Owners of F800GS vs F650GS

The two bikes: F800GS and F650GS are fundamentally the same, BUT The owners of the F800GS seem to be always finding fault with their bikes while the owners of the F650GS seem to be very happy and don't seem to have very many problems.

I'm so happy that i got the F650GS rather that the F800GS because there appear from the discussions to be so many more faults with the F800GS.

Just Ride it!

It's because those F800GS riders thought they have just bought an expensive, well equipped and oversized dirt bike . Then they find that it really is a downsized R1200GSA.

Just kidding,
Reiner

I figured it was because the 650 owners were too embarrassed to admit they didn't buy the 800.

Given the more road oriented nature of the F650 it makes sense that there'd be less problems with them, right? They're (mostly) not being abused in the ways the 800's are. Not to mention there's only one F650 on here for every hundred F800s.

That said, I'm happy with mine, everything that's gone wrong on it so far has been user error.

F650GS has all you needs for just leave the tarmac for less height and dollars, why a F800GS if you are not a true enduro player!

F650 owners are just happy their feet can reach the ground...

Thats my wife's story and she's sticking to it.

I can plant both feet on my 800. No changes to the stock height either, just long legs

I've test ridden a F800GS, but not the F650GS. For those of you that know, how's the feel of the brakes compare between the two?

The F8GS double disk front brake feels much stronger than the single disk on the F6GS. I assume they used two rotors on the F8 to compensate for the larger diameter wheel. The F6 single rotor is fine on dirt (less likely to lock up), but feels wimpy on pavement (it stops OK, but ya really need to squeeze it).

Kinda seems like they got it backwards.
The street oriented F6 could use two front rotors for better road performance.
The F8 might be better off with just one for exclusive dirt riding (lighter so less unsprung mass and less likely to lock up).

Anyone removed a front rotor from the F8?

I got the F800GS because the colors were so much cooler.

I wouldn't want to, honestly. I like having the power there when I need it, especially on the street. My old Suzuki 200 has a front brake that I can 4 finger with all my might without locking up; having to stop quickly is terrifying. I much prefer being able to single or double finger finesse my brakes. I'm a mountain biker though, so maybe I'm spoiled.

Nah. The 650 has one rotor add another layer of differentiation from the 800.

The bikes really are pretty much the same thing, so BMW needed to adorn the 800 with enough trinkets to justify the higher cost, and enough trinkets for potential buyers to justify the purchase of the "better" bike.

Worked for me, BTW.

The F800GS and F650GS do have most parts in common, but from a riders perspective, these two bikes have less in common then a klr and vstrom.

In the simplist terms, the f8 feels agressive and fiesty.
The f650 feels rock stable and trusty.

Both can do almost all the same rides but feel totally different doing them.

I own a 2009 F800GS, but work for a dealer and spend more time riding other bikes then my own. On both bikes I have ridden long distance super slab, back road twisties, h/s gravel, deep shity gravel, baby head, boulder crawl, mud, clay, and more mud, water crossings, double track, single track, and NO track lol.

Here are my impressions.

CITY COMMUTE F650 is easier to stop and start and easier to modulate speed. F8 is easier to ballance at low speed and lane split for me cause it's easier for me to ballance it standing up at 6'

SUPER SLAB: f650 hands down. More stable in gusts, easier to hold a straight line. F8 has more power if you really want to haul ass, in fact, I'm sorry if you've been told different but one test ride or dyno chart tells the tale, the F8 has more torque all the way through the tach. The f650 is NOT tuned for low end power, it is just detuned, it does however have a MUCH more controlable initial throttle which helps out for most activities.

H/S GRAVEL: F8 all the way! Initial throttle is not a big deal on high speed gravel but the power to roost and a 21" front to slip in and out of tracks does and the 8 has both while the 6.5 does not. The 6.5 can do H/S gravel but not as well. Also on almost all off road stuff, the ability to stand right over and make love to the handle bars is paramount for control. No where is this more important then hauling ass on H/S gravel, so unless you are very short, bar risers are a must on the 6.5

MUD: 21" front on the F8 helps a little, but being closer to the ground on the F650 does as well when you fall

SHITY GRAVEL and BABY HEAD: 21" front of F8 helps again, but it is ballanced out by superior initial throttle of F650. You can go faster on the 8 but only if you burn the stuffing out of the clutch or have a throttle hand of steel.

BOULDER CRAWL: F650, all about initial throttle, once again frying the clutch or iron wrists will give the F8 the edge, it's increased ground clearance and 21" front wheel occasionally helps too, but it needs this help and more because I bounce off and over more boulders with the twitchy throttle on the F8.

SAND: no idea, never ridden the stuff.

BACK COUNTRY TWISTIES: F8 is faster in the straights but the 650 holds a far better line, steers better, is more stable and forgiving of stepping out or washing over slippery crap such as spots of gravel. The 650 turns in quicker as well.

Also, I really didn't notice much difference on the brakes other them the F650 single rotor will start glowing earlier under sever use then the twin F8 rotors. Both bikes have exelent brake feel and will lock with 2 fingers. What more do you need then that?

Why are their more complaints about the 8? With the exception of the rear wheel bearings, which are different and were a problem on SOME early model f8's, the things that have broken are identical or stronger on the 8. More demanding, abusive, or inept riders buy f8's. And if you break it down and count how few posters actually have issues in the zillion posts problem threads, it's really pretty few. Add to this that someone with a gripe is 7x more likely to post anything at all then someone who is happy (no idea if this is accurate but it seems reasonable. Jamroz, a BMW dealer rep told me this) and the problem numbers are actually quite small.

F800GS = awesome bike!
F650GS = awesome bike!
F650GS V F800GS = totally different machines, comparison of apples and oranges.

Awesome comments Joel! I very much agree.

I've had tons of issues with my 650, but that's cuz I ride it hard like the guys with the 800s. I think that riding it hard will make some issues 'pop up' and I'd rather do that while the warranty is still valid.

It's great to hear a non-biased opinion rather than some dumb-ass with an 800 saying that the 650 sucks. They're both awesome bikes. I also think that they're both a base to start customizing from too.

cheers!
Mark

The 650 is a girls bike and wimmen don't usually complain

A friend of mine has both( one is his wife's). He claims that the 650 is the better motor. He liked the power curve, and the better fuel economy.

The last one who told me i was riding a girl bike is drying in the cellar hung by the feet since that!

What is the color of the sky in your world?

I think there's some truth to that. I bought the 800 for exactly that reason. I thought the 1200 was a little too big for what I wanted to do. I treat the 800 as an "adventure bike" and have a dirt bike for riding the crazier stuff. It has worked out well for me. I think the bike's capabilities were marketed optimistically with all the pictures of it flying through the air with the greatest of ease. I use it well within it's performance envelope and it works really well.

I thought it was a his and her thing, just kidding I'm a big dude need the bigger bike and love it.