BMW F850 GS.....Get rid of your current bike and order one.

[SteveW]

Considering my current bike is a Triumph Tiger 800 XRT that's not going to happen.

For a road based upright bike it is probably the best. I did test that BMW, but it is a tad too high, a tad too lumpy in the engine, a tad ugly and wire wheels are not needed for the road and I hate cleaning spokes.

The only issue I have with the Tiger is that the screen is pretty woeful despite being adjustable, but have an MRA on order, so hopefully sorted. The Panniers are excellent too.

So:

Triumph Tiger 800 - Cancel your order for a BMW and order one.

I've had a Tiger XC, cracking road bike, fun engine. I liked it.
But the BMW is the better all-road package in my opinion. A more robust feel to it.
It's a close call.
Edit.....I've never cleaned the spokes, other than a blast with a jet wash!

[threepot]

Mmmm,,,why?? Bought my 96 Tiger 7yrs ago for £1350. In that time spent about 500 on a new shock,cam chain,and new coils. Currently on 80k. Runs great. Just done a 500 mile trip up to Snowdonia. 53mpg. And it looks better than a GS!

[johnnyboxer]

Blimey you can't put lipstick on a pig, can you?

Even the gold wheels look hideous

I sat on one today, felt cramped

[fast frankie]

Blimey you can't put lipstick on a pig, can you?

Even the gold wheels look hideous

I sat on one today, felt cramped

Agreee with you on the colour scheme and gold wheels, the black one looks much better but thats just preference.

[Steve T]

Didn't ride it, but the changes from the F8GS, to my mind, have made the bike so much LESS capable of meeting let alone exceeding the capabilities of the F8GS.

Guess thats a NO or a BIG NO THANKS from me then

Steve T

[Brads]

In what way Steve.?

Looks ace by the way, specially in the black.

[mark vb]

Well, it's not for me.....I've had BM's in the past but don't like them in the way I like Yamaha & Honda products. I'll patiently wait for the Tenere 700 which is I hope will be out later this year or early next, but whatever the case will keep my current bikes which I could never sell! The only bike I like the look of at the moment (but perhaps not so much the spec. of) is the Yamaha SCR950 'Scrambler'. A roadster, of course, but cool looking.

[fast frankie]

In what way Steve.?

Looks ace by the way, specially in the black.

Agree I have seen it, looks a different bike in this colour, don't know why Steve thinks its a step back though, I've had a test ride also owned the old f800 and this new 850 is a lot better especially the engine it pulls like a train and sounds great with that v-twin sound, also felt light and flickable, riding position is like the 1200gs you kind of sit in the bike and with the extra creature comforts like cruise control ect I think its a much better bike. Only things I didn't like was the exhaust system and the screen was a bit small but they can be sorted.

[Steve T]

In what way Steve.?

Seeing as you asked:-

I'll start with the water pump - down on the lower RHside of the engine. I know that there will be the BM engine bars that will help protect it come that "Oops" moment, but the pump looks to be nearly twice the size of the F8's and it just looks too vunerable.

The swingarm/shock absorber set up looks wrong to my eye. Can't say why, but it just does.

The oil filter is now incredibly well protected, having moved from the front of the engine on the F8GS to being mounted right above and slightly behind the exhaust on the RHside of the engine. It'll gather so much heat from being so close to the zorst pipe. Again, it just looks wrong. and it'll be a real pig to change come oil change time - you will get oil on your hot exhaust and you may well get burnt didgits when fitting the oil filter removal tool - tis tight in there.

The oil cooler is also now very well protected, being located right behind the engine, just to the rear of the ABS unit! How the feck thats going to cool the oil I have no idea

The most obvious is moving the fuel upstairs, to the "conventional" place in front of the rider and above the engine. I have little doubt the BM boffins have done the C of G workings out and got as much mass centralisation as possible, but putting all that fuel weight higher up can only, to my un-trained thinking, increase the energy imposed momentum that the moving fuel will generate.

They have, again to my mind, created a mini 1200Gs looky-likey that will sell to the majority that only ride on tar, maybe selling more that way. The F8GS does tar and dirt equally well, in my experience. And it does dirt better than a few of the other big trail bikes out there.

I have said to anyone that'll listen that I think the F8GS is the natural succesor to the XRV750 Africa Twin (I've had 4 of them). It does everything the old bus can do, but is better at doing it, using less fuel, having a better balance, more power (but not too much to make it a handful on the loose) and with more ground clearance.

But what do I know?

Steve T

[Brads]

lol you are entitled to your opinion you know

I can`t see much of that as a set back, bike design ebbs and flows and there is nothing there that shouts backward steps at me. Even the fuel location.

Creating a mini R1200gs is no bad thing mind.

Bet if you had one you`d love it hahaha.