Article (Bike): BMW’s accessible adventurers

When you think of BMW motorbikes, you generally think of the big "GS", don't you? It's not only BMW's most iconic machine, in its latest R1200 GS guise it's also BMW best-selling bike ever.

It can't have done sales any harm that Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boardman took two of them on their Long Way Round and the Long Way Down odysseys, but for all its success, I have to confess I find it a bit heavy and ungainly for real off-road adventuring.

Ewan and Charlie have a support team on hand to pull their bikes out of a muddy swamp, but for ordinary travellers, it's not an easy machine to manhandle.

Unfortunately, up to now, if you didn't have the €15,300* BMW asks for R1200 GS, you had no choice but to plum for the rather gutless, single-cylinder F650 GS that really wasn't up to anything more challenging than the daily commute.

Thankfully, BMW has just replaced it with an all-new F650 GS and have ditched the single-cylinder engine in favour of the F800 GS's 798cc parallel twin-cylinder unit; albeit repositioned and modified slightly for off-road use and retuned to produce 71bhp (a factory restrictor is also available).

The F650 GS also gets a proper chain drive and has a tough new tubular steel frame, but its riding position, suspension, brakes, wheels and tyres are all designed to make the F650 GS as easy to use on-road as possible, which means it hasn't lost any of the old bike's day-to-day appeal.

Indeed, it's surprisingly capable of keeping experienced riders amused while remaining a doddle to control at low speed and exceptionally forgiving of a novice rider's misjudged inputs. Its new suspension, combined with its twin-cylinder engine, mean it's infinitely smoother to ride than the old bike, while off-road it's more competent than ever, well capable of dispatching all but the roughest trails and poorest road surfaces.

Though the F800 GS is really a baby R1200 GS, because it's so much lighter, narrower and agile overall, it's arguably the Daddy of BMW's Enduro range.

The frame, again, is a sturdy steel tube affair but with greater steering lock for improved manoeuvrability, while the long-travel suspension, wire-spoke wheels (21-inch rims at the front, 17 at the rear) and floating twin-disc front brakes give it an unexpected all-purpose edge. The F800's engine is essentially the same as that of the F650, but now with 85hp, improving performance slightly. 0-100km/h takes just 4.1 second and top speed stretches to 200km/h (versus 185km/h for the F650).

While its outstanding off-road competence perhaps isn't that unexpected, its ability to engage the rider on-road is the F800's most impressive characteristic.

Where the R1200 GS lumbers, the F800 GS zips and takes advantage of its lower weight to offer greater agility, sharp responses and better feedback. It's comfortable and friendly (we rode 250km over all sorts of South African terrain in a day without any aches or pains) and hugely forgiving both on- and off-road.

Naturally, there's a huge range of accessories, with essentials such as ABS only €750* extra thanks to some recent price reductions, but at just €11,500 on-the-road*, it means that the full-on GS experience is within reach of more people than ever before.

Factfile F650 GS/F800 GS

Engine: 798cc liquid-cooled, dry-sump, four-stroke V-twin

F650 GS - Performance: 71hp/75Nm; 0-100km/h in 4.3secs; top speed: 185km/h. Dimensions: length 2,280mm; width 845mm; seat height: 820mm. Price: €9,400*.

F800 GS - Performance: 85hp/83Nm; 0-100km in 4.2 secs; top speed: 200km/hr.

Dimensions: length 2,320mm; width 873mm, seat height: 880mm (850mm optional).

Price: €11,500.

Transmission: 6-speed gearbox, wet clutch.

Frame: Tubular steel frame

Dry Weight: 199kg/207kg