Making tracks in the sand on a beautiful sandy beach during a sunset, gliding effortlessly over narrow paths in the mountains, and satisfied riders. This or something like this is how the F 800 and F 700 GS are presented on BMW's homepage, by motorcycle magazines or on YouTube. So just the right motorcycle for the big adventure!
When you ride a BMW, however, the adventure on a round-the-world trip is neither the beach nor one of the endless gravel roads, but keeping the motorcycle itself running.
How the reality looks like, this article shall show it. It is our experience report on the travel suitability of our F 800 GS (BJ 2015) and the almost identical F 700 GS (BJ2015).
Why did we decide on the two BMWs in 2016 in the first place? BMW was one of the few manufacturers at the time that offered enduros already facotory lowered. For Kerstin, this was a chance to reach the ground with both legs without any problems. Also from the rest of the specifications, they were exactly what we were looking for at the time (without still having the world trip in mind). A motorcycle in the mid cc range without a lot of bells and whistles and affordable too. Those were some of our requirements. Plus, we just felt comfortable on them. With lowering kits that would be available for other motorcycles, the subsequent certification/typing was too cumbersome for us.
When we set off on our world trip at the beginning of 2022, it was also clear that the two would become our companions and so we started the journey with around 30,000 km (F 800 GS) and 18,000 km (F 700 GS) on the clock. Freshly serviced by our mechanic of confidence (to our sorrow or luck it is still the only one to whom I would entrust my motorcycle without hesitation) we went via Canada first to Alaska. Without grumbling our motorcycles ran the first 20,000 km to Alaska. Then the adventure with a BMW should begin for us. So right because we had already opened chapter 1 in Austria with the F 700 GS.
Chapter 1:
Shortly after purchase, the F 700 GS had shifting problems every now and then. Every now and then it was simply not possible to shift down while driving. So off to BMW (official BMW dealer in Vienna North), where we had also bought it. He stated that everything was fine. This was probably the demonstration effect, since the problem occurs only rarely. We repeated the same game two more times. On the third try, even the nice gentlemen at BMW had the problem. Repair under warranty or goodwill? Sure, if only we had taken the bike to them the year before. We had, but all the dates in their systems had apparently mysteriously disappeared. Exciting - especially since we could still prove the correspondence and even had the confirmation SMS. It didn't help us, unfortunately. Also, we had the oil change done this year by a workshop that was not "certified" (the years before it was at BMW). Well, it had been carried out at a workshop - just not directly at BMW.
Chapter 2:
In the years that followed, our motorcycles ran almost without a hitch. The fault with downshifting the gears on the F 700 GS is still there, but you adjust your riding style. Now and then there are minor aches and pains, but that's nothing unusual. We are gradually finding more and more travel gear for our bikes. We also found a mechanic (who is even officially certified by BMW) whom we trust. In the meantime, we became even more aware of one thing: Gerry we no longer give away!
Kapitel 3:
The roads in Europe were soon no longer enough for us. Therefore, we decided that it´s time to ride on the other side of the globe on the motorcycles and flew our motorcycles to Canada.
Freshly landed in Canada we still needed reserve oil (not allowed to carry on the plane): according to the BMW manual: 15w 50. Our problem: unfortunately it is not so easy to find in eastern Canada, where we started in early April. Only about 4,000 km later (we had already passed the big cities) we found a store with this oil. By the way: Engine oil with the specification 10w 40 for motorcycles we would have found at every corner.
The chain on the F 800 GS was at the end after just under 25,000 km because not much love was given. Since the end unfortunately came a little faster than expected, I put my bike in Fairbanks to the official (and in this area also the only) BMW workshop. USD 400 for the chain itself and USD 300 for the labor were estimated. That's when it knocked my socks off for a moment. Why does a BMW mechanic need two hours to change a chain? No one there could or would answer this question for me. Due to a lack of options (ordering another chain would have taken about a week and I didn't have the right tools yet) I decided to have it changed. Since the fork oil seals were also leaking, I also had them replaced. With loss of fork oil is not to be trifled with. One day after I had delivered my bike to the workshop, I had after payment of the juicy bill also again a bike ready to ride.
I thought at least: A day trip with almost 600 km later in Anchorage we found the following: again oil on the fork - due to leaking fork oil seals.
A new repair in Anchorage was necessary the next day. During the complaint in Fairbanks, "American service quality" was presented at its best: "The fork oil seals could not be leaking, because everything had been done correctly. On my answer that I have however oil on the fork, it was explained to me then long and wide that it was because my motorcycle was in "bad condition" (thus: old and already used). Moreover, the rear wheel bearing would be "bad" and my motorcycle has "bad" brake pads. An explanation, how allegedly a "bad" rear wheel bearing (change 20,000 km later) and "bad" brake pads would have effect on the leaking fork seals, I did not get. When I asked again, the reason for loss of fork oil was suddenly the bad road that was supposed to be to blame for the mishap. I explained that we had taken the highway between Fairbanks and Anchorage, had not been off-roading, and the highway to Anchorage is not that bad at all. There followed a short pause for thought by the mentally somewhat slow mechanic. Then I got the following explanation: it's clearly my fault because I was riding my motorcycle and that's why they reject all my claims. Now of course this explanation was perfectly reasonable! You are simply not allowed to ride your bike after the service! I just hope that BMW, this does not also write into its warranty conditions!
That there are also positive examples of workshops, showed the BMW workshop in Anchorage. Repair of fork oil seals (F 800 GS) and steering head bearing (F 700 GS) each on the same day and everything that had been repaired, held. The rear wheel bearings and brake pads were fine at the time of replacement of the fork oil seals, by the way, according to the mechanics in Anchorage. BMW parts apparently have self-healing powers!
Since the total repair cost for the oil losing fork had to be paid twice now, we also contacted BMW USA. Many members of the BMW Owners Group in the USA praised the mediator quality of BMW USA in such cases and they gave us the tip to write there. Just this: apparently BMW is not interested in you in another country - because we didn't even get a reply!
A few weeks later and a few thousand kilometers further south, we were looking forward to the off-road tracks on Vancouver Island. Unfortunately, nothing came of it, because the rear shock absorber of the F 800 GS leaked. This time BMW was not to blame - this particular shock was from Touratech. So we had to take a break for a week until a service appointment at Touratech in Seattle was free. The good thing at this point: Touratech in Seattle was only about 400 km away. So one week later the shock of the F800 GS was serviced and repaired. After a quick look at Touratech's locations, we had the shock of the F700 GS serviced prophylactically. With full load and partial off-road stretches, the springs should now hold.
"What is the service interval of Touratech shocks?", I wanted to know. "Nothing exactly! One does not know it exactly!", was the statement of the Touratech employee. We did understand that different riding styles and loads, as well as frequency of off-road riding, would produce different results. But a clue for the next service, would already be helpful for our further journey. Especially since service points will not necessarily be found everywhere on every street corner and we are not the only travelers either.
It wasn't too long before the next chapter was opened with BMW. On the F 700 GS, the (only) screw that fixes the axle was spinning. The thread was broken. We assumed that an impact wrench had been used during a tire change. So it was time for us to go to the nearest BMW dealer and order a replacement part. Since you can't just replace the thread on this screw, you have to replace the entire lower fork tube. Drilling out the thread would be very risky, as only minimal deviations would cause the fork tube itself to be drilled into, and then we would have fork oil loss on the F700 GS as well.
"No spare part in stock. The spare part must be ordered directly from Germany!" was therefore the answer. This is basically no problem for us, since we are not in a hurry and are rather slow travelers. The next information from BMW surprised us then nevertheless very much: "The delivery time of spare parts directly from Germany amounts to between two to eight weeks!"
Our thoughts rolled over: >>Pardon me?! The thing is in stock in Germany and does not have to be manufactured first! Or does BMW recently transport parts only by horse-drawn carriage and sailboat?!<< Unfortunately, we also received the same information from other BMW dealers in the U.S., which we then called. Some dealer might have our spare part in stock, but the stock levels of BMW dealers in the USA are unfortunately not conected.
Self are the travelers: Therefore, we ordered all the parts to an acquaintance in Germany, who only a few weeks later, flew to America. Ordering spare parts via three corners is faster than getting something internally from BMW. We had learned something again!
After successful arrival of our parts, the repair of the fork followed at BMW in San Francisco. "Great, everything works again!" However, the joy lasted only a short time. A few hundred miles further south, the fork begins to squeak. Our realization: "Oops! - Someone must have forgotten to tighten all the upper bolts!"
Speaking of screws! The conection screws between engine and frame should also not be quite as tight as they should be. I am not the only GS rider who has lost one of these "unimportant" screws along the way. If you think that a new original bolt should be easy to get, you are sadly mistaken again. Our nearest BMW dealer in San Diego could only order this screw in Germany. >>What? A screw? Delivery time about two to four weeks?<< At this point we can only say: Long live the hardware store around the corner! Here you can find the screws by the box - the only difference: not with Torx head but with Imbus head.
As a matter of principle, we do ongoing and minor services ourselves. However, this is not always as easy as described in the BMW service manual. For example, the covers of the fork arms on the F 700 GS could only be loosened with brute force, as they were completely rusted. For the future, we know that a little grease between the metal and plastic cap on top can prevent such a thing! By the way, a change of the fork oil is not foreseen according to BMW. After 50,000 kilometers, the oil was already completely black with us.
Chapter 4:
However, in the near future, we will also have to carry out further repairs in order to preventively eliminate known weak points of the BMW.
Fortunately, we have no signs of this yet, but quite a few other F800GS travelers have problems with the timing chain from about 60,000 kilometers. It starts to rattle because
it becomes too loose. A mere exchange of the chain tensioner is no longer sufficient here, but the entire timing chain must be replaced. According to the BMW manual, the engine must be removed and partially disassembled for this, since an endless chain is installed. According to BMW USA, the cost for such a repair is about USD 4,000.00. Interestingly, a new engine would cost "only" USD 7,500.00! Thanks to a few thinkerers and some after-market spare parts, the exchange of the timing chain can be done by yourself with material costs of only about USD 200,00 and you can drive a few more KM with your engine. Have a look at the following video with really simple explanations: The8hundreds
But it does not stop with the timing chain. From about 70,000 - 80,000 km mileage, two small plastic gears must be changed. The function of these gears? They belong to the oil pump and keep the oil running! Here one asks oneself as a layman: >>Plastic? Why plastic?<<
Currently we already had difficulties in North America to get certain spare parts - which cost by the way proud 100% more than at home - and workshops, which partly do not know what they do. We are already looking forward to other continents where BMW is not so strongly represented and are curious to see what experiences we will gather there.
In addition to the topics described here, we also had quite a few moments when it came to equipping the bikes, where we still don't know what BMW is thinking. We always joke that the developers never have to repair a bike themselves and the people from the marketing department never drive further than from Munich to Lignano on the main road.
A cover for the rear shock, for example, would be nice. This is actually just a small piece of plastic (yes in this case "good" plastic) that you even find on sport bikes as standard. Production costs would be low on this, say maybe one EUR Not on BMW - they don't even have anything like this as an accessory here. Cost point for independent retrofitting for longer trips: about EUR 100.00 at Wunderlich or EUR 15.00 at some companies from China. The standard BMW shock absorber probably loves dirt.
Something we were also not happy with were the handguards made from a thick steel tube. Visually top notch, practically a flop unfortunately. The hand guards from BMW are mounted on the outside between the handlebar and the counterweight. At this point, however, the tube is just a compressed piece of metal. Once fallen over to the right, the thing is already bent and blocks the throttle grip. Not fit for a world tour, so we replace it with after-market handguards.
And let's not forget the original BMW engine guard. This one has to be fixed with six screws. The four screws on the bottom are easy to install and just screw into an existing thread. The remaining two screws, however, which come to the curved front, are each to be fastened with a nut. Small problem at this solution: With the fingers comes here at this narrow place almost not even a child's hand between motor and motor protection! Just as an aside: For the oil change the engine guard must be removed each time! Have fun with screwing!
After these lines, probably the question arises: Would we take our two motorcycles again on a world tour? Probably yes! Since unfortunately also all other manufacturers are not better and all travelers, which we met so far, had to fight with same/similar problems.
Surely some of these problems could be eliminated, especially if the manufacturers would test their promises in reality instead of spending millions mainly on marketing. However, they would then probably have to admit that their motorcycles are only built for adventures near a good workshop (if you follow all specifications and regulations according to the operating manual!) or simply not for people like us!
To be continued!!!
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