Time for a change? 1200-800?

iaindoha

iaindoha

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Might be time to change from my late 07 1200GS ... had a reliability scare lately and can't help thinking there's more lurking (FD etc). Rather than wait for something else to break and cost me money or leave me stuck far from home I've been getting the horn for something new.

F800GS ticks the boxes. In many ways I see it as the 'real' GS because it's less compromised as a dual sport i.e. a better balance of design for road/off road. Seems reliable from what I've read here and IMHO is also the best looking of all my options. (Can't help thinking the new Tiger 800XC looks a bit plastic).

I also love the fact that this side of the forum is not 80% moan (not a scientific statistic).

I'm struggling to see the downsides of moving to the 800cc GS apart from:

Seat doesn't suit everyone (and I'm a shortarse at 5'7")
Windscreen seems to need an upgrade - not a big deal.

OK so that's it for the downsides I think, apart from one thing - power. I've the old 1200 so 100bhp, 800 is 85. SO my big question ... is it slow by comparison or what? If I believe the comments on this side of the forum I'll struggle to notice much difference - is that really true?

I know - go and test ride it. I will of course, but I tend to get a bit ahead of myself so by the time I'll do that my heart will have it bought anyway. I like to get the logic sorted out first then confirm my expectations.

So... Must be people on here who have gone from 1200GS to 800GS? Please give me your thoughts on the differences, particularly the difference in pace and pick-up. Will I be missing speed and overtake ability or will I revel in more lively handling?
 
Just be careful setting off & stopping on the F800, its still a heavy lump of love (recommend abs). Don't slip with your foot wear & test whilst off the bike its weight when angled over.

Been on three 12's & enjoyed the power torque but you are definitely a passenger. The 800 demands attention if you are not cruising along.
 
If I was going to buy another BMW, I think the 800GS would be my first choice, though they haven't been without their problems either which I must admit shakes my faith in the brand somewhat. However, top of my newly revised 'want list' is the Triumph Tiger 800. As I have yet to see one 'in the plastic', I have to reserve judgement, but it doesn't look anymore more plasticky than the 800GS does (to me). I certaintly wouldn't buy the 800GS without having a demo ride on the Tiger 800 tho'.
 
GunZenBomZ said:
Just be careful setting off & stopping on the F800, its still a heavy lump of love (recommend abs). Don't slip with your foot wear & test whilst off the bike its weight when angled over.

Been on three 12's & enjoyed the power torque but you are definitely a passenger. The 800 demands attention if you are not cruising along.
Click to expand...

Thanks GunZenBomZ, definately have ABS on the list if I go for one, enough of my time on greasy B roads to warrant it. Decent crash bars would also be going on it very early on.

Step one is to see if I can actually get my leg over the 800.

Thing about power is I'm not a knee down speed merchant by any means but I do like the poke of my 1200 and for the B roads it's great for overtaking the morning traffic. I don't want to buy a new bike only to feel it's limited when I want to open up.
 
800GS best dual sport I ever rode, I would definitely get one over a 1200....

Reliability and it feels like a bike you could actually realistically go round the proverbial world on...

Rode one this year got off my near 100BHP Vara and onto the lowly 85BHP GS... Just rev it a bit more and you'll not notice the "lack" of power...:thumb
 
The 800 is every bit as quick as the 1200 on the road, and on a 150 - 180 mile day ride you'll be putting 6 to 8 Euros less petrol in at the end of the day ;)

51,000 miles on mine now and I still think it's bloody great :thumb

You can safely consider it to be a move up :comfort
:beerjug:
 
richie said:
It's a 1200 for sale, but you'd be better off with an 800....:)

Having said that the 12£ subscription here is the only one I pay every year, never been anywhere near another forum as good as this one.:thumb
Click to expand...

Thanks. First off you're right about the forum and it's time I subscribed.

I'm not after another 1200, I'd stick with what I have rather than just move to a newer version of the same thing, I think. Having said that a nice 2009 bike at the right price with some warranty remaining could maybe sway me. I'd better stop that line of thought before I get more confused ... :confused:

When I bought the 1200 that I have now I had gone to the dealer intending to buy an 800 but it would have taken months to get one at the time (I was in Qatar) and the dealer only had the one 1200 in stock. Got a deal on it so was cheaper than an 800. Never quite got my preference for the 800 out of my system though. That's why it's back in my head now that I've lost the mojo for my current bike.

I need to either:

  1. Kiss and make up with my 1200 or
  2. Make a change
Will depend on whether the 800 is still eating at me in a few days and also what sort of deal I can get to chop in my 1200.

Common sense is telling me that I have a decent bike and I should be happy with it. The money I'd spend chopping to an 800 could be spent actually doing a great trip on the bike I already own and surely that's the whole point.


I am at risk of spending a few grand to turn a big adventure travel bike into a (newer) big adventure travel bike. Maybe better to spend the few grand on some adventure travel ..... oh no the voice of reason.:blast

Still want an 800 though!

I really should be better able to resist new toys at my age.:rob
 
I have a 2010 twin cam (factorylowered) for sale. If you send me your email address i will send you some photos/info etc.:thumb2
 
I bought the 800 after selling my 1100rt,a couple of observations for you.The throttle is a bit like a switch off/on it does take a while to get used to but if you just think about accelerating away it goes :).Seat height for me is a bit tall and thats with a lowered seat,it`s fine when i`m on it(tosser sized body)but a bit of a stretch to swing the leg across (29").I have to stand on the pedal when i have the panniers on :eek: The bike will keep up with my mates 1150gs but his corners better due to the telelever suspension.Would i change it?maybe ,not for any gripes with the bike but just because i`m getting old and my hips and shoulder play up so a slightly lower bike(F800r???)might be more suitable :beerjug:
 
chas820 said:
The bike will keep up with my mates 1150gs but his corners better due to the telelever suspension. :beerjug:
Click to expand...

I'm sorry but I would disagree that the 1150GS corners better than the 800 ...

:beerjug:
 
I used to have an R1200GS of 2004 vintage - and now I got the F800GS and I like it more than the R.
The R would be faster at the top end of the range, but day-to-day riding they're pretty much the same. The F doesn't drink as much, I feel the F is also taller, and it dives like the R doesn't due to the telelevers. But all in all, I prefer the F to the R.
The only time I think an R would be better than the F is if you're riding two up where the extra bulk doesn't matter and more power is a good thing.
 
iaindoha said:
Thanks. First off you're right about the forum and it's time I subscribed.

I'm not after another 1200, I'd stick with what I have rather than just move to a newer version of the same thing, I think. Having said that a nice 2009 bike at the right price with some warranty remaining could maybe sway me. I'd better stop that line of thought before I get more confused ... :confused:

When I bought the 1200 that I have now I had gone to the dealer intending to buy an 800 but it would have taken months to get one at the time (I was in Qatar) and the dealer only had the one 1200 in stock. Got a deal on it so was cheaper than an 800. Never quite got my preference for the 800 out of my system though. That's why it's back in my head now that I've lost the mojo for my current bike.

I need to either:

  1. Kiss and make up with my 1200 or
  2. Make a change
Will depend on whether the 800 is still eating at me in a few days and also what sort of deal I can get to chop in my 1200.

Common sense is telling me that I have a decent bike and I should be happy with it. The money I'd spend chopping to an 800 could be spent actually doing a great trip on the bike I already own and surely that's the whole point.


I am at risk of spending a few grand to turn a big adventure travel bike into a (newer) big adventure travel bike. Maybe better to spend the few grand on some adventure travel ..... oh no the voice of reason.:blast

Still want an 800 though!

I really should be better able to resist new toys at my age.:rob
Click to expand...



This very (similar) thing happened to me! I in the end listend to the voices!

My 04 73kmile 1200GS was duly swapped for a F800GS 3 weeks ago, 1000 miles later..........Luvin it, luvin it, luvin it!

The seat does need sorting!

Insurance is cheaper, does the same miles per tank and costs a fiver less about doing it! :D
 
Thanks for the feedback guys, especially those who've gone in the same direction (1200 to 800). It's all head games at the moment ...

  1. Stick with what I have for the foreseeable
  2. Buy an 800
  3. Buy a more recent but used 1200

The above are probably in order of probability. Can't see me going for another 1200 unless it had ASC and ESA which my current 1200 doesn't have, was an unbelievable bargain, and had loads of warranty left. Changing just to get something younger is pointless as mine (although a 2007 model) was 1st registered in Aug 08, has 7000 miles on it, and is in great condition. (The mileage will now be rapidly increasing as the bike is getting proper use these days).

I can justify (to myself) the 800 as a 'meaningful' change: it is a different machine with advantages including improved reliability and better fuel efficiency in (what I find) a better looking bike. Add in the extra off-road potential versus the 1200 and it keeps pulling at me. All-in the 800 just looks more fun.

I've managed to subdue the initial 'must have one' torture and will be able to take a more considered approach. My 1200 is currently with the dealer for some major surgery. When I collect it (about a week) I'll have a look at the 800 and see if the urge is still there. If it is I can see where the conversation re. trade-in goes and work on it from there.

I'm going to give my 1200 a chance to get back under my skin before I go spending big money though. Just wish I had it back - 13 days with the dealer and counting. :tears
 
iaindoha said:
I'm going to give my 1200 a chance to get back under my skin before I go spending big money though. Just wish I had it back - 13 days with the dealer and counting. :tears
Click to expand...

very wise :thumb2

I must say I had a 12 on the 60 plate as a loan while my bike was worked on on saturday. I thought what a great bike :thumb i mean the standard seat and screen was just fine (you cant say that on a 8) the exhaust standard sounded nice and rorty burbling away (what a bike!) .
Now I understand a fair few go from 12 to 8 and a lot for the reason of cost as in the 8 being cheaper new, and an aging FD is a concern to a few so renewing waranty must put the mind at ease:thumb2, but the 12 that torque pulling in all gears shear power. what an awesome ride.

For instance the average ego munching 8 girlie rider has 5.7 ft-lb more torque than my F650 (woohoo) compared to the 12 having 32. ft-lb more torqe than my F650 (WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO)

Do you think you wont miss the come down? yeah the 8 is fun but are you saying your bike is not fun :nenau theres always the 11's :D :D


But good luck with your choice :mmmm
 
IM GOING FROM A 800 TO 1200

I too had a demo on a 2010 1200 and i loved it maybe the worse thing to do as you will want one, the bike was a gsa and it has massive amount of torque compared to last years 1200 only problem being 5ft7'' and small build i struggled with the mass size of the bike however ive now brought a 2010 gs and with a sargent low seat it will be perfect, ive brought the gsa screen to fit as i found on the gsa at 95mph with visor up there was not a noise or any buffeting at all, compared to the 800 that upto now i must have spent £400 on screens and its still not perfect.

Im now going to list my f800gs in the for sale section for £5300
 
F650GS (Puma) said:
very wise :thumb2


Do you think you wont miss the come down? yeah the 8 is fun but are you saying your bike is not fun :nenau theres always the 11's :D :D


But good luck with your choice :mmmm
Click to expand...

Thanks for that :thumb. You've got me smiling now. I don't want to fall into the trap of changing just because something looks cool to me and I'm not particularly flush at the moment either: realise that I need a little bit of a reality check. I'm all horny for a new bike when the one I have can do the job with room to spare. I'm just paranoid about FD because I've had to pay for recovery twice in the last month or so. 1st for FPC and then when my right cylinder decided to drop an exhaust valve thereby crigging half my engine and the exhaust system (lots of oil through the cat). I've also spent too much time trawling about this forum reading about too many FD failures. Suppose there must be some out there which are fine?! :nenau

Bikes do break down and I've probably been unlucky. My dealer has been as helpful as I could expect now that my bike is past the 2 yrs. Reliability issues do put me off though so the comfort of a warranty would be nice.

I've spent the last week mentally dismissing my bike and getting my head all lined up for an 800. Now that I am thinking sensibly and looking at the actual numbers, and considering that up to 2 weeks ago I had no thoughts of changing my bike, I realise it is best to wait and see how I feel once I get a few more good miles under my 1200. If I'm honest, excitement for a possible new bike aside, the FD fear has become a big 'definate and imminent' deal in my mind but is all that bothers me about my 1200. Only 7,000 miles and I've had it from new so maybe I shouldn't be so scared of the FD blowing up.

Don't know the trade in value or what the dealer would offer but I guess my 1200 +~£4k to get a fully loaded 800. That sort of money would sort out an India trip I have in mind ...

Hmmmm....

  1. Existing (pretty well set-up) R1200GS and a solo ride to India :tarka or
  2. Trade-in against a new full-spec 800 to make my usual bumbling about more fun (maybe)

What sort of 'adventure' rider would go for the latter? :toungincheek

Then again will I say that if my FD goes in the middle of Iran?! :eek
 
DING-DONG said:
I too had a demo on a 2010 1200 and i loved it maybe the worse thing to do as you will want one, the bike was a gsa and it has massive amount of torque compared to last years 1200
Click to expand...

I think riding a 2010 1200 really would spoil my existing 1200 for me. No way I can afford that upgrade at the moment but I also know I'd have to have one. Sounds like the 2010 twin cam version would be a big improvement over my 07 yoke.
 
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