F800gs or a Boxer

[JKW]

Had my F800GS for 6 months - original seat lasted 3 weeks! It is appalling!! Bought a Sargeant Enduro - they do two seats for this bike, the Enduro and their traditional World Sport which is a two-parter which might suit for two-up use. I always ride solo and am 6ft 5 so the long, flat Enduro is great for me, loads of room to move around. Also put big hand-guards and touring screen on it.

On-road it behaves very well - very twitchy on the throttle compared to its big bro but you get used to this. Big plus is I'm getting better than 60 mpg - but I am no speed-freak. It has never run out of oomph for me - but again, always solo. Would agree that the front-end is a bit woolly but that depends what you're comparing it to - I thought the Tiger XC was worse when I tested it.

Like others have said, the weight of the 1200 means that I would never take one on the loose stuff but the F800GS is perfect for this. Have dropped it twice mucking about and not a scratch or a crack to be seen (OK - bar end scuffed but who's gonna notice that?).

Not had any issues but I'm about as technical as a haddock.

Whatever you go for - have fun

 

[Micky]

Not had any issues but I'm about as technical as a haddock.

Whatever you go for - have fun

Welcome to the LOT (Land Of Tossers) JKW

I like your way with words

 

[richie]

dont take this wrong way but i dont like look the headlight on tiger, looks like bad bmw copy.

but the rest of the bike looks veyr well built and a real professionaly finished.

mate in work ahs one and loves it. says in a trail bike that wants be ridden like a sport bike

what you think was the winner between the 2 bikes

Are you the Irish version of Bakerman?

 

[john_aero]

Are you the Irish version of Bakerman?

pretty much i would say

 

[Bury_Dave]

Same debate John - but in the GS section.

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=285714

More food for thought. I'm in the GS camp having had an 1150GSA.

Dave

 

[john_aero]

ya i missed a beautiful 02 1150 adv after i gt the africa twin, but must say i am loveing the twin just gota get my rear wheel back from the builders

 

[Bury_Dave]

I'm not saying that you can't go off-road on a Boxer - the evidence shows that is not the case. HOWEVER, those who are good enough to get the most out of a Boxer on or off road, will always get more from GS.

If you are lazy and your default is easy riding and you spend most of your riding two up and fully loaded, maybe the Boxers are for you. If you are a 'big unit' (ahem), the Boxer will minimise your gargantuan size a bit. If you like to project the image of being an Adventure Biker (regardless of whether you are one or not) the Boxer is for you. If you actually like being called a Ewan or Charley poseur, the Boxer is for you. If you like a bike that is easy to ride, then the Boxer is for you.

If you want a bike with the same top end, way better fuel consumption, nippier, more agile, capable for touring two up for the 2 weeks a year you might do it, better off road than a Boxer if the riders abilities are the same, then the GS is the kiddy for you.

I'm not saying that a better rider than me can't get more out of his Boxer than I can out of my GS. But they will get more out of a GS than a Boxer themselves.



Sincerely,
Keyboard hero , real life coward

 

[Richie N]

I went from the F800GS to the R1200GS. After only a few months regreted letting my 800 go. Liked the 1200 and yes it's a little better for two up touring but apart from that found no added benefit in owning the 1200. For me the 800 is so much more fun, alot cheaper to buy, loads better fuel consumption and better off road. I now have a tiger 800xc but only because I thought it was best to give it a try.

Now to upset a few of you, I loved my F800GS but love the Tiger 800 so much more, smooth engine/gears, great seat, looks great and fuel consumption isn't as bad as they say (Average 52mpg). That said still think the F800GS is a great bike and dont have one bad word to say about it. Oh apart from seat but easy fix buy the comfort seat.

Go for the 800

just wait til you need their customer service...

 

[Axel F]

just wait til you need their customer service...

Suppose that depends on the dealer, Ive owned two previous Triumphs and gone through Philip Youles in Manchester, excellent customer service and had no problems when making a warranty claim on the Sprint I owned

 

[Roy Barnes]

I went from the F800GS to the R1200GS. After only a few months regreted letting my 800 go. Liked the 1200 and yes it's a little better for two up touring but apart from that found no added benefit in owning the 1200. For me the 800 is so much more fun, alot cheaper to buy, loads better fuel consumption and better off road. I now have a tiger 800xc but only because I thought it was best to give it a try.

Now to upset a few of you, I loved my F800GS but love the Tiger 800 so much more, smooth engine/gears, great seat, looks great and fuel consumption isn't as bad as they say (Average 52mpg). That said still think the F800GS is a great bike and dont have one bad word to say about it. Oh apart from seat but easy fix buy the comfort seat.

Go for the 800

I would go for the R1150gs as maintances is so much easer, if you do your own work. Tubless tires, easy valve checks, good charging system.

 

[john_aero]

If you are a 'big unit' (ahem), the Boxer will minimise your gargantuan size a bit. If you like to project the image of being an Adventure Biker (regardless of whether you are one or not) the Boxer is for you.

well thats one my issues,

on the f650 i look like a bear riding a rabbit

 

[Dean]

on the f650 i look like a bear riding a rabbit

Could be all in the mind! not much physical difference between F800 and F650Gs could be like splitting hares

I would go BOXER lot of Rabbit going on here but large frame and pillion thats what I'm Torquing about

but of course what ever you choose all the best

 

[john_aero]

ah feck it hp2 all the way and leave wife at home

funyy she has her eye on a ducati m600 now

 

[russ_fae_fyvie]

My tuppenth....

In 2007 we hired a new 1200GS for a 3 week tour of New Zealand.

I had never ridden one before but because of all the hype I thought I'd see what it was all about.

Having ridden a Honda Blackbird for over 10 years at the time, it was a hell of a culture shock but after a couple of days I got into riding it.

I hated it !

The Boxer engine, to me, is ancient and felt like it, going round slow tight hairpins it was a bloody nightmare and any 'intricate' riding made it feel like it was going to cut out, chug, chug chug !!!

I vowed never to ride a Beemer again (mistakenly thinking all beemers were Boxer engined).

Fast forward to 2010, I wanted an Adventure bike to keep alongside the Blackbird and went into the local Triumph dealer to test ride the 1050 Tiger (the new 800 was then just a rumour) mainly because I had ownend a 990 Tiger a few years earlier. Just like before, when sitting on the Tiger it just felt like it was unfinished and to be honest, every Tiger since then, to me, looks unfinished, very untidy (the old Tigers wiring was all over the place as well)

Anyway while waiting in the showroom for the test bike another bike caught my eye in the 2nd hand section, it was an F800GS and I thought it looked brilliant and so much better finished off than the new Tiger.

So next up we booked a test ride on the GS at the BMW dealer and that was it, hooked.

It was such a better ride than the 1200GS (or similar) and the parallel twin engine was so much better, none of the chugging just 'proper' power delivery.

I bought mine just about 15 months ago and even though I've only ridden it for 12 of those (broke my shoulder the week it was delivered, seperate story!) I've done nearly 7000 miles and I think its brilliant.

Planned our holiday next year on it over to the Inner Herbides and West Coast and I think it will be ideal. Well, except for the seat which HAS to go !!

Anyway I'm a very happy owner with just one problem in all that time (the low speed cut out which saw me end up on my arse!) but now I know about it I ride so it isnt a problem.

So, I would never get a Boxer engined bike, no matter how tough it looks and I also wouldn't get a Tiger (big or small) for different reasons.

 

[john_aero]

pittyt he bumbel bee colour isnt made i think it lovely

i am not sure what do.

have nto ridden the newer 12gs yet. had an 1150 and loved it.

might have just try get bmw here let me take 2 of them out for a few hours back to back

 

[russ_fae_fyvie]

It was a bumblebee coloured one I saw in the Triumph showroom and it was that what made it stand out and got me interested.

When I got the test ride on the F8 I also tried the R8 back to back because I had previously had a CB1000R which was great, but the F8 ticked more boxes for me, it seemed to have more low down grunt which is what I wanted so thats another reason I went for that.

 

[Istanbulian]

I have to say that in Kazakhstan and Mongolia one of our group was riding one of these and it performed brilliantly; it survived being dropped very well when off-road looked far more manoeuvrable than the big 1200GS. Despite the extreme conditions nothing broke, nothing fell off, leaked or misbehaved. Just a great all-round bike.

Whilst I still love my KTM 950S Adventure the F800GS was very impressive.

Hopefully the owner won't mind me posting this image of our river crossing in North-West Mongolia