2013 F800GS and F700GS merged threadfest

[Tonopah]

The F700GS does not seem like much of an upgrade but more a "refresh."
If I understand it correctly, the ESA only applies to the dampening and not to the preload so the ESA doesn't do much for me. The ASC would be nice though as would the dual front discs. The increase in horsepower would be nice depending on how it rolls on.

I put Ricor intiminators and a Ricor IAS rear shock on my F650GS twin and that improved the suspension so much that I am not lusting for the F700. I am, however, looking forward to reading about the water boxer and think that it may be quite interesting -- rumors are 120 - 135 hp and only 4 - 9 pounds heavier than the existing R1200GS. We'll see.

[nomad5326]

Originally Posted by docsherlock

Just out of interest, what makes you think you know better than an international company with a large marketing department? Their marketing obviously works and just because it doesn't suit you, you slag it off.

It ain't all about you, ya know.....

It IS about me! Im a confused consumer too!

For those of us who've lived with the renaming of the F650 to the G and then having a new F650 come in that's a twin and is actually closer to a 8 it seems like the answer is just out there....yet out of reach. Im a Beemer lover brother, not a hater, I just very strongly think they could have easily kept models lined up with the lineage and with a GSA line NEVER had to come up with name changes.

They have no problem with the auto series.. Just call a 650 a 650, etc and a Adventure model a GSA

[bobobob]

Originally Posted by Tonopah

The F700GS does not seem like much of an upgrade but more a "refresh."
If I understand it correctly, the ESA only applies to the dampening and not to the preload so the ESA doesn't do much for me. The ASC would be nice though as would the dual front discs. The increase in horsepower would be nice depending on how it rolls on.

I put Ricor intiminators and a Ricor IAS rear shock on my F650GS twin and that improved the suspension so much that I am not lusting for the F700. I am, however, looking forward to reading about the water boxer and think that it may be quite interesting -- rumors are 120 - 135 hp and only 4 - 9 pounds heavier than the existing R1200GS. We'll see.

Where did you get your Ricors?

[nomad5326]

Originally Posted by bobobob

Nice upgrades and options for the F700GS except...

Fuel capacity reduced from 18l to 16l.
Oh well, slap an adventure gas tank on the rack for an extra 1.5 gallons
or go all the way and put a tour tank on the pillon for another 3.5 gallons.
.

Interesting....the Dakar/Sertao capacity went down as well....Anyone ever ask for LESS capacity? Wonder if they are playing with laden weight perception because the bikes have basically remained the same..

[Tonopah]

Ricor:

brian@ricorshocks.com
888-425-1333

7715 Commercial Way
Unit 110
Henderson NV 89011

[Angryrican]

Originally Posted by nomad5326

Interesting....the Dakar/Sertao capacity went down as well....Anyone ever ask for LESS capacity? Wonder if they are playing with laden weight perception because the bikes have basically remained the same..

or it could be a typo as they so often do

[bobobob]

Originally Posted by nomad5326

Interesting....the Dakar/Sertao capacity went down as well....Anyone ever ask for LESS capacity? Wonder if they are playing with laden weight perception because the bikes have basically remained the same..

That could be and they do get excellent mpg.
I do like the fact that the gas tank is under the seat
unlike the 6 gallons that was perched up real high on my KLR.
I'm also glad they shortened the gearing a bit.

[bobobob]

Originally Posted by Tonopah

Ricor:

brian@ricorshocks.com
888-425-1333

7715 Commercial Way
Unit 110
Henderson NV 89011

Thanks.

[abnslr]

Originally Posted by GH41

Looks like they woke up and fixed the turn signals and kill switch!!! GH

I actually like the old switchgear better. It took me a few minutes to get used to it, but I find the BMW setup much easier now than the single slider and push-to-cancel switch on the left. I just bought a 2012 F658GS and don't see anything here that makes me think I should have waited for the 2013s.

[itsatdm]

The name will be very helpful, if you wanted to do some fact checking before posting up your opinion.According to google, a F650gs is still a single. It does not know what a 658 is and F800gs get you the big bike..

[Maxacceleration]

Originally Posted by abnslr

I actually like the old switchgear better. It took me a few minutes to get used to it, but I find the BMW setup much easier now than the single slider and push-to-cancel switch on the left.

You are one of the few.

Maybe beemer is buying time with these small facelifts for something more in the future.
The 700 looks really nice, but... Dual discs are not really needed and equal more weight. Smaller tank to offset the heavier front?
A GSA in the 700 with and inch more would be cool too.
As in a tweener tubeless model...

Come on, let me do the marketing...

[JRWooden]

Originally Posted by bobobob

Nice upgrades and options for the F700GS except...

Fuel capacity reduced from 18l to 16l.
Oh well, slap an adventure gas tank on the rack for an extra 1.5 gallons
or go all the way and put a tour tank on the pillon for another 3.5 gallons.

Anybody heard when the US will get these?
The Russian mafia is after me and I need to get out of town soon.

The spec. sheet on my F658GS says 4.2US Gallons which is ~16 liters

[grndzr0]

Originally Posted by Maxacceleration

You are one of the few.

Maybe beemer is buying time with these small facelifts for something more in the future.
The 700 looks really nice, but... Dual discs are not really needed and equal more weight. Smaller tank to offset the heavier front?
A GSA in the 700 with and inch more would be cool too.
As in a tweener tubeless model...

Come on, let me do the marketing...

Did you just say "Tweener" on ADV Rider???

Not sure that is allowed!!




Ryan

[JoeDuck]

Originally Posted by JRWooden

The spec. sheet on my F658GS says 4.2US Gallons which is ~16 liters

I'm probably wrong with this but, don't the US spec F650GS/F800GS/F800R hold less fuel than other countries versions due to the extra space our emissions equipment requires?

[gfloyd2002]

There has been much said about the negatives of calling the model the 700, rather than goto an 800GS and 800GSA. But the marketing guys got dealt a difficult hand.

So, in 2007 they "upgrade" the thumper 650 to a parallel twin. They keep the F650GS name, which makes sense as an attempt to bring the old crowd to the new model and keep the reputation from the old name. That works for me because the thumper F650GS was retired and this was the replacement. Makes sense sort of to go with F650GS, particularly because it is detuned to hit a slightly different market and you want to distinguish it from the F800GS while keeping the old F650GS marketing benefits. Fair enough.

But then, you get lots of demand for the old single cylinder, so you bring it back essentially whole as a G650GS and confusion sets in. Ok, is this the pre 2007 thumper F650GS, the post 2007 twin F650G, or the post 2009 G650GS which is essentially the same as the pre-2007 F650GS, but with a Chinese engine? This naming confusion is far from the lack of respect for customers alleged elsewhere here -- they were responding to customers who wanted the thumper back and the confusion is the penalty. The G650GS has the closer link to the pre 2007 thumper F650GS, you can't really keep calling the 800cc twin the F650GS.

So now they update the twin F650GS and up the horsepower and add options to bring it slightly upmarket. What do the marketing people do now? They've got old F650GS models that are like the new G650GS models, and new F650GS models that are creeping ever closer to the F800GS in power and options. And you can't call the new twin an F800GS (going to an otherwise sensible 800GS/800GSA naming convention) because the F800GS name has been taken now since 2007 by a different bike - you'd just be creating more confusion. What you do is wish that back in 2007, you'd have had the foresight to call the parallel twin bikes the F800GS and the F800GSA, but it is too late for that. So, what you do is try to distinguish the F650GS and G650GS from one another, recognize the twin got a power upgrade and is closer to the F800GS call it an F700GS. Not a perfect solution, but there aren't a lot of great options.

And, as I mentioned, a problem that is the direct result of trying to respond to customers by offering the old thumper 650 again in 2009. Certainly not evidence of some anti-customer plot.