► Would you trade your 11xx/1200 for an 800/650?

Kenny

Kenny

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I only ask as two friends went into our dealer and ordered a GS800 each ( due April/May :eek: )...the sales guy told them that many of the pre-orders where from riders trading in their 1200's for the new 800.

Just asking:)
 
I know two people that have ordered 800GS who were on 1200GS.

It's a bit depressing as I suspect that will mean even more 2nd hand 1200s that noone wants unless it is at really low prices :(
 
Brian ROSEN said:
".....the ability to have fun and/or tour 2 up with luggage in comfort
So for me,an 800 would never be an option......." Now, you don't really know that, do you? It has a much higher power to weight ratio than your 1150ADV.and in fact won't be very different in that respect from the 1200GS ADv.
I think that the 12300GS is fantastic and will be very hard to beat - but I thought that about the 1150, the 1100, K100RS, R100RS etc. etc.all of which I owned and enjoyed. I(We) will (have) to wait and see.
Click to expand...

Perhaps I could have made it clearer I HAD an 1150ADV for 3 years and loved it,then I sold it and traded up (yes-up) to a 1200ADV and I do KNOW that a parallel twin with chain drive of 800cc is not for me,hope you enjoy yours ;)
 
Lets face it the boxer gs is a brilliant bike but ... its a big heavy bike (1150 or 1200) .All the macho bullshit in the world wont alter that fact. It does have serious limitations as an off road bike. The sheer weight of the thing is part of what makes it such a good all rounder in every other department. The 1200 shows that you cant save weight without making sacrifices and the new 800 is bound to sacrifice some durability etc.
In a couple of years it might be worth looking at but at present i have to agree that a boxer gs should live along side something like an xt if anyone wants to do serious off roading.
 
Everything which is not over-engineered is a compromise. I wouldn't go for an 800 because there are far too many alternatives upto the same job at 1/2-2/3 the price. The 1150/1200 are unique and I'm considering an Adv 2nd ed or 1200 Adv for a second bike. :thumb2
 
Davy F said:
So you have ridden one then ? :augie
Click to expand...

:blast You don't need to ride one to know that 2 bikes (even from the same manufacturer-mostly) that have totally different suspension layouts, final drive systems,engine configurations and engine capacities will have very little in common,the 800 motor might be a peach (from what others have said),but as the yanks say "ain't no substitute for cubes" ;)
 
I was looking forward to getting the GS800 when it arrived in the shops but now its nearly available I don't feel happy chopping the 12GSA in to get one, and the more I look at the hassles of running/storing two bikes with the lifestyle i've got I might just get another 12GSA when the time comes.

The 800GS looks fine, and if I did more offroading i can see the advantages over the 1200, but nowadays my offroading is 'farmer style' i.e. if and when I need to rather than searching out places to get dirty. and for that the 1200 is fantastic.:thumb

Shep
 
:nono

From what I am reading I think some folks are going too far "off-road" :augie

In my opinion, the question should not be "Is the 800 better than the 1200?" (or viceversa...).

The question I will ask myself when the right time (read ..."money" .. :D) comes is going to be :" For my needs of riding, is it better an F800GS or a 1200GS?".

Then I will draw the pro's and con's and check the sheet for the figures.

I have not ridden a 1200 yet (nor an 800GS) but I can already tell you the choice for road users will be better off with the boxer...no doubts !

If I wanted to buy a motorcycle for long trips on the tarmac, I would pick the 1200GS as my first choice over all the rest ("pure" roaders included).

But, to take a bike on off-road journeys (even not extreme ones) the figures are changing and something else comes into play.

It's in this field I think that the 800 "could" get some advantages over its "bigger brother"... meaning better handling, grip, easier to pick up :augie bla, bla.....

So, it all comes down on what you want to do with your bike, really!

And for these kind of bikes, WE know it's ALWAYS a compromise ;)

You can't get the best motorcycle on the road and the best enduro off-road into just one bike. It is NOT POSSIBLE and you have to choose what best suits you....:rob

For me the 1200 is too big for what I intend my bike to do and therefore I will be looking forward to March/April and see how the bikes handles.....
....and then I will be looking out for charity...:D

Cheers
:beerjug:
 
2 wheel humvee said:
:blast You don't need to ride one to know that 2 bikes (even from the same manufacturer-mostly) that have totally different suspension layouts, final drive systems,engine configurations and engine capacities will have very little in common,the 800 motor might be a peach (from what others have said),but as the yanks say "ain't no substitute for cubes" ;)
Click to expand...
Why do we keep comparing the F800GS to the R1200GS/GSA? I have yet to see any official statement from BMW that the 800 is the "take it leave it for the future". Surely, if you like it you may buy it; if you don't you won't!

So much is said about "GS", which as nearly everybody knows, denotes a bike which has off-road/on-road capabilities. I fail to see where, in the translation, it says a GS must be a large capacity Boxer engined bike designed to carry huge amounts of equipment/extras.

I love my 1100GS and find it an absolute joy to ride and am considering keeping it when I purchase one of the new 800's.

Change brought about by legislation and evolution will continue. Jump aboard or be left behind!!!!!
 
ash19600 said:
yeh but.
at your age a lighter bike would be easier for your old bones.:D
Click to expand...


I think the GSA will be easier to pick up than the 800:nenau Sure its heavier but the pots keep the bike halfway to upright from the start, and the CoG of the 800 would appear to be set higher. Also the 1200 can be spun around on its pots to enable easier lifting ithink the 800 may fall apart in front of your eyes if you tried to spin that on its side.

If, and I mean if, I can't manage to ride a proper boxer GS anymore i may look elsewhere, maybe an 1100 or 1150GS as there seems to be alot of old farts on here still riding them:rob

Shep:D
 
Done Morocco on a 650 dakar and a 1150 adventure, the 650 was literally a pain in the arse riding down and too slow and the 1150 adventure too heavy in the sand. Always said my ideal bike would be a dakar with a bigger engine so I've put my money where my mouth is and the 1150 adventure is being chopped in for an 800 (March delivery). I'll let you know how I get on.

PS as it cost me the best part of a grand to get the adv to the overland trim I wanted, I expect to spend the same for the 800.

As for it being a girls bike, biggest isn't always best esp when you stray off the beaten track..
 
Shep said:
I think the GSA will be easier to pick up than the 800:nenau Sure its heavier but the pots keep the bike halfway to upright from the start, and the CoG of the 800 would appear to be set higher. Also the 1200 can be spun around on its pots to enable easier lifting ithink the 800 may fall apart in front of your eyes if you tried to spin that on its side.

Shep:D
Click to expand...

I agree the pots help a lot....They also slow the bike down when you drop it...One of the things that make a good Adventure Tourer is your chances of carrying on after a off

The boxers crash really well...They have no water to puke out.....They maybe a bit heaveyer but have a low center of gravity.....
I still rate them highly....And like the old Airheads cuz there simple like me
 
Wreford Miles said:
I thought the new GS steer of choice for those with an appreaction of GS'ness is the 1100

As Maggie Thatcher use to say 'it take more than buying a bike to find the inner meaning of GS'ness, the masses will buy a GS800 but our nation is strong because there are those that own a GS'
Click to expand...


:nenau I'll have whatever he's on......:spl1f:
 
not 1200 to 800 but.........

i thought i'd swap my 1150 adv to the F 800 GS. see how it goes in april when i pick one up.
i am new to this GS owning thing having done brits, japs and italian before, its just a different type of GS thats all and i'm willing to own up to an open mind, so long as i am biking !!!!!

having covered more of europe on a GS adv than everything put together before, i am willing to stop more often for fuel, probabley at the same time as my mates now !!! and i hope a little more managable off road.
what i do know is that it was very little money to change, the 1150adv held money well at the dealer so had to say yes and give the 800 a try.
now waiting for the 2008 tourtech book for all the accessories and toys like i did with the adv.
 
that may be unfair to me and the dealer but the book price is no secret, was 5100 at 17k miles. mines done 27k miles and i left the ali boxes on and got alot more than the 5100

and ive kept all my accesories to sell on after xmas:thumb

the F800 gs i'm getting has lots on it and its a good price to change

I am happy as my purchase price of my 1150 gsa off the same dealer was, as it turned out VERY REASONABLE.

the only -tive is he already has my GS and I have to wait for the 800gs so
relagated to XL 185 for the winter if i can be bothered to get it on the road
 
Jim-Adv said:
Done Morocco on a 650 dakar and a 1150 adventure, the 650 was literally a pain in the arse riding down and too slow and the 1150 adventure too heavy in the sand. Always said my ideal bike would be a dakar with a bigger engine so I've put my money where my mouth is and the 1150 adventure is being chopped in for an 800 (March delivery). I'll let you know how I get on.

PS as it cost me the best part of a grand to get the adv to the overland trim I wanted, I expect to spend the same for the 800.

As for it being a girls bike, biggest isn't always best esp when you stray off the beaten track..
Click to expand...

I had the benefit of viewing the F800GS in Milan in November and I owned and rode an F800ST for ten months before i sold it to buy an R1200rt.(SHMBO wanted more comfort)

I thought the GS looked good and from my 10 months on the ST, I would have no concerns about the ability of the engine. I am perplexed as to the chain final drive. I am off to morocco for a week at the weekend "following the dakar, (with a small f") on my 1200GSA. On paper I would think that the F800ST should be an excellent multi-purpose tool and a recent report in MCN by a guy from Touratech supports that. We will just have to wait and see. each to their own
:topic P.S. the best bike i have ever owned and immediately regretted agreeing to sell was an r1150gs. depending on how next week's trip on tkc's go, the 1200gsa may well replace it. safe riding
 
F800GS vs R1200GS

That was the 'headline' on the front of the Jan/Feb edition of 'Box'RMag' just out in France. Just what I had been waiting for....I thought. SIX pages of facts, more or less, comparing the two bikes and good detailed photos BUT.....nothing at all about riding them!
Comparisons are made on Style, Colours, Weather protection, Dimensions and weight,Frame geometry, Suspension, Brakes, Instrumentation, Equipment, Motor, Gearbox & transmission. ,
So what are the conclusions? Plus points for the 800 are the motor, which 'promises' good performance, its weight - 22kg lighter and its price which is 3350€ less (£2,500)
Minus points are lack of image, which means that it is less imposing, the sadle height (10mm more than the 1200,) and the chain drive.
MY CONCLUSIONS ? If it goes as well as and feels as good as the 1200 it SHULD not cost too much to change. At this stage it is impossible to come to any decision - although it looks on paper to be a huge improvement on the previous 650GS.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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