I've had a few PMs asking me to compare the F800GS with the R1200GS......
So how do i begin.....
My R1200GS was a 2006 model with servo assisted ABS, heated grips and lots of farkles. My F800GS is a 2008 model with ABS and heated grips and a few farkles.
Tar road:
On tar the F800 is excellent. Throw it into a corner as quick as you can, drop two gears open up the power and hang on. Feel the adrenalin pump. I can not see a R1200 dropping a F800 in a mountain pass. Its light and easy to handle fast on tar. Unfortunately my F800 will not go much past 150km/h because of my current tyre setup. Add Anakees and it will play in mountain passes all day. The R1200 is better on the flat straight stuff, almost as much fun in the mountain passes but is limited a bit by its weight. The low down power of the 1200 is better in the passes if you are a bit lazy like me and it will do a mean power slide which the 800 will not easily do. The 1200 servo assisted brakes are much better than the brakes on the F800 which requires a bit of a harder pull.
Gravel road:
Here the F800 is the winner by far. I've never ridden a bike that can corner like this bike on gravel. Obviously i have a great gravel tire setup. Heidie K60 rear + Michelin T63 front. The bike inspires huge confidence in the rider. I am flying on gravel. With the current tire setup my gravel and tar speeds are basically the same. See a hump in the road..... drop a gear and give it all its got..... the F800 can fly low and it likes it. The R1200 on the other hand i find a bit nervous on gravel. Turn that ABS off you need all the braking you can get with the R1200 its a big mass that has to stop on little grip. I overshot a few turns on the R1200 just because i became relaxed on the bike. I never had 100% confidence in the R1200 on gravel. If one takes the F800, approach a corner stay on the power late, brake late, make the arse come round, play with the trottle, try to get rid of that moerse grin on your face before the next corner yeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaa. On the R1200 i always had to plan my corners and i did not like that, slow in throttle through the corner. Powerslides i did get with the R1200 but it was always a very planned affair.
Comfort:
Here the R1200 wins far far far. The R1200 is comfy, it does not hurt your arse. I sometimes rode the bike for 300km before i stopped to get fuel without getting off. 800km per day on a R1200 is not a problem. Wind protection was good. I hear on the GSA it is better. The bike was warm in winter but unfortunately also warm in summer. Dropping the screen in summer worked. Riding in the rain could not be better than on a 1200..... i never really got too wet. Comfort and F800GS does not go in one sentence without lying. The seat is hard, levers are more difficult to pull, wind protection even with aftermarket screen is not too good, did i mention the seat is hard. The F800GS makes me think of KLR comfort. Its basically the same. 500km on the back of a F800GS and you are tired.
Quality:
Funny that i mention quality in a report like this?
Currently i am not too impressed with the quality of my F800GS it is just not on the same level as the R1200. Okay the 2008 model was on of the first models and it will possibly improve but lets not hold our breath okay....
On my R1200GS i could really not find fault with the quality.
On the F800 i can name a few quality issues: The rims are made of cheese, front axle (replaced), front suspension, brake fluid bottle, sidestand (parts on order), engine gaskets leaking oil (parts on order), throttle useless.
Ja i know the throttle is not really quality but i decided to put it there because the engineer screwed up badly with that one.
Conclusion:
F800GS: Extremely fun bike, quality is crap, comfort is crap, its very fast for a DS, the throttle makes it a crap commuter, hooligan machine (pity about the rims), adrenalin pumper.
R1200GS: Great bike, quality is good, comfort is good, its also fast but not so much on gravel, excellent commuter just leave the panniers at home, boring.
Yes i said the R1200 is boring......... why? because compared to the F800 it is
Disclaimer....... this is all my opinion and i wrote this as unbiased as possible without worrying about people's feelings. :thumleft: :thumleft:
So how do i begin.....
My R1200GS was a 2006 model with servo assisted ABS, heated grips and lots of farkles. My F800GS is a 2008 model with ABS and heated grips and a few farkles.
Tar road:
On tar the F800 is excellent. Throw it into a corner as quick as you can, drop two gears open up the power and hang on. Feel the adrenalin pump. I can not see a R1200 dropping a F800 in a mountain pass. Its light and easy to handle fast on tar. Unfortunately my F800 will not go much past 150km/h because of my current tyre setup. Add Anakees and it will play in mountain passes all day. The R1200 is better on the flat straight stuff, almost as much fun in the mountain passes but is limited a bit by its weight. The low down power of the 1200 is better in the passes if you are a bit lazy like me and it will do a mean power slide which the 800 will not easily do. The 1200 servo assisted brakes are much better than the brakes on the F800 which requires a bit of a harder pull.
Gravel road:
Here the F800 is the winner by far. I've never ridden a bike that can corner like this bike on gravel. Obviously i have a great gravel tire setup. Heidie K60 rear + Michelin T63 front. The bike inspires huge confidence in the rider. I am flying on gravel. With the current tire setup my gravel and tar speeds are basically the same. See a hump in the road..... drop a gear and give it all its got..... the F800 can fly low and it likes it. The R1200 on the other hand i find a bit nervous on gravel. Turn that ABS off you need all the braking you can get with the R1200 its a big mass that has to stop on little grip. I overshot a few turns on the R1200 just because i became relaxed on the bike. I never had 100% confidence in the R1200 on gravel. If one takes the F800, approach a corner stay on the power late, brake late, make the arse come round, play with the trottle, try to get rid of that moerse grin on your face before the next corner yeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaa. On the R1200 i always had to plan my corners and i did not like that, slow in throttle through the corner. Powerslides i did get with the R1200 but it was always a very planned affair.
Comfort:
Here the R1200 wins far far far. The R1200 is comfy, it does not hurt your arse. I sometimes rode the bike for 300km before i stopped to get fuel without getting off. 800km per day on a R1200 is not a problem. Wind protection was good. I hear on the GSA it is better. The bike was warm in winter but unfortunately also warm in summer. Dropping the screen in summer worked. Riding in the rain could not be better than on a 1200..... i never really got too wet. Comfort and F800GS does not go in one sentence without lying. The seat is hard, levers are more difficult to pull, wind protection even with aftermarket screen is not too good, did i mention the seat is hard. The F800GS makes me think of KLR comfort. Its basically the same. 500km on the back of a F800GS and you are tired.
Quality:
Funny that i mention quality in a report like this?
Currently i am not too impressed with the quality of my F800GS it is just not on the same level as the R1200. Okay the 2008 model was on of the first models and it will possibly improve but lets not hold our breath okay....
On my R1200GS i could really not find fault with the quality.
On the F800 i can name a few quality issues: The rims are made of cheese, front axle (replaced), front suspension, brake fluid bottle, sidestand (parts on order), engine gaskets leaking oil (parts on order), throttle useless.
Ja i know the throttle is not really quality but i decided to put it there because the engineer screwed up badly with that one.
Conclusion:
F800GS: Extremely fun bike, quality is crap, comfort is crap, its very fast for a DS, the throttle makes it a crap commuter, hooligan machine (pity about the rims), adrenalin pumper.
R1200GS: Great bike, quality is good, comfort is good, its also fast but not so much on gravel, excellent commuter just leave the panniers at home, boring.
Yes i said the R1200 is boring......... why? because compared to the F800 it is
Disclaimer....... this is all my opinion and i wrote this as unbiased as possible without worrying about people's feelings. :thumleft: :thumleft:
