testing 800xc & 800gs

[illumeo]

Hi, I am going to test ride the triumph and the bmw next week. i Spoke to the triumph sales man and a couple of things he said had me wondering.
Run in distance on the triumph is around 500 miles and it runs on synthtic oil from the start. How does this compare to the 800gs and does it make any differance (not having any technical knowledge)
Real world ish MPG around 40, what MPG are 800gs owners getting? i know this depends on how you ride it but would still be interesting.
Being inexperienced any other advice on weighing the two up would be very much appreciated.

Thanks very much.

 

[ILMV]

600 miles run in on the GS. My average MPG is about 58... and I like to make it work for it's money ;-)

 

[Richie3264]

never tried to work out MPG but 175 miles to tank full and that really is to empty

 

[illumeo]

never tried to work out MPG but 175 miles to tank full and that really is to empty

if that includes the reserve it is 39.7 mpg (175/4.4)
if not it is 50 mpg. (175/3.5)

Thanks for the info

 

[v8legend]

Usually manages about 190 per tank, often well over 200.

 

[nig5]

Only done a thousand miles since picking up bike and ridden through a crap winter but roads dry yesterday and had a good blast and got 61mpg!
Used to get 60mpg from my f800s (basically same engine) and if the Triumph matches that I will eat my hat!
I have read that a new engine sholud not be initially run in with synthethic oil but mineral oil and then change to synthetic.

 

[twizit]

Always get a consistent 57 MPG from my 650GS (twin) and that's commuting in and out of London daily. Easily tops 60 on a run out of town.

 

[Dean]

In France 2009 I recorded .... a nice steady ride.

Miles / Gallons
About 75 MPG (1880 / 24.62) Average speed 60-65 MPH

 

[gareth041]

F800 GS MPG.

Good Evening All

I am an Ex Technician, both Motorsport and Main Dealer.

I never "ran in" my F800 GS, but at the same time I never "rang her neck". "She" never uses oil and seems to run sweetly.

"She" is now on just over 6K (09 Model year) and with a full Tank I regularly manage between 195-210 Miles before refill. Bear in mind I live in the Lake District, hilly, and have come from a GSXR 750 so I am not dawdling!

I am not linked to Alan Jefferies but they have been amazing from day one and have supported me 100%.

I have had a number of new bikes and no other Manufacturer/Franchise has come close to their support.

The above has a significant impact on my purchasing decision.

I am sure the Tiger is a great bike but the only thing that will make me sell "my girl" is if BMW bring out a F1000 GS!

Good luck to all that purchase a Tiger,

Gareth.

 

[illumeo]

Thanks very much for the info guys, much appreciated

 

[nig5]

Good Evening All

I am an Ex Technician, both Motorsport and Main Dealer.

I never "ran in" my F800 GS, but at the same time I never "rang her neck". "She" never uses oil and seems to run sweetly.

"She" is now on just over 6K (09 Model year) and with a full Tank I regularly manage between 195-210 Miles before refill. Bear in mind I live in the Lake District, hilly, and have come from a GSXR 750 so I am not dawdling!

I am not linked to Alan Jefferies but they have been amazing from day one and have supported me 100%.

I have had a number of new bikes and no other Manufacturer/Franchise has come close to their support.

The above has a significant impact on my purchasing decision.

I am sure the Tiger is a great bike but the only thing that will make me sell "my girl" is if BMW bring out a F1000 GS!

Good luck to all that purchase a Tiger,

Gareth.

If they produce a 1000 GS I`m buying it!!!

 

[Honyam]

Always get about 70 mpg unless really hammering it. Tank range approx 190.

 

[illumeo]

Did back to back tests today, was not in any way trying to measure the MPG properly, the computer on the Tiger800xc said 45mpg and the one on the GS said 58mpg.

New question, and a pretty subjective one, how soft should the front shock be?
The GS seemed to dive a bit more under braking. Are they adjustable?

cheers

 

[siwhite]

Not adjustable at all, but good things are said about fitting progressive springs to the front. Never ridden them, just what I've read...

I saw the 800XC in the flesh today - to me, the pillion peg mounts looked very vulnerable in a spill, and there is no capacity to change rear frames if they do get bent too far out of shape - frame is all one piece.

 

[GunZenBomZ]

Full tank on my 800gs gives me 230+miles (really nice steady 60-65mph riding). If I'm hooning it (on the race track) 150miles or less.

You wont appreciate the power of the 800gs unless you have around 2-3k mileage on it, don't be clever & thrape a brandnew bike. Did'nt actually feel fully run in until I got clear of 6k.

Onwards to 40k

No adjustment on the front-forks, unless you upgrade.

 

[nig5]

Not adjustable at all, but good things are said about fitting progressive springs to the front. Never ridden them, just what I've read...

I saw the 800XC in the flesh today - to me, the pillion peg mounts looked very vulnerable in a spill, and there is no capacity to change rear frames if they do get bent too far out of shape - frame is all one piece.

There is a question on this forum about straighting bent pillion pegs on 800 gs, if you can`t a least there is a seperate subframe!!

 

[Ducksbane]

Did back to back tests today, was not in any way trying to measure the MPG properly, the computer on the Tiger800xc said 45mpg and the one on the GS said 58mpg.

New question, and a pretty subjective one, how soft should the front shock be?
The GS seemed to dive a bit more under braking. Are they adjustable?

cheers

The standard front forks on the GS aren't adjustable and are too soft. Solutions range from the cheap (hyperpro progressive springs) to the very expensive eg ohlins inserts. I have front and rear progressive springs and found a big improvement, well worth the money.

Note that the 800XC forks aren't adjustable either.

So ... what did you think of each bike ?

 

[Dean]

TBM "the small one that you can read in the bath"

TRAILBIKE & ENDURO MAGAZINE ? DIRT JUNKIES.​

Jan 2011/ issue 185, page 51

BMW F800GS: Throw in a bit of technical going or slippery conditions and you'll find that the smooth, free- revving DOHC parallel twin engine is to abrupt in its power delivery, spins up at the reartyre too readily and, with little flywheel weight,stalls quite easily, the detuned F650 (still displacing 800cc...) is easier to manage, yet it lacks the 8's rugged looks, wire wheels and upspecced suspension.

That was a word for word quote! from the Magazine, question is, for a traillie how much is enough power and how much is too much?
As in OK letts say that BMW have cleverly developed there bikes the 8 being just right "possibly" (goldy locks syndrome) and thoes that clone the market leading bikes decide to add more power (maybe to please some peg scraping reviewers who's only venture off road is the multi storey car park ), is it to much at the rear wheel for the loose or wet stuff?

I mean look at the 12 compared to the 150 BHP Multistrada 12 (hoards of them heading for Moroco )


Just some thoughts on more more more power at the back wheel.



Write must get a move on, suspension upgraded , wire wheels project bubling away , meeting at a rugged roads tinkering workshop for some ,,, rugged research and development .

 

[Greggers]

Ooooh debate debate, I love to mass debate !!

Ok - my tuppenceworth.

Yes, the engine will benefit from running in with mineral oil rather than synth, as it lets the 'bearing surfaces' work ahainst each other to acieve that perfect mating. Synth is just too good at lubricating to allow this 'break-in' to take place effectively. JMHO - YMMV lolz ...

Mileage - I'm getting 53 average on my trip meter, I'm happy with that and I'm not gentle with it.

Forks - yes, the OE forks are crap really, they look nice but inside they're definitely average. I put the Bitubo cartidges in mine and the difference is huge. A bitubo rear shock will be next on the shopping list.

Power delivery, well the OE fuelling/ignition map does leave something to be desired, but let's face it to get a bike to do 50+ to the gallon means that you need to be frugal with fuel, and that doesn't often equate to big numbers low down in the torque scale. I've had a Power Commander for the last 6000 miles, and it make a very usable difference to the way the bike runs - especially at lower revs.

Off-roadability - ok, it's a big bike with a peaky(ish) motor - it's going to spin up sometimes, especially on the OE tyres which just aren't up to the job. It's never going to compete with a DRZ because it weighs almost twice as much as a DRZ. Having said that, I took mine out with my local TRF boys, and kept up with them ok - they were on ....DRZs haha, but the 800 did have TKCs fitted (which are a must for anything other than hard packed track) and even so I was struggling with the weight of the thing in mud and on wet grass...


I really wonder if a Triumph could do the same ...

G

 

[illumeo]

Please note that i am very inexperienced, and at no point was i testing the bikes on the "raggedy edge" so this is very subjective.

XC was new and the GS had 4000k+ on it. Both seemed very similar in a straight line. The XC was smoother (and less vibes) and throttle control was easier, the GS more "on off" but at low revs and in the wrong gear (pulling from very slow in 2nd or 3rd) the GS didn't bog down as much. I have put the MPG i saw above, 45 for the XC and 58 for the GS.

When looking at the way some bits of the triumph have been put together you would swear they had the same designer as the BMW or Triumph have taken apart a couple of GSs.

I felt very slightly more confidant on the XC in the bends, same tires on both. I have since been told (but not confirmed it but looking at the Triumph specs) that the XC has "progressive" springs. I wonder if this is why i think the GS dives more?

I am 6'6", so the fit of the bike is important to me (not more important than for any one else but if your "outside the norm" it has a big effect on comfort). Both were comfy and because the seat on the GS is flatter i found it better as i could move back a bit if i wanted, the XC sear is a bit more like the comfort seat option on the GS. Screen height is always going to be a problem for me.

If i had to pick there and then based only on the bike and not the dealers, service, after market parts, off road ability, etc. then the XC might have had it by the width of a fag paper. Inside my helmet i could not hear the exhaust note of the xc very much but loved the sound of the GS. In my head the jury is still out. I really don't know which one to pick but not being able to have a ABS XC until May (or July if you want the black one) and used BMW being available might make a difference. Now all i have to do is learn to ride off road properly so i can do part 2.

Still MCN will be doing a proper comparison tomorrow.