What instead of an 800GS ? More oomph

[SKON]

Sleepless nights??

Blobby,might I recommend a days test ride of a KTM 990 Adv-R? Its a whole step up from the standard Adv. I took one out from the nice folks at JD Racing
Saltash.Creamy,super ballsy engine,amazing handling and makes you kind of want to giggle every time you open the taps fuel consumption on a par with
a 1200GS,but with components that are REALLY up to the task
The only reason I didnt slap a deposit down,was the wailing sound coming from my wallet
In the end the thought of 4500 mile service intervals,combined with higher running costs,and a significantly higher purchase price, led me back to the path of righteousness and a await the arrival of my 800 which I am also very excited about Still get the odd sleepless night tho...........
Whatever you do,will be the right thing to do.........:cool

 

[everywherevirtually]

God in heaven thats ugly.....
And not in a good way

I never said it was purdy but that thing has ridden the Dalton highway and been to all kinds of wild places. Function over form I'm afraid dear boy

 

[SKON]

I never said it was purdy but that thing has ridden the Dalton highway and been to all kinds of wild places. Function over form I'm afraid dear boy

FWIW. I ever so `umbly disagree I think it looks the biz.bit less red,bit mor black mebbe,but still a contender! and I bet it`ll take you any where a GS can!

May the force be with you EWV,reading your exploits aboard your GS are what convinced me to get my ass in gear ,and trade in my ol faithful 1150Rockster to try a spot o` adventurin for myself.Was real sorry to hear you had to let the bugger go But,onward and upward eh? You been there,got the t shirt AND tour jacket....New horizons,new horses......Sorry,think I been out in the sun too long

 

[Blobby]

Blobby,might I recommend a days test ride of a KTM 990 Adv-R? Its a whole step up from the standard Adv. I took one out from the nice folks at JD Racing.......

No 990 Adv-R at my local dealer but I am booked in to have their standard 990 Adv demo bike on Tuesday . Should give me a good idea of what's it's like and in honesty, I wouldn't pays the £'s for the R.

Nice weather so time to fire up the old bbq and crack open a few beers

 

[Deleted account LB]

Triumph Tiger - really fun ride and lots of oomph but thought mpg was not that great. Was my second option when buying the 800GS. Still tempted.

KTM - have never ridden one but believe their suspension is just fantastic (magic carpet ride according to a mate who rides one), oomph is spot on but I thought mpg was pretty terrible.....or have I imagined that? I have not heard a bad word about the KTM-A. Can you get them with ABS? Do have a dealer within 3 miles of me.

Although I doubt you will get 800GS levels of mpg the Tiger is good for 200 miles from a tank on a run and the engine is the best bit about it - To be honest I prefered the engine in that to the one in my 1200 GSA, way more get up n go

 

[everywherevirtually]

FWIW. I ever so `umbly disagree I think it looks the biz.bit less red,bit mor black mebbe,but still a contender! and I bet it`ll take you any where a GS can!

May the force be with you EWV,reading your exploits aboard your GS are what convinced me to get my ass in gear ,and trade in my ol faithful 1150Rockster to try a spot o` adventurin for myself.Was real sorry to hear you had to let the bugger go But,onward and upward eh? You been there,got the t shirt AND tour jacket....New horizons,new horses......Sorry,think I been out in the sun too long

Thank you good sir If I'm honest I dont like the front faring and light setup of the older Versys but I think JDrocks has done a fine job in modyfing the stock. That original front headlight was weird. In other photos he changed the dials and did some serious mods.

Like you red would not be my first choice. More black and yellow would be in order . I've been out in the sun too long myself. Been drilling holes in my oh so silent CB500 exhaust. It's a wee bit louder now

I like GS's but once you get past the marketing its surprising what most bikes can do. The KTM's are special machines but just require too much maintenance for someone as lazy as me

 

[chippy]

I changed from a kawasaki versys to a 650 gs,or is that 799 gs,but i have to say,if i could swap my 2010 650 gs,for my old 07 versys,i would.
It handled far better on the road than the gs,the 650 versys engine was stronger,overtaking cars was easier,wind protection was better,similler tank range,and a comfy seat,i made the fatal error of not testing before i changed bikes,but thats my tough luck,as for a bike with more oomph, i have been told the ktm 990 smt is awesome,if only i could afford one.

 

[Twit!]

I'd certainly look at a KTM 950. I had one of those and rode to Australia, its a great bike, fantastic suspension and engine; easily the best bike I have owned... But, there always is, its highly strung. It needs to be kept serviced and fettled and when it goes wrong it really does. I had the clutch destroy itself via a faulty slave in Southern Iran, getting out of there was interesting to say the least... And it liked to overheat in really hot weather, hotter than we'll ever see in this country.

If you are looking for a bike to use day to day and in Europe then I'd say the 950 is the obvious choice, in fact I'm thinking of getting rid of the 800GS for one again. But if you want to go further afield then just be aware that it can be a bit of a pain.

 

[Blobby]

In view of your points Twit!, I am now adding reliability to my list of bike criteria as nothing worse than a bike that conks out. Servicing at 4k miles on KTM is a bit of a pain but not the end of the world. In honesty I am hoping that when I get the 800GS back tomorrow (hopefully) I will love it so much I will decide not to part with it.

 

[Sooty09]

Wal2, are you Wally from Morpeth, an active writer on the versys forum and rider of a lime green Verysy. If so I last saw you on a run out when the Versys forum were camping in your garden. I had just collected my F800gs and was running it in over the weekend. I got a bit of stick from the Versys forum when I left (My user name was Msut01) with comments about reliability etc but the bike has been 100% so far.

 

[Wal2]

it is me indeed, i had a suspicion that this was you, and its all your fault, the day i saw you on your new grey 800 (in Warkworth i think) when i was running a Versys rideout around Northumberland) sowed the seeds of lust for an 800, anyway, one of my businesses has gone tits up due to the recession so had to let the V go, now planning a replacement when funds improve. looking for something a bit more serious than the Versys, got friends in Denmark,Warsaw,and Italy to visit, and wouldnt mind a bit more off road stuff, not that the Versys is bad, just doesnt feel serious enough, who knows, may regret it

they are all on my case at the minute over my possible choice of a beemer, can you give a short, decent comparison of the 2 bikes. as i know you and can see what your opinion means
managed to get 10k mls on it the 1st yr, it knew its own way to Basle lol

probs see you around one day

Wal

 

[Sooty09]

Wal2 - The Versys is a very good bike, and sounds to have been improved this year. I was doubtful whether the F800GS would be a better bike, it is but only in certain areas and only by a slight margin.

The main advantage of the BM is its low down pulling power in the 3000 to 5000 range, Im used to big twins and never feel happy revving an engine. The Versys also pulled low down but is way below the BMs extra torque and capacity. If you love to rev a bike hard the Versys comes alive and feels much happier and a lot smoother than the BM.
Comfort is better because the foot peg to seat height suits me, both bikes have very poor seats, apart from these points the riding position is very similar.
Tank range on both bikes is about 220 miles, the BM is a bit more economical.
Components and finish, both bikes have good and bad parts. The paint and plating on the BM is a bit worse than the Versys, the stainless parts a bit better quality. I do like the heated grips and trip computer on the BM. I would now miss the auto cancel indicators and central accessory socket.
The BM plastics fit better and do not rattle or buzz.
Both bikes have really silly headlamps that cost a fortune to replace, give me a 7" round Bosh lamp any day. I do like the way the BM detects failed lamps etc but this is only available because of the very complex lambus electrical system. Once out of warrenty I think many BMs will end up propped up in the corner of a garage. My local dealer has a wait of 5 weeks for a workshop slot for a service or diagnostic work etc so I cannot imagine them helping you quickley if the bike stops working.
The F800 has better suspension but its still a bit choppy and not easily adjusted on the front.
The centre stand is an essential item for me, especially as the tyres are tubed. I would prefer the Versys alloy wheels and tubeless tyres.

Now I own the F800gs Im happy with it and do not intend swapping in the near future, However having experienced the slight advantages of the BM I would go for a discounted 2010 Versys and keep the change in the bank for a new bike every two years.

 

[Wal2]

thanks for that, i will test ride, probs the 650 for me saves me messing on lowering etc, i noticed the big torque diff in the specs, and i also thought the Versys seemed an inherently simpler overall design, but that the BMW would have more depth of character/solidness/intensity (for want of better words)and fit for purpose, you obviously think its fairly close, however the 650 is in a similar price bracket (basic model) so wouldnt be that much diff overall, a BMW is the only make of bike ive never owned and i'm slightly dissilusioned now, just finding it a bit hard to believe BM would make electrics so complex, but i'm still tempted.
have you ridden your wifes 650, i know your'e a tall bloke, i'm 5ft 7 and 9 stone, so i think the 650 would be fine for me,

cheers

 

[Sooty09]

The GS650 is fine, it rides and feels very different to the 800gs but has different gearing and power. Its a bit more basic and much lower. I originally intended to get the 650 but one was not available in time for a touring holiday. I find the 800gs has more about it and Im glad the way things turned out. I may have a wing about the complex electrics, mainly because we have been stranded so many times with my friends 2009 R1200RT conking out. I have no idea where to look for faults these days, but after reading this forum for so long I cannot recall many electrical problems occurring. The odd battery fails but if I remember correctly this and the rectifier were the main reasons for the Versys breaking down.

Sorry to Hijack the post and wonder off a bit other Gsers , but I can only think of three bikes which fill my requirements at the moment.
The GS800/650 bikes, the Kawasaki Versys and the good old Suzuki Vstrom 650. Everything else seems too heavy or expensive. The Ducati multistrada or Yamaha Superten (Appleyards of Keighley have one in at the moment) look like expensive toys in comparison, and I just cannot go back to bikes as heavy as the Guzzi Stelvio or as tall as the KTM adventure.

 

[Blobby]

....and I just cannot go back to bikes as heavy as the Guzzi Stelvio or as tall as the KTM adventure.

That's interesting as I thought the KTM Adventure felt lower than the 800GS.

 

[Wal2]

My apologies too for nicking the thread,
think i'll probs go for the 650, i agree roughly about current choice, V strom a bit too big for me though, i do actually love the 1200 but the sheer mass of it freaks me out at my size, and too expensive, and yes the Versys had its fair share of probs, mine was trouble free though

 

[everywherevirtually]

yes the Versys had its fair share of probs

Without hijacking the thread too much (I can't pm you because you are not subscribed) but what were common problems?

 

[Wal2]

i think about 2k members on the Versys forum, not everyone may have reported their probs, but from my obsevations, main probs were rectifier/regulator frying (sometimes new loom needed) the connector/terminals were just not up to the job, cured in most cases by disconnecting and using silicone grease (no probs with mine ) this also took out the relay block/battery sometimes, think i read about 15 of these in 2 years, so not too bad
exhaust splitting near silencer body, about 10 of these in 2 years, can be welded, occaisional fuel pump relay, a few with fueling/surging probs at low revs, some lived with it or did a vacumn mod (extra bit of balance pipe) a couple fitted Powercommanders, a few warped front discs, a few other minor issues which were just pot luck in my view,
AFAIK mostly solved with 2010 model, and rubber mounts for the engine.
a few on the forum upto 50-60k mls with virtually no probs, its basically a detuned ER6 motor which is fairly well proven


Wal

 

[kalli]

Without hijacking the thread too much (I can't pm you because you are not subscribed) but what were common problems?

I am sorry if I am of topic here

The wife has a 07 Versys and she has been touring with me a lot both on gravel roads and tarmac all over Iceland.
The bike has performed well and there have been no issues what so ever, except the seals on the front forks had to be replaced this spring but that had to be done on my f800GS as well.
Not a big deal actually.
We lowered the Versys and put on Avon Diztansia tires.

BUT if we are planing to ride very loose or rough tracks/roads she prefers to borrow my Xcountry because the suspension on the Versys is quite harsh.

 

[das boat]

Just to throw something else in, I have heard that triumph will be bringing out two 675 tigers later this year. One to take on the gs, and the other a smaller brother to the current tiger 1050. Having ridden a steet triple, the engine is fantastic. Again this is a rumour, but i hope it to be true.