Rolling Thunder in DC is pretty big.

We've got an 800gs which made it RTW without any major problems. I guess it depends on your tolerance and also mechanical ability (don't consider stator and fuel pump major) Can't believe once upon a time we would pay for an oil change for example. Only time that bike ended up on a truck was when we crashed it. Even then it still would've been rideable but my husband wasn't able. Anyway IMHO I think the 800 was great for us, not too heavy but big enough for 2up. The 1200 was too beefy but it can be a great bike especially for big tall guys. And hellz yes it'll make it RTW with good riders. Jose Garcia & Marko Hemmila are both badasses who've been riding for 2 years now on some very hairy roads, just to throw a couple out there...

We joined BMWMOA briefly but found it kinda strange. I like the sticker idea, hehe our other bike is a honda.

If you do buy an 800.. Get new rims. The originals will bend and crack if you off-road. Fact..

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

second that. they are very soft and smileys are a feature of 800 rims.

watch it



I figure when Im too old to swing a leg over a bike, and my hearing goes I may consider a Harley that I can just walk over and sit on

Heard that. guess we got lucky. front rim is bent but still functions fine so we ignore it

Glad to hear you've had good luck with your "no major problem" F800GS!
"Tolerance"? Indeed! How much should you have to tolerate on a $15,000 + motorcycle that's pitched for it's "Legendary" German reliability? :confused1:
Stator and fuel pump failure not major? Really? Last I checked both are 100% show stoppers. Perhaps your "mechanical ability" is at dealer level? Did you find a way to fix either failure on the side of the road in middle of some Saharan desert or African Savana? Seems many 800GS riders carry spares on board. But those are very expensive spares, no? Should you really have to do that with such a modern, high tech bike? One that is specifically BUILT to travel in 3rd world countries off road with a full load?

well, you had to start somewhere. Can you change the oil now? How about diagnosing "Error codes"?

Must admit I loved riding the F800. Seem like a very good compromise bike for luxury 2 UP travel. But I'd still pick a Vstrom over the BMW every time.

We see LOTS of novice BMW riders using dealers for E V E R Y T H I N G. The problems arise once far away from a BMW dealer. Why do these basic, fundamental systems fail on a seemingly regular basis?

Honda? Not a bad choice. Next time maybe?

In many parts of the world (ie: Latin America) you'll find a Honda dealer in just about every mid to large sized town in every country. Dozens of dealers per country. Typically, BMW have ONE dealer per country in Latin America.

The fuel pump is not too hard to change, we did it a few times. It cut out intermittently n Kyrgyzstan & we were able to locate a generic replacement (instead of shelling out $500 for a whole new fuel assembly & whatever ungodly amount to ship it) it took some time to diagnose the problem and it could've been multiple things but we were never dead in the water, at least for more than a couple hours in India. Last issue was a loose hose which just needed a proper clamp. 1yr later she's still chugging. The stator went at the end of our ride in the US. Having access to data and being near a city totally changed the mentality. Again we were able to hobble along & found a place to install a new (cheaper after market) stator I had fedexed. We couldve done it ourselves but opted to have it done as we were running out of time. We aren't particularly knowledgable, just very willing to look stuff up and learn out of necessity far away from the dealers that charge up the wazoo. The BMWs are probably more vexing with their special screws & nuts, we packed the toolkit accordingly so we could take practically the whole bike apart if need be I have to say Marko was kind of inspirational, he's got a 2005 (I think) 1200gs and he could probably take it apart and put it back together blindfolded..with glee. We are still getting there. Time to change the chain & sprockets again. Already did the oil change!

Anyway the bike is fancy but not that fancy. It doesn't have AC or one of those couch seats. Ours is like sitting on a plank of wood actually. & hells no we didn't pay 15k, more like half that 2nd hand. Why pay so much for a pristine bike you will beat the $hit out of? Go used! And use it well!

We did consider taking the Honda when we first ruminated on our long ride but in retrospect it's a VFR and would never have made it 50ft off road. It also does not lay down as nicely as the GS. Originally we were looking for a Transalp but they are hard to find in the US and all very old.

Fault codes are actually easier if you have the tool and the knowledge. The fact we have a lot of trained plumbers in a world of IT may drive choice of equipment of course. A phone app would prove the long distance credentials of electronic bikes but no large manufacturer will launch one as nine out of ten customers would be Starbucks Charlie's who currently pay the service department and believe the photo shoots behind the hotel in Spain.

Don't be scared of the technology but consider your ability to interact with it.

Andy

Austin said "you will never wish for a bigger heavier bike". I do sometimes if I zzz zzz along on my ttr250 fighting the wind getting frustrated.

800/1200 ?

800 is lighter sometimes and the Triumph/BMW 21" front attracts me for dirty gravel/dirt/boulders etc.

Then again something 1200 is way better for long long roads and I tend to move quickly in winding tarmac.

I wonder, what is the difference in weight between a 800/1200 when both fully laden, does the 800 suffer more? is there much of a difference?

Others say, big bike is too heavy to pick up!
My answer to that is - "don't fall off then"

__________________
Steven
Perth to Peru 2014 | Perth to Perth 2012

Or don't be a weak sister and be strong enough to pick up the bike

do people think an 800 isnt fast enough for road use? because fully loaded 2 up my f650gs is doing about 100mph, which seems like enough to me.
its not the fastest acceleration, granted, but its still fast enough for fun.

Austin had it right! Most don't stick to motorways doing RTW type travel so may not want a 120 mph bike. In much of the world, typical roads speeds could be 50 kms to 70 kms per hr. Dicing through congested towns the 250 rules, no? In mud, steep, deep sand, nasty rough tracks ... once again, little bike is pretty good. Fewer crashes I would think?
How do you get round those 60 km Oz speed limits and speed cameras?
If you want to really speed ... better get over here bud! ... and get a ZX1400RR Welcome to Nevada!

Weights are always disputable ... but here's what we found. (YMMV)

F800GS
basic wet weight (tank full, ready to ride): 485 lbs. (218 kgs.)
Add bash/crash guards, tank bag, racks, bark busters, loaded panniers, tools:
"roughly" 570 lbs. (260 kgs.) Depends how rider loads up bike.

R1200GS
basic wet weight: 545 lbs. (247 kgs.)
Add bash/crash guards, tank bag, racks, bark busters, loaded panniers, tools:
"roughly" 630 lbs. (286 kgs.) Depends how rider loads up bike.

The good news is the big R12 GS is the easier bike to pick up. Those boxer cylinders prop it up a bit, making getting her upright easier than the F800GS, which lies down very FLAT. It's that first Foot of lift that's tough.

Still, for both, it's a two man lift ... if your smart. An unloaded R12GS (no accessories) is really not too hard to lift up. From lying flat, the 800 feels quite a bit heavier to me. I've lifted them both solo and with friends. But start adding all the crap on ... now you've got an Elephant. Even my DR650 is hard to lift with all my crap on board. (430 lbs./195 kgs. fully fueled and loaded)

5 times in one day !!! Too much! (Mexican Bull Dust on logging roads!)

"You will never wish for a bigger, heavier bike"..

Wise words.... And I totally agree.


However, there are plenty of times when I've wished for a faster one.

When you're on a dull, straight open road with 18 wheelers overtaking you, you will be wishing your trail bike had another gear or an extra 20bhp... 60mph can get REALLY boring at times.

There will ALWAYS be compromise somewhere.

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

you are very correct, this is the reason why I spend so much money going overseas .. Isle of Man in 3 weeks, P2P2 in 3 months. Got friggin speeding ticket 3 weeks ago coming back from a festival ... and wasnt bloody speeding just hit a 90 zone and was slowing down when ... fascist bastards appeared. I rarely go out on the road here. Australia is shit for bikes it really is

some days I could go home to Scotland ...

TT here I come yay!

__________________
Steven
Perth to Peru 2014 | Perth to Perth 2012

I chose the 800. 1200 was too big and too heavy. F800GS seems to carry it's weight high which is maybe why it feels challenging to pick up; don't know. Seriously considering a lighter bike for Mongolia next year. Will look around at the end of the year.

__________________
Paul "Every county of England, every country of Europe and every (part of every inhabited) continent of the Earth" 94% done! What's left? Central America, East, Central and West Africa, Australia & New Zealand