Hi All: ___A few pics and results... More after Hybridfest next week of course. Before taking off... First Fill First Top Off-------------------------------------------------------------------4.227 gallons An aFCD on a bike! 70 mpg and it had an iFCD too!---------------------------------8 miles DTE. The instruments are waterproof Trying to get out of the rain. Impromptu VT. Motorcycle road test Slalom Test--------------------------------------------------------------------Hard brake test Second Fill 68 mpg with over 125 miles in heavy rain and head winds.---------------------Just 1 mile DTE with how much is really left??? Second Top off----------------------------------------------------------------------4.291 gallons Third Fill Third and Final----------------------------------------------------------------aFCD = 80 mpg Topped Off----------------------------------------------------------.961 gallons Just one of the good pics On the docks overlooking the Atlantic inlet to Long Island. Fills... #1: 291 miles on 4.227 gallons = 68.843 mpg – FCD = 70 mpg - DTE = 8 miles #2: 285.9 miles on 4.291 mpg = 66.628 mpg – FCD = 68 mpg - DTE = 1 mile #3: 71.8 miles on .961 gallon = 74.714 mpg – FCD = 80 mpg - NA ___Good Luck ___Wayne
Hi All: ___The mighty 800 GS on the VT - (Under 500 cc.) slalom driving test. [flash]http://www.youtube.com/v/bVWiYMQFuxE&hl=en&fs=1[/flash] BMW F 800 GS Maneuverability. ___Good Luck ___Wayne
Hi All: ___And this is Harry, I and two others blasting through the desert sands of Tunisia on the F 800 GS... I am the guy in the back complaining (expletives deleted ) about the low tire pressures for sand riding and how poor the fuel economy is going to be once this segment is over with ___Well not really but it shows the versatility and performance of the F 800 GS when taken off-road as these four riders were doing during the BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy in Tunisia in October of 2008. Looks like fun, doesn’t it ___Good Luck ___Wayne
Hi All: I should add a few more items. The i and aFCD cannot be viewed together but have to be cycles through to see one and then the other. And there are a lot of displays to cycle through. 6 IIRC. Until the BMW Rider triaging and Branding Event, I had not taken the mighty 800 GS off-road. It is completely capable as any of the pics show. BMW 800 GS launch in Utah On a Cliff overhang during a break… At the edge of a Utah mountain lake An acquaintance of mine, Jonathan Beck taking the 800 GS over a drop off at the Press Launch in Utah. BMW Rider training and Branding event A 800 GS on wet pavement with knobs? It handled far better than expected with a top speed through the accident avoidance maneuver of over 45 mph! 1200 GS and GS Adventure on the ground while the 800 GS powers through. Lake George and Canadian border trip Parked near the Lake and taking a break… Harry and the R 1200 RT behind. Pouring rain as we near the Canadian Border – the F 800 GS is very sure footed in the rain with street tires. The few issues I experienced … One was possibly too tall a first gear as I needed a lot of clutch work when moving around trees on nothing less than a walking trail through thick woods. It is not that it needs a shorter overall gearing but a shorter first may have helped and a taller sixth while in a steady state cruise. Ergonomics The second issue was the seat was a bit too hard for long distance touring imho. I am thinking back to the XR 650L we rode around Anaheim and its very soft seat was more comfortable. While sitting in the front end of the saddle where the best handling came from, my 34 inch inseam was a bit scrunched for long distance ride. I was alternating moving back onto the wider and taller rear portion of the seat to stretch out and back to the front for cornering and stop signs/lights. The ache began usually on a longer segment of 75-miles or more. Surely a compromise for performance handling but I wish the 800 GS had a taller, wider and softer saddle for a 200 plus mile stretch ride. If the seat were taller however, those of shorter stature may run into the tippy toe problem while at a standstill let alone mounting the bike becomes overly complicated. ABS during the VT. Initial Motorcycle license test was also impressive. If you do not belive ABS is a must have for a bike, watch the following: BMW ABS at work [flash]http://www.youtube.com/v/JFspgfYotSk&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_profilepage&fs=1[/flash] Enough said! Performance Having over 80 HP on tap, anything above 35 mph even in sixth will move you towards triple digits as fast as a super car. And it does so while saving a ton of fuel in the process. I was extremely impressed with this capability although 125 mph on a bike is about 50 mph beyond my comfort zone on anything but an absolutely deserted State Route 6 or 50 in Nevada or major Interstate with little to no traffic out West. Just my preference. Lugging begins in the 2,500 range or below which can be controlled in all but the slowest of technical trails in which you survive by feathering the clutch... A lot! See above. Appearance? It is just a bike, right? Wrong! While in Lake Placid, I was almost stuck to the bike for over 20-minutes as passer by after passer by stopped to ask about the bike. And I was hungry and trying to get away for lunch too It has a very aggressive look that will stop many in their tracks. If that kind of thing is intriguing to you, the 800 GS will attract more attention than any other bike other than possibly the S 1000 RR. You would not want to run off-road or tour on that one either Quick Summary To sum up its attributes, it has similar performance as that of a mid range .6L Sport Bike while allowing you to run off trail to just about anywhere. And as we rode, the 800 GS can even Tour with the above caveats. A true Dual-purpose in every sense of the word. Good Luck Wayne
