BMW F800GS

The BMW F800GS is BMW Motorcycles’ mid-market adventure touring bike. The Parallel Twin engine is a slightly revised version of one used in the BMW F800ST sport-touring machine that has been tweaked to fit with a dual-sport friendly chassis and suspension arrangement. The F800GS is much narrower than its Boxer engine counterpart, which makes the BMW F800 easier to control in every situation. Riders can move their feet freely on the F800GS, so off-road riding is much more natural and effective than on the larger Beemers. BMW’s German engineers wanted to make dual purpose use a major priority for this dirt bike/street bike.

In order to make the BMW F800GS capable of serious off-road adventure riding, an inverted 45mm Marzocchi fork suspends the front end. Spoke wheels, dual-sided swingarm and a chain-drive system also make the BMW F800GS more rugged. One of the things we like best was the comfortable ergonomics. Riding the BMW F800GS on-road or off-road is easy when standing or sitting. An optional lower seat helps make the F800 more manageable for shorter riders.

A 4.2-gallon fuel tank is located under the F800GS seat which helps keep weight low. Overall weight for the BMW F800GS is claimed at 456 pounds ready to ride. That’s still a large machine in dirt bike standards, but as far as street bikes go, the F800 isn’t overly hefty. Horsepower is said to be around 85 with 62 lb-ft of torque. That makes the BMW F800GS pretty speedy.