Sports Show Motorcycles & Scooters

"Let's Ride!"

20140709-022330-c2a9duanelpandorf-l10286071.jpg
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
 
Did you get to ride the new Scout, John? How was it? I find this a very interesting bike.

Picked it up yesterday. Have it for the next couple of weeks. First impressions…nice motor, nice style, good breaks, gotta get used to the feet-forward position, can't be too aggressive in corners as those foot pegs touch down easily.
 
The finish on the engine is a bit unusual, but the overall bike is a looker. The forwards do look a bit out there. This is the reason I could never get a V-Rod.,

I'm 5'-8" on a good day and the forward controls aren't too far away. I'm not used to them though; at every traffic light I have to look down when the light turns green!
 
Ahhh, the f800GS. How do you like it?

It's actually an F700GS. However, the engine and displacement(798cc) are the same on both bikes. How weird is that? The main differences are: 19" front wheel vs 21" front on the F800, cast wheels vs spoke wheels on the F800(which means the F800 uses tube type tires), the engine is tuned for a few more HP on the F800, the F800 is more expensive.

I used to own a 2000 R1150GS. I put over 85,000 miles on it and had zero problems. Since I sold the big GS a few years ago, I've owned several others bikes, but just hadn't found one I'd been completely happy with. Most recently I owned two; a Suzuki DR650 and a Kawasaki Versys. I liked the Versys a lot, but didn't like the way it handled off road and the fact you couldn't add a centerstand because of the bottom mounted exhaust. I added the DR650 to take care of the off road stuff, but grew weary of maintaining two bikes.

A few months ago, I decided I wanted to get back to owning only one bike. I wanted an "all rounder" like my old GS, but no longer wanted a bike of its size and heft. Thus, I started looking at the F800GS. Well, although the F800 is lighter than its big brother, it's also taller! I wasn't crazy about getting a bike that was taller than my old R1150GS, and unlike the spoke wheels on my old GS, the F800 spoke wheels require tubes. I didn't like that either.

Thus, my attention turned to the Triumph Tiger 800(with cast wheels) and the BMW F700. I liked both bikes, but have a BMW dealer 15 minutes from my house. The salesman there, who also sold me my Versys, offered a deal I couldn't refuse, while taking both my bikes on trade.

My experience, thus far, with the 700GS has been outstanding! I think I've found a "keeper". I should say that I'm familiar with the Rotax engine in the F700, having previously owned an F800ST. The engine in the ST, is the primary reason I bought the 700GS. It's a great engine and in the ST, and now GT models, is tuned perfectly. The only reason I sold my ST was I didn't like the ergos.

The highlights of the F700GS for me are: very flickable, very good on road handling, almost on par with the excellent Versys(I love sporty riding on twisty back roads), off-road handing is infinitely better than the Versys, good ergos(except for the seat, which sucks, the bike is very comfortable), excellent fuel economy(averaging around 50 mpg), extra travel suspension almost makes riding on pot hole filled streets fun(this is an often overlooked feature of Adventure bikes that makes everyday riding more enjoyable), centerstand(makes lubing the chain a breeze and will make changing tires easy, as well), Dual Sport tires(I will get almost double the mileage from a set of Dual Sport tires than a set of tires for any of the street bikes I've owned, while not giving much away in handling), creature comforts(BMW have always been good at this. Heated grips, acc. outlet, lockable-hard luggage, multi-function computer, etc.)

Niggles: I wish the F700GS had a belt(problematic off-road), or shaft drive. I would also like the extra horses that are tuned into the engines of the ST, now GT. With these two additions, the F700GS would be about perfect for me. As it is, it's pretty darned close.
 
Fascinating. I fell in LOVE with the original F800ST from the moment pictures leaked online in 2006/2007. I drove my '03 Kawi Vulcan 500 (which interestingly uses the parallel twin from the 80's and on Ninja 500, by the way) for like 2+ hours each way to the nearest Beemer dealer in southern WI to see the ST when it finally hit stores, and was even more smitten. But I could never justify spending $12k on a bike that, in many ways, underperformed the Yamaha FZ6, which cost $6,600 new off the showroom floor (with a full tank of gas.) So I went with the fizzer, and I still have it, some 51k miles and 7 years later. It sees plenty of dirt road action every summer, motocamping in VT. It's certainly not meant for it, but with caution and decent surfaces it gets by at about 30mph.
 
I once purchased a suit from store chain Debenhams in the UK. This was in the early 80's. The shoulders on the jacket bubbled up and I took the suit back and was refunded. on my way home I saw a Honda CG125 in the window of a local motor cycle dealer. In a sudden rush of blood to the head, I quite fancied myself on one. I went in and put down a deposit on it from my suit refund burning a hole in my pocket. I took it out on hire purchase. They gave it to me there and then and never having ridden a motor cycle before got it home without seriously injuring myself from bronc'oing the whole journey.

Anyways, I took lessons and became a proper motor cyclist.

1 year to the day later......I was on my way to work when a bright yellow Ford Cortina Estate car turned right in from of me. I T- boned it and my thighs hit the handlebars as I went over the top. I landed on the other side of the car. I ended up with severe bruising and whiplash....off work for over a month.

Never got on one since. But I still love them.

Currently in Rome where scooters and motor cycles are ubiquitous. These are some from today and yesterday.

15625288216_e2f19f3d29_c.jpg
On The Road - Rome by petach123 (Peter Tachauer), on Flickr

15462349929_b78b4c28e7_c.jpg
On The Road - Rome by petach123 (Peter Tachauer), on Flickr

15463000527_e41da348e0_c.jpg
On The Road - Rome by petach123 (Peter Tachauer), on Flickr
 
Back
Top