R850R as an upgrade to F650GS?

[mrsroynie]

A young friend of ours (I think he's in his late 20's) was in touch earlier today asking what I thought of this bike as a replacement for his 2003 F650GS - which he's had since he passed his test in 2011.

He's a keen petrol head and interested in doing advanced training (currently doing his RoSPA car qualification), but thinks that an old 850 will be more manoevrable/easier to handle than a newer 1200. I'm not so sure. I don't know anything about the R850R. Said friend travels a lot for work and wants something a bit more meaty for long motorway trips. On the surface this bike looks like a low-mileage bargain, but I'm wondering whether this model will give him what he wants in terms of handling and how much of an improvement a 2002 850 would really be over the 650?

Any advice to pass on?

 

[ynotbiker]

a lot about

be careful no feedback on ebay looks nice maybe to good to be true go see it first.

 

[JonF]

R850R will be a lot smoother than the F650, and will stand motorway miles much better. They're very easy to handle and the shaft drive is a big bonus. Their handling is realy good, although he will find the bike heavier than the 650 single to push around. On the move the weight disappears. The 850 is actually heavier than the 1200. Although the 1200 has a lot more power, as long as he's not a dickhead (and he doesn't sound it) the extra power won't make th 1200 any harder to control. Personally I'd think the 1200 would be easier to ride.

Whether this bike is a good'un or not I can't tell from the rather poor eBay ad.

Jon