do you realize how many members here also have BMWs (and Harleys, and Hondas, and .....)?

Gee all the talk about how non-BMW riders get snubbed at BMW rallies, and this is how we act here?

 

[oldbike54]

get a Guzzi or Fccck off to the BMW Forum. 

 

Really?    Do you realize how many members here also have BMWs (and Harleys, and Hondas, and .....)?

Gee all the talk about how non-BMW riders get snubbed at BMW rallies, and this is how we act here?

 

 In fact most of us don't think like that Jason , all are welcome here .

 Dusty

[MGPilot]

... and this is how we act here?

Meh. He just doesn't know to leave the room when he passes gas.

-----------------

So...nice day today. 15mph crosswind. Not strong, but noticeable. Would be a decent day to try new bikes.

Thought I should take the V7-II out for a ride first so I'd have a fresh comparison. (Big mistake.) Rode it around the island for a little and then headed out toward the Cascade mountains on I-90. 65mph near town, 70-75 as you start climbing into the mountains.  Didn't go all that far. Reports of closures and avalanches farther up the road. Stayed in the relative warmth and sunshine of the lower altitudes.

That bike puts such a stupid grin on my face. Don't know what it is.

Anyway, I tried to unsettle the bike--and couldn't. There was no shaking of the handle bars like before in crosswinds or truck turbulence. It rode great. Yep, I had to adjust for crosswinds, trucks, etc. But the bike was much more settled than it had been.

Remembered that while I was messing with it recently, I slanted the aftermarket, off-season windshield as far back as it would go. Not a giant change, but it is less upright now. And come to think of it, this is the first chance I've had to ride the bike since that adjustment.

Although I'm not afraid to pony up the money for a second bike, getting one to solve a problem that doesn't exist any more seems....illogical. More data. Need more data. (As if I needed an excuse to go on more rides.)

So, will work in more rides as I can. But if the Stone continues to ride well, then the criteria for a second bike might be quite different.

Will see.

FWIW, had the first chance to use the Sena Bluetooth headset/communicator that my wife gave me for Christmas. Worked well with the phone, etc. Just so much capacity with so few controls....hard to keep it all straight. Noise in the Shoei was more noticeable. Didn't want to turn up the sound too much on the speakers. May be better to use earphones with it rather than headset speakers.

[MGPilot]

Greetings from the Starbucks just north of MI. My Norge is there for its first service. Holy cow, Dave has some GREAT deals on bikes...

Hey Jeff. Sorry I missed you over there today.

He does. That's what's been partly setting a fire under me. If I think a new bike would be the right thing for me, this would be the right time to get one.   (Stock market excluded...)

[ohiorider]

If I think a new bike would be the right thing for me, this would be the right time to get one.   (Stock market excluded...)

Oh, yeah ..... I'm tiring of being asked by the fund manager, ' Bob, exactly, what are your goals?'  "Uhhh.... I dunno, maybe figure out how to recover 11-12% of my IRA capital, so I can blow it on a bike vs paying fund managers?"  How's that for a goal?

[Kev m]

 In fact most of us don't think like that Jason , all are welcome here .

 Dusty

Who's Jason?

[oldbike54]

Who's Jason?

 Go back to sleep , you know I meant to say Jay 

  Dusty

[Kev m]

 Go back to sleep , you know I meant to say Jay 

  Dusty

Any chance to give you grief.... Kinda like with Jay too. 

[SmithSwede]

I've had a 2007 BMW F800S since I bought it new.  Have a bit over 50,000 miles on this bike.

I really, really like it.  My two bikes before the F800 were a Yamaha FJR and a BMW GS1200.  Much preferred the F800 to either of those.

That being said, in my current stable the F800 is my least favorite. I like my 13 V7 Stone the best, and my little Ninja 250 takes second place.  Currently, I almost always take the Stone or the two-fiddy.  Often consider selling the F800S.

Upsides to the F800?  The bike handles extremely well. Relatively light at 450 someodd pounds. Engine is torquey and deceptively quick. It is real world useful--torquey low down, but starts snarling and really pulling hard about 6,000--a fun combination of real world useability and a sporty feel if you want rev it. 

It does sound like a sewing machine with stock pipes, but I've always had a carbon fiber Remus on it, and with that can I personally think it sounds great. 

It routinely gets incredible gas mileage--you can thrash it and still get an honest 52 mpg (American).  Ride it gently and you will get 55 mpg or better.

6 speed, slick transmission.   Belt drive is smooth with no snatch.  And I've had no issues with a belt driving over a lot of rocky, dirt type roads.  The belt is very well shielded. 

Looks are subjective, but I really like the oddball, praying mantis look of the thing. 

The downsides?  Yes, the engine is vibey.  It does cause my hands to go numb after about 30 minutes of freeway cruising.   I've got grip puppies and a throttle Meister, and can work around this, but it is an issue for me. 

The single sided swing arm is bulbous on right side.  I wear a size 11 boot.  I constantly feel the swing arm working against my boot. 

The ABS is terrible.  It will deactivate the brakes over low speed urban bumps.  I've sailed into numerous crosswalks.    This ABS system has really soured me on ABS. 

My clutch has always been grabby.  When the bike gets super hot (50 miles on Texas freeway in summer) it is very difficult to shift out of first, or find neutral. 

My belts only last 25,000 miles.  The failure mode is abrupt--you can barely go another 30 to 50 miles because the teeth on belt keep stripping off.  Replacement belts from BMW run almost $500, which is obscene.  However, a new source of belts just appeared that run about $250.  Still, a lot of money per mile just for final drive. 

My alternator burned out at 25,000.   Not well cooled.  This is very typical--alternators only seem to last about 25 to 30K.

There is a recall on rear wheel bearing.  Mine seems ok.  But that's a pricey repair.

The early bikes had bad anti-theft antennas for key sensors.  And bad batteries.   

It seems to eat steering head bearings.  I've had to replace the rear belt drive pulley bearings at 30,000 miles because belt would not track true to sprocket.  Same for bulbs.   I seem to be constantly replacing headlight and taillight bulbs--probably related to vibration.   

Rear brake lever is wonky--pedal is way too low for effective daily use. 

A combination of these and other issues resulted in me being stranded more times on the F800 than any bike I've ever owned.   I think it's all sorted out now.  But I still have trust issues.

Removing the cam cover to adjust valve lash is a royal PITA.  And the gasket is notorious for leaking.  I've got the "new and improved" gasket kit, but it still leaks a lot.  On the other hand, having adjusted valve lash once, it has never moved since. 

I like mine--warts and all.   Certainly one of my favorite bikes ever.  But like I said, I hardly use it anymore now that I have the Stone.  If my F800 were to be totaled or stolen, I'd get something different. 

[oldbike54]

Any chance to give you grief.... Kinda like with Jay too. 

 Hey , that's what family is for 

  Dusty

[SmithSwede]

MG Pilot. 

Didn't see your most recent post.    Yeah.  Think hard about the "fun factor." 

Like I tried to say, there are lots of things about the V7 Stone that just work.   Put a smile on your face.   I totally get that. 

My F800S has a lot less of this ineffable "grin factor."  On paper, the BMW F800 has the Guzzi Stone beat.   And the F800 really is a very nice bike.  I would have said my favorite, up until I became totally smitten by V7 Guzzi.   

Go test ride an F800.  Maybe it will click with you.   But maybe you have already been smitten by recent edition small block Guzzi.   That's what happened to me.

[MGPilot]

Thanks for your experience with the F800. I still my ride over and try one. It may have enough or different character to make it worth buying.

But, if my issues with the bike are pretty well handled, this might open the option for a vintage bike of some kind.

You know, one that you'd keep a small role of baling wire in your pocket and could actually fix something with to get you back home.

Sometimes the hunt is as good or better than the capture.

(The divorce attorneys can stop laughing....)

[ohiorider]

Thanks for your experience with the F800. I still my ride over and try one. It may have enough or different character to make it worth buying.

But, if my issues with the bike are pretty well handled, this might open the option for a vintage bike of some kind.

You know, one that you'd keep a small role of baling wire in your pocket and could actually fix something with to get you back home.

Sometimes the hunt is as good or better than the capture.

(The divorce attorneys can stop laughing....)

Have to ask ...... do you guys REALLY like the small block Guzzis?  By 'you guys,' I mean you guys and gals who have put a bunch of miles on big block Guzzis, and then added or switched over to a small block?  And I am not being cynical when I ask this question. 

However, I recall riding a riding buddy's 2004 Breva 750 and not being in the least impressed with the bike.  To me, it felt underpowered and geared way low, to make up for it.  OTOH, perhaps I didn't spend enough time with this lightweight sport touring bike to appreciate what it had to offer.  I do recall the owner had no problem leading the ride on several occasions, whether it was two lane or interstate.

I guess I owe it to myself to take a V7II out for a test ride.  I'm not a high hp rider .... obviously, since I owned a 130hp BMW K bike, while at the same time a W650 and T100 occupied the garage.  All three bikes got their fair share of riding time.  And I loved them all!

But before I make any false moves, I do intend to demo a 2014 Honda CB1100, and with any luck, might be able to do the same with a new Triumph T120.

My heart is drawn to Guzzi, but I keep thinking that there is this chain drive Honda that might just do what I want, with little fanfare and little maintenance.  Could possibly be a pipedream!

I know it appears I'm all over the board, but the bikes I'm considering are a very narrow segment of the bikes available.

Bob

[MGPilot]

Can't compare it to the large displacement Guzzi's. But I sure like the V7-II a lot more for daily riding than I did my R1200RT. (The CBX was a different animal entirely.)

[Kev m]

Have to ask ...... do you guys REALLY like the small block Guzzis?  By 'you guys,' I mean you guys and gals who have put a bunch of miles on big block Guzzis, and then added or switched over to a small block?  And I am not being cynical when I ask this question. 

I put around 35k on a Jackal and 15k on a Breva 1100 and now 10k on a V7 Stone.

The Jackal was great, but never pretty enough, and a very mechanically troublesome.

The B11 was also great in a lot of ways, but also not pretty enough and also had a couple of niggles. Specifically pinging and too much heat.

My V7 has been perfect by comparison.

Now let's be real.

The Jackal and Breva were both better 2-up mounts, but that's a non issue to me as I rarely do it and have other options.

The Breva was hands down a better highway mileage eater.

The Jackal wasn't really any faster, but the Breva certainly was.

But I don't care, the V7 is more fun. To that end it's more like the W650 or an Airhead.

That said, I wouldn't own another CARC unless it didn't have the troublesome dash, had a better looking and more functional tank (wasn't so hot), and had ergos more like the V7.

The power and suspension and ease of service (rear tire removal) were great on the B11, but I prefer what the V7 offers overall as a bike.

[ohiorider]

Interesting comments re the small blocks, from some riders who ride!  I'll have to try one, probably either a V7II or newer V9.  My objection to the older small block Breva may have been due to the fact that I don't like bikes with much wind protection.  I'm thinking that a small block retro might be the ticket.  We'll see.

Bob