800GS accessories rant

I adore my 800GS, but some of the accessories really bug me.

The good stuff:

• Bash plate - not the BMW one, the thick, solid one Bavarian sells.
  
• Touratech (I think) wide foot pegs - not the flimsy Wild@Heart ones.
  

The semi good stuff:

• Givi crash bars - only problem is that it makes the bike go rubber up because they are a bit wider than the others (meaning tyres land up higher than the handle bars when it 'rests' on a flat piece of ground), and secondly, I would prefer the Wild@Heart model (again, I think) that covers right up over the side covers. Otherwise I like them.
  
• BMW panniers - work fine the few times I've used them to go shopping and so on, but have little faith falling with them, or taking them off-road. Very quick to mount and remove though.
  
• BMW top box - again, super for the tarmac and daily commuting.
  

The real bad stuff:

• BMW top box - lost all faith in taking it off-road, after seeing and hearing how they disappear!
  
• BMW tank bag - odd shape, only good for when you sit down, totally in the way if you stand up. And when you try and adjust it to be closer to the handle bars and further from the body, you battle to get the key in and turned on. Also when you bump the bag at an angle, it turns the key off! (happened twice on Sunday)
  
• Wild@Heart bar raisers - the handles twist and ends up skew when: the bike falls over; hits an object (I can add a car's silencer to the list of things hit! And survived!); someone bumps the handle bar; etc. The only positive thing is that I can actually whack the end of the bar and bend/shape it back WHILE RIDING...
  
• 1200GS hand guards - I put these expensive ones on to create a bigger hand protection area in order to keep as much cold air away as possible in the winter, as I ride 365 days a year. Almost. First time I drop the bike and the right hand guard shatters in pieces. Was not happy...
  
• And last, but not the least, the friggen expensive BMW touring screen - lovely to look at, lovely to hold, lovely support bracket - BUT DID NOBODY TEST THE THING?! Some clever dude in Germany (probably the tea person) bent the top in such a way that it actually creates a jet stream, hitting you straight on the chin and up!

Now that I have that out of my system - have I mentioned how much I love my bike? - I did stumble on one improvement though. I met Marnus at the club night the past Friday, and somehow mentioned my frustration with the wind screen. He suggested I add some washers/spacers and try to change the angle a bit. And voila, fiddled with all the washers I could find in my not so neat garage, and I've changed the angle to such a degree that the bottom of he wind stream (which also feels a bit more contained due to new more upright angle) now is sort of in the middle of my visor screen - much more acceptable.

So there, addressed one issue, now, anyone I could flog the bar raisers to...?

Anyone else having the same experience?

Thanks Drix.. what a summary!
The Sani and Transkei trips are coming up - been on the easy Club rides up to know with mostly standard stuff.
I desperatly need bash plate, crash bars and panniers. (Those that will withstand a fall or two!)

Regarding the touring screen: I share your disappointment. (That tea person must've been a very short person!)
The washers idea was mentioned to me before - haven't tried it yet, but will it raise that jet stream (that is currently below my chin - my breast to be exact) considerably?

I have the 800's grip protectors fitted - still in one piece, but they show the scars - I reckon it adds to the GS character?

(This is another link to forward to the man with the wallet..)

You have listed all reasons that make me want to rather have the 1200 instead of the 800.

Believe me the 800 is an AWESOME, AWESOME bike, BUT you have to spend a s#it load of moola to make it “Off-Road Worthy”

Example (rough prices for stuff to be added)
Bash-plate: R 1,600
Bark Busters Hand guards: R 945
Handlebar raisers: R495
Kappa Screen: R 1,300
Headlamp Guard R 980
Crash bars: R 1,940
Brake Res Kit: R 105
45L Panniers (x2): R 8,250
Tank Bag: R 1,190
Decent Tyres: R 2,100
TOTAL: R 18,905

AND this EXCLUDES a Top Box and a Xorst

BMW Motorrad SA lists the price of a new 800GS with ABS and Heated Grips as R 111,225
That works out to R 130,130 for a kitted-out 800, without a Top Box or Aftermarket Pipe.

You can buy a 2nd 1200GS with ABS, heated grips and full set of panniers, with crash bars and including TopBox, with 15,000km for R 110,000.

It just makes way more sense to buy a good 2nd hand 1200, than a new 800.

My 2 cents worth

R111 000 for the F800GS is getting a bit rof, up from R95 000 from a year ago - crazy!

I have read allot about what fellow owners had fitted and what they said about their extras. The problem I had was that there was not 'n lot of options out there when i got my bike beginning of April last year . . .

I fitted

SW-Motech crash bars – did not go for the wild@heart ones (PM for reason why)
Trax pannier system
Bags Connection tank bag
Backbone orange and clear lens protectors - lekker cheap vs other options!

And I am very happy with all the products

Going to purchase the Kappa screen – most off the guys are happy with this screen and not BMW’s one

Was also planning to fit the Hyde engine guard on Saturday for about R650 until the sales ouke said the price is now R900 – WTF we asked, 30% increase in 3 weeks!?

Will probably also be doing the Barkbuster hand protectors just before winter

Things are really becoming expensive now *sug*

Sharkie. Have you had a facelift? Isn't it time also for a knippie, on the hare ofkors?

tj wrote:Sharkie. Have you had a facelift? Isn't it time also for a knippie, on the hare ofkors?

'n Knippie is altyd welkom....

Yup, that is my new helmut in the pic, and I can like my hair longer, it makes me stonger.

dakardrix wrote:[*]Touratech (I think) wide foot pegs - not the flimsy Wild@Heart ones.

Whatya mean “flimsy”? I bought Wild@Heart foot pegs and am very happy. Did yours brake? I am gonna be too paranoid to stand til you answer this…

Sias wrote:

dakardrix wrote:[*]Touratech (I think) wide foot pegs - not the flimsy Wild@Heart ones.

Whatya mean “flimsy”? I bought Wild@Heart foot pegs and am very happy. Did yours brake? I am gonna be too paranoid to stand til you answer this…

Mmm, had a look at the Wild@Heart web site - might have made a mistake. The one shown on their site with strong supports, looking like there are big holes in them, actually looks like the pair I have on and like. The ones that they punt as their pillon foot pegs look like the flimsy ones, just 3 bars with no real support for an impact from the front, i.e. when you fall.

I had a pair like those on my Dakar, fell them to pieces (tried to stand on them after the fall and the left one suddenly disappeared - took the pillion peg and found out it doesn't work in the same way, could at least get me home while sitting) and unfortunately replaced with the same. Bent slightly from day one, only discovered as I got home and then it's just too much schlep to get back to the shop, you know the story.

So I'm not sure now where they come from - but both were offered by Bavarian for the 800, the stronger one being more expensive, of course.

Sharkie wrote:
You can buy a 2nd 1200GS with ABS, heated grips and full set of panniers, with crash bars and including TopBox, with 15,000km for R 110,000.

It just makes way more sense to buy a good 2nd hand 1200, than a new 800.

My 2 cents worth

Look, if you make the comparison, you probably are right for the 1200, and your sums make sense. Just know (and ignoring skillful okes like Pieter) that with a 1200 you will never consider doing tracks like that Schurwe one. But you will consider riding to Cape Town, and that's good.

As for me, I respect the 1150/1200's and would like to have a GSA just to intimidate traffic and do mild Lesotho trips, etc. But again, for me personally, that will have to be a second bike (which I can't afford or justify to the boss), so I always wanted something like an 800 even before they existed. If they weren't around, I probably would have stuck to the Dakar for ages still. The only Boxer I am curious about is the HP2 - I will never understand why the 1150/1200s don't have a 21" front wheel option.

I don't understand why the 1200 gets matched or compared to the 800 or 990 - they are too different. The 800 vs. 990 debate is the one that should be had (and the price/fuel consumption/range/no heated grip swung me back to the BMW) However, I also believe that we can adapt to any bike and push the bike's limits which for most bikes are mostly beyond my limits (however, impacted by weight and front wheel size and such things)

So, the 800GS is the bike I wanted and works for me - it was never really a pros and cons or price comparison. I knew I was going to hurt in the pocket, but the desire overcame my budget limitations. The price I pay (and it's so hard! ) is to use my bike 24/7 and not touch my heavy-on-juice bakkie. The 800 is a bike like no other, I was born for it and we are a match made in heaven. As I say to people, if money is no object, and I could have any bike in the world, but only one... I am riding it!!

Amen...

GSNieP wrote:R111 000 for the F800GS is getting a bit rof, up from R95 000 from a year ago - crazy!

I have read allot about what fellow owners had fitted and what they said about their extras. The problem I had was that there was not 'n lot of options out there when i got my bike beginning of April last year . . .

I fitted

SW-Motech crash bars – did not go for the wild@heart ones (PM for reason why)
Trax pannier system
Bags Connection tank bag
Backbone orange and clear lens protectors - lekker cheap vs other options!

....

Will probably also be doing the Barkbuster hand protectors just before winter

Things are really becoming expensive now *sug*

I like the Barkbusters and is sure the 800 guards are also great. Impulsive replacement requirements (after smashing the 1200 guards that have no metal support anywhere) had me replace them with Cycra's - similar price to 1200 guards, but in a different league - love them. They look smaller than the actual protection they offer, their little angles work well. And I love the look of them: Drix's Cycras

I agree 100%

There is no perfect bike.

The 800 is a great inbetween bike and fills the gap between the 1200 and 650. I would also NOT attempt Schurweberg on a 1200. But I would not buy the 1200 for that kind of riding. I will also not use a R130k bike to do that, even if it was a 990. I would get a hardcore thumper for that stuff.

I agree the 800 is great, but I would rather have the 1200, and a 640 or XR650. OR upgrade the suspension on my 650 and put USD forks with a 21'' front on mine.....

Ja, but the point is, I seldom go out to do a specific kind of riding - and therefore pick a certain scoot from a selection to do it. If I had a selection (my MTB, road cycle and tandem don't count. Any more.. LOL)

Most of my riding turns into something unpredictable. Even commuting! And especially when I do geocaching I never know the terrain I am going to encounter. The biggest kick I get out of a bike is to do things with it that people say "You shouldn't do it with this bike, take another one"

The Dakar has given that to me, and the 800 is giving it in the same way, yet on a different level.

Come on, you know you want it...

I have another friend on a new shape KLR. He also analyses his options to death, always proving why he doesn't need the 800, then put 10,000k on the clock in 2 years, 99% on tar commuting... so any bike will work for that.

But the soul, oh where's the soul...!

dakardrix wrote:
Come on, you know you want it...

Yes I DO want it, but I want the 1200 as well.

I need to choose.

Luckily not for a while though. But being an accountant, I analyse the costs, and the 1200 wins.

Maybe I must just get the 800/1200 blend = 990 (JohnST is gonna love this..... )

But Drix I hear you and what you say makes a lot of sense......

Well, as an accountant (not that I am remotely one!) you should rather use EVA (Economic Value Added) - then add a perceived value for Passion and Satisfaction.. hehe

If you are waiting anyway, just look for a secondhand 800 so that you can compare apples with apples. Although the 800 is more like a bunch of juicy grapes, can't stop once you started... Or biltong. Newwermaaind...

Hey Drix,

Have you had a look at what BikeGear has on offer for the 800GS?

Look here!

And no, I'm not an agent... just a happy client

Jip, they have some nice stuff. Dunno about the red though...

My buy was just so quick after the phone call, so decided to put on everything in sight. I seriously considered the Trax panniers/top box, but saw a pic or two of how wide they look and that put me off at the time. But the boxes are awesome and in hindsight...