BMW F800GS (2008 - 2018) Review

Year: 2013

This bike is awesome for me

Version: abs

Year: 2009

Annual servicing cost: £300

best : -engine / fuel consumption /low insurance bracket worst: -eating stators (every 80 -90 k) , steer head bearings (45 -50k) ,the suspension is not the best / clutch kits are very expensive at the dealer, but now we can buy aftermarket from bike teile service.

Buying experience: privately

Year: 2010

Annual servicing cost: £200

nothing bad about it,

Buying experience: absolute bargain, bought it private 2 years ago and could probably get my money back, very good quality, solid bike, nothing snapped off or worn.

Year: 2014

Annual servicing cost: £140

Great bike, not quite 'do it all' but does such a bike exist? I wanted to find a bike that can do the singletrack lanes, light trails, roads, and everything else in between. Initially wanted a KTM 690 Enduro R, but were sold out everywhere so I tried a GS. If you can manage the weight, and have the leg length as well you'll probably manage it better off tarmac than I do. However, it is a great bike all round. With the exception of the seat. Awful, bloody awful, kills my backside after just an hour, agony by the end of a day. Bought mine (well, borrowed really, it's on a PCP lol) from BMW dealer with just 800 miles on it, in pristine condition. Has the centre stand which is handy, if a bit rattly off road, heated grips, active rear suspension, abs, and traction control. Which I personally find annoying. Can catch you out by killing the engine if you set off on a bit of gravel which wouldn't normally be a problem. If I was buying again, I'd make a point of getting one without the bells and whistles, but that's just me and my opinion. Handles great on road, yes it gets a bit weavy as speeds increase due to the 21" front, but off tarmac that comes into it's own. Off road, well, initially I was disappointed, as was hoping i could use this to replace both a road bike and an enduro bike. Way too heavy for that, weighs twice that of a lightweight off roader. However it has it's place, I use mine for recce'ing off road runs I'm putting together, I just keep away from anywhere particularly slippy as my little legs and porky body get overwhelmed by it's mass! Can stick a passenger on and not notice them there, or a load of camping gear etc. I actually wish I'd bought an older, tattier example, simply because I know I could do more off road with it, and the bike is up to it, but I don't want to knacker it, after all, it's not really mine! Would I buy another? Yes, I reckon I would, but only once I've tried a 690 Enduro R to see if that can really do it all.....

Buying experience: I paid £8000 in October 2014, was 6 months and 800 miles old from a BMW dealer, with 18 months warranty remaining. They were great, and service and warranty work I had done at a different dealer were also spot on.

Year: 2014

Annual servicing cost: £140

Looks great, lovely motor. Throttle a bit snatchy at low speed off road, but in all fairness worked well in the snow when commuting last winter. I have other bikes, a K12GT and a BoxerCup. Both of which are obviously a lot faster than the F8GS but the GS is so flickable and easy to ride it never fails to please :) I've not taken it over 80 mph and seems fine at that.

Buying experience: Bought new from Williams BMW Motorcycles Manchester. Great people to deal with and very friendly.

17 months, 17,000km, still going well. Mostly used for 30 minute daily commute, with weekend rideouts, and one weekend trip of 2500km in 3 days. Easy to live with, peppy enough for most of what I want to do, excellent fuel economy, 10,000km servicing, nothing gone wrong. Before buying I also rode the Triumph, they are really similar, I just preferred the sound of the twin.

I've had my F800GS for 11 months now and absolutely love it. I'm surprised the average rating isn't higher. The engine has loads of character, far more than the Tiger 800XC and it isn't as rattlely as the R1200GS. The fuel economy is excellent and the grin factor is off the scale! On the negative, i've had issues with the right heated grip not heating up correctly, my seat split after just 3 months and there's paint currently coming off the engine casing but, so far, I've found the BMW warranty excellent and things have been sorted out quickly. My bike's going in at the weekend to get the paint sorted out. The outcome of that may change my opinion but so far all the issues haven't put me off and I would recommend it to everyone.

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Had my F800GS for 6 months now. Superb bike. Took it to europe and found it wanting for nothing. Only thing i've changed is the seat, as the standard was really uncomfortable past 100 miles. Still think it looks better than the new Tiger 800 too!!

It is just the kind of bike I was looking for...light, powerfull, good handling, good for long and short trips...I does everything and does it all well...besides, it's BMW

Just got rid of my F800gs after 13,000mls & 18 mths. After 7 recalls, numerous warranty issues of my own and finally my 3rd survival of electrical breakdowns whilst riding in traffic, I traded it last week. In my experience, this is a seriously flawed and dangerous bike to ride due electrical and mechanical failures. I've had 3 complete electrical and fuel supply related breakdowns whilst in heavy traffic and lucky to have avoided being run over by a tanker last week near Loch Lomond and at home in Ireland. I'd lost all faith in the safety and reliability of this bike. I've had more trouble with this bike than all of the Japanese bikes I've had in 25 years of riding - never had a Jap bike breakdown either! Having spoken to other BMW owners and recovery operators, the vast majority of breakdowns is ALWAYS BMW'S! They sell you the myth of cutting edge technology but negate to tell you they have 'stone age' reliability. No doubt the BMW 'Brand Slaves' will denounce my posting! All I can say is if you value your life, don't buy one!

This review based on test ride only (4 hours worth though) I'm currently a Fazer 600 owner, its an 08 plate, and although i had a test ride its completely different in real life to what i was ALLOWED on the test ride. Its too revvy and vibratey for me, and i hate it big time. I'd heard good things about the 800 GS. I originally wanted a GS1200 but funds didnt allow. I found the 800 GS to be very quick,with an exhaust note that you wont really forget, nor want to. It's light quick, goes well stops well, and i can see myself readily ditching the FAZER if the finance company stop taking ADVANTAGE,LOL.Are there any down sides, err yeah unfortunately, the standard screen is too low to be really comfortable on the motorway. The seat height is also a bit of a bone of contention as im 5 ft 9 tall, and at a few traffic light stops i had worried looks from some car drivers as they thought i was gonna lose my footing and make a bike shaped dent in their cars.I also noticed that the seat is quite uncomfortable after a few hours , but I'm gonna get some sort of air cushion seat affair, and see if that helps. If i can get rid of my Fazer then my name is going on a new F 800 GS. As an afterthought i should mention the fuel consumption,which after several hours of errr spirited (sorry OFFICER,LOL)riding had dropped to the appalling figure of 57 MPG!!! Perhaps it was over reading but guesstimated on tank at start and refill to tank level at the end of the ride I dont think its that far out.

Today I spent two hours on the 800GS on a test ride and was definatly impressed. To start of with I felt quite precarious sitting right up there and the brakes felt like they have too much grab for the forks (this is commuting through heavy traffic, say 15-20 mph). Get myself introduced to the indicator switches and get moving properly and it's just great. I find myself toying with the MPG readout, how high can I get it (109 mpg in 6th at 40 mph), how low can I get it (37 mpg excelarating to the red line). The engine first felt weak until I started taking note of the speedo. It shifts well but you don't feel it surge forward, maybe down to a good shock and not much 'squat' or just a really smooth power delivery but it does move. Then I start playing with the roads doing everything I don't on my GSX, aim for the bumps, aim for the man-holes and go straight over the speed bumps (no need to slow down). I tolk it to one of my favoured roads which is very bumpy and it loved it! The tyres the the chassis the brakes the suspension, everything was ideal. After a play with the hand warmers it was time to turn back, onto the dual carrageway. It was a VERY windy day and upto 70mph felt fine with a bit of buffeting from the screen. 80 mph felt ok but alot of buffeting. 90 mph and above the vibes kick in, quite bad at 120. Back into traffic it felt brilliant, now that I'd got used to it, it's good at slow speed and the stearing lock is massive. After two hours my butt didn't want too much longer in the seat which dissapointed me. After the test ride I'm going to get one! I'll put a taller screen on and get a gel pack put inside the seat, which was the low one and even at 5'10" I needed the low one really. I'll get used to the indicators and definatly will take it off-road even if it's just to get dirty! Definatly recomended.

I have just passed 5 months with the F800GS and am still as enamoured as ever. I have splashed out some extra cash and bought a powerbronze high screen and rear hugger. The screen has made a massive difference to both the looks and buffeting whilst the hugger stops the rear shocker and engine getting covered. As for riding, this bike has got me riding at night and in the wet and loving every minute of it. The bike has plenty of torque and just loves going up the gears, you'll soon be over the speed limit before you know it and thats at just 5000rpm. A and B roads are where this bike comes into its own, it is so easy to tip it into a corner and accelerate out with ease. Its sheer grin factor everytime I go out to do this. As for the motorways, the bike will cruise comfortably along two up with no problems and no aching wrists at the end of a decent journey. Around town, its a joy, very nippy and easy to handle. The seat, I am 5'11 and can get my foot down at traffic lights no problem and thats with a standard one. Does my rear go numb after a long ride ?, a little but thats what an airhawk is for ! The aftermarket bits and pieces are slowly trickling through and adorning my bike as and when cash dictates. I intend to have the bike fully laden with extras ie hand guards, bash plate and aluminium luggage early next year so me and the missus can do some grand touring. As for off road, I cannot comment as not been there...........yet. To sum up, if you want a lightweight alternative to the excellent GSA for considerably less money this is the bike.

(Review based on test ride) I was looking forward to this bike enormously. The quirky looks of the bigger GS without its enormous bulk seemed appealing for me at 5'10. Initially I was really impressed, the motor pulls well from low down and only runs out of guts and feels a little vibey at fast motorway speeds - perhaps 6th could be longer. It was quickly evident that its native territory was back roads where the power was plenty and punchy, overtaking and cruising with ease. Gearchanges and braking faultless. After the initial "its very different" transition from my usual rice-rocket, I discovered quickly that its so rideable. You can flick it through bends with a heave on the wide bars and you can see over all the cars and hedges... It gives you the impression that you're in control of the bike - and perhaps even the road. However, the little screen offers scant motorway protection and after only about 15 miles in the close wakes of swathes of weekend travellers I was aching to get away from the buffet and finger numbing vibrations. A desire I haven't experienced since the 100cc commuter I left behind in my teens. This was disappointing because on A-roads at similar speeds the bike was entirely composed and the buffet much reduced. Anyway, as soon as I was back on the A and B roads, the GS was happy again. Soaking up the ripples of the poor road surface and whipping along country lanes. Its a long way down though - stopping at junctions I found my leg sometimes wafting about helplessly rather than planted on the tarmac...but some careful planning when you stop sorts that out. I imagine the health and safety warning stickers on the packing crate read 'Not recommended for use with less than a 29" inside leg'. An optional lower seat is available, which brings us conveniently on to the torturous device that BMW have applied for your seating enjoyment. A fair old slope on the saddle ensures that your buttocks are inexorably tugged towards your shoulder blades unless you sit at the front of the seat, where the curve up to the tank hoists your uhm, nether regions, forcibly upwards and outwards. Neither solution was tolerable for very long. Half an hour at a time was about all I was prepared to endure with frequent standing-on-the-pegs intermissions. Perhaps if you're several stone heavier than me (11st / 70kg) you might flatten the angled seat with the assistance of gravity. I enquired with the dealer whether this issue could be fixed with the suspension settings but he didn't seem hopeful. So, all in all. Great looking (confirmed by child and father at crossing), fun torquey performance (unless you want warp speed), seemed good economy maybe 40-50mpg from what I could tell. But not a friendly saddle. The BMW switchgear is largely OK, with a dash of bizarre. Not sure why they persist with 3 controls for the indicators. Very odd. My recommendation: Ride it for more than 30 mins before you buy it. If you find it comfy, I reckon you'll love it. Otherwise you won't want to spend days on it. Loaded up with touring gear, it might be a different story... As for me, I'll be testing the 1200 next. I spied a flatter saddle there. I truly wanted to love the 800GS, but it definitely wasn't for me.

some pictures http://www.flickr.com/photos/25539574@N00/