Sure but since he's comparing it to the XC, the GS crashes better. On the XC you wouldn't have been able to replace the rear frame since it only has one. The GS isn't a perfect bike but does a lot of stuff well enough for a >200kg bike.
Just because it's not the worst does not mean that it's not bad. But yeah, I agree that the subframe as a part of the main structure on an "adventure" bike is absolutely ridiculously stupid. I've seen 4 XCs came up at the local insurance auction as salvage bikes, none were badly damaged but all were completely write-offs due to needing a frame replacement. 2 BMW twins during that time, and I am sure they outsell the XCs by a large margin.
Damn! I really want the 700 but would like the USD forks and spoked wheels. I know that BMW can do it, I have them on my X-Country.........
So what exactly is it you like better about the F700GS then? Other than the front plastic I can't see anything, and that is probably very easy to swap with an F800GS owner, just like it was previously on the 08-12 F650GS and F800GS.
For all you guys "lusting" after the new turn signal switch, be aware that they have been on the K-GT and R-RT bikes for a couple years now. My 2011 R1200RT has them and I have gone thru 3 left hand switch clusters in the past 2 years. They work for a while and then they just quit (usually in the middle of a trip and not near a BMW dealer :huh ) They have been replaced at no cost, but it's getting to be a constant thing now. I'm just as glad to go back to the old 2 switch system on my 2012 F650GS.
I think BMW should have made that new turn signal switch as an option for the haters. I'm glad to have one of the last BMW with the old system.
28" inseam, 5' 6" tall I've ridden a GS800 on more than 1 occasion. Great bike! But I can barely touch the ground with 1 foot.....barely. I live in an area where every driveway and parking area is gravel and uneven. I have enough problems on my X-Country but I want a bike with more motor and a twin for highway riding. My X-Country has spoked 17/19" wheels, why can't they have that as an option for us "dual sport" shorties????
They do offer a lowering option now, if that is not enough it's because you fall outside the bell curve with your height, and coming up with special options/models for a niche market is not profitable unless they raise the price. So if you accept that you will have to spend more to get a "special" (as in different from the norm) product, what's stopping you from getting the bike you like and just having a pro lower it even more for a few hundred $, or doing it yourself even cheaper if you are mechanically capable? No bike is perfect for everybody folks, but stuff like that is so easy to solve...
Just took delivery on the 2013 800GS last Friday. It is taller than I expected. After three years on a 650 GS I was growing a hunchback. I'm 6'2" and was getting very tired of how short the 650 was starting to feel. I must admit that the lone turn signal is harder to use than the two hand system and it is taking me some time to get used too. I also was not impressed with the color choices but went with the blue and I am not disappointed now. I love the color and even if all BMW did was change the plastic and add ESA I am pleased with the purchase. I can feel more torque compared to the 650 but the speed feels the same. It rides a little rough comparetively but I haven't played with the suspension yet and maybe the comfort setting will be smoother. Shifting isn't nearly as smooth but it is probably more likely because I'm not used to the bike yet. I bought the comfort seat that BMW offers and compared to thin rail of the 650 seat it feels pretty good. I'm trying to log 600 miles this week so I can get the initial service performed before have it crated up and moving back to the States. Sucks that I only get to ride it for two weeks and then won't have it for two months and when it finally arrives it will be winter. Oh well, glad to have the upgrade.
If it was just the two switches I would be ok with that. It's the third one,on the right side, to cancel the signals that messes with me. If they had done it the way Harley does it (tap the switch again to cancel) that would be a lot easier to deal with. I wonder why BMW is having an issue with the switches? Have they given you a reason for the failures? Either way, if BMW is having issues with them then I'll live with the strange location for the cancel button or just put one on the left side and use it. Jon...
Can you explain how the distance between the seat and the floor being diferent in the 650 vs 800 can improve your "short" feeling about the 650 ? I think that the distance of the seat-handle bar- footpeg must be exactly the same in the two bikes. I canot see any diference, i have a 2012 650gs, tried a 2012 800 and after starting the riding position it's the same, the only diference being the front of the bike taller.
Yeah, you can bend them. But you aren't claiming for the whole bike on your insurance, are you? You claim for a sub frame...if you claim at all. With the F800 it's inconvenient, with the Tiger it's a show stopper.
By the way, just out of curiosity, as anyone yet bothered to take a picture of the uper rear shock fixation point, to see if BMW has made any design changes? Cheers
Usualy i would.... but then again i saw somewhere on some aftermarket shocks something regarding how it would only fit models up to 2012 :huh
The question is if this is because it will actually not fit, or because the manufacturer simply doesn't know that they are the same....
You know BMW - they never give a reason. My guess is that they've made the switches so small to fit in the cluster that they've become fragile. Both the K's and now the RT's have had problems. My buddy's K went thru 4 switch clusters before he finally dumped it (for a different reason). He bought an RT and was disappointed it came with the same cluster. It's also on the 1600's. Those bikes have extra switches in that cluster for the windshield and ASC on the K, RT, and K1600 so they may be smaller, but they look the same to me. Why not just let the auto-cancel take care of it. The signals stay on a few seconds longer but ........... I do that about 1/2 the time because by the time I've made the turn and cycled a couple gears, the auto-cancel has turned it off anyway.