Review of BMW F700GS, F800GS and R1200GS from RMT based on the results of 2 million kilometers on tours

Review of BMW F700GS, F800GS and R1200GS from RMT based on the results of 2 million kilometers on tours

If we calculate how much we have traveled on our motorcycles in total over the past years, we get some crazy figure, about 1.5 million kilometers. It’s unlikely that anyone else in Russia has such experience in operating a BMW GS in one hand.

Today we will talk about those motorcycles that have proven themselves - F700GS, F800GS, R1200GS. We’ll tell you about the new “fifties” (F750GS, F850GS, F1250GS) later; it’s too early to do a full review.

Let's start with the younger models.

BMW F700GS – a motorcycle for all occasions

The F700GS appeared in 2012, replacing the F650GS. It was a logical addition to the F800GS as a bike more aimed at asphalt, beginners and short people.

The main purpose of the F700GS is asphalt touring, and here it has many strengths. The suspension and wheels of the F700GS are adapted specifically for road driving. The suspension travel is less than on the F800GS, and the front wheel has a smaller diameter. On asphalt, all this is an advantage, not a disadvantage, because the stiffer suspension improves handling, and the 19-inch front wheel has a larger contact patch with the asphalt than the 21st on the F800GS.

F700GS are suitable for trips of any length, and regularly travel on the Trans-Siberian Railway, traveling ten thousand kilometers without any problems.

With the F700GS off-road, things are not so simple. Here the suspension works noticeably worse than that of the F800GS, and the position in the rack is not very comfortable. One could say that this motorcycle is poorly suited for dirt, if not for one BUT. In our practice, there are many cases when these bikes participated in dirt tours, and passed all the tests with honor.

The most striking achievement is that the F700GS reached Magadan. This reminds us once again that riding skills take precedence over motorcycle choice, and the best off-road tuning is training and ability to ride on dirt.

The target audience of the BMW F700GS is wider than it might seem at first glance. This is the only goose with a low rise, so it is loved by people of shorter than average height. Quiet dynamics and good brakes are great for beginners, this bike is ideal as a first motorcycle.

And most importantly, the small goose is suitable for everyone who is not chasing “top performance”, excess power and the ability to drive 120+ km/h. That's why it has become very popular on our tours.

When an experienced motorcyclist from Canada comes to us, with more than 30 years of experience driving a motorcycle, he does not need to prove anything to anyone; he will be quite satisfied with a simple and reliable gooseneck.

The F700GS's strength is its reliability. Clutch, bearings, everything lasts longer than on the F800GS. In addition, cast wheels allow the installation of pressure sensors. By the way, casting does not create problems here. The motorcycle itself is light, and the rubber profile is “thick”, so the rims very rarely bend (unlike the 1200, but more on that below).

Summary – The F700GS is a great bike for everyone for all occasions. On the Russian market it is undervalued, it is overshadowed by brighter and more powerful motorcycles, with many electronic special features, but this is a purely psychological effect. Our summary is that this motorcycle will take you anywhere in the world, wherever you go, even around the world.

BMW F800GS – universal touring enduro

The F800GS has been in mass production since 2008. During this time, it went through several significant updates, but its very essence did not change. Its main advantage is excellent off-road performance, despite the fact that it also performs well on asphalt. The real golden mean.

The motorcycle is powerful enough to feel comfortable on the road and travel any distance. At the same time, it has a long-travel suspension, a 21st front wheel and spokes. In total, this gives excellent off-road performance, especially if you choose the right tires.

The engine is “superior”, that is, it manifests itself at high speeds. Overtaking on the highway is excellent, but at low speeds there may not be enough traction, however, this is more a question of driving style. The brakes are not as perfect as on a boxer gooseneck, but are still very decent.

Of the shortcomings that personally hindered our lives, this is, firstly, tube tires. In theory, on difficult ground, this is good, it reduces the chance of getting a puncture, and if the disc is deformed, you can drive (if you puncture a cast disc, then there’s no way forward). But, on the other hand, this does not allow you to repair tires with harnesses and there is no pressure sensor in the wheels.

As a result, on several of our motorcycles we converted the wheels to tubeless ones, everything was ok.

The second drawback is that for us these motorcycles required more attention than the same 700s and 1200s. We regularly had to change the steering and wheel bearings; the clutch travels less than on 700s and 1200s, 30-40 thousand km instead of the expected 60-80 thousand km on other motorcycles.

The seals/boots leaked regularly. In addition, there were difficulties with the gearbox, but most likely this is a consequence of the human factor when driving.

In general, if we abstract from the little things, our conclusion based on the results of four years of operation of these motorcycles is that they are an excellent touring bike for any purpose, the main thing is to always have bearings and seals/boots with you, they are not expensive and this is not a difficult job. The motorcycle is good both on asphalt and on dirt, not too heavy, it is the perfect middle ground.

R1200GS – one love, one heart, one destiny. Flagship, beauty and our favorite

The history of the boxer Geese is the history of touring enduro motorcycles as a class. It was BMW that made the world's first touring enduro, the R 80 G/S, which saw the world in 1980.

Since then, BMW's off-road flagship, the boxer goose, has maintained the continuity of generations. Modern geese are the result of the continuous evolution of that first R 80 G/S, which in its time became a real breakthrough. This year, by the way, the GS series is 40 years old!!!

The R1200GS LC, which appeared on the market in 2013, became better than its predecessor, the air 1200, in many respects - lighter, more powerful, faster. On the other hand, compared to airborne ones, it has lost its reserve of “cast iron” super reliability. The water goose is still reliable, but without the “super” rating.

Until recently, there were 8-9 such motorcycles in our fleet, but last year we sold most of them and replaced them with 1250GS.

In four years, we have driven about 1 million km on them and we think we have experience that is worth sharing.

The main purpose of the R1200GS is asphalt tourism. Its strong point is that you will be happy to cover any distance on it, on any roads. The motorcycle has an excellent engine, brakes and suspension, ideal ergonomics, wide tires with a large contact patch, and reliable electronic assistants. He feels great on asphalt of any quality, this is his element. You can easily travel on it with a passenger.

The motorcycle is very powerful and gives amazing dynamics. The Water Goose has a lot of electronics, it is deeply integrated, and overall it does its job very well. Riding modes, traction control, and ABS are available here. In addition, electronic suspension is available as an option.

The electronics work well and don't cause any problems. Literally once we had a case where the throttle on the brand new 1200GS 2022 started to malfunction. This was solved by reflashing it under warranty, after which the problem no longer appeared; this did not happen on other motorcycles either.

The brakes, which were good on the air goose, became simply ideal on the water goose; it literally stops on the spot.

At the same time, the BMW R1200GS always has the opportunity to slide onto the ground. Not everyone understands why heavy touring enduros are needed and we see there are extremes, some are eager to ride it to Magadan or Mongolia, others argue that this is an exclusively asphalt motorcycle that only pretends to be an SUV, and it is not possible to move off a hard surface on it. more than a marketing fantasy of the Bavarians.

In our opinion, the truth is approximately in the middle.

Everything is clear with asphalt, this is the element of the R1200GS. With off-road travel, everything is a little less clear. On hard ground this bike feels great; in such conditions the weight is compensated by the low center of gravity due to the boxer engine.

But if you need to ride on difficult terrain: sand, mud, stones, steep descents and ascents, then the big goose noticeably loses ground compared to its younger brothers. Most importantly, it is noticeably heavier. Holding it can be difficult, especially at low speeds on slippery ground. And if you drop it, it will be difficult to pick it up. There is, however, one hidden advantage here. The cylinders sticking out in different directions prevent the motorcycle from falling horizontally; it always lies at an angle, which makes it easier to lift it.

Separately, it is worth noting the wheels and tires of the water goose. When creating it, BMW went towards improving asphalt characteristics, which is logical, since the main element of the big Goose is asphalt.

The width of the front tire is 110 mm, the rear one is 170 mm, which is significantly larger than on an air goose. The tires are wide and low profile. On the one hand, this gives even better performance on asphalt, allowing you to fully realize the potential of a powerful engine and effective brakes. On the other hand, this solution has two drawbacks.

First, low-profile tires are easier to break through on uneven surfaces. That's why we try to put spoked wheels on our motorcycles, rather than cast ones. Alloy wheels are easy to dent; this happens to us quite often, several times a season. You can’t let off the pressure on off-road driving.

The second, unobvious drawback is driving on the ground. All true enduros have very narrow tires. The idea is that on a difficult surface, such rubber passes the top layer of soil and engages with a harder surface in depth. The wider the rubber, the more difficult it is for this effect to occur.

In addition, the wider the tires, the greater the overturning moment is created when you run over an obstacle with one edge. Wider tires, larger leverage for applying force, larger torque that needs to be compensated.

However, all of the above is not a reason to abandon the off-road route. It will be more difficult for you than on the F800GS or F850GS, but if your skills allow it, you can handle it. From our experience, people have driven the R1200GS everywhere: Magadan, Altai, Abkhazia, Mongolia, etc.

As for technical reliability, we share our experience, we don’t know about others. Our motorcycles have traveled 60-80 thousand km each without any breakdowns at all. When we just started in 2016, we heard and read a lot of stories about BMWs being damaged and problems with the driveshaft. We don’t know about others, but during our entire operation we had the following breakdowns:

1. On one motorcycle, the front shock absorber leaked after 25 thousand km, it was replaced under warranty
2. On another motor, the electric glitched at 2-3 thousand km. throttle handle, replaced under warranty
3. At 60-70 thousand km feathers started leaking on several motorcycles, one of these days we will take them to the dealer under warranty and replace them
4. On one motorcycle, the cardan fell apart at 70 thousand km, we bought a donor for 30k. Taking into account the absence of the need to change and lubricate chains, replacing the cardan every 70-80 thousand km for 30 thousand rubles is more profitable than a chain

Otherwise, we didn’t have any serious problems with the motorcycles. Cardan, clutch, bearings - everything is ok. Every 10 thousand km oil and filter. Every 20 thousand km brake fluid, valve adjustment. Tires and pads are worn out.

Overall, if it weren’t for technological progress, the desire of our guests to try the new 1250GS and high mileage, we would have been riding these motorcycles for many more years.

The Water Goose is our favorite and is a beautiful bike. It lost its stock of “cast iron” reliability, but acquired many other advantages. It performs perfectly on asphalt; for long journeys, like the Trans-Siberian Railway, it is the best choice. At the same time, it is good on the ground, even if in some places it is not very convenient.

If you have questions or comments, you can discuss them with us on the RMT Telegram channel, add yourself via the link - https://t.me/rusmototravel_public

Good luck to everyone and see you on the roads!

BMW F800GS: Test drive from Motoracing magazine

BMW F800GS “GS” literally means “Off-road / Road” in equal amounts, that is, 50/50. This is the main definition around which everything in this motorcycle revolves.

The BMW F 800 GS debuted in 2008, and then the MOTOGONKI.RU portal sent its specially trained test pilot Thor Sagen to test the new product in South Africa; his impressions of the motorcycle were “moderately enthusiastic,” which is understandable: after all, our fast Norwegian is not tried Adventure, which was born in all its glory in 2013!.. He would definitely like it.

The 50% “strasse” that a motorcycle contains in its name can be seen as a kind of necessary evil on the path to true discoveries that lie beyond the borders of the concrete jungle.

On the pavement, the bike requires you to rev the engine: a 798 cc inline twin with 85 hp. pulls the motorcycle forward evenly, but the gears of the endurable gearbox, designed to pull the bike out of any mud, are quite “short”, so even in slow traffic you quickly switch to 5th. The normal operating range is 3000-5000 rpm, and above 6000 unpleasant vibrations appear on the footrests, which can be considered as an indicator of leaving the “comfort zone”. The way the bike behaves in the "comfort" range has an interesting effect: it insists on constantly moving forward, aggressively going through the gauntlet, imposing its own pace. And I noted this feature of the F800GS: after driving through Moscow traffic jams for half a day (Friday, sir), for a couple of hours I didn’t put my feet on the asphalt - I didn’t stop, even when the traffic got up tightly, and a traffic jam formed in the “motor lane” of the Moscow Ring Road (this time from motorcyclists).

The chassis of the BMW F800GS Adventure is a neatly balanced system with a 21-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel, shod with standard Pirelli Scorpion TRAIL tires (more on that a little later). Engine as a load-bearing part of the chassis; but, unlike other implementations of such a scheme, the frame not only performs the function of connecting the power unit with the front-end (upside-down fork with feathers with a diameter of 43 mm), but also additionally supports the rear-end, providing double rigidity in the connection between the motor and the pendulum rear wheel and shock absorber. This makes the motorcycle extremely stable on the arc.

At the same time, the response to steering movement is not as sharp as that of a road bike. The main control tool for the F 800 GS is countersteering. While on a low-slung road bike with wide 17-inch wheels, the movement itself to change direction starts from the wheels, in the case of the F800GS, the tilt starts from the top and “waves” up to the axles. To make this happen faster, you need a little more effort. In fact, the Adventure easily passes the same “snake” and fits into a 3-meter ring on the driving range after a little training.

The huge profile of the stock Pirelli tires allows the bike to lean into corners, which is required if you want to fit into fast corners. Thanks to the spoked rims and suspension, the chassis receives much less vibration from unevenness on the asphalt, so the “tolerance” of the motorcycle (and the pilot) to the quality of the surface is an order of magnitude higher than that of ordinary road bikes. And in general, it doesn’t matter what the quality of the surface is or whether it exists at all: where “street” and “sportbikes” slow down in order to lower the front leg into the hole first, and then the rear one, the BMW flies forward at the same speed that it went before this. Speed ​​bumps? “Slight unevenness of the asphalt” for GS!

In the city, the ground clearance is enough to easily drive onto curbs of any height and park “where I want.” In nature, this same feature is more helpful when you have to cross water and mud barriers or climb over fallen trees. The basic crankcase protection is strong enough to allow you to park the bike on an obstacle to catch your breath before the second push.

The BMW F 800 GS Adventure is equipped as standard with ESA with three suspension settings – Comfort, Normal and Sport. I can honestly say that as soon as I left the city where I was using “Sport” (the hardest), I switched to Comfort (the softest) and never changed the suspension setting again, how well it suited my dimensions and needs.

But the Bavarians introduced ASC (braking stability control) into a medium-sized enduro motorcycle for the first time in the F 800 GS Adventure, and this thing is truly useful. The traction control system monitors the level of grip of the rear wheel on the surface, reducing traction if a stall begins. The names of the riding modes with ASC – “Road” and “Enduro” – speak for themselves: in the enduro mode, wheel stall is not controlled, which allows you to dig and climb without restrictions. On the road, I noticed the ASC triggering a couple of times when I was shooting too aggressively past traffic jams on the dusty side of the road.

Moreover, for enduro riding, as is expected of a proper motorcycle, the pilot's footpegs are equipped with removable rubber pads, under which a ribbed base is hidden for reliable grip with the sole of off-road motorcycle boots. The brake foot also has a pad that flips to the side so that you don’t have to readjust the pedal height when driving with the pads (in road mode) or without them (in off-road mode).

In the case of the GS Adventure, it is difficult to decide clearly what type of motorcycle it should be classified as - fast or not very fast. We are still talking about riding on asphalt, and the F800 engine will not allow the bike to accelerate to 200. But here another rule comes into play: if he can maintain an average speed of 100 km/h over a long stretch of the road, he will pass for “fast”. How is the average speed achieved and what does it consist of?

For example, the M1 highway: from Moscow to Brest, 1100 km on a highway “liter” with a developed fairing can be covered in 9 hours. There will be at least 4 refueling stops: the first in Vyazma, the second in Krasnaya Gorka, then before the Minsk district, and the last in Baranovichi. Each stop, even in pit stop mode, is 5-10 minutes. Coffee? Already 30.

The average speed on the route will be approximately 120 km/h, which looks good for most “tourists”. In my practice, there is a record of 7.5 hours, but with 6 stops. And there is also an unfortunate example at 11 o’clock, which was due to disgusting weather conditions and extensive road repairs. In each case, the average travel speed was 100 km/h or more. If the weather and traffic allow us to go “all out”, we open the handle. Fuel consumption, at the same time, increases to 9-10 l/100 km. The faster we go, the higher the consumption - less mileage per gas station => more stops. For a motorcycle of the “1000+” class, the mileage on one tank can be from 180 to 250 km, which depends on the pace and quality of gasoline. Only if you drive according to the regulations (120 km/h), you can travel 300 km with 17-18 hp. But riding for more than two hours without a break is not an easy task for most motorcyclists.

I have not yet had the opportunity to ride on such a long tour on the BMW R1200GS Adventure and KTM 1290 Super Adventure equipped with huge 30-liter tanks, so I don’t have actual figures on the power reserve on hand. Theoretically, each of these tourists allows you to travel up to 600 km without stopping, and comfortable seats made of new materials with good support and the ergonomics of the motorcycle expand the physical capabilities of the pilot. So is it possible to sit behind the wheel for 3-4 hours in a row and not get tired?

Now I can well imagine what a gigantic advantage this opportunity gives when traveling, because now there is a living example of the BMW F800GS Adventure, equipped with “only” a 24-liter tank and a comfortable touring seat.

From Moscow to the center of Andreapol there are exactly 387 km, more than 300 of which are smooth asphalt “M9”, the rest are local highways. The quality of roads in the Tver region is legendary. The only thing that can be said about them is that there is... asphalt there. And I managed to cover this distance - twice, there and back - in 3 hours, without a single stop, after which there were still about 2 liters of AI-95 left in the tank, and a sufficient charge of vigor in my back and shoulders for another 50-60 kilometers, just until the tank is completely drained.

387 km in 3 hours is 129 km/h average speed on a route where people in “loaves” and Big Black Jeeps prefer to travel a sixth of the way at a speed of “60” so as not to spill the contents of their stomachs. Adventure went there at 140, without showing the slightest sign of dissatisfaction, and the instantaneous flow sensor seemed to hover at around 5.8 liters.

Average consumption for the entire trip was 6 l/100 km, which gives me the right to calculate the total mileage on one gas station - this is a guaranteed 420 km (which has already been tested in practice) with a power reserve of up to 450 km even at the “1000 miles per day” pace. BMW claims consumption of 3.2 l/100 km at around 90 km/h. From Moscow to St. Petersburg, 750 km is the distance that the BMW F800GS Adventure can travel on one tank, although it will take a long time to travel! But once you get off the road and drive at such a pace not on the highway, you can forget about refueling for the whole day.

The optimal driving pace in a group is about 120 km/h, which would allow the touring team to plan a route without worrying about finding a gas station, even in the most remote areas of the world.

The F800GS's 6th gear is very flexible on the highway. You can drive 80 or speed up to 180 if the situation allows. The company claims that the F800GS top speed is 192 km/h. According to the GPS track, I never accelerated faster than 164, but I never slowed down below 94. The pace provided by the 85-horsepower engine allowed me to move almost 40 km/h faster than the traffic. Safely. Fast. Without a hint of fatigue. I will probably repeat this last point many more times, because this is an important factor on long trips.

You can trust the BMW speedometer readings: the Bavarian gives reasonable indicators with an error of less than 5%, and I would attribute those to the inertia of the dial gauge.

At the same time, the F800GS has no chance of competing in speed with “plastics” on the highway. The F800GS engine is different from those found in the F800R and F800GT. The F 800 GS has different camshafts to provide more torque, completely different gear ratios in the gearbox, and the engine itself is mounted almost vertically in the chassis. The goal is to install a large cooling radiator to provide better engine cooling off-road, when you have to climb for a long time in 1-2 gears. And, of course, where the Honda “six hundred” manages to accelerate to 180 and go to the point, the Adventure only does 160.

But can a sportbike get around a traffic jam without slowing down on a loose embankment? Stop and wait with everyone else, lowly creature!

Another important factor is visibility. The BMW F800GS Adventure is clearly visible on the road. First of all, it's big. Secondly, the LEDs used in the side headlight are truly bright, and the xenon low beam provides excellent visibility at any time of the day, and is noticeable from afar. BMW will always give way, both in the city and on the highway.

By this combination of all these parameters, the BMW F800GS Adventure is a damn fast bike! Not in terms of maximum speed, but simply in life.

Separately, I would like to raise the topic of “weather protection”. The test Adventure was equipped with standard heated grips and a large touring windshield, as well as plastic lever protection. Each of these elements worked 100%.

The rainy weather that settled in Moscow on the day of departure for the rally came precisely from the Tver province, so I went to the races, clearly knowing what awaited me. Approximately 50% of the way to Andreapol passed through rain of varying degrees of severity, but visual control of the road was always clear, thanks to the elimination of water dust and the high transparency of the windshield; A minimum of liquid got onto the helmet visor. The gloves remained dry until the sky began to pour heavily and vertically. But, thanks to the high-quality heating of the handles, this trouble did not affect comfort.

A feature of the BMW F800GS Adventure that sets it apart even from its older brother, the R1200GS, is its incredible stability in gusts of wind. Even with the tightest ESA settings, the Big Goose has a sin that cannot be eliminated, especially if panniers are installed - wobbling at high speeds. So, during the entire trip on the F800GS I never observed this effect: the weight distribution did its job.

I don't know if it's worth seriously talking about riding a motorcycle in deep mud, wet clay and sand on road tires. Although the Pirelli Scorpion TRAIL is intended to be used equally on and off-road, the name “TRAIL” itself means an unpaved road, not pure off-road.

An unpaved road can be called well-compacted gravel or primer, where these tires really hold up well. There are plenty of such paths in Poland and Russia, but in Germany, Italy and Switzerland they can only be found high in the mountains, on passes, in front of which there are usually “no road” signs.

Returning to ASC. Even in the “Road” mode, when the traction control closely monitors the slipping of the rear wheel, the motorcycle in 1-2 gears easily overcomes dry, dusty paths, if you do not rip off the gas. The chassis provides precise handling, mainly thanks to the 21st front wheel. Even taking into account the “roadiness” of the Scorpion TRAIL, longitudinal unevenness and ruts of medium depth, as long as the wheel does not go into them up to the rim, the motorcycle is not afraid and, if desired, jumps from one to another. In Enduro mode, the rear wheel can slide without restriction. When driving through deep puddles, not knowing for sure what is at the bottom - soft and viscous or still hard, not swollen, the main thing is to keep the gas steady! GS will take you out: the rear wheel can move from side to side, but the front one clearly maintains the chosen trajectory.

What I talked about just above: a serious advantage of the F800GS, as an Enduro-type motorcycle, over the R1200GS is better weight distribution and lower curb weight (229 kg). In the case of the “1200” on road tires, if you just hesitate a little, miss the moment, cover the throttle a little more than it should, the front wheel immediately sinks into sand or fine, loose gravel. It sinks so much that the movement immediately stops and the motorcycle falls on its side. The F800GS, if it has the engine running and the rear wheel continues to spin, first of all, it won't dig up. Secondly, there is not the slightest fear that the bike is about to get out of control and try to lie down. 229kg isn't easy either, but the bike is controlled and easier to keep upright.

Finally, it is not difficult to pick up a motorcycle that has fallen to the ground by applying a little force to the handlebars and, for example, the luggage mount or frame. I remember well how I lifted the R1200GS that had fallen on its side: it happened on the second approach, when I found the right point of application of forces. At BMW they teach that you need to lift the motorcycle with your back, otherwise it’s easy to injure yourself. I picked up the F800GS twice – usually, and then “on my back”, just to make sure that the first time it was not just a surge of adrenaline. What is the risk of a road bike falling? Most likely, calling a tow truck.

In the case of a touring enduro, the force distribution points when sliding prevent damage to the vital organs of the motorcycle. Plus, the fuel tank of the F800 is located not at the top, but under the seat, which not only reduces the center of mass, but also provides additional safety in case of accidents: the side walls are reliably protected by the frame for attaching luggage cases.

I just got off the motorcycle after almost one and a half thousand rally, picked up my Suzuki and only after a few kilometers I realized: they are fundamentally different! How could I drive so fast here just yesterday? Where did all these incomprehensible obstacles come from - sand, removed asphalt, cars, some kind of holes that simply did not exist for BMW?!

Reading the press releases, it is simply impossible to understand what the BMW F800GS is like. If you're feeling the hankering for an Adventure motorcycle, be sure to take a BMW motorcycle for a test drive in Independence to get a feel for what it's all about. Get stuck in city traffic jams, take a detour along the Moscow Ring Road, but then - be sure to! – turn off the highway onto the nearest dirt road, into the forest or into an open field. Evaluate the feeling of how you cross the place where just yesterday you were fearfully shuffling your feet, trying to cross a “big scary puddle” on your road bike, with the F 800 GS, without even standing up on the pegs.

The Adventure package significantly expands the possibilities for tourism, radically changing the rules of long-distance driving and yesterday's accents: instead of turning off the gas on a straight line, there is a short route that you would not have thought about until now.

Model review : BMW F800GS

Source : Motorcycle Racing magazine

BMW F800ST vs Honda VFR 800

My formal criteria for an ideal motorcycle are simple, they are a consequence of the intended mode of operation. Daily trips to work, a couple of large and several small long-distance trips per season, possible trips to Leader depending on the mood, and so that everything is beautiful and reliable - does this happen?

It happens, but not without compromises. For example, it seems to me that my GE in the Leader is not very good, although the British say the opposite. But you can go long distance in any direction. And the FJR1300 is good for everyone, but it’s not very convenient for work; it’s still wide and heavy. If you start looking closely at a model, it will definitely require a compromise in some way.

And recently it dawned on me - there are such motorcycles! I even rode a little on each one. They fell out of my sight for a simple reason - with my 190 cm, they are simply too small for me in size. But each one seems to satisfy all the formal requirements. To find out if this was true, I surfed foreign websites and gathered information. And in order to avoid writing two articles, I decided to present the material in the form of a comparison. So, what do foreign journalists write about these motorcycles?

Honda VFR 800

The motorcycle is a legend, it has been in production for 10 years, and if we take into account its direct ancestor VFR750, then more than twenty. Moreover, the first pick itself, which debuted in 1986, is a descendant of the series

, produced since 1982. This series apparently still gives Honda engineers and marketers nightmares, as it has become famous for its extremely unreliable engine.

The problem was the camshaft drive chain. Engineers struggled to solve the problem, in 1984 they redid the entire timing belt 8 (eight) times, but all in vain. As a result, the VFR series received a camshaft drive using gears, and this design, which lasted until 2002, became one of those technical highlights of the series for which fans appreciate it (by the way, we also have them).

Another feature, which will last over time, is the V4 engine itself, the advantages of which are its small width and the inherent absence of vibrations in such a design, so valued by truck drivers. However, the model was not deprived of various interesting technical solutions throughout its life. Radiators on the sides (like on the VTR Firestorm), a cantilever pendulum attached to the crankcase, combined brakes, optional ABS and even a VTEC system designed to combat the gas-dynamic limitations of internal combustion engines - everything was before us, everything flashed here.

In 2002, the sixth generation of the model was released, which was modernized in 2006. In particular, the VTEC system was reconfigured. Now the two valves are connected at 6600 rpm and disconnected at 6100. Previously, when the system was activated in both cases at 6800, the transition was too noticeable and uncomfortable, especially if it happened in a corner.

The main thing has not changed: the motorcycle is well-assembled, reliable and beautiful.

BMW F 800 ST

However, the first two epithets can equally be applied to our German hero. As for beauty, then, as they say, it’s not for everyone, but the device still looks quite unusual.

In historical terms, this bimmer also cannot boast of anything - devices with parallel twins have been sold only since 2007. Although depending on how you look at it. The Germans always had in their production program a junior small-capacity line in both the R and K series. Such devices were cheaper, and the taxes on them were lower, and in terms of performance they were not much inferior to their big brothers. But they stopped making small in-line engines in the mid-90s, and small boxers in the early 2000s, so this niche of the lineup remained empty for some time (650 cc engines don’t count). The new 800-current line can be considered, if not a constructive, then an ideological successor to small series.

Structurally, the bike, like all bimmers, is not very similar to its competitors. The in-line two-wheeler is not the most popular scheme in modern motorcycle construction, but all because it is not the most balanced from the start. BMW engineers (yes, a Rotax engine, but it was developed by the Bavarians) as always surprised everyone - to combat vibrations they came up with an engine that moves in a perpendicular plane. The tank was placed under the saddle, lowering the center of gravity, and the main drive was made by a belt, so that a Bimmer driver who switched to this motorcycle from another BMW would not have to master the procedure for lubricating the chain. Well, and the famous separate turn signal switches, where would we be without them? (The new K1300 series comes with regular switches - should we be happy or sad?)

The rest of the bike is also excellent. Excellent touring ergonomics, decent economy, good wind protection, legendary reliability, a convenient optional luggage system and a super-humane (over there) price - all this ensured a rapid start to sales of the model and the titles of the best sports tourer of 2007 from some magazines.

Let's see how, according to Western motorcycle journalists, these motorcycles look in comparison with each other.

Appearance. A lean, but some kind of chopped beamer and quite plump (especially with panniers), but quite a classic-looking van, subtly reminiscent of its older sister ST1300. It’s up to you to decide which is better; personally, I like the choice better.

Tidy. The Honda is equipped with a large, easy-to-read tachometer located in the center of the instrument panel, and two displays along the edges. The left one shows the speed and temperature of the coolant, the right one shows the odometers, the amount of fuel in the tank and the time. The Beemer's speedometer and tachometer look poorer, but if the motorcycle is equipped with a trip computer (and this is the only one sold on our market), then the screen, in addition to what Honda displays, shows the number of the gear engaged, fuel consumption, average speed and temperature. There's even a stopwatch! Thus, competitors present the potential buyer with a choice: functionality or beauty.

City. In the congested traffic jams of any metropolis, the Bavarian wins an unconditional victory. The Beemer is lighter than the Honda. Its center of gravity is lower. It can be ordered with a lowered saddle. It is wider than the Japanese one, but the wide steering wheel allows you to quickly change direction. The German engine has more torque, so it is easier to drive in conditions of constant changes in acceleration and deceleration and driving under pressure. In general, an excellent city motorcycle that is perfect for girls. A vyfer, of course, won’t help in the city either, but it will require more experience from the pilot. The only urban discipline in which the Japanese is a leader is braking; it is smooth, effective and predictable, while German brakes are harsh. Testers believe that this is the result of Honda's well-tuned combined system.

Route. The Bavarian offers a more upright riding position and a saddle shaped to the shape of the nurse. One of its advantages is also the fairly dense padding. The driver has a worse situation with this, as a result, on a long road the fifth point gets tired faster. In addition, the wind protection of the windshield only begins to work if the pilot bends down lower. But on the serpentines, the only miscalculation of the German ergonomists is revealed - the too sharp edges of the seat, which cut into the body when turning. On the other hand, the Japanese's sporty riding position and sharper steering geometry pair well with twisty roads. And the powertrain engine is not only almost 30% more powerful, it also demonstrates the famous VTEC pickup. As a result, all testers made the obvious conclusion - on boring autobahns, a Beemer is better, but for those who prefer active driving, you need to take the Japanese.

Price. In the damned bourgeoisie, motorcycles in basic configurations cost almost the same, the Beemer is even cheaper - $10,520 versus $10,799. More complete configurations also cost almost the same, moreover, the Germans offer a more extensive list of options. Oddly enough, such a pricing policy does not guarantee success; the decline in sales in America for BMW was almost 13%, while for Honda it was only 0.3%. Knowledgeable people say that the point here is that Honda has a reputation for being simpler and more reliable, and Bimmer dealers are considered small and arrogant. Our situation is somewhat different. Naked Bavarians are not for sale, they all come almost completely stuffed, which includes an on-board computer, a proprietary alarm system, ABS, heated grips and seats, and a tire pressure monitoring system. You just have to buy the panniers separately. Honda can only boast of ABS. As a result, the more powerful Japanese is sold 15% cheaper than the better-equipped German: 462,000 versus 529,000 thousand rubles. And then the biker, who has half a million in his pocket for a new device, again faces a difficult choice.

In one of the reviews, the journalist very accurately expressed the result of the comparison in one phrase: “here are six, and there are half a dozen.” It's up to you to decide which is better.