F700GS review

[Cobweb]

If you are in the market for a new bike then by all means go for the 700GS but if you have a usable 650 like Ash then save your money and keep what you've got until it's time for a new bike. I chopped in my 650 and bought a new 700 because my 650 had seen better days, is the 700 way better than my 650 and worth spending loads of unnecessary cash on, NO!
I'll admit that the front suspension is better with less dive under breaking but I could have sorted the 650 if I'd have bothered to fit decent springs instead of just moaning about it, other than that there's nothing startling about the 700 and in fact the engine is not as responsive as the 650 and it runs on 97 octane instead of 95 which ups my fuel bill.
The other option if you want a bike as a general run around which is what mine is then buy a Kawasaki ER6n and put the 2 grand you save in your pocket to spend on drink, smokes and fast women, (or fast men depending on your gender or preference.

 

[wortho]

If you are in the market for a new bike then by all means go for the 700GS but if you have a usable 650 like Ash then save your money and keep what you've got until it's time for a new bike. I chopped in my 650 and bought a new 700 because my 650 had seen better days, is the 700 way better than my 650 and worth spending loads of unnecessary cash on, NO!
I'll admit that the front suspension is better with less dive under breaking but I could have sorted the 650 if I'd have bothered to fit decent springs instead of just moaning about it, other than that there's nothing startling about the 700 and in fact the engine is not as responsive as the 650 and it runs on 97 octane instead of 95 which ups my fuel bill.
The other option if you want a bike as a general run around which is what mine is then buy a Kawasaki ER6n and put the 2 grand you save in your pocket to spend on drink, smokes and fast women, (or fast men depending on your gender or preference.

Hi Aubo,
Just wondering why the change of heart on the 700 from your earlier post?

"Otherwise the 700 is everything the 650 should have been. The twin front disks are a great improvement and the front suspension is superb under heavy breaking and hard cornering. (Sorry officer) It seems a much smoother ride as well with the new gear ratios with a nice spread of power and no flat spots. All in all I'm glad I changed from the 650, it was definitely money well spent.
Fitting hand guards and a comfort seat has made it better still and you were right about the screen as well, definitely not enough wind protection for the winter although it will be great in the summer"

 

[Wal2]

thanks for replies

Aubo...

i currently run a Versys, cant moan at all about it really, reliable, simple, cheap, ive clocked up a good 15 k mls on it in Europe in the last 15 months,, its a decent little allrounder, however, i want to do a lot more in EU next year, (poss all Member States) so, i'd like to keep the touring ability, plus, slightly more power, slightly longer legs, slightly more dual purpose.....obvious next step is 650/700..... although looks/styling are secondary to me (Versys is no beauty) i prefer the looks of the 700 to the odd looking front end styling of the 650, and would prefer 2 discs.....however, got to say, Ash/Dean have managed to make theirs look pretty good,

anyway, i dont drink, smoke too much, so cant catch the fast women, dammit...........

 

[Ash]

thanks for replies

Aubo...

i currently run a Versys, cant moan at all about it really, reliable, simple, cheap, ive clocked up a good 15 k mls on it in Europe in the last 15 months,, its a decent little allrounder, however, i want to do a lot more in EU next year, (poss all Member States) so, i'd like to keep the touring ability, plus, slightly more power, slightly longer legs, slightly more dual purpose.....obvious next step is 650/700..... although looks/styling are secondary to me (Versys is no beauty) i prefer the looks of the 700 to the odd looking front end styling of the 650, and would prefer 2 discs.....however, got to say, Ash/Dean have managed to make theirs look pretty good,

anyway, i dont drink, smoke too much, so cant catch the fast women, dammit..........

Haven't finished yet, I started with a £2500 low mileage bargain that needed some luv.

 

[Gigsy]

...and it runs on 97 octane instead of 95...

Without wishing to be an upstart , but the back of the owners manual states 95 ROZ/RON.

There's a bit of ambiguity over what "regular" and "super" unleaded means by the looks of things - according to the manual, "regular" unleaded is 91 RON and "super" is 95 RON, where as at the pumps, "regular" is 95 RON and "super" is 97.

...long story short, the F700GS needs normal 95 RON unleaded not 97 SUL.


Edit: forgot to add, there's a review of the new F700GS and F800GS in this month's Bike magazine.

 

[Cobweb]

The sticker on the fuel cap of my 700 says min 95 ron the 650 gave 91 ron and where as the 650 ran smoothly on regular 95 octane the 700 runs lumpy with a definite ignition pink under load so I use super (97) because that's what it needs. Now I'm not saying that this is the case with all 700s but it definitely is with mine.
I haven't changed my mind about the 700, it is the bike the 650 should have been but in my opinion if you have a good 650 it's not worth the extra cash to change just for the sake of the improvements. A set of quality progressive springs in the front forks will set you back about £100 and that's the dive under breaking cured. The bike is light and the single disc of the 650 had more than enough stopping power to bring the bike to a rapid stop if required and little else has changed except for the styling which is a definite improvement in looks but nothing else.
One thing that I am unhappy with is the way that the engine develops power. Yes it's smooth and progressive but it feels flat compared to the 650 which took off with a sprightly spring and was way more responsive to throttle changes so the new 700 feels a lot more boring to ride.
I mentioned the ER6n in my previous post as an alternative, why because I've got a 2008 with 58000 miles on the clock, the engine is smooth and extremely quiet where as my 700 rattles like a bag of spanners and it will outstrip the 700 in both acceleration and top speed , it's good on fuel and a comfortable ride. Best of all it cost me next to nothing secondhand and a new one with ABS cost about £6400 of our british pounds which is £2000 less than the 700GS. This is just my opinion so don't take it personally.

 

[Dean]

Edit: forgot to add, there's a review of the new F700GS and F800GS in this month's Bike magazine.

So they say the F700GS uses more Fuel than the F800GS

Does it ?


95 is the choice for mine if not next nearest number

 

[Gigsy]

So they say the F700GS uses more Fuel than the F800GS

Does it ?


95 is the choice for mine if not next nearest number

No idea I'm afraid... my 700 is showing 59mpg on the trip computer on a mixture of country and urban roads.

 

[Gigsy]

The sticker on the fuel cap of my 700 says min 95 ron the 650 gave 91 ron and where as the 650 ran smoothly on regular 95 octane the 700 runs lumpy with a definite ignition pink under load so I use super (97) because that's what it needs. Now I'm not saying that this is the case with all 700s but it definitely is with mine.

Can't say I've noticed any pinking on mine, though I'm still running it in so not exceeding 5000 rpm.

Edit: will give SUL a whirl though as I use it in my WRX (requirement) and the Z3 (improved mpg to 24! ).

One thing to note is that the ECU will likely learn were it can add ignition advance and/or be able to lean the mixture out at WOT (least it does on my WRX ECU) so it will most likely have to pull that when switching to 95 from 97 which would certainly account for feeling a little flat.

 

[katyotter]

Mine's a great ride, very responsive and I get 69 mpg on mainly rural with some urban

 

[katyotter]

Just read the review in December Bike and I agree completely with all the comments except for the view on the colour and the MPG figure. Worth a look

 

[Gigsy]

Just read the review in December Bike and I agree completely with all the comments except for the view on the colour and the MPG figure. Worth a look

Likewise... colour looks pretty good to me

 

[katyotter]

Hi Gigsy, I see you've got the best colour one as well, It's quite odd seeing another one. How long have you had yours?

 

[Wal2]

Haven't finished yet, I started with a £2500 low mileage bargain that needed some luv.



i bought my 1st Versys as a CAT D, spent some time and a bit of money on it and got 20,000 cheap miles in return (and a decent price when i sold it) it was an enjoyable little project, not a bad way to do things if you don't mind a few war wounds

Aubo also has a point, went to Coopers BMW at Sunderland this morning....he has a rash of 650's (4 or 5) all with less than 3 k miles, all traded in for 700's....the price difference is enough to make you think twice....anyway...test ride on an SE650 on Mon am

 

[Dean]

....anyway...test ride on an SE650 on Mon am

Good luck with the test ride

If it was me I would pay the £12 and pick up a cherished one from the for sale of this parish and with the savings make the upgrades that transform it to your needs superior to the newer models

when I have had a loaner 650 or 8 I cant wait to give it back and get my bike. (want to keep the 12's though seems natural progression to me)

And stop this obsessing over twin discs. hell I try not to use the one I have, 27,800 miles, Alps, Pyrenees and beyond.

enjoy your test ride but bear in mind that even that can be improved if you want

For your Purchase the only review - opinion that should count is yours

 

[Wal2]

thanks

not obsessing over 2 discs... but riding 2 up fairly hard.....1 disc.....hmmmm, in my experience they will fade, may as well get it right now

 

[Cobweb]

No offence Wal but on the 650 I don't think that brake fade going to be an issue, we're not talking 150 BHP race bike here but if you are 2 up then you will have trouble with excessive dive of the front suspension under heavy breaking.

 

[grin factor]

Good luck with the test ride Wal. Coopers is only a few miles from me.
Keep us posted & enjoy.

 

[Wal2]

Aubo
the Versys dives like a premier league footballer, way too much travel and too soft, just got used to it after while, so we'll see.....

a bit excited now, 35years riding and never ridden a BMW.....i'll post up my thoughts

 

[Gigsy]

Hi Gigsy, I see you've got the best colour one as well, It's quite odd seeing another one. How long have you had yours?

Just over a week... the dealer assured me that the grey ones were the fastest, best off-road and the most reliable