Has BMW worked the bugs out of the 800 by now?

[lawe]

Originally Posted by CrazyMike

I've got #00041 and it's been fantastic. No problems whatsoever.

I can only agree. Mine must be from one of the first productin batches 2008 and has not failed whatsoever. Even the chain has been great (but got it replaced under warranty after 18 000 km :-) ).

(btw: How do You know that You have bike #41?)

[Snowy]

For the OP, such a very subjective issue to ask about.

Use the bike as a cafe hopping latte cruiser and it will give you no problems what so ever.

Assuming you want to "adventure" with it...that's a different kettle of fish.

Now some people find going to Disney Land an adventure. Some find adventure in the middle of a North African shit hole. Some try and find it where ever they go.

If you are the type who seeks adventure up rocky jeep trails carrying a decent load of camping gear etc...you will bend things and you will break things.

Some of that just goes with the territory.

But not addressing issues like the shock bolts etc tells me that BMW isn't serious about this bike being taken seriously in the "adventure" market.

I've gone from loathing it, to accepting it, to never wanting another, to looking at another, to looking at something else entirely. There simply is no definitive answer to the "best bike" question, most of the contenders having such glaring issues and insurmountable design flaws. Shit you just have to "live with" or "accept".

That's without getting started on the "I bought the first model and it's been just fine for XXXXniles". I look at those, add up how many kms I've done since the year the first model was released and dismiss them out of hand. Across all the bikes I own, I average about 45000kms/year of a realistic 50/50 tar dirt mix. I can safely state, that with the BMW as a "sole means of transport" I would spend what the bike was worth in repairs, "fit for task" modifications and maintenence in a 4 year period.

That just doesn;t cut it for me.

Would I buy another for exactly the sort of riding I'm doing now. Maybe. But only so I could strip all the extras and fixes off the exisiting and swap it all over.

But they have R1200GS on sale here at $5000 off normal price. Love them or hate them, they are a far better built bike, and bringing them within $4000 of the F800s normal retail and fully kitting them out for that price means you'd have rocks in your head to buy the F800 at the price they ask here.

$21K ride away for an F800GS, $25K ride away for a R1200GS with options, and $27k for the GSA fully optioned.

Unless the F800 price drops dramatically, I'll trade on a new GSA long before I trade on another F800.

I wirite this on the back side of a good weekend with 2 x 600km days, one spent chasing a triplet of Triumph Triples over some of the scratchiest roads around here, and me 2-up with panniers hung with the front runners up to 180, scraping pegs at 150 and generally being a hooligan. I am very happy with the way it runs and the way it handles loaded. But I spent way too much money to get here. I could have bought the 1200 and Blitz Krieged the Britishers.

[JRWooden]

Originally Posted by MCMXCIVRS

There are no bugs in fine German engineered motorcycles, only unexpected design features .

I think the list of unexpected features posted above is pretty complete ...
Most of them have been addressed but the cut-in dates are not known.
One would hope that all of them are in the new F700GS and 2013 model year F800GS

I think the frame is unchanged but only a few very aggressive riders had this problem.
If you think you might be that type there are two fixes available that are not very expensive to beef up the upper shock mount. Indy did one and these guys have a commercial offering:
http://www.bestrestproducts.com/p-25...ort-wbolt.aspx

I don't know about the gas tank cracking issue, mine was replaced in late 2011 (with the revised P/N tank),
but is cracking again...

I personally (following Gary's protocol of riding all year, not letting gas sit around, using techron) have not had any fuel system issues, and IMHO, most folks that have had issues are the seasonal riders or have likely picked up bad gas.
Still I would like to hear that the fuel system has been beefed up.

I will be very anxious to see the tensioner that MikeMike receives ... if it ever comes ...

I have an early production model bike and the two things that personally worry me are the cam chain and the stator,
both of which "should" be resolved in the new models. I'll likely buy the ElectroSport stator for $140, and the upgraded chain tensioner for ... ???and call it done but I'm still thinking about buying a F700GS...

IIRC, my gas tank has a 2-year warranty on it, and late next year just before my 2-years is up, I will hope to get it replaced at no charge and likewise hope that 5-years is enough time for them to get it right!

[MikeMike]

Originally Posted by JRWooden

I will be very anxious to see the tensioner that MikeMike receives ... if it ever comes ...

Me too. It's been a little too long, even for BMW. Imagine, they are selling bikes off the showroom floor and cannot give them parts support of less than 10 weeks wait and likely a lot more than 10 weeks.
I have a feeling all the production of the new style tensioners is dedicated to complete bikes and motors only.
Hopefully it'll arrive before I have to contact Motorrad and say, "Trick or treat". LOL!

[Gundy]

[QUOTE=Snowy;19341194]
Use the bike as a cafe hopping latte cruiser and it will give you no problems what so ever.

Assuming you want to "adventure" with it...that's a different kettle of fish.

QUOTE]

I am looking for something that will take weekends of two-up off-roading, meaning gravel, deep sand, mud, roots, etc. My KLR was actually pretty decent at it, but I'd like more power and better suspension...oh and durability

[MikeMike]

Originally Posted by Gundy

I am looking for something that will take weekends of two-up off-roading, meaning gravel, deep sand, mud, roots, etc. My KLR was actually pretty decent at it, but I'd like more power and better suspension...oh and durability

Then stick with the KLR LOL!
Seriously, if you put more suspension quality into the KLR, upgrade the subframe, and work with your gearing, you'll enjoy it more. Two up off roading is difficult at the best of times due to the obvious limits it puts on your riding. Put a big bore kit into the KLR with a decent carb re-jet and a good pipe.
Think about a few things. The F800 is not the easiest to live with, bump starting it is damn near impossible unless you know the drill and get lucky. Drop it and it is expensive to repair. Two up at higher elevations and it will be running very hot, add sand or gravel in and you'll likely be facing a borderline overheat situation constantly at anything above around 13,000ft. If you run a more aggressive tire on it, you'll limit yourself on the highway to and from. Sure you can do it, but you'll be paying a lot more to play. For the price of a new F800 you can buy 2 klR's and have money left to outfit both of them very well. That way the second half of the two up doesn't have to ride with you.

[WoodWorks]

Originally Posted by MikeMike

...and you'll likely be facing a borderline overheat situation constantly at anything above around 13,000ft.

Except for the Tibetan plateau, where on this planet are you going to be running "constantly" above 13,000 ft.? The average altitude on the Altiplano isn't even that high.

[CrazyMike]

Originally Posted by lawe

(btw: How do you know that you have bike #41?)

vin: .... 00041

Also >32K miles.

[MikeMike]

Colorado, trans Mexican volcanic route, for starters.
Along with the area you mentioned. I can spend all day well above 12,000ft just 2 hours from where I live.
That's how I know how an F motor reacts and lives at that altitude. And two up, it will be sucking hard above even 11,000ft especially on gravel and or sand.





For those who think you need an F800 for the rough stuff, the F650 as above, can handle a lot more than people think. With really good tires, it'll present itself well against an F800. Above photos are from the two ends of the volcanic axis a couple of hours away and the peaks are a couple of hours apart.

[WoodWorks]

Originally Posted by MikeMike

Colorado, trans Mexican volcanic route, for starters.

I Googled Trans Mexican Volcano Route and came up empty. Sounds interesting. Got a link?

As for Colorado, yes, Mosquito Pass is just a hair over 13,000 ft., but riding the spine of the Colorado rockies on the CDR from border to border I never made it any higher than 11,910 (Indiana Pass) and the temp. gauge never budged from normal. I wonder if your over-heating might have some other cause. You'd think, with lower ambient temps at high altitude, overheating would be less of a problem than near sea level. But perhaps my thinking is off.

[MikeMike]

I can tell you whatever you want about the route here, I ride it all the time. PM me if you want more pics and stuff. I don't want to hijack the thread.
The mountain climber web sites have some good stuff in English, too. Some info is only in Spanish.
The overheat situation is interesting with the F800 motor (pretty much the same as in my F650). Ambient temp is usually below 50f and often around about 40f between noon and 3pm in the best time of year to ride it. You end up with a flashing oil light, even though the oil is fine. Sometimes the fan is running all the time, the motor is giving off a lot of heat and the temp bars are not usually signalling anything. I always shut down at this stage and will coast to a lower elevation or just park it for a few minutes and take a few pics or some water or a little snack. I think it relates to the lower oxygen levels in the air and the computer is compensating with the injection system but I really am just guessing. I know the power output is lower, you can feel the difference and a lot of 1st and second gear climbing. It might also depend on the steepness of the climb and the surface as the motor will be working harder.
Has anyone done a complete run from Alaska to Patagonia on an F bike, yet? Or a complete RTW? I haven't heard of one yet.

[ebrabaek]

Originally Posted by WoodWorks

Except for the Tibetan plateau, where on this planet are you going to be running "constantly" above 13,000 ft.? The average altitude on the Altiplano isn't even that high.

Several people did at last weeks RMAR in silverton..... a friend of mine personally picked up a fellow inmate's 8GS up several times...... after the 8'th bash..... it launched him in a airborne 360 flinging him.....whereafter the bike went down hard....No bags......only bash guards.... They were descending Black Bear pass...... Only thing broken...... right mirror.... So they do crash...without it getting pricy..... all rides started at 9200 feet....and then most of the riding was between 11000 and 13500 feet. Inmate was from Las Vegas, and had a phenomenal attitude.... Just kept picking up the bike....and ripping along......Not afraid of nothing. Just awesome.

[WoodWorks]

Originally Posted by ebrabaek

all rides started at 9200 feet....and then most of the riding was between 11000 and 13500 feet.

Anybody have problems with overheating at those altitudes? Mike's report is the first I've heard of any altitude-related heating issues. A drop-off in power is to be expected, of course. But I wonder if there's an upper limit to the FI's programming that might make it lean out to the point where heat becomes an issue.

I know of at least a couple of F800GSs that have traversed Tibet, and there have been a number of them crossing the Altiplano. But this is a new one on me.

[CheckerdD]

Originally Posted by MikeMike

Has anyone done a complete run from Alaska to Patagonia on an F bike, yet? Or a complete RTW? I haven't heard of one yet.

Yup: I made it Reno to Ushuaia Argentina December 14, 11 then Reno to Fairbanks Alaska June 7, 12. One flat tire. One rim dinged and straitened. It's still on the bike with no other issues. Mike Mike you live in a fantasy world fueled by your bad attitude. The 800 is a great bike. If you buy something else, you might feel less of a need to troll here. Dave

[ebrabaek]

Originally Posted by WoodWorks

Anybody have problems with overheating at those altitudes? Mike's report is the first I've heard of any altitude-related heating issues. A drop-off in power is to be expected, of course. But I wonder if there's an upper limit to the FI's programming that might make it lean out to the point where heat becomes an issue.

I know of at least a couple of F800GSs that have traversed Tibet, and there have been a number of them crossing the Altiplano. But this is a new one on me.

There were 2 8gs in there....Unfortunately I was not able to ride ....but visited...... None of the two had any issues with over heat. I think that perhaps something else is going on here.... I line in the desert southwest...where temps often hover 10 deg. f. above 100...... Although most riding I have done on mine...has been between 4000-12000 feet. I have done those in very hot temps.....above...100 deg. F. single and double track.... Temp gauge rock steady in the middle..... no oil light flashing.... fan kicking in periodically.

Linky from RMAR.... Talked with Zach and Woddy...... (Woody's wheel works).... Zach ripped the 12gs on Black bear.... Dude's an animal....

http://advrider.com/forums/showthrea...36276&page=133