Hi to all GSers from a Dorset newbie!
From a test ride to...
Well let's rewind 4 weeks.... the F650 was all prepped up and ready to tour through the Swiss Alps and on to the Dolomites , fully loaded and two-up!
1469 miles from Dorset the ol' girl failed to start and left us stranded at Lake Garda (Italy) with carburation probs. RAC Recovery saved the day and flew us back to blighty, only for me to go back last week to collect the F650 on my tod.
I left Lake Garda at 13:00hrs on the Friday and found a hotel at Stuttgart for the night , some 350 miles later. Saturday morning I set out from Stuttgart at 08:30 and after waiting an hour at Calais for the Dover ferry I arrived back home at 22:30 Saturday night after 710 miles.
The F650 performed faultlessly on the way back and at speeds of 80/100mph nearly all the way on motorways.
Before collecting the F650 I decided to console myself with a test ride in Dorchester of an F800 GS for no other reason than that I could!
Oh dear
1998 F650 to 2011 F800 GS in one easy lesson. Was I smitten? Was I ever!
I have never owned a new vehicle in my 35 yrs on the road but that would soon change. You're a short time in this world and a long time gone , no time to faff about , live for the day
I hadn't decided to have the F800 GS there and then , not until I had to ride the 650 back home.
The dotted line received my paw print and the 7 sleepless nights would commence before collection.
Today I had a cunning plan , call the shop up and ask 'what is the soonest the bike will be ready for collection'? "When the parts arrive (new pannier rails) , which should be tomorrow (Wednesday) then we'll give you a call".
So, my 7 nights of sleeplessness could well turn out to be just the 4!
I thought long and hard about the bigger GS but being a lightweight myself and with a fondness to exploring the 'lesser travelled routes' I felt the lighter 800 would be more suitable to my needs.
I've done the heavyweights in years gone by, countless FJ12s', big Guzzis and whilst no hassle once moving they are just too far the wrong side of 'easy' for slow or driveway manoevreability, even worse when the balance is lost momentarily. Ok the Guzzi Cali's aren't a problem due to the very low seat height but they don't bode too well off road!
So to sum up , I'd like to thank my 13yr old F650 for giving us a hard time in Italy and making me
over the F800 GS , so much so that what started as a curiosity inspired test ride ended up as a 'test ride to purchase' in very few steps.
A Boxer it ain't , a V-Twin it ain't , but a GS it is and a cracking one at that!
Crikey my very first post is a ramble!
Hopefully get to know some of you peeps over the coming months...
From a test ride to...
Well let's rewind 4 weeks.... the F650 was all prepped up and ready to tour through the Swiss Alps and on to the Dolomites , fully loaded and two-up!
1469 miles from Dorset the ol' girl failed to start and left us stranded at Lake Garda (Italy) with carburation probs. RAC Recovery saved the day and flew us back to blighty, only for me to go back last week to collect the F650 on my tod.
I left Lake Garda at 13:00hrs on the Friday and found a hotel at Stuttgart for the night , some 350 miles later. Saturday morning I set out from Stuttgart at 08:30 and after waiting an hour at Calais for the Dover ferry I arrived back home at 22:30 Saturday night after 710 miles.
The F650 performed faultlessly on the way back and at speeds of 80/100mph nearly all the way on motorways.
Before collecting the F650 I decided to console myself with a test ride in Dorchester of an F800 GS for no other reason than that I could!
Oh dear
1998 F650 to 2011 F800 GS in one easy lesson. Was I smitten? Was I ever!I have never owned a new vehicle in my 35 yrs on the road but that would soon change. You're a short time in this world and a long time gone , no time to faff about , live for the day
I hadn't decided to have the F800 GS there and then , not until I had to ride the 650 back home.
The dotted line received my paw print and the 7 sleepless nights would commence before collection.
Today I had a cunning plan , call the shop up and ask 'what is the soonest the bike will be ready for collection'? "When the parts arrive (new pannier rails) , which should be tomorrow (Wednesday) then we'll give you a call".
So, my 7 nights of sleeplessness could well turn out to be just the 4!
I thought long and hard about the bigger GS but being a lightweight myself and with a fondness to exploring the 'lesser travelled routes' I felt the lighter 800 would be more suitable to my needs.
I've done the heavyweights in years gone by, countless FJ12s', big Guzzis and whilst no hassle once moving they are just too far the wrong side of 'easy' for slow or driveway manoevreability, even worse when the balance is lost momentarily. Ok the Guzzi Cali's aren't a problem due to the very low seat height but they don't bode too well off road!
So to sum up , I'd like to thank my 13yr old F650 for giving us a hard time in Italy and making me
over the F800 GS , so much so that what started as a curiosity inspired test ride ended up as a 'test ride to purchase' in very few steps.A Boxer it ain't , a V-Twin it ain't , but a GS it is and a cracking one at that!
Crikey my very first post is a ramble!
Hopefully get to know some of you peeps over the coming months...
, but those days are gone now , just collected my F800 GS...in the rain of course! 
