Thinking about selling my 1150GSA & buying a GS 800

644andy

644andy

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Hi all, I have an 1150GSA which I'm thinking about selling and picking up a GS800, any of you good folk been there done that & got any advice? What did you miss about the 1150, what did you enjoy about the 800 etc?
The 1150's a great bike that i'm attached to and don't want to regret the change if i do it.
I'm thinking the 800's going to be easier to live with now that SWMBO's not coming out touring anymore.
Well it's a rainy day and I'm daydreaming about next years trips.
Cheers all,
Andy
 
It crossed my mind, well I went into BMW and showed them my 1150, they liked it, but not enough to give me a brand new 800 and some cash, so I kept the 1150.
 
Just dont do it!!, thats my oppinion and experience, i got rid of a 1200gs thinkin i was doin the right thing, wot a mistake that was:blast, but what i will say is, it depends what your reasons are for wanting to swap, on my own the bike was ok and by that i mean short trips etc., with the mrs on, fully loaded on longer trips i hated every minute of it, for me it just wasnt the "all rounder" the bigger gs's are:D
 
I went from a 12GSA, and have been very happy. Only issue with the F8 I've had to correct was the suspension, and the seat. Otherwise I'm very happy. More fun factor...

As this could be come a religious debate, take it on a test ride and make up your own mind...

And don't tank E10... kills the fuelpump, and can ruin your vacation...


Casper
 
dont do it!!

i own a 800 and have only experienced the 1200 as loaners from the dealers -but i would swap in a heartbeat. after my first ride on the 1200 i got on the 800 and thought "wheres the bike gone?" the cockpit area alone is so much more substantial on the 1200 (or at least feels it).
 
Tough choice. You will notice the drop in torque and ease of riding. The seat is not comfy, but the bike is more economical.
You really need a good long test ride to find out for yourself.
Good luck
 
Sold a 2011 1200 Adventure and bought an F650GS. Two months later traded back for a new Adventure. That was a £2000 howler.

To me, the F650 is a nicer bike to live with than the 800 and was initially nicer to ride than the GSA. Within 1400 miles boredom set in and I missed the shaft and the Telelever. At speed on the motorway the bike was unstable and in the bow-wave of HGVs very unstable. Overall nowhere near as planted as the 1200. Worst of all was the noise over the screen that was potentially sending me down the tinnitus trail.

I'm happy to be back on my GSA but if you sort a bigger screen, stay away from high speed motorways and/or accept that a much lighter bike will be beaten up in the wind ( and bullied by cars) the 800s (in either guise) are rather good bikes.

Why should they be as good as 1200s? They are just over half the price !

My advice would be keep the 1150 and by a second hand GS800 or 650 tonrun alongside it. When you've owned two for a while, only then can you make a meaningful decision. Mine was a £2000 mistake. Please don't repeat it

Regards Phil
 
Thanks for your thoughts chaps

Some days I get too much time to think :blast
A very LONG test ride is a must.
Seat/screen combination is something thats taken me a long time to sort on the 1150, I expect it'll be the same on an 800, they'll have a big effect on the test ride though if they're wrong.
A pal of mine has been down the 800 route & gone back to the 12, which raises alarm bells in my mind.
Being a technophobe i like no ABS and actual wiring rather than canbus, though i will concede (after several pints) there may be something in it.
And Casper thanks, it could be a delicate subject that may offend some. Maybe sorting out the middle east would be easier:rolleyes:
 
I apologise for my typos. I know they are in there but this stupid phone does not allow me to see all of my posting and correct it.

And I really don't mean to offend 650/700/800 owners - they are all great bikes that do different things. But the question was "should I sell my 1150gs"
And the answer to that (unless he cannot cope with the weight) is a no brainer to me.
 
I dont have a big beemer (did try one but hated the Boxer engine, sorry!) but I have an F8 which really comes into its own when Im commuting the 28 miles to work and back. Especially in this crappy weather because there is no way I'd want a bike I can go too fast on in the winter with the salty, slippy roads and the the dark morning and night. Its also great when we went across to the Hebrides on the tight twisty single track roads.

I have a Crosstourer too and there is no way I'd use that to commute in the winter, I'd be going far too quickly (its so easy to!).

The F8 struggles on motorways, not surprisingly, when 2 up loaded with luggage so thats what I bought the CT, especially for the trip to Austria next year.

So it is horses for courses, I am lucky to have both and both bikes are great at what they do.
 
I went from a 2003 1150 GSA to a 2008 650GS twin on doctors orders.
So feel know a little about such a change, firstly i thought the smaller bike would be a very poor second best, it's not by a million miles.
Ok you can never replace small horsepower for bigger and you can't replace the sheer presence of the GSA, but they are no slouches by any means and in the real world will do all the larger GS's will, yes i miss the suspension of the 1150 but have Ohlins ready to go on for 2013 so that bit is hopefully sorted.
I did a 1300 mile Irish hop in October and thought if the smaller bike was that bad i would sell it and maybe retire from active riding, i am happy to say it performed every task i asked of it, fully loaded with 19+ stone me, top box and fully loaded panniers and returned 63 MPG overall which would of been higher had i not raced from Dublin to nearly Belfast in the company of a couple of nutters on KTM's.
so take test drive on the 800, but i would recommend you try the 650 as well as i would not of had one believing they were to small and underpowered.
:thumb

PS
Unless you have to sell the 1150, don't
run a 800 along side it ;)
even it's just to lovingly look at the 1150 GSA in the garage........:)
 
MikeMike said:
Why would a doctor tell anyone to change from an 1150 to a 2008 F658?
Sue him immediately.
Click to expand...

He said stop riding the massive 1150 GSA :(
So smaller bike it had to be ;)
 
Space is the reason

I'm stuck for space so i was thinking about one or the other, they'd serve similar purposes too.
I like the idea of keeping the 1150 & picking up a second hand GS8 though, if i like the test ride & i can park one or two trail bikes at another address temporarily. At least that'd be an easy way back :toungincheek
What's really reassured me is the fact that no one seems to think its an easy choice, thanks all,
Andy
 
I have an 1150GSA SE and I sold a KTM SM-T to buy an 800GS. The 800 is as much fun as the KTM was without shredding a rear tyre in 1500 miles and 25mpg more!
I have considered selling one but the 1150 (with Ohlins) is such a comfy big tourer that it makes me smile every time I take her out.
The comfort seat and higher screen are essential on the 800 tho.
 
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