BMW F 800 GS Adventure 2014 — Specifications

When BMW decides to adapt its globe-trotter recipe to a more reasonable displacement, we get the BMW F 800 GS Adventure, a machine designed for those who are fascinated by the R 1200 GS Adventure but are equally intimidated by its size and price tag. At €12,260, the difference with the big sister exceeds €4,000, and the A2 license may even be accommodated under certain restriction conditions. This is a significant argument in the mid-size trail market, against rivals like the Triumph Tiger 800 XCx or the KTM 1050 Adventure, which play on different registers.

The 798 cc parallel twin develops 85 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and 83 Nm of torque at 5,750 rpm. These figures, unchanged from the standard F 800 GS, must now propel 229 kg fully fueled, or 15 kg more due to the reinforced equipment. This extra weight is explained by the 24-liter tank, 8 liters more than the base version, and the suite of additional protections. With a consumption announced at around 4.3 liters per 100 km, the range exceeds 400 km without forcing it; this is one of the real promises of this 2014 BMW F 800 GS Adventure, and it keeps its commitments on this specific point. For those who wonder about refueling during committed journeys, the answer is here, quantified and concrete.

The fairing immediately betrays its off-road ambitions. The engine guard, the crankcase protectors, the large windscreen and the handguards form a coherent protection kit, not just a marketing accessory. The wide enduro-profile footpegs and the reinforced brake pedal confirm that this machine was designed to leave the asphalt, not just to skim over it in poser mode. The 43 mm diameter inverted fork and the hydraulically adjustable single shock absorber provide a serious stroke. On the other hand, the seat perched at 890 mm from the ground constitutes the most obvious defect of the BMW F 800 GS Adventure, and the absence of a lowering kit as original option does not facilitate things for short riders. On this point, the competition manages morphological versatility better.

ABS is standard, normal for a BMW. But the optional integration of the ASC with its enduro mode deserves attention: a simple button allows to modulate the intervention of the traction control for loose surfaces, which really changes the off-road behavior. ESA, the electronically controlled suspension, complements the offer for those traveling loaded. These electronic equipment, absent on competitors positioned less expensively, justify part of the price difference. The steel trellis frame with engine as stressed member remains a solid, proven base, without surprises or betrayals.

For whom is this motorcycle, concretely? The globetrotter who wants to cross the Balkans with luggage, chain together dirt tracks without worrying about range, and return home without emptying his bank account on a R 1200 GS Adventure. Numerous examples of BMW F 800 GS Adventure used are circulating on the used market, which testifies to a real distribution and a varied usage. Purists will regret the absence of the shaft drive and the Telelever, signature of Bavarian large-displacement motorcycles. But that would be forgetting that the final chain offers its own advantages in terms of feel and efficiency, and that this parallel twin has its own character, more lively and less muffled than the boxer. The BMW F 800 GS Adventure is not a miniature R 1200; it is an autonomous machine with its own logic, and it is precisely this that makes it a relevant choice.