BMW F 800 GS and BMW F 850 ​​GS test comparison

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BMW F 800 GS and BMW F 850 ​​GS in the test

What can the successor do?

After ten years in the BMW model range, the BMW F 800 GS will be replaced by the BMW F 850 ​​GS. The successor takes on its demanding legacy with a completely new construction. Is the new one just different or better?

It is always amazing how long an image that has once been established clings to people’s heads. With a KTM you turn off-road, with a Ducati on the racetrack – and long-distance travelers sit on a GS. The latter may not be entirely wrong, but it is only half the story. Because in this context GS does not mean the big boxer, but the small 800. Uncomplicated technology, moderate dimensions and around 30 kilograms less weight than the 1200s, this made the BMW F 800 GS an adventurer’s favorite. For exactly ten years. And now? Blow the BMW F. 850 GS put out the candles on the birthday cake.

BMW F 800 GS and BMW F 850 ​​GS in the test

What can the successor do?

Beginning of a new era

The new BMW F 850 ​​GS has little in common with its predecessor. With a bridge frame instead of a tubular frame, a tank placed at the front instead of in the rear of the frame and a completely redesigned two-cylinder, the 853 pushes the BMW F 800 GS away from the table. The anniversary celebrations will now have to celebrate their birthdays forever on the dreary second-hand market instead of in the smart BMW showroom. Therefore she is allowed to ride one last time. Together with the still scratchless and immaculately shiny successor on a farewell round.

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The F 800 GS doesn’t give its successor a chance off-road.

The first push of a button signals the new era. The similarly voiced boxer sound of the BMW 800 GS is overlaid by the unrhythmic bass of the 853 engine. With a 90 degree crank pin offset, the Twin manufactured by the Chinese BMW partner Loncin not only takes on the characteristics and the sound of a 90 degree V2, but also targets the – only – Achilles heel of the previous drive: the vibrations. From 6,000 tours at the latest, the two-cylinder, unconventionally calmed down with a swiveling conrod, rattled gruffly, turning hands and feet to numbness on longer motorway stretches. That is history now. Soothed by two counter-rotating balance shafts, the engine of the BMW F 850 ​​GS purrs well educated in the lower speed range and remains stress-free with uncritical vibrations even in the top third of the speed. 

Much more additional equipment

But before you sweater the cable here, you have to get used to it and explore your new workplace. It is initially lower. The seat height: four centimeters lower. The handlebars: three centimeters lower. The front suspension travel: 26 millimeters less. You can guess what it all means. Hardly anything remains of the sporty, taut driving position on the BMW F 800 GS, especially at the front, on the BMW F 850 ​​GS. You sit on the new front wheel-oriented, more in the than on the motorcycle, more touristy than enduristic, the bottom line is more conventional. Or can you say more boxing? Because it’s not just ergonomics that have changed. The left handlebar switch with handwheel? You know from the flat twin sister. 

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BMW has given the F 850 ​​GS a crystal-clear, colored TFT display.

The electric throttle with heated grip and mode button? Likewise. And in between the TFT display? Also. Maybe that’s why the bacon roll around the middle of the body is not so noticeable. After all, the tank, which has moved forward, spreads its legs five centimeters wider. Overall, the 850 feels strongly drawn to the 1200 GS. Shift assistant, Dynamic ESA, cornering ABS, Keyless Ride, LED light as well as the aforementioned heated grips and TFT display – compared to the spartan BMW F 800 GS, the BMW F 850 ​​GS is now also in full when it comes to additional equipment – both in terms of scope as well as financially. Each with the maximum configuration, the price difference between the two is at least 2,000 euros.

Away from the calculator, back on the road

Both engines hang on the accelerator cleanly and confidently. The fact that the new 95 hp promises ten more horses is not an issue on country roads. Very well, however, that he tensions the thicker muscles evenly over the entire speed range. The additional thump on the stopwatch may not be that important, but it feels like the 850 – although it has 20 percent more flywheel – pushes more lively and lively when accelerating out. If only because, with his good manners, he constantly encourages people to be shot. Intuitively, you shift up later and down earlier, using the already greater potential of the twin. Speaking of switching. With the electronic engine control, the BMW F 850 ​​GS also has a shift assistant with blipper (subject to a surcharge). A fine thing. Even if the step on the gearshift lever feels doughy due to the pressure can in between and the gear change is a bit jerky at constant speed and in the lower gears. And if you still use the clutch, the servo function of the anti-hopping clutch saves you some manual effort – and ultimately seals the triumph of the new engine.

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Euro 4: To create space for the large front silencer, the right swing arm is banana-shaped.

Already? Without even having brought the different mappings into play? Correctly. Because – as is so often the case – a well-tuned engine still behaves well even in the most aggressive mapping. This applies to both the 800 engine (Rain, Road, Enduro) and its 850 counterpart (Rain, Road, Dynamic, Enduro). In contrast to the predecessor model, however, the various speed levels on the BMW F 850 ​​GS are much deeper in character. The IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), which is fed with data about the current driving condition from various sensors, is assigned to the four modes appropriate settings for cornering ABS, lean angle-dependent traction control and – via Dynamic ESA – even the damping settings. In contrast to the 1200 GS, however, the semi-active damping adjustment only works on the shock absorber. But pretty effective there. Compared to the ESA of the BMW F 800 GS, the range of the rebound damping is considerably wider. At first, however, the pilot does not notice much of the bits and bytes working in secret. More like how the new seating position affects you. 

Deep pressure on the bow

We remember: Less suspension travel in the fork, the tank at the front and a lower handlebar put more weight on the front of the 850 GS. That is measurable. While 44 percent of the total weight of the BMW F 800 GS with the rider sitting on the motorcycle weighs on the front wheel, 46 percent of the BMW F 850 ​​GS is on the front. That is also noticeable. With full pressure on the bow, the 21-inch device delivers clearer feedback and a lot of confidence right away and makes the quick line on the well-adhering Bridgestone A41 tires a matter of course. Even the narrow knee joint and the active sitting position cannot save the 800 GS when it comes to corners. Despite the famous Metzeler Tourance Next tires, the feeling for the front remains diffuse and the respect for the limit area is greater.

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The spring travel sensor supplies the Dynamic ESA with information.

Not even that the 850 with a slightly longer wheelbase and caster as well as a stately two degrees flatter steering angle theoretically have to be more sluggish than the 800 has an effect in practice. The new one can be thrown just as swiftly from one incline to the next, but remains noticeably more stable over warping. On the autobahn, the 850 even more benefits from its modified chassis geometry. The noticeably stretched bike thunders over the track like an arrow and stays safely on course even on ailing tracks. The spring elements probably also contribute to this. Compared to the stubborn WP fork of the 800, the Showa fork of the 850 is much more sensitive. And the rear of the ZF damper impresses with a softer spring (BMW F 800 GS: 160 N / mm; BMW F 850 ​​GS: 150 N / mm) and the variable damping compared to the ZF counterpart in the 800 GS with more Comfort. Keyword shock absorbers. With the Dynamic ESA, the monoshock also says goodbye to the handwheel for adjusting the spring base. Pressing the ESA button raises the rear of the vehicle by 35 millimeters using a hydraulic pump in passenger or luggage operation. modern times.

F 850 ​​GS 18 kilograms heavier

Which also take their toll. Because all the niceties hit the prosperity tummy. At 241 kilograms, the new one has put on a worrying 18 kilograms, ultimately weighing only 15 kilograms less than, for example, a fully fueled R 1200 GS rally. And that with a modest 15 liter tank volume. You have to get used to the fuel bunker anyway. Anyone who has got used to the side filler neck of the BMW F 800 GS’s 16-liter tank on the side stand, which is practical when refueling, will be missing a detail that they have come to love after returning to normal. The now significantly slimmer rear of the 850 will probably comfort him. Of course, there are very profane reasons for this. With the silencer moved to the right, the BMW F 850 ​​GS can first be maneuvered after the exit without fear of being branded by the hot muffler. Secondly, the smart cases of the 1200 GS fit the 850 GS, which thirdly can be removed without leaving any residue thanks to the inconspicuous mounting recesses. Smart.

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On the 850, the tank moved forward.

So the bottom line is another smack for the BMW F 800 GS. The slim sports figure remains her only consolation – and the off-road detour is her last hope. For non-extreme travelers, i.e. for most of them, certainly not the core competency of a middle-class travel enduro. But let’s leave her the satisfaction. Because off the road, the world is all right again for the 800s. With its active seating position, flat bench, slim waist, higher ground clearance and wiry figure alone, the sturdy 800 does not allow itself to be spit in the soup anywhere. As much finer as the ABS and traction control of the newcomers may be regulated, the tubeless tires can be easily levered when mounting on the cross-spoke wheels, and the shock absorber spring can be pretensioned at the push of a button – when the going gets tough, civilization counts. Features little. Because even without it, the agile 800 series drives around its successor.

BMW F 800 GS better off-road

This is why off-road rehabilitation means much more to the BMW F 800 GS than just a consolation patch. Because that was how she had positioned herself before. She was one of the old types, possessed her qualities. Simple, efficient, uncomplicated. It was probably even more expensive to produce than the 850 with the elaborate tubular space frame and much less common parts from the large GS. But just with that she had created her very own identity. There is no question that the successor is the more modern and clearly better motorcycle in almost all aspects – apart from the terrain – and is documented objectively in the points table with 20 counters. And even if you suspect that the BMW F 850 ​​GS will be followed by an adventure version in the foreseeable future, one thing is certain: Until that happens, things will be anything but dreary on the used market – at least when it comes to the F 800 GS goes.

MOTORCYCLE test result

1. BMW F 850 ​​GS
The baby GS has moved much closer to its big sister. The more sophisticated engine and the high-quality chassis are clearly superior to the 800. But the spirit of adventure was lost in the change.

2. BMW F 800 GS
Objectively, the F 800 GS has to give way. The rough engine and the somewhat wooden chassis can’t keep up with the new one. But subjectively, simple technology, universality and rustic charm are still attractive.

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