Same bike, color. Same problem with the oil leak at 5,000mi. Wait anoher 2000mi for the radiator to start leaking coolant. Just happened to me last weekend. Now I have to wait from 30 to 45 days for the spare radiator to arrive from Germany. I'll have to buy a second bike for when this new one is sitting indefinitely in the shop.
I just bought a 750 gs; like you came from naked and sport bikes; like you I wanted something more comfortable for touring 2 up. I also have owned 5 BMW cars and I wanted a BMW bike and I wanted the electronics. I’m going to tune it to increase the HP/torque and add a Corbin seat next year. I’m 5’8” I am going through all the adjustments you are. Very nice review. And I agree, the cruise control and jested grips are awesome. I’m a tech guy too
8:01 is that 70 + kmph? or 70 + miles ? and which country ? ( I am here on TH-cam .. trying to get a feel of long term reviews of 850 gs and Africa twin before travelling to vastly different destinations for the test ride.. )
@@gonzo221 Can't wait for the video! I'm still on the fence about getting the 850 because of the same reason (among other things) and was already looking into the whole changing the front wheel thing a bit, so I'd really love to see how it worked out for you!
Also curious. He probably will have to go back to tubes with it. I also don’t understand why not chose 19 in the front. 17 front and back, I dunno on this one. Also tricky on the ABS maybe.
Hi, Excellent review, I really like the modifications you did to the bike, especially reallocation of the GPS place, please share with us what is the hardware you used and where to find it, can’t wait to see your next review after changing the front rim size wheel, keep up the good work.
Good video. Can really relate to all comments. On the sound, too funny. Putting a loud exhaust on and then needing ear plugs. It’s because of the Euro5 rules, nothing to do with Germany. The stock exhaust sounds not even that bad from outside the rider seat. I can’t imagine how the crowd hears the sound now lol.
Agreed! It is a mean looking yet refined motorcycle. I have a 850 GSA and love it. Great engine, suspension and comfort. I off road mine a good deal. Enjoy the ride man!
Nice review. I have exactly the same bike/colour, lowered from new and I’m 5ft 7” tall it feels fine and easy to ride, however I agree manoeuvring in/out of my garage you need to be careful due to the sheer size and weight. In addition and similar to yourself I came from a sports bike (still have my Ducati Supersport S) which I use on sunny days. Love your exhaust and would consider getting one. Ride safe and stay safe 😷 greetings from UK, subbed you.👍
Really liked the review. Thanks! I’m also coming from sport bikes and I’m not a tall guy, with experience in offroad, as well. I’m considering a GS 850 to enjoy Portugal’s roads and short trips more comfortably with my wife. Also have some curiosity to lightly explore some amazing unpaved roads and trails we have around home. But I guess I’ll miss four cylinders sound and confort. What about passenger’s confort in the GS? What does your wife say? Cheers!
The criticism of the front end in aggressive street riding is interesting...well...it has a 21 inch wheel for off road, so it is automatically a compromise. If you are expecting it to handle like a sport bike, it will not...but I would not rip along a forest road on a sport bike like you can on this bike. So he wants to change the wheels, ok...but kinda sounds like he bought the wrong bike, no?
We love the bike, it was always going to be an odd one for us but it's an incredible touring bike and now it handles incredibly. Plus it's nice having a bike that no one else does. I posted a follow up after this.
The bike handles much better on the street. Side to side is much faster then the 21 inch wheel. And the larger contact patch makes hard braking less squirmy.
I agree with all here. Heavy but good bike. Sound wise, pipe makes it sound proper. Crackles and all. On my 850gs i got dominator, cheaper than remus. I use mobile instead of navi, just don’t find it needed. Good stuff!
I was in a toss up between an F850 GSA and the Tiger 900 Rally Pro. I'm not a hardcore dirt rider and got a great deal on a Tiger 900 GT Pro. It's great for long rides and I can still get some offroading in and the 19" front doesn't feel all that different from a 17" in the twisties. If I was a rich man I'd have both the GSA and Tiger. That BMW TFT is much better than the Tigers though for sure. Got a nice bike dude.
Hi, if you go on ebay and search for bmw F850 GPS relocation bracket you'll see it. It's a cheap bracket that, mounts behind the windscreen. It takes about 30 minutes to do. I highly recommend it if youll be using the gps mainly for on road riding. For off road use its not as sturdy as I'd like.
Hello,you also changed the handlebar angle and set it back a lot,you are used to a sport bike were you put a lot of weight on the front end, in this bike you changed the weight distribution a lot doing that, I have the adventure version, and I can fell the front end perfectly!.I have 4k miles on mine,hopefully will not develop any oil leaks!
So I NEVER comment on TH-cam videos but I have to say..I clicked on this video because when I saw the thumbnails, I knew EXACTLY where you were and I even recognize your street (i swear i dont mean to be creepy). I have the same exact bike- same options and colors and I've been looking to meet fellow adventure riders. This is my second adventure bike, I used to have a multistrada and I just couldnt deal with the awful Ducati maintenance. Anyways, I was thinking of starting a facebook North Jersey Adventure riders page and I'd be glad to include you! If youre looking for fellow riders, i'm practically down the highway! Also- I have one question..How did you re-locate the GPS holder??
John Youssef hey, sorry for the slow reply man. I bought a cheap relocation bracket from eBay. I just modified it a little bit so it’s sits more tucked into the windscreen. Let me know if you ever want to go for a ride dude.
gonzo221 for sure! I’m planning a pine barrens trip for September and I ride locally a lot. I’ll be out Friday early in the day- You can message me on instagram or Facebook under the name pilotofa747 Hope to see you on the road soon!
Im thinking to get this bike to take to north Africa south of the Algerian desert I'm from the UK its gonna be 4500 miles round trip so what do you think guys
Great info! Thanks! I don't really understand buying the Jeep Wrangler of bikes and never getting it dirty. There's so many options out there for what you wanted.
Thanks for the review. What are your thoughts regarding the 21 inch front wheel not feeling well planted on the street for someone like myself going from a cruiser to an adventure bike. Meaning I love the twisties but don't intend to be super aggressive, as someone might coming from a sport bike. And would a 19 inch wheel like the 750 GS make much of a difference. Thanks.
Hey, OK. Going from a cruiser to the 850GS will be an eye opener. The 850 will be light years more agile. I don't believe the 21 inch front will be a hindrance at all for you. The 19 on the 750 Will make that bike a bit faster side to side but since you're coming from a cruiser which typically has a much longer raked front end and more relaxed geometry the 21 will feel great for you in my opinion. Plus the 850 has a bit more power which for me makes a big difference. Let me know on what you end up getting man!!
@@gonzo221 thanks for your input. It contributed greatly to my decision. Today I finally got everything together and pulled the trigger. Got the GS 850 and really wasn't totally sure with just the test ride but my 60 mile ride home really made me appreciate everything about the bike and that it should really meet my needs, and plans to make some road trips. So even the extra weight is ok. Really agile, the soft suspension should suit me fine, particularly since it has inverted forks. Thanks. Best wishes to you.
Aqui no Brasil essa moto tá cheia de problemas a minha 7000 km rodados tá parada para troca de radiador e não tem a peça aqui tem que esperar chegar da Alemanha
Yup, I changed the exhaust and removed the Cat. It sounds. Mean now. I put up an exhaust video as well with much better quality sound. Thanks for watching man.
Nah, I don't think so. The fact that it makes less horsepower turned me away from it. Also it didn't have the nice Rally colorway that I love. 😁 But I thought about it
It's really hard to find stock motorcycles on 19' front spoked wheel. Big GS? Too big and pricey. 950 Multistrada? Expencive and Italian with a pack of small issues as i know. Suza VSTROM 650XT? Maybe but not so tech advanced. What else? I dunno. I think 19' it's a good compromise between 21' and 17'. I own a 850gs now, for me 21' is also an overkill for me, i'm not a hardcore offroad rider. But here in Russia we have a lot of not_so_good roads in suburb areas, and a lot of hidden gravel roads, so i'm planning to get there, where i could not get when I owned CBR1100XX. Some gravel trails, without mud, I think it is not so dangerous. And it is also possible to take some lessons from experienced offroad trainers. I can say that the front wheel feeling of 850GS is better then on Africa Twin, and stock front suspension is ok. It would be better if it has some adjustments or electronic suspension, but for 90% of users it is ok in all conditions. It's my everyday bike, so i needed a universal machine, that can do everything. For you F900XR seems to be really a perfect bike, and it's significantly cheaper. Nevertheless 850GS is almost perfect machine, I like that "german perfection feeling" of it, a bit of sterile, but that how it is. P.S. Why the hell only in US it is mandtatory to have these ugly huge turn signals like in 90s?! Are they still LED?
Yeah, if the 900xr was available when I purchased the 850gs I would have gone with that. However I did buy the 850GS at an incredible discount as well so putting smaller aftermarket wheels doesn't bother me too much. I love the bikes funky nature and all the tech it has. The only part that's an issue now is that the dealer was unable to repair the oil leak with a new gasket so it has to go back for further investigation. I really hope they're able to figure it out.
@@gonzo221 Can you please tell about exaust and a link pipe? I am also planning to make this upgrade. Seen a lot of videos(perhaps all of them), but not sure about result. Have you tried only link pipe and stock exhaust? And on this particular video, the sound is with baffle in or out? Is it significantly quieter with baffle in?
@@clawbass888 I have a 2019 F850GS with just the link pipe and stock exhaust, it sounds great. It can still be quiet if you are not getting on the throttle, but can be aggressive when you really get some
@@vanrooy23 Great! Just ordered one directly from Poland, hope will come soon. Sadly that EURO-5 is so strict on sound, that they had to do that ugly sound eating additional box.
Hey nice review! This (probably 2021 model) is in my top list. I also never owned a touring / adv bike. BTW I know we have low chassis / seat options. Did you ever consider that? I am also similar in size / height and I am concerned about the tip toing :)
Yeah, if it was out when I got this I would most likely bought it. But I got such a great deal on this bike that I'm not bothered about it. Plus, I may or may not have just gotten something to remedy my issue. 😏 Video to come soon!!!
Choosing a bike for the way it looks is far from stupid, man. It's one of the most, if not the only sensible reasons in my book. If you don't smile or feel love when you look at the bike, what's the point? My problem with ALL adventure bikes apart from the Triumph Scrambler 1200 is the way they look. Man, are they butt ugly... I am considering the beamer 850 because I want the electronics and comfort but I think it looks bloody stupid, so I am very hesitant. It has that ridiculous false rugged look to it that appeals to lawyers and paper-pushers who don't feel manly enough in their daily existence, plus it's just not a very good design from an aesthetical standpoint. Well, I might get one anyway, cuz it sure is a good bike. Hopefully I'll get used to the ugly thing.
You are afraid to take an expensive bike off road when it is made for that. Ok, I am afraid to take my expensive boat in the open sea... Ships are only safe in the harbour man!
Same bike, color. Same problem with the oil leak at 5,000mi. Wait anoher 2000mi for the radiator to start leaking coolant. Just happened to me last weekend. Now I have to wait from 30 to 45 days for the spare radiator to arrive from Germany. I'll have to buy a second bike for when this new one is sitting indefinitely in the shop.
An oil fucking leak at 5000miles? No thanks i’ll keep my honda
Have you considered the 750 gs for being more road oriented?
I just bought a 750 gs; like you came from naked and sport bikes; like you I wanted something more comfortable for touring 2 up. I also have owned 5 BMW cars and I wanted a BMW bike and I wanted the electronics. I’m going to tune it to increase the HP/torque and add a Corbin seat next year. I’m 5’8” I am going through all the adjustments you are. Very nice review. And I agree, the cruise control and jested grips are awesome. I’m a tech guy too
8:01
is that 70 + kmph?
or 70 + miles ?
and which country ?
( I am here on TH-cam .. trying to get a feel of long term reviews of 850 gs and Africa twin before travelling to vastly different destinations for the test ride.. )
Hi, this is from the US. And it's in MPH.
thanks @@gonzo221
thanks for the data
that helped immensely..
Please do another video when you get the wheels setup.
GG.
For sure, I just hope I get them in the next three months as the factory is in Italy and they're shut down until may now.
@@gonzo221 Can't wait for the video! I'm still on the fence about getting the 850 because of the same reason (among other things) and was already looking into the whole changing the front wheel thing a bit, so I'd really love to see how it worked out for you!
Also curious. He probably will have to go back to tubes with it. I also don’t understand why not chose 19 in the front. 17 front and back, I dunno on this one. Also tricky on the ABS maybe.
Thanks for the honest and great review.
Hi,
Excellent review, I really like the modifications you did to the bike, especially reallocation of the GPS place, please share with us what is the hardware you used and where to find it, can’t wait to see your next review after changing the front rim size wheel, keep up the good work.
Good video. Can really relate to all comments. On the sound, too funny. Putting a loud exhaust on and then needing ear plugs. It’s because of the Euro5 rules, nothing to do with Germany. The stock exhaust sounds not even that bad from outside the rider seat. I can’t imagine how the crowd hears the sound now lol.
I bought the bike with low suspension. Super nice. Planning to ride it to Alaska and back.
That will be an epic adventure for sure!
Agreed! It is a mean looking yet refined motorcycle. I have a 850 GSA and love it. Great engine, suspension and comfort. I off road mine a good deal. Enjoy the ride man!
Nice review. I have exactly the same bike/colour, lowered from new and I’m 5ft 7” tall it feels fine and easy to ride, however I agree manoeuvring in/out of my garage you need to be careful due to the sheer size and weight. In addition and similar to yourself I came from a sports bike (still have my Ducati Supersport S) which I use on sunny days. Love your exhaust and would consider getting one. Ride safe and stay safe 😷 greetings from UK, subbed you.👍
I will be following your 17 inch wheel change
Finally a very human review, thanks man!
Really liked the review. Thanks! I’m also coming from sport bikes and I’m not a tall guy, with experience in offroad, as well. I’m considering a GS 850 to enjoy Portugal’s roads and short trips more comfortably with my wife. Also have some curiosity to lightly explore some amazing unpaved roads and trails we have around home. But I guess I’ll miss four cylinders sound and confort. What about passenger’s confort in the GS? What does your wife say? Cheers!
My girl says the back is great. Very comfortable and with the top case it's even better.
The criticism of the front end in aggressive street riding is interesting...well...it has a 21 inch wheel for off road, so it is automatically a compromise. If you are expecting it to handle like a sport bike, it will not...but I would not rip along a forest road on a sport bike like you can on this bike. So he wants to change the wheels, ok...but kinda sounds like he bought the wrong bike, no?
We love the bike, it was always going to be an odd one for us but it's an incredible touring bike and now it handles incredibly. Plus it's nice having a bike that no one else does. I posted a follow up after this.
Great review. What link pipe and exhaust did you install?
I have a n MIVV race exhaust and a dominator link pipe.
Did the ride get better after changing to a 17inch front wheel?
The bike handles much better on the street. Side to side is much faster then the 21 inch wheel. And the larger contact patch makes hard braking less squirmy.
I agree with all here. Heavy but good bike. Sound wise, pipe makes it sound proper. Crackles and all. On my 850gs i got dominator, cheaper than remus. I use mobile instead of navi, just don’t find it needed. Good stuff!
I was in a toss up between an F850 GSA and the Tiger 900 Rally Pro. I'm not a hardcore dirt rider and got a great deal on a Tiger 900 GT Pro. It's great for long rides and I can still get some offroading in and the 19" front doesn't feel all that different from a 17" in the twisties. If I was a rich man I'd have both the GSA and Tiger. That BMW TFT is much better than the Tigers though for sure. Got a nice bike dude.
Where did you buy that bracket for your bmw navigator?
I love your gps modification. How exactly did you manage to relocate the gps?
Hi, if you go on ebay and search for bmw F850 GPS relocation bracket you'll see it. It's a cheap bracket that, mounts behind the windscreen. It takes about 30 minutes to do. I highly recommend it if youll be using the gps mainly for on road riding. For off road use its not as sturdy as I'd like.
Use the Wunderlich bracket, it's very nice quality and sturdy product, but it costs about 100$+
Hello,you also changed the handlebar angle and set it back a lot,you are used to a sport bike were you put a lot of weight on the front end, in this bike you changed the weight distribution a lot doing that, I have the adventure version, and I can fell the front end perfectly!.I have 4k miles on mine,hopefully will not develop any oil leaks!
So I NEVER comment on TH-cam videos but I have to say..I clicked on this video because when I saw the thumbnails, I knew EXACTLY where you were and I even recognize your street (i swear i dont mean to be creepy). I have the same exact bike- same options and colors and I've been looking to meet fellow adventure riders. This is my second adventure bike, I used to have a multistrada and I just couldnt deal with the awful Ducati maintenance. Anyways, I was thinking of starting a facebook North Jersey Adventure riders page and I'd be glad to include you! If youre looking for fellow riders, i'm practically down the highway!
Also- I have one question..How did you re-locate the GPS holder??
John Youssef hey, sorry for the slow reply man. I bought a cheap relocation bracket from eBay. I just modified it a little bit so it’s sits more tucked into the windscreen. Let me know if you ever want to go for a ride dude.
gonzo221 for sure! I’m planning a pine barrens trip for September and I ride locally a lot. I’ll be out Friday early in the day- You can message me on instagram or Facebook under the name pilotofa747
Hope to see you on the road soon!
Im thinking to get this bike to take to north Africa south of the Algerian desert I'm from the UK its gonna be 4500 miles round trip so what do you think guys
That sounds epic!! Trip of a lifetime for sure. Enjoy it
Great info! Thanks! I don't really understand buying the Jeep Wrangler of bikes and never getting it dirty. There's so many options out there for what you wanted.
Thanks for the review. What are your thoughts regarding the 21 inch front wheel not feeling well planted on the street for someone like myself going from a cruiser to an adventure bike. Meaning I love the twisties but don't intend to be super aggressive, as someone might coming from a sport bike. And would a 19 inch wheel like the 750 GS make much of a difference. Thanks.
Hey, OK. Going from a cruiser to the 850GS will be an eye opener. The 850 will be light years more agile. I don't believe the 21 inch front will be a hindrance at all for you. The 19 on the 750 Will make that bike a bit faster side to side but since you're coming from a cruiser which typically has a much longer raked front end and more relaxed geometry the 21 will feel great for you in my opinion. Plus the 850 has a bit more power which for me makes a big difference. Let me know on what you end up getting man!!
@@gonzo221 thanks for your input. It contributed greatly to my decision. Today I finally got everything together and pulled the trigger. Got the GS 850 and really wasn't totally sure with just the test ride but my 60 mile ride home really made me appreciate everything about the bike and that it should really meet my needs, and plans to make some road trips. So even the extra weight is ok. Really agile, the soft suspension should suit me fine, particularly since it has inverted forks. Thanks. Best wishes to you.
@@pinchas9589 that's great to hear! Good luck with the bike. Let me know how it goes. I'm sure you're going to love it.
Aqui no Brasil essa moto tá cheia de problemas a minha 7000 km rodados tá parada para troca de radiador e não tem a peça aqui tem que esperar chegar da Alemanha
Kilometers per liter ?
Nice review! Did you change the exhaust? Sounds great!
Yup, I changed the exhaust and removed the Cat. It sounds. Mean now. I put up an exhaust video as well with much better quality sound. Thanks for watching man.
I made it 48 seconds before you said 4,000 miles and it looks showroom new. I need dirt! Be safe!
In hindsight, would you have gotten the 750gs? I think potentially some of your issues would have been fixed with the 750 maybe?
Nah, I don't think so. The fact that it makes less horsepower turned me away from it. Also it didn't have the nice Rally colorway that I love. 😁 But I thought about it
It's really hard to find stock motorcycles on 19' front spoked wheel. Big GS? Too big and pricey. 950 Multistrada? Expencive and Italian with a pack of small issues as i know. Suza VSTROM 650XT? Maybe but not so tech advanced. What else? I dunno. I think 19' it's a good compromise between 21' and 17'. I own a 850gs now, for me 21' is also an overkill for me, i'm not a hardcore offroad rider. But here in Russia we have a lot of not_so_good roads in suburb areas, and a lot of hidden gravel roads, so i'm planning to get there, where i could not get when I owned CBR1100XX. Some gravel trails, without mud, I think it is not so dangerous. And it is also possible to take some lessons from experienced offroad trainers.
I can say that the front wheel feeling of 850GS is better then on Africa Twin, and stock front suspension is ok. It would be better if it has some adjustments or electronic suspension, but for 90% of users it is ok in all conditions.
It's my everyday bike, so i needed a universal machine, that can do everything.
For you F900XR seems to be really a perfect bike, and it's significantly cheaper. Nevertheless 850GS is almost perfect machine, I like that "german perfection feeling" of it, a bit of sterile, but that how it is.
P.S. Why the hell only in US it is mandtatory to have these ugly huge turn signals like in 90s?! Are they still LED?
Yeah, if the 900xr was available when I purchased the 850gs I would have gone with that. However I did buy the 850GS at an incredible discount as well so putting smaller aftermarket wheels doesn't bother me too much. I love the bikes funky nature and all the tech it has. The only part that's an issue now is that the dealer was unable to repair the oil leak with a new gasket so it has to go back for further investigation. I really hope they're able to figure it out.
@@gonzo221 Can you please tell about exaust and a link pipe? I am also planning to make this upgrade. Seen a lot of videos(perhaps all of them), but not sure about result. Have you tried only link pipe and stock exhaust? And on this particular video, the sound is with baffle in or out? Is it significantly quieter with baffle in?
@@clawbass888 I just posted up a new video on the exhaust. I hope it answers your questions.
@@clawbass888 I have a 2019 F850GS with just the link pipe and stock exhaust, it sounds great. It can still be quiet if you are not getting on the throttle, but can be aggressive when you really get some
@@vanrooy23 Great! Just ordered one directly from Poland, hope will come soon. Sadly that EURO-5 is so strict on sound, that they had to do that ugly sound eating additional box.
Any motorbike i owned had any leak from new and on.... 4.5k km is not many to start already leaking... Loncin engine quality?
hmm why did you not just buy the f 700 ?????
I bought this bike before the F series was even announced. And at an incredible discount.
Sorry, I thought you meant the XR series. But this one had all the options we wanted and we got a great discount.
its awesome just seen you driving the bike. It gives the closest feeling of riding it by myself. Thank you for the upload.
Hey nice review! This (probably 2021 model) is in my top list. I also never owned a touring / adv bike. BTW I know we have low chassis / seat options. Did you ever consider that? I am also similar in size / height and I am concerned about the tip toing :)
I have the low seat. It was still too tall for my wife. With the new wheels though the bike sits much lower now.
You would be so much happier on a new F900R!!
Yeah, if it was out when I got this I would most likely bought it. But I got such a great deal on this bike that I'm not bothered about it. Plus, I may or may not have just gotten something to remedy my issue. 😏 Video to come soon!!!
probably F900XR since you were looking for a tourer looking bike. but saw it in the showroom looks nowhere as stunning as the 850GS
Choosing a bike for the way it looks is far from stupid, man. It's one of the most, if not the only sensible reasons in my book. If you don't smile or feel love when you look at the bike, what's the point? My problem with ALL adventure bikes apart from the Triumph Scrambler 1200 is the way they look. Man, are they butt ugly... I am considering the beamer 850 because I want the electronics and comfort but I think it looks bloody stupid, so I am very hesitant. It has that ridiculous false rugged look to it that appeals to lawyers and paper-pushers who don't feel manly enough in their daily existence, plus it's just not a very good design from an aesthetical standpoint. Well, I might get one anyway, cuz it sure is a good bike. Hopefully I'll get used to the ugly thing.
You are afraid to take an expensive bike off road when it is made for that. Ok, I am afraid to take my expensive boat in the open sea... Ships are only safe in the harbour man!
Hurricanes decimate harbors! Ships are only safe out of the water!