F800GT Test Ride Report
So, I had made an appointment for a test ride earlier in the week. I was going to cancel it, but when I woke up this morning I decided to go ahead and take the test ride in the interest of being completely informed about the character of both bikes.
I live in Northern Kentucky in the Greater Cincinnati area. The closest BMW dealer is in Louisville, about an hour and a half ride on the interstate. I decided to ride my CR250R on the interstate to get fully soaked in that experience, in hopes of getting the chance to test the F800GT on the interstate.
On the way down on the 250, I made up my mind to ride the speed limit of 70 mph, only going to 75 mph to overtake slower vehicles. It made a big difference; it's still not fun to ride the 250 at those speeds but it is not nearly as fatigue-inducing as 80-85 mph.
Louisville turned out to be a construction hell zone at this time of year. I got stuck in the wrong lane and ended up crossing the bridge to Indiana by mistake. Bad move…there was a massive jam-up at the on ramp to go back south over the bridge. It took me 30 minutes to get back to Kentucky, a distance of about one mile. Strike One BMW: it would be necessary to trailer the bike to - and through - Louisville every time I needed to leave it for service.
Anyway, I had time to eat so I stopped for lunch. Struck up a conversation with a guy who used to ride a 919. He was absolutely fascinated by my 250.
At the dealer, which oddly enough is a joint HD/BMW operation, I met the sales guy and we looked over the bike. I asked about the low seat and ultra-low seat options. He said he would not recommend them as they are very thin and uncomfortable. He said it would be best to send the seat to a custom shop to have comfortable low cushioning installed. Strike Two BMW. I sat on the bike. Rather wide at the front. I could just put my toes down, not the balls of my feet. Custom seat would be needed eventually.
He told me all about the lean-angle-sensing traction control that prevents over-throttle low sides in corners. "With traction control engaged - I don't care how far you're leaned over - you can nail the throttle and you will not low side. The only way you could low side is if you struck a huge patch of gravel."
I asked about warranty. Three years comprehensive. Extended warranty? Not from BMW. Strike Three BMW.
For the actual test ride, the salesman donned a bucket helmet and threw a leg over some kind of HD cruiser (they all look alike to me
). I followed him around the block and up onto the interstate. First impression of the F800GT is how good the ride quality is. I'm not picky about ride quality but the bike felt really smooth and tight, and absorbed the bumps in the streets completely. The power was of course much more than I am accustomed to, but that engine is…odd. It is very quiet. I had a hard time hearing the revs and had to check the tachometer often. When you twist the throttle hard, the engine emits an unusual vertically vibrating sensation, not unlike a mobile phone set to vibrate. So you actually sense the revs more by the feeling of the vibration than by the sound of the engine.
The front brake is a monster. I was giving it too much pressure at first and resorted to two fingers because my muscle memory could not unlearn my habit in 20 minutes.
The wind protection was decent. Due to traffic, we only got up to 70 mph briefly a couple of times, so it was hard to form an opinion. I only remember everything seemed smoother and quieter at speed than my 250, and I'm sure that 90% of the effect was because the engine was not screaming.
I would need to put the one inch factory bar risers on it, because the reach was a little too far and I was leaning forward too much. Also the factory bars are very wide. I felt like they were too wide and that narrower bars would be better.
On the way back we got caught in more crawling stop-and-go Louisville traffic. It didn't take long until I noticed a substantial amount of heat coming out of the engine and warming my inside legs above the knees. I could imagine it getting pretty darned hot in the summer.
I didn't get to ride any twisties but I could easily tell that the bike is highly agile. Overall it feels as agile as my 250. In fact, in many ways it feels like a bigger, faster, smoother version of my bike. However it definitely has less engine character than my thumper. I could not see adding it as a second bike to my 250; it would be a bike that replaced my 250 because there is so much mission overlap.
The more I think about the F800GT, the more I think it is a bike I would like to rent but not own. If I wanted to take a long European tour or a cross-country trip in the US, it would be my first choice as a rental for the trip. But considering the purchase price, the inconvenient (for me) dealer location, the possibly high cost of scheduled maintenance, the complexity of the electronic systems and the risk of high repair cost once out of warranty…it all adds up to a bike that could become more of a headache than a pleasure to own.
