Anyone ride their F800GS 100% pavement?

most intelligent post jet. Can't add anything to this. what are you waiting for? we want pictures of your new f800gs now!

X2, get it, ride it and enjoy it!

I agree with your on road/off road discussion. Generally, when people say on road they mean paved smooth asphalt.

Everything else is bull.

Bikes I have owned just in the last 10 years -

Suzuki Intruder
Yamaha Virago
Honda Valkyrie Standard
Honda Valkyrie Interstate
Honda Magna
KLR 650
DRZ400
Triumph Thunderbird Sport
05 Triumph tiger
Ducati Multistrada
07 Triumph tiger

with a total of between 100k and 200k miles between them.

I took a KLR650 up the AlCan and 5-700 mile days on long travel suspension bikes made a believer out of me.

I don't generally ride off pavement. Don't particularly care for it. I do like to be able to take a dirt or gravel road when it gets me where I want to go but that was never the purpose of buying the GS.

I bought the GS because I think the dual sport long travel suspension is a much better ride than the suspension they generally put on "on road" bikes.

I have found that I can stay in the saddle longer without fatigue or aches and that is what's important to me.

I have occasionally ridden the GS across gravel parking lots but that's pretty much the extent of my off pavement riding.

I buy the bike I want because I want the thing. Other people don't like the bike I choose or think I made a poor choice, tough. I quit caring what other people thought of my decisions a long time ago.

+1

Actually, a stock 800GS would be great for 100% pavement. Stick with street tyres and avoid the usual farkles (skid plate, crash bars, headlight guard, suspension upgrades, protective bits, luggage and racks, ...). I somewhat miss when my GS looked like this...

Why wouldn't OP want luggage and racks for street use? Where do you suggest he carry stuff?

Do you suggest OP would/should/must want the luggage and racks to carry his stuff?

Are you just being argumentative? The issue was that he specifically listed luggage as something to actively avoid. Asking why isn't the same as implying the OP "should" have them.

My take is that the suggestion was the F800/650GS make better street bikes without many of the RTW farkles we tend to add. I agree in my case. My F650GS handled much better on pavement with street tires and minus the heavy hard luggage I installed. Especially at high speeds. Loading your hard luggage moves your combined CG up and back. I find that detrimental to stability at high speeds and have experienced considerable wobble.

I believe the opinion given was that if you use the F800/650GS stricktly on pavement, reducing the number of unnecessary farkles will make for a better street bike.

To the OP, if you like the bike buy it. put street oriented tires on and have fun.

for racks and luggage, I personally believe in having the crash bars, you can drop it on pavement just like off pavement, It's not IF it's WHEN.

I don't keep my hard luggage on the rear racks, using Pelican Cases and the HT mounts I can put them on or off in a couple minutes, with them off the racks help protect the rear plastic etc.

Wunderlich tank bag.... Done.

http://www.wunderlichamerica.com/motorcycle/1250111.html

You can't go wrong with the F800GS (I own one but ride mine on and off road). I also have an F650GS and had an F800R in the garage, if I had no offroad asperations the F650GS was by far the best all around road bike.

In the end motorcycles are not really a purchuse of logic so I would get the bike that make you smile the most

Commuting to work in bussy traffic is a bigger adventure then many so-called adventure trails, it just calls for an adventure bike !

Like I was saying: a supermoto or other slimmer and more nimble bike is far better for commuting than a big GS. I love commuting on my sumo and very much dislike commuting on my GS when I have to.