BMW F 800 GS

Purchased with 10,000ks loved the grunt Rotax motor..now at 40000ks still love it..have added akropovik muffler..Fuelpro mapping..plastic throttle rocker..comfort seat...easy to do 6000ks over six days "almost a ride" Yes they are a tall bike so not for those with ducks disease..Wont be buying from Worthy's Bmw on central coast

I have seen so many of these on the road and figured I'd rent one to see how it handled on a weekend camping trip. I rode it on the highway for a couple of hours to my destination so i really tested it over a few days.
On the road: It's buzzy, has no wind/rain protection so over 80 you need earplugs and to be rugged up in the winter, it's slower than any other 800, the panniers stick out so far that you effectively double your size, brakes are squishy in the back and up front you obviously dive if applied at any speed. It does point well in the dry though with the cheap rental rubber it didn't like even slightly wet roads. Boring to ride frankly.
On the dirt: Much better behaved than on the road. Bias is obviously here. More than enough torque, literally it loses traction at low revs up to 3rd gear. Too heavy for serious single track and needs nobbies to do anything in sand or technically challenging tracks.
I won't ever ride one again.

So lets get the bad over and done with first. 1. Its tall and heavy so will be a handfull on sandy roads. 2. The screen is awful.
At over 200kg the bike handles very well on road and formed dirt roads but introduce a bit of sand and the bike works against you especially when loaded with all your camping gear. Having the Fuel tank down low helps to a point but just be aware that it can be tough going on outback Australian roads.
Whilst the screen looks fantastic it does create a lot of buffeting and this can be very tiring. This bike is supposed to be a long distance adventure bike however the screen really lets it down. Turbulance from a truck or caravan will throw your helmet all over the place. The solution? I trialled a number of options and ended up making a small and low screen myself for a couple of bucks. Still a lot of wind noise but 100% better

I got a great deal on mine. It came with centre stand and comfort seat - two essentials for long distance rides. You will find that the suspension gets a lot of critisism on the internet, its frankly not that bad and whilst it could be better it works just fine in 90% of situations. If you are thinking of upgrading, my advice would be to spend the money on tyres first.

So let get to the good. The bike comes with a really great spec and that is what attracted me. ABS. Traction control, (both switchable), braided brakelines, twin front disks provide fantastic braking for an adventure bike although i find it a bit too easy to activate ABS on rear, heated grips, trip meters, temp and fuel guages etc. hazard flashers, led blinkers and led tail light, different riding modes affecting abs/traction control. A great package for the money. Did I mention the 3 mode switchable damping on the rear suspension?

The motor is excellent and vibration is only an issue at high rpm. I would have preferred a foam air filter to the paper oem filter particulalry if you are riding in a group and sucking other peoples dust.

The gearbox has six speeds, frankly given the motors tourque 4 would suffice.

This is a mile eater and big days in the saddle are a breeze but just be aware of that weight and height. I've been travelling outback on bikes and 4wd's for 25 years and am a very capable sand rider but am still struggling with the trend for heavier and more powerful adventure bikes. Would I swap it for my simple DR650's? Possibly but I'm loving that high spec and power.

We all love just saying ive got a GS, don't matter where you ride it or if you sit in the garage looking at it, every guy wants one. I got mine as a 2 nd bike so was a bit spoilt. negatives - its noisy , it vibrates , no wind protection, dam heavy to pick up , and breakable. Positives reliable, good acceleration, great fun, dependable motor german engineering, easy to maintain, service costs quite good, can do lots highway miles if you want, capable on soft gravel work, don't try single tracks or heavy duty stuff. Mines 2011 mdl done 34.000 kms and goes fantastic, do enjoy it however not 100 % biased to this Bavarian delight - I will entertain other brands for my next update.

I've done 30.000km on 2010model. 0 problems! Good fuel range: 300km until reserve then another ~80-100km left.

Absolutely no visible oil consumption. I change oil @6000km.

Improved the bike with engine crash bars, head light protector and big bash plate.

I agree that first model 2008 had numerous issues, but almost every bike have these childhood issues. They were fixed.
Range is good, versatile on road and off-road. Crash resistant :)
vibrates @5000rpm, windshield is not so usefull

Although this bike is nice to ride and a great compromise between trail and road, it has been tainted by bad build quality which included numerous recalls and vibrations which can't seem to be rectified. Service department from Procycles is the most incompedent and dishonest I have experienced from any dealer.
Nice styling.
Plenty of power from parallel twin motor.
Decent options list and good range of aftermarket accessories.
Build quality is not up to scratch, even worse considering the price and range of this bike.
Excessive vibrations felt through handle bars and frame, throttle is a bit twitchy.
Extremely poor after sales service, not being notified of any recalls.