F800S opinions?

Does anyone have any first hand experience of the F800s?
I am close to selling up the SV and have seen one for sale locally within budget and low enough miles. I have just spent the last couple of hours trawling the net and there seem to be various issues but wondered if anyone here has any advice/experience to pass on?
Cheers.

[Bluepete]

I rode one for two weeks at the start of my Police bike course. I hated every second.

It's very uncomfortable after very little time, the foot controls are cramped and I just didn't like the engine.

Then again, others loved it!

I'd suggest getting a day long test ride from a dealer if you can and see what you think.

Pete

[Winder]

Daddyjob has an F800ST and lives it. He could tell you a lot about the bike but obviously the riding position on his would be a lot better than the s

[DJ123]

As Winder says i have the ST. When i get home I'll write up a few bits on the bike.

IMO, the tiger 800 is a better bike, the 800 triple engine is brilliant.

I rode my mates back from leeds when he bought it.
I thought the bike was a bit gutless for an 800, the rest was fine, noticeably nice gear change and ergonomics. A pleasant but homogenous bike with no real character.

[DJ123]

Depending on the year you are looking at, there are to thing to check for, check warranty on and test for. Early models suffered from piston slap, bearings and a few other niggles. You can find out if the work has been done by getting the VIN number and checking with a BMW motorbike dealership.

I found it hard to get used to at first because of how different to the SV-all in better ways.
I absolutely love it and glad I made the change. The engine is brilliant when you are used to it and know where the power is. Still a good amount of engine braking & torque to whisk you along. It also gives great MPG (see my sig). Brakes, again, brilliant. More than enough stopping power and plenty of feel. Ride, is good too. Sporty without being too harsh. Adjustable rebound and pre-damp on the rear shock.
They did suffer some poor finish quality on bolts and odd bits here and there, nothing too bad though.
Lots of info to find here: http://f800riders.org/

Any more questions drop me a PM.

[dyzio]

Originally Posted by daddyjob

They did suffer some poor finish quality on bolts and odd bits here and there, nothing too bad though.

And forks, brakes and engine casings...
Friend at work owns one, hardly any paint left on it.

[DJ123]

Forks? You've not seen they aren't painted from factory and are left with a rough cast finish?

The factory can only do so much, how the bike has been looked after/treated is what makes the difference.

[dyzio]

Maintenance is one thing, using it as an excuse for poor finish is another.

My 8 year old SV looked better than the 3 year old BM, and they were both all year rides.






That's a different 800gs from around here, 3 years old.

BMW blamed... poor maintenance. Was the owner maintaining only half of the bike?


Shame really, as some of their bikes were looking interesting for the future.