2018 BMW F850 GS

My first ever new bike.  I took delivery of the F850 GS as soon as I possibly could. There was a three month waiting list, it was proving a popular model. A lot of good reviews and the promise of new everything, crafted by the good elves at BMW, was too tempting.

So what was new? New engine with new firing order, new output shaft, chassis, forks, hubs, discs, looks – hell everything.  I chose the GS because of its adaptability, looks, weight (not too heavy at 229kg) and how it felt during a test ride. The balance of the machine was spot on.

​Although I did fit the luggage rack option on the bike and satnav holder I choose not to use either, as I prefer to use a bag on the passenger seat and use my phone for navigation. Bags are better than panniers in my book, why remove one of the great pleasures of riding - filtering - and give yourself the same disadvantages as a car?

I chose the lowered option for the bike (taking it down to a comfortable 815mm for me at 5’6”) which, annoyingly, means I had to forego a centre stand. That makes running repairs potentially tricky. 

It was a trade-off that I wished wasn’t necessary. Lowering meant I also lost the ability to have Dynamic ESA (Electronic Suspension Adjustment) feature, there’s just not the room under the saddle. I reasoned that it’s important to feel stable when you stop a bike, it’s necessary every ride whereas the ability to centre stand is an occasional need that can be circumvented if you have a paddock stand or breakdown cover. ​ 

So I managed to rack up a good 2.5k in the first month with a trip to Italy to visit my Great Uncle's war memorial. The story of that trip will be on my blog soon, but the backstory for WW1 war interested parties, is here. Still bonding with the bike, but we're definitely getting closer...