Still luvin it !

[russ_fae_fyvie]

Thought I'd just pop a few lines down after now owning the F8 for 9 months.

First of all although I had the bike delivererd around the first week in September last year, due to a broken shoulder the week before it was delivered (not bike related!) and the following 3 month recovery, then the bloody awful winter, was not able to get me ass on the saddle properly until March (if you discount sitting in the garage on the bike with one arm going brum brum !) I have now done 2,500 miles and the more I do the more I love the bike.

I have a big of a rough track to negotiate from the house (see photo) to the 'proper' road so the GS makes light work of that but generally, the 60 mile round trip to work every day is a doddle.

I have a Blackbird which I sometime use but it it a handful on the rough stuff and I also go far too quick on it, another thinkg is the mirrors on it are just about in line with a car so filtering is awkward. On the GS the mirrors only hit the odd van, now and again !

It is so versitile and although not the obvious power of the bigger bike, the grunt to overtake and pulling away is luverly and also enough for me.

A lot of you seasoned GS riders will already know this but as a newbie to the bike (and Beemers) I have been pleasently surprised with how nice this bike is.

I've replaced the exhaust with a Beowolf so people can hear me coming and HID dip beam as well as hand guard to keep the windchill and rain off. Also got a MudSlinger which keeps the shock clean and a Scotiler and a set of driving lights in case the blind car drivers miss the HID !! Also a Tourtech Screen and a set of Motech Engine bars, just in case !

So although I know some people have issues with certain things (nothing campared to what I had with a KTM Superduke, long, painful story!) so far I am well pleased and now looking forward to a (hopefully!) decnet summer to track even more miles up.

Long live the F800GS !!!


Mine, all mine I tell ye !!

 

[v8legend]

Cheers Russ, I'm pleased you're enoying your bike. Also, it's nice to have some positive comments on here. Most threads are linked to problems (it's good to moan). Let's face it though, if everything is good then we're out riding, not posting on UKGSER!

 

[russ_fae_fyvie]

Your're right, you should have seen the amount of posts I put on every KTM site when I had the KTM probs !!

 

[thosoneill]

braw bike mate and a bonnie part o the country

 

[sijohnston]

Touratech? That's an MRA Vario screen...

 

[russ_fae_fyvie]

OOps !!

thats what I meant, really !!

 

[nig5]

Looks like you have barkbusters fitted? and they clear the MRA screen OK?
Heard there can be a problem with guards hitting this screen, if not I will get one, had an MRA on a F800S and they are good screens.

 

[GunZenBomZ]

Good stuff Russ

Any plans for 2011 add-ons?

 

[sigmaglide]

turn your bike around Russ give me a shot of your new exhaust. do you use it with the baffle still in place.?

 

[Twotter]

That's quite subtle compared to your Bird

 

[dogman]

Still like mine too after a year! I've always had itchy feet where bikes are concerned and keep finding myself looking at other bike websites to see if I fancy anything else, but seen nothing yet..

 

[russ_fae_fyvie]

Just taken one with the exhaust.

The Barkbusters do just about touch the screen but only on absolute full lock and then only a knats tadgers worth, nothing to bother me about anyway.

As for the paint job twotter, you never know whats gonna happen next !!

 

[mark-forrest]

Looks good, just fitted tinted Powerbronze screen to mine today. I've got the Wunderlich spots as well but had the ali bits powdercoated black to match the bike when I swapped them over from my previous 800GS

 

[Big Den]

Agree entirely, i have had 56 bikes in the last 3 years and this is a keeper, use it every day for commute and weekends for pleasure, got a 6m old vfr12 and a 09 blade but the GS gets used more than both put together. If i sell it will only be for a new one, in fact the head race has been knackered for over a month but too busy riding it to take it in for a fix

 

[GunZenBomZ]

I like where you have fitted the cylindrical road tax holder Mark.

Good updates to the thread all round.

 

[GunZenBomZ]

I like where you have fitted the cylindrical road tax holder Mark.

Good updates to the thread all round.

 

[GS_BOTT]

Looks good, just fitted tinted Powerbronze screen to mine today. I've got the Wunderlich spots as well but had the ali bits powdercoated black to match the bike when I swapped them over from my previous 800GS

That screen looks perfect, have you got any dimensions please, got the higher BMW one fitted to mine,(basic model twin) but wind still hits you directly in the face, and I'm quite short too. Is this the fleabay screen?

 

[mark-forrest]

Yes it was off Ebay, but would get it direct from Powerbronze's website cause I saw too late that it takes longer for them to bank payment using Paypal so this delays delivery.(took nearly 3 weeks)

The screen is great considering how blowy it was today, I didn't have the usual nodding dog syndrome from the gusting wind, just a bit of buffeting around the shoulders. (I'm just over 5' 9")

I've attached a picture of the standard BMW screen laid against the Powerbronze one, the shape is almost exactly the same, with just the middle section stretched upwards. I have 1200GS handguards and they don't foul anywhere.

 

[sijohnston]

my experience is the opposite. out of all of the screens i've had, the powerbronze was the worst. it deflected the turbulence right into the middle of my visor and made for a very noisy ride. i'm just over 6", so maybe your height helps. i'm now back with the original OEM BM screen.

Yes it was off Ebay, but would get it direct from Powerbronze's website cause I saw too late that it takes longer for them to bank payment using Paypal so this delays delivery.(took nearly 3 weeks)

The screen is great considering how blowy it was today, I didn't have the usual nodding dog syndrome from the gusting wind, just a bit of buffeting around the shoulders. (I'm just over 5' 9")

I've attached a picture of the standard BMW screen laid against the Powerbronze one, the shape is almost exactly the same, with just the middle section stretched upwards. I have 1200GS handguards and they don't foul anywhere.

 

[ILMV]

+1, metal mule screen (same as PB) diverts the air stream straight into my visor, I'm 6' 4".

Was thinking of cutting a hole in the screen to reduce the pressure on the back side of the screen, hoping this would throw the airflow a bit further over my head.

Was also thinking of adding a small lip to the top to perform a similar task, but would probably need to reinforce the screen first, not sure where to start with that one.