BMW F800GS from £3500
A lighter, more agile adventure bike? The new Ténéré is great, but so’s a used F800GS
THE BEAKY PTERODACTYL snout of BMW’S GS adventure range has become ubiquitous on British roads over the past ten years. And rightly so. The big boxer-twin powered 1200 and 1250 GS models have helped wean us off our once seemingly insatiable desire for sportsbikes and opened-up the continent, if not the world, to eager owners. That’s all well and good, but there is a dirty great fly smack bang in the middle of the ointment. Big GSS don’t come cheap, even on the used market. They’re massive too – literally – both in terms of weight and sheer size, so for anyone short of stature they can be a real handful. But there is another way that gets you on a BMW, and a GS to boot. The F800GS.
Okay it’s not a boxer-twin, but that’s no disadvantage. Being a parallel-twin, the F is slimmer – i.e. better for negotiating narrow tracks and off-road ruts. You’re also unlikely to smash a cylinder head on a rock when you inevitably fall off while out trail riding. Seat height can be an issue with big trailies. Indeed, at 890mm the 800’s perch is only marginally lower than its bigger brothers, but again there’s good news for those of modest stature; from 2013 BMW offered a lower seat option for the 800, taking it down to a much less daunting 820mm. Even at original height, as with the 2011 model we have here, the 800 is way more manageable than any of the big GSS on account of the bike’s modest 178kg (dry). That’s 38kg lighter than the big boxer-twin. I love trail riding, but wouldn’t take a big GS off road. It wouldn’t end well. Giving myself a hernia or snapping a tibia isn’t my idea of fun. But I would venture on to the dirt with the 800. A bimble up an old drovers’ track while out on test showed this BM to be agile enough to turn 180° on a rutted byway without bother – you always end up going the wrong way, so being able to turn around in tight spaces is a must. It’s also light enough to be fun – provided you don’t brim the 24-litre saddle-bag tank – and sufficiently spirited to charge up a loose surface without getting stuck. Although, a chunkier set of boots than the Continental TCK70S fitted to our test bike would offer a greater scope to explore. Back on tarmac the Contis are spot-on for this multi-purpose German – sure-footed, grippy and devoid of the rumble knobblies
often produce on hard surfaces. Unusually for a BMW, and especially a GS, drive from the motor is transferred to the rear wheel by chain – a neat way to aid two of the 800’s strong suits: modest weight and affordability.
On the go lightness is again the key sensation with the GS. The requires minimal effort to entice the bike to turn, although on full lock the ’bars do make contact with the screen despite indents in the plastic to avoid such a mating. BM clearly intended the F800 as a dual-purpose proposition. The gear lever, for example, is longer than most – presumably to accommodate chunky off-road boots. I had to shift my size 9s forward several times to get within reach, so if you’ve got dainty plates you may need to swap the lever for a shorter alternative. Performance is adequate and certainly a good match for the handling and dual-purpose nature of the bike – 85bhp and 61 lb.ft are not risible numbers for a big trailie. Indeed that would have been superbike territory only a few decades ago. It’ll cruise comfortably at 90mph, and I never found the motor wanting as I wound my way through the twists and turns from Buxton to Macclesfield. In terms of vibes, the parallel-twin motor produces enough to radiate character without being intrusive. BM even apparently spent a lot of time matching the exhaust note to that of a boxer unit, so if you don’t look down you can even kid yourself you’re on a ‘proper’ GS.
BM can at times skimp on equipment, leaving it up to the buyer to kit his or her bike out with options. I could happily live with this GS’S level of spec. The two-tier dials (very mid-noughties BM) are accompanied by a digital layout that shows fuel level, gear position and clock. The brakes have ABS, there’s a centre-stand (handy for adjusting that chain) and even the mirrors work perfectly. Owners of F800GSS love them because they’re light, manageable, superbly capable both on and off road, good for pillions, frugal on fuel and cheap to run. They’re also rewarding to ride and – dare I say it – a far better proposition for a lot of riders than the bigger boxer GSS in an awful lot of circumstances. So if you’re looking for a true go-anywhere all-rounder, regardless of cost, the F800GS really should be at the top of your list.
‘I love trail riding, but wouldn’t take a big GS off road’