BMW F 800 GS 2016 — Specifications

Behind the imposing R 1200 GS, which has dominated sales in the adventure segment for years, BMW quietly maintains another machine that is much more accessible and far less intimidating. The BMW F 800 GS doesn’t have the stature of its boxer big sister, nor its semi-trailer build. It plays a different tune, that of a versatile trail bike that accepts getting its wheels dirty without ruining its owner. At €11,455 new, the financial argument is real compared to the stratospheric prices in the segment.

For this 2016 model year, BMW has reworked the bodywork without touching the foundations. The radiator covers receive galvanizing treatment, giving them a metallic reflection, an assumed nod to the 2008 R 1200 GS. The top of the tank is redesigned, the seat is two-tone. These are details, but they count in a market where buyers sometimes spend more time looking at their motorcycle than riding it. More concrete is the work on seat height. With four base variants and an optional lowering kit, the saddle can be modulated from 820 to 920 mm. For the BMW F 800 GS, seat height is often the first disqualifying criterion for smaller riders. Here, BMW has chosen not to abandon them by the side of the road.

The 798 cm³ parallel-twin remains unchanged. Its 85 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and its 83 Nm of torque at 5,750 rpm define a straightforward motorcycle, without artifice. This engine has never claimed to be a bolt of lightning, but it offers a torque availability that reassures on rough roads as well as on national highways. The BMW F 800 GS has a top speed of 200 km/h and consumes barely 3.8 liters per hundred kilometers, which, combined with the 16 liters of the tank, gives a comfortable range for a machine with an adventure vocation. For A2 license holders, an optional restriction to 48 horsepower is available. It’s a gateway to this category for riders who already envision the BMW F 800 GS used a few years later, once the confirmed license is obtained.

Dual-channel ABS is standard, disconnectable for off-road outings. This point deserves to be emphasized, because non-disconnectable ABS on a motorcycle presented as a trail bike is an aberration, and BMW has understood this for a long time. As an option, traction control ASC and ESA pilot suspension transform the machine. The latter system adjusts the suspension settings according to three modes, Comfort, Normal or Sport, which really changes the behavior in use. The 43 mm inverted fork and the cast aluminum swingarm do the rest, with generous travel adapted to trails.

Facing a KTM 790 Adventure or a Yamaha Ténéré 700, the F 800 GS shows its age in some areas, particularly in terms of onboard technology. But it retains a dense network of dealerships, reassuring parts availability, and a reputation for reliability. Those looking for a BMW F 800 GS used today often make the right calculation. It’s a motorcycle designed to last, light enough at 214 kg fully fueled not to discourage the rider as soon as they leave the asphalt, and well-equipped enough to swallow kilometers without unnecessary fatigue. It doesn’t try to do too much. It’s often what’s asked of a good motorcycle.