Other Bikes » Got loaned a F800GT

I got a loan bike whilst I had a service done on my RS. A F800GT in a blue colour.

F800GT.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

When I got on it in the dealer’s car park the first thing that stuck me is how small it felt, followed by it not having a lot of mass. To me it felt like I’d takne a step back to my 125cc days, maybe 250s.

Once riding on the road it felt okay, but just okay, Initially I couldn’t put my finger on what it was I was wanting to be different.

It wasn’t performance it lack , yes you had to rev it to get it to move but it would move at a fair pace. I could carry out probably 9 out of 10 of the same overtakes I could with the RS, you just had to open the throttle further and for longer. When I did rev it, I noticed the bars started to vibrate, not too bad but noticeable, yet the foot pegs didn’t vibrate as much as the RS’s do. I did like the immediacy of the throttle on the F800, the directness off a closed throttle that I’ve always found the RS lacks (even in Dynamic mode).

I missed the RS’s gearshift shift assist (GSAP?), a couple of times I forgetfully tried for clutchless changes, nothing doing. But using the clutch I found the gear lever had a nice short, positive throw and it snicked into gear nicely. I don’t know if it is the GSAP that means the RS gear-lever has such a large throw, and almost vague feel to the selection, but the RS would be nicer with a gear selection more like the F800’s. However if I had to choose between the RS gearbox as it is with GSAP or a sweet gearbox ,like the F800’s, and no GSAP, I choose the current gearbox and GSAP every time.

As I got into some stop start commuting traffic there was this annoying whine from the transmission on the overrun below 3000 rev (throttle closed slowing down using the engine). I don’t know if this was the gearbox or the belt drive, but I really didn’t like it, sounded wrong.

I did like the lack of mass and I suspect this has a lot to do with the performance the F800 can provide, power to weight ratios and all that.

Got to work and parked up, got off and stepped away, no don’t like the styling of the fairing, certainly not in the dull blue paint, the top of the dummy tanks is not attractive and the fairing looks like big slabs of plastic, it lacks something.

Anyhow took the F800GT out for a spin at lunchtime and it began to dawn on me, I felt anonymous, it felt anonymous, the bike didn’t look or feel special, it didn’t have a nice sound track either, no pop and bang on the overrun, and even rev’ing it to the red line it sounded flat and functional rather than exciting and stimulating. Not like the RS (or the R-nine-T Racer I got as a loaner last year).

Looking down from the riding position it looked kind of cheap, yes it has the same generic BMW switch gear as the RS, but the bars, clamps and levers didn’t look integrated, the brake fluid reservoir looked big and out of proportion. And the paint job really looked like someone had done it with spray cans in their garage, done well but plan and boring. There was a rattle from somewhere, fairing panels or screen, I’m not sure. There was an F800R at the dealers in M sport colours, that looked so much better, with no fairing.

Later in the day I got back to the dealer and rode my RS away, it felt expensive, in a good way (and not because I’d just had to stump up a wad for the service) and it felt sexy, it sounded good, it looked good, it made me feel good, overtakes took minimal throttle and happened quicker, without fuss. It felt special and it felt quality. And to be honest other than when pushing it around a car park (which physically I’m quite able to do) it really does hide its mass so well, maybe on slow speed roundabouts it feels a bit heavy, the rest of the time the torque and punch it has belies the mass it has, I love my RS.

So the F800GT? Well yeah a very competent bike, just does not feel special enough to me - but then the GT’s list price is a lot less than the RS-SE. You pays your money you makes your choice (is that the saying?), and I’m glad about my choice.

JasonQ

Interesting review.
Before I bought my RS earlier this year (my first BMW) the F800GT was actually 2nd on my want list, but having test-ridden the RS I never actually bothered even trying the GT!

FWIW, this summer a friend rented an F800GT for a two week trip in Spain/Portugal in varied terrain/weather and he was very complimentary.

Zitat von JasonQ im Beitrag #1

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So the F800GT? Well yeah a very competent bike, just does not feel special enough to me - but then the GT’s list price is a lot less than the RS-SE. You pays your money you makes your choice (is that the saying?), and I’m glad about my choice.

JasonQ

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I rode the F800ST for a number of years and then traded it in for a 2013 F800GT. The GT was an improvement on the ST, and I turned many happy miles on both. At that time, there was no RS, so you went for the much greater weight RT, or something like the s1000R. The complaints about the GT was that it was vibey, especially at higher RPM, and although I never experienced this, it was dubbed a "crotch roaster" by several as the heat ports from the engine would vent near the nadgers. On the plus side, it was a light, toss around bike, and had good 3-4 day touring capability. The panniers for the RS and the GT are roughly equal as my liner bags for the GT fit my RS. Remember as well, that the GT was considered an entry model by BMW, as the next bike up was a good US $6-7K more, so it got you into BMW at a low cost. A number of current RS riders have traded up from the GT, and most will tell you that it's an upgrade in almost every way, but then it's a much more expensive bike.

But it's also the rider--

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PInCT28k7rQ

Nice video. I'm not sure what bike that was in the rear, but both were moving pretty fast. Much faster than I want to go. :)

I think there are two things (and probably more) that influence anyone's opinion on the F800GT. First, is size. If you're short like me, the GT fits like a glove. The RS is doable...but not a glove. And also, if you like gadgets, the older GT doesn't have them. The newest GTs do now.

And then there's whether you feel the vibration and heat or not. I don't know if it is a difference in the bikes themselves, or personal tolerance for vibration and heat. Some people notice it...others don't. For my own GT, I don't notice any particular vibration, and the heat only happens in certain conditions...like over 100F and with a strong cross-wind blowing the full amount of heat coming out of the frame onto only one side. Yeah, then I notice it...and move my leg out more into the wind. And it isn't a problem.

I've been retired the past two summers and have taken my GT out on some longer trips. The first summer was going down to Utah and exploring the five national parks there, heading back up through Colorado and the Million Dollar Highway. Lolo Pass and then home to Seattle. A couple weeks later, I headed over the other direction across Lolo Pass and headed over to Spearfish SD passing through Yellowstone, Beartooth Pass, and the Bighorns. On the way back, I went through Banff and Revelstoke to Seattle. This summer, I did a trip from Seattle down the Washington, Oregon and California coast. Then across to Zion and back into the mountains to Lassen Volcanic National Park and home. Never once in all those miles, did I wish I had a different bike. And when I was traveling with another rider on his Goldwing, he was exhausted at the end of the day...and I was ready to explore. I found the GT (if outfitted right) is a very capable touring bike.

For the right person, the GT is great. And so is the RS. (which I prefer over the RT)

Chris

I got an F800 ST for a day as a service loaner about three years ago and I did not like it. Way too low on power, and high on vibrations. I got a Yamaha Tracer 900 GT about a month ago (I still have my RS) and I like it very, very much. Great engine, can run circles around the BMW 800, the VFR 800, and the Triumph Bonneville 1200.

I pretty much agree with you. One thing you don’t mention is that the F800gt has NO weather protection: the windshield barely comes up to your chest, and the fairing is so skinny your legs are out in the breeze. The instruments ( which I thought I I would like, turned out to be tiny and cheap looking. Yes, it went and handled well, but it wasn’t a patch on the RS.