Beware: F800gs Rims Are Junk!

Sorry for the issues, looks like you have your solution. Get a KTM, I feel your pain and had I done better research I may have done the same but am currently enjoying the project of building a better bike. I enjoy it about as much as I do riding them.

Dont hold back, tell us what you really think.

I do get what you are saying as there have definitely been times I have been frustrated with the F800. I have also certainly thrown enough money at mine. But no matter what color Kool-aid you end up drinking, I just came to the conclusion that weight is weight and you can only get so much out of a 450 plus pound bike. I finally realized that for harder dirt riding, I just enjoy my smaller bike a lot more. I'm not dismissing the KTM thing, they are definitely cool bikes and I occasionally lust after one. I just dont think that any of the big adventure bikes are really going to kick ass when the going gets tough. (I'll probably get flamed for saying that )
On the other hand, with my current ridiculously expensive Bavarian whore, moderate dirt and touring is just fine. Good luck in your quest. I suspect the KTM will have you cursing also. Perhaps just about different things.

Dan, you da man. The voice of reason.

I think the F8's front end is most of the reason behind the damaged rims. Mine gets a work out because it does rocky fire trails 2 up, and the rims bend like butter. So the serious search for a replacement commences.

I actually rode a 1200GS solo years ago and didn't like it. It felt huge and horrible. Rode alright, but huge.

I bought the F800 without test riding one.

I was surprised at how different it was to the 1200 from an engineering sense, but how similar it handled in many ways.

Given that I ride 2 up, I decided to start testing bikes with the wife on the back.

The 1200 is back in the running after I spent an hour or so on one yesterday. For 2 up, it is a far better bike. Yes, it's bigger, yes it's heavier, but it works. Instead of spending thousands on suspension, I push the ESA button and select 2 up sport mode....and it works.

It works. I was full of disbelief. But play with the settings, soft is soft, hard is hard, 2 up comfort actually feels like my F8 does with all the suspension work it's had. 2 up sport makes a noticeable improvement. Better straight up off the showroom floor.

Then select off road hard and it raises it's ride height. Good God. It works.

Riding around town 2 up, to be honest it feels a little bigger than the F800 at standstill, but feels much livelier on the move.

The handling is surprisingly similar between the 2. Riding style to get the optimum from it is transferable from one to the other.


The F800GS is a nice bike, don't get me wrong. It does a lot of things very well.

Off road 2 up with camping gear is not one of them.

So at the moment I'm not sold on the 1200, I like it a lot...but I want to try the 990 off road with a pillion before I pull the trigger. It's a lot of coin.

But the choices so far are - sell the F8 and buy the new 990, or keep the F8 (and really modify the crap out of it) and buy the new R1200GS, and sell my 2 DRs.


It's nice to have choice, but you really have to put them through their paces to make sure it's going to work for you long term. Most shops want you to ride around the block and make your mind up. BMW didn't care how long I rode their GS and I gave it a workout, and it didn't disappoint. Now it's up to KTM to play the game for a decent 2 up test ride or I'll buy the big Beemer.

Snowy,

Do you seriously think a 12GS is going to reliably hold up with the way you will ride it off road? You want to depend even more on electronics - to control and regulate your suspension???


Do yourself a favor and either get a proper set of forks and narrow 21"/18" wheels on the F8 or just get a KTM 950/990 already. Just be aware that like any bike it will also require a list of mods, e.g. the wheels on the Adventure are just as soft as the F8, only the 950 SE has good rims on it stock.

Oh come on Lukas, don't harsh my buzz. I had fun on the big Bummer.

I could really see myself cruising along, smug as a Columbian Drug lord astride my monstrous unstoppable World Wide Adventure machine.

In 12 months I'll release, "Ewan, Charlie and Snowy - the untold story". I'll make millions.

Either that or I'll have soaked myself in lighter fluid, cut my wrists, and jumped into a camp fire somewhere.



It's currently getting even money.

Has anyone heard of GLM (Giant Light Metal) rims? Is it normal good or bad? They has 2.15 one, but euro/jap drilled - it's unknown. Only found it's chinese and here says that it used in tubeless Alpina kit for KTM. But where to buy it apart - google say nothing.

Front rim dented a lot, already buy a BikeMaster wheel balancer, while it on sale, to assemble wheel back, and just right rim for stock spokes/nipples/hub needed.

this question canceled, found an answer http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6079421&postcount=621
just curious about the trick why in the behr rims holes located two in series?

LukasM is straight on.

I´m currently jumping around in the forum to see vvhat other people do to make their mc´s better performer. Suspension has alvvays been a big thing for me. My humble opinion vvould be to pair the 800gs vvith 950 suspension and call it a day. That said and as Lukas pointed out, nothing is perfect and the adventure(for me) is finetuning the bike vve like.

In August 2013 I upgraded from my 2012 KLR650 to the 2014 BMW F800GS.
I do frequent runs into the Rockies from the Denver area. I recently replaced the stock scorpion tires with the Heidenau K60 scouts. I love the bike.

Wheel Observations during tire change:
Front Wheel: Several dings + wheel out of round
Rear Wheel: Out of round.

This is a major disappointment for what is otherwise a fantastic ride. The F800GSA wheels are soft and not up to the task of fire roads, at least not in the Rockies. I've used the bike to explore forest service roads and a moderately rocky back roads in Colorado.
I took the wheels into Woodys Wheel Works in Denver, where the damage was confirmed and repaired...several dollars later. Woodys was great and the price fine, I just should not be shelling out $200 repairing wheels after 2200 miles on a new bike. Woodys also confirmed they see this alot.

I'm sorry to confirm, but at least for me, the problem is still there + for the price of this bike, the rims should be Excel rim quality or higher.

fuck i thought i was a thunder cloud..........admin. needs to round up all of snowys wonderful rants and send them in german to bmw headquarters.

Had a 1200gs with mag rims that was ridden off-road extensively. I was always worried about bending the rims on the 1200 and the front had a couple dents. When I got the F800 with spoked rims I was so excited about not having to worry about bending the mag rims. However, the bike has only 3000 miles on it, 2 substantial dents in the front rim and has yet to see any serious abuse. I'm pretty sure the mag rims on my 12 were stronger. It seems to ride fine, but needless to say, I'm disappointed. I haven't decided if I'm going to spend the cash to send them to woody's or just wait until it becomes a problem.

The weak link is the front forks, your tire and wheel are making up for the lack of damping and paying the price.

I finally put some small bends in mine (Not worth addressing), and i'm not gentle with it, and usually run low pressures. Due to the fact that my front suspension can really soak up the hits.

Mine is a 2013 and the suspension is much improved over previous years. I was running 25 psi when it happened and I dont recall hitting anything that should have damaged the rim. I share the opinion that the OEM rims are weak.

I think it's clear what my decision was when faced with a dented rim.

Very nice. What did that cost?

about $2500 with shipping and taxes. :eek1

wow... that's about a quarter if the bikes total cost... looks nice tho and I agree the stock rims are junk. I bent one off road easily. Good news is that I bought the wheel and tire "package" insurance and after a gripe or two they replaced it.

So uh, my rims bent too, but I'm pretty sure it's understandable in my situation... I hit a street curb @ 50-55 mph and both my front and rear rims have bent lips. Haha I didn't even notice it till I got home about 30 minutes later and did a quick look-over. On that note, does anybody think I can bend the lips back? That's probably a horrible idea... but I'm open to opinions! I guess I'll have to make an insurance claim and pray to Jeebus they accept it :-(

It depends on how bent they are.

there are other people around that straighten rims.

When I bent my front, I took the opurtunity to put a stronger rim on.

Sun rim, Black anodized, $245, REALLY nice looking rim.
Rim R&R, trueing etc, by Framestraight (Louisville, TN) $200.

I probably could have laced and trued it, but I gave a local business some work.