At some time my HP2E will need replacing. The F800GS is on the (unfortunately short!) list of possible replacements.
Not on the list (although I’ve never ridden one) are the 1200s (either TC or new WC) – just too heavy and no 21” front wheel for the off road riding I do. Similarly the new KTM 1190s are off the list (far too powerful and too full of electro wizardry for me). All the other brands are too road orientated and of no interest.
Once or twice a week I do my 270 mile round trip commute on my HP – 80 miles of motorway/dual carriageway, 55 miles of the Lake District’s twisty A, B and single track roads and 400yds of rocky “off road” and then the reverse home – an ideal journey to check out all aspects of the 800GS that Williams let me take for a test ride.
Because I set off at 5am I had to have the bike overnight, and my first few miles on picking it up were in the middle of Manchester’s evening rush hour. For some reason the 800 felt wider than the HP (those pillion footpegs and rear grab rail?) and I wasn’t as confident filtering through the stationary traffic – it wasn’t my bike, so I suppose I was being over cautious.
I did keep catching my right leg on the rear footrest hanger and had to make a conscious effort to avoid it when setting off from a standstill.
The exhaust was surprisingly loud, with a lovely burble at low speeds that seemed to get quieter as speed increased?! The motor was certainly lively and once the traffic moved along it was easy to dart into gaps and make “progress”.
The (linked?) brakes felt a bit wooden, with less fork dive than the HP, but stopped the bike really quickly when I misjudged a set of lights (I don’t think the HP would have stopped in time).
I found that I couldn’t see, or picture in my mind, exactly where the front wheel was, - the front end seemed all a bit vague. I suppose this would disappear with familiarity and miles. The steering was nice and light though, with the clutch and throttle action very light (why do manufacturers bother with hydraulic clutches?).
The acceleration up the slip road onto the motorway was surprisingly rapid – once spinning away very similar to the HP – but it ran out of gears! This motor could easily pull higher gearing.
Vibes were of the same frequency as the HP, but seemed less harsh, but the following morning’s motorway slog would be the real test as to how intrusive/uncomfortable they would be.
I had a bit of a frightening moment before getting it home. Whilst (admittedly not very smoothly) bobbing and weaving through the traffic I grabbed the front brake and just had a solid lever – no brakes – a quick release and reapply had the front diving again. It felt like the lever had jammed, but I couldn’t get the problem to repeat itself. A close look once the bike was safely garaged for the night highlighted no snagging problems at the lever – so I’m assuming the ABS circuitry had a “confused” moment.
It was only 6 deg in the morning when I set off on my commute and so I was thankful for the heated grips as the bike had no hand guards. I’ve managed the last 7 years without heated grips, but my next bike WILL have them!
I settled into my usual 75/80mph stride up the M61/M6. Again the gearing seemed too low and the engine all a bit hectic, but strangely once pushed to 85/90mph it appeared right. But then slowing back down to 75mph the engine felt nice and relaxed. Weird.
The fake tank panels were keeping my knees nice and protected – they’re out there in the breeze on my HP – so there was less of the usual discomfort. My legs did seem to be slightly more bent than on the HP (I had removed the rubber peg inserts) and so even though the standard seat was fine and gave no bum trouble (same as the HP) I probably need to try the higher “comfort” seat.
I have to fuel up three times when on the HP (lack of 24hr garages on route) and was looking forward to the increased range of the 800. I had been assured that the tank was full when I picked the bike up (the half full arrow was present) but a couple of miles past the last open garage the fuel light and countdown came on. I still had 50 miles to go so decided to detour off my route and search out an open petrol station. With 20 miles of countdown completed I found one, and surprisingly managed to put 15 litres in – so there’s no way I’d have managed 50.
I did find the filler hole a bit awkward and there was plenty of petrol splashes on the seat and side panels after I’d filled.
The detour meant that to get back on route I now had to ride roads I’d never been on before. This highlighted the first major difference to the HP2. I got stuck behind a couple of cars on a twisty B road, at the first shortish straight I wacked the throttle open in 5th to overtake and then had to close it quickly when I realised I’d not get past. The HP would have stormed past.
I dropped 2 gears for my next overtake. Fortunately the 800 thrives on revs, but I much prefer the low rev thrust of my HP.
On clear roads the 800 felt very similar to the HP, happy to whiz away in the top two gears and I’m sure the lack of immediate oomph would make the 800 less of a challenge to ride on damp roads. Closing the throttle produced good engine braking and suited my “no brakes” style of riding.
Although the steering was light at low speeds the bars needed a good nudge to get the 800 to turn at higher speeds, but once leant over the bike appeared to oversteer and tighten the corner. Could have been the road based tyres of course, and is probably the feeling that most road riders want? (Myself, I’ve always liked the understeer drift that 21” knobblies give!).
The front end was nice and planted on the blast over Corney Fell. The HP has a tendency to lift the front over bumps whilst accelerating and can feel a bit skittish on the rough surface (hard work or good fun depending on your mood!). No sheep tried committing suicide, so the ABS wasn’t tested.
I’d promised not to take the 800 “off road” so unfortunately I don’t know how it would perform in that respect – but I’ll take a guess that it will be like all the other GSs I’ve had – competent but not brilliant.
Although the vibes on the motorway were less intrusive than on the HP, I did have a painful tingling in my left hand ten minutes after I’d arrived at work. The 800 is obviously “buzy” at all times, whereas the HP’s vibes are only felt on steady rev motorway riding. I also had neck ache (probably due to the slightly more leaning forward stance of the 800 – 2” bar risers should cure this). Wind/weather protection from the low screen was similar to the headlight cowl fitted to my HP, and I’m guessing will similarly only get a bit tiring in headwinds.
The centrestand was easy to use, and I was pleased that the big banana thing on the pre 2013 800’s has been swapped for the much neater later design.
I had a good play with the info button and was able to scroll through mpg averages etc, but I couldn’t find a trip meter no matter how I pressed the button. I was later shown a couple of buttons on the clocks themselves – I suppose if I owned it I’d have RTFM!
There was more traffic on the roads for the return journey, and this really highlighted the lack of grunt the 800 has (compared to the HP). I now found I was using lower gears and had to keep the engine spinning to make overtakes safe. I also noticed the lack of pull when exiting roundabouts. Not very relaxing and I had to become a “boy racer” for a while. It was a bit of a relief to start the last slog back down the M6 (only kidding!).
No tingling hands on my return, but with the extended fuel range (and slightly smaller pegs to seat height) my knees took a battering (I did have to stop early and have a stretch of the legs).
Getting back on my HP was a little strange. It felt more solid, and weirdly heavier at the front end (later inspection showed only got 20psi in the front tyre). The engine is certainly rougher on the motorway, but the acceleration up the slip road had me doing a three figure speed without me realising it.
So, in conclusion, will the F800GS be a viable alternative to my HP?
It’s certainly a competent bike and in a lot of respects very similar to ride. As I’d expected (but didn’t notice at first) it hasn’t the low end grunt of the HP, but is quite happy to rev away, and certainly on clear roads would be able to make similar progress. I’m not sure I could live with the more frantic nature of it though, but if I didn’t know any better I’d be very happy with it.
We tend to like our new bikes to be “better” than our last, and the 800 ticks more “worse” than “better” boxes when compared to the HP2. I do, of course, realise I’ll never find a “better” bike than the HP2 (for my present needs).
But, yes, the F800GS does remain on my list of possible replacements.
Must get round to testing a 990, and maybe even the WC????
Not on the list (although I’ve never ridden one) are the 1200s (either TC or new WC) – just too heavy and no 21” front wheel for the off road riding I do. Similarly the new KTM 1190s are off the list (far too powerful and too full of electro wizardry for me). All the other brands are too road orientated and of no interest.
Once or twice a week I do my 270 mile round trip commute on my HP – 80 miles of motorway/dual carriageway, 55 miles of the Lake District’s twisty A, B and single track roads and 400yds of rocky “off road” and then the reverse home – an ideal journey to check out all aspects of the 800GS that Williams let me take for a test ride.
Because I set off at 5am I had to have the bike overnight, and my first few miles on picking it up were in the middle of Manchester’s evening rush hour. For some reason the 800 felt wider than the HP (those pillion footpegs and rear grab rail?) and I wasn’t as confident filtering through the stationary traffic – it wasn’t my bike, so I suppose I was being over cautious.
I did keep catching my right leg on the rear footrest hanger and had to make a conscious effort to avoid it when setting off from a standstill.
The exhaust was surprisingly loud, with a lovely burble at low speeds that seemed to get quieter as speed increased?! The motor was certainly lively and once the traffic moved along it was easy to dart into gaps and make “progress”.
The (linked?) brakes felt a bit wooden, with less fork dive than the HP, but stopped the bike really quickly when I misjudged a set of lights (I don’t think the HP would have stopped in time).
I found that I couldn’t see, or picture in my mind, exactly where the front wheel was, - the front end seemed all a bit vague. I suppose this would disappear with familiarity and miles. The steering was nice and light though, with the clutch and throttle action very light (why do manufacturers bother with hydraulic clutches?).
The acceleration up the slip road onto the motorway was surprisingly rapid – once spinning away very similar to the HP – but it ran out of gears! This motor could easily pull higher gearing.
Vibes were of the same frequency as the HP, but seemed less harsh, but the following morning’s motorway slog would be the real test as to how intrusive/uncomfortable they would be.
I had a bit of a frightening moment before getting it home. Whilst (admittedly not very smoothly) bobbing and weaving through the traffic I grabbed the front brake and just had a solid lever – no brakes – a quick release and reapply had the front diving again. It felt like the lever had jammed, but I couldn’t get the problem to repeat itself. A close look once the bike was safely garaged for the night highlighted no snagging problems at the lever – so I’m assuming the ABS circuitry had a “confused” moment.
It was only 6 deg in the morning when I set off on my commute and so I was thankful for the heated grips as the bike had no hand guards. I’ve managed the last 7 years without heated grips, but my next bike WILL have them!
I settled into my usual 75/80mph stride up the M61/M6. Again the gearing seemed too low and the engine all a bit hectic, but strangely once pushed to 85/90mph it appeared right. But then slowing back down to 75mph the engine felt nice and relaxed. Weird.
The fake tank panels were keeping my knees nice and protected – they’re out there in the breeze on my HP – so there was less of the usual discomfort. My legs did seem to be slightly more bent than on the HP (I had removed the rubber peg inserts) and so even though the standard seat was fine and gave no bum trouble (same as the HP) I probably need to try the higher “comfort” seat.
I have to fuel up three times when on the HP (lack of 24hr garages on route) and was looking forward to the increased range of the 800. I had been assured that the tank was full when I picked the bike up (the half full arrow was present) but a couple of miles past the last open garage the fuel light and countdown came on. I still had 50 miles to go so decided to detour off my route and search out an open petrol station. With 20 miles of countdown completed I found one, and surprisingly managed to put 15 litres in – so there’s no way I’d have managed 50.
I did find the filler hole a bit awkward and there was plenty of petrol splashes on the seat and side panels after I’d filled.
The detour meant that to get back on route I now had to ride roads I’d never been on before. This highlighted the first major difference to the HP2. I got stuck behind a couple of cars on a twisty B road, at the first shortish straight I wacked the throttle open in 5th to overtake and then had to close it quickly when I realised I’d not get past. The HP would have stormed past.
I dropped 2 gears for my next overtake. Fortunately the 800 thrives on revs, but I much prefer the low rev thrust of my HP.
On clear roads the 800 felt very similar to the HP, happy to whiz away in the top two gears and I’m sure the lack of immediate oomph would make the 800 less of a challenge to ride on damp roads. Closing the throttle produced good engine braking and suited my “no brakes” style of riding.
Although the steering was light at low speeds the bars needed a good nudge to get the 800 to turn at higher speeds, but once leant over the bike appeared to oversteer and tighten the corner. Could have been the road based tyres of course, and is probably the feeling that most road riders want? (Myself, I’ve always liked the understeer drift that 21” knobblies give!).
The front end was nice and planted on the blast over Corney Fell. The HP has a tendency to lift the front over bumps whilst accelerating and can feel a bit skittish on the rough surface (hard work or good fun depending on your mood!). No sheep tried committing suicide, so the ABS wasn’t tested.
I’d promised not to take the 800 “off road” so unfortunately I don’t know how it would perform in that respect – but I’ll take a guess that it will be like all the other GSs I’ve had – competent but not brilliant.
Although the vibes on the motorway were less intrusive than on the HP, I did have a painful tingling in my left hand ten minutes after I’d arrived at work. The 800 is obviously “buzy” at all times, whereas the HP’s vibes are only felt on steady rev motorway riding. I also had neck ache (probably due to the slightly more leaning forward stance of the 800 – 2” bar risers should cure this). Wind/weather protection from the low screen was similar to the headlight cowl fitted to my HP, and I’m guessing will similarly only get a bit tiring in headwinds.
The centrestand was easy to use, and I was pleased that the big banana thing on the pre 2013 800’s has been swapped for the much neater later design.
I had a good play with the info button and was able to scroll through mpg averages etc, but I couldn’t find a trip meter no matter how I pressed the button. I was later shown a couple of buttons on the clocks themselves – I suppose if I owned it I’d have RTFM!
There was more traffic on the roads for the return journey, and this really highlighted the lack of grunt the 800 has (compared to the HP). I now found I was using lower gears and had to keep the engine spinning to make overtakes safe. I also noticed the lack of pull when exiting roundabouts. Not very relaxing and I had to become a “boy racer” for a while. It was a bit of a relief to start the last slog back down the M6 (only kidding!).
No tingling hands on my return, but with the extended fuel range (and slightly smaller pegs to seat height) my knees took a battering (I did have to stop early and have a stretch of the legs).
Getting back on my HP was a little strange. It felt more solid, and weirdly heavier at the front end (later inspection showed only got 20psi in the front tyre). The engine is certainly rougher on the motorway, but the acceleration up the slip road had me doing a three figure speed without me realising it.
So, in conclusion, will the F800GS be a viable alternative to my HP?
It’s certainly a competent bike and in a lot of respects very similar to ride. As I’d expected (but didn’t notice at first) it hasn’t the low end grunt of the HP, but is quite happy to rev away, and certainly on clear roads would be able to make similar progress. I’m not sure I could live with the more frantic nature of it though, but if I didn’t know any better I’d be very happy with it.
We tend to like our new bikes to be “better” than our last, and the 800 ticks more “worse” than “better” boxes when compared to the HP2. I do, of course, realise I’ll never find a “better” bike than the HP2 (for my present needs).
But, yes, the F800GS does remain on my list of possible replacements.
Must get round to testing a 990, and maybe even the WC????
Could have saved myself a couple of hundred words 
