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6 Jun 2007
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BMW R 850 R what do you think ?
I am going to go long distance ....sooner or later....yes....the bike is a BMW 2000 R850R..
COME ON THEN..throw your worst comments at it  (or otherwise  )..I am ready..I CAN TAKE IT !!!:confused1:
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6 Jun 2007
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Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Netherlands
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Great bike.
I used one for my trip in South-West USA and loved it.
My brother in law has one and he is sorry he didn't buy it years ago.
It is not realy an "adventure all-road" bike but then, most allroads are only used on tarmac and a bike like the R850R is very capable on dirtroads etc.
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Jan Krijtenburg
My bikes are a Honda GoldWing GL1200 and a Harley-Davidson FXD Dyna Super Glide
My personal homepage with trip reports: https://www.krijtenburg.nl/
YouTube channel (that I do together with one of my sons): motormobilist.nl
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6 Jun 2007
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Its a bike, its available to you so use it... especially if you like it.
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7 Jun 2007
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850
Yes I do like it and have done quite a bit of work to it myself, ( I have rebuilt the gearbox, bmw 5-speed box probs, what a surprise!) The whole point of my starting the thread to be truthfull is I am in two minds as to changing it for a GS1100...
GS1100...more expense as I already have the 850..
GS1100, better ground clearance,
GS1100 weighs more,
GS1100 slightly bigger tank,
R850 is lower, better control
R850 slightly less consumption
R850 weighs 20 kilos less
I may well have to make a decision next week, so please any comments will help...I had also figured on putting trail type tyres on the 850 and a sump-guard for the odd trail or gentle off-road ??........regards to all !!
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7 Jun 2007
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I had an 850R before buying a 1200GS and really liked it. Performance is perfectly adequate for long distance touring. I swapped it because
- the GS had better leg room (I was getting cramp on long runs), and
- the GS offered better luggage carrying capability.
Tim
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"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)
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8 Jun 2007
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Keep the R850R
You know the bike. It is a good bike.
How often do you need the ground clearance of an 1100GS ?
If you buy a secondhand 1100GS, you don't know what you buy. (Unless it is from a trusted friend.)
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Jan Krijtenburg
My bikes are a Honda GoldWing GL1200 and a Harley-Davidson FXD Dyna Super Glide
My personal homepage with trip reports: https://www.krijtenburg.nl/
YouTube channel (that I do together with one of my sons): motormobilist.nl
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21 Aug 2017
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Finland
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Cullis
I had an 850R before buying a 1200GS and really liked it. Performance is perfectly adequate for long distance touring. I swapped it because
- the GS had better leg room (I was getting cramp on long runs), and
- the GS offered better luggage carrying capability.
Tim
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It is an old thread I know... find this tread from google search, because I have same thoughts, what bobbyrandall had.. do I change or not?
Tim have preciously those thoughts what I thinking of now.
If there's only a good aftermarket lowering begs for me and for my wife and pannier racks to side + behind, I will not swap my old and trusted r 850 r bike to gs.
This r 850 r is easy to handle, really nice on tarmac, goes fine on sand roads too... better than suzuki vl 1500 custom bike! 
Not too much electronic stuff.. like these new one have.
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12 Jun 2007
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R.I.P.
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Sounds like you're a BMW guy no matter how screwed up they are.
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Patrick passed Dec 2018. RIP Patrick!
Last edited by mollydog; 26 Mar 2009 at 19:59.
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12 Jun 2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mollydog
Sounds like you're a BMW guy no matter how screwed up they are. You are willing to put up with repairs/failures. Badge of honor and all.... ??
You've already seen problems with your 850. What makes you think a GS1000 is any better? Or an Oil Head? They all have problems. Major problems. Stupid problems. Problems that in some cases BMW denies even exsist. A very nasty company in some respects.
The BMW NA Pres. says BMW are going to dominate motorcross/Supercross in a year or two.  Now that's funny!
When you get serious about going RTW maybe you'll figure out BMW aren't the best choice for everyone. Some guys like to constantly fiddle and like to visit every BMW in every major city to order parts...and wait. And wait.
Jap bikes break too...but at a lesser rate than most BMW's. Hey, but maybe you'll be lucky?  Who knows? My advice? Try thinking outside the
Blue Rondel Box for five minutes and see what you come up with.

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Mollydog, could you please stop this bashing?
Is it so hard for you to understand that people travel all over the world with BMWs and most of them have a great time?
Could you at least open your own thread(s) instead of making a mess in other people’s discussions?
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12 Jun 2007
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Fair comment
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobbyrandall
I am going to go long distance ....sooner or later....yes....the bike is a BMW 2000 R850R..
COME ON THEN..throw your worst comments at it  (or otherwise  )..I am ready..I CAN TAKE IT !!!:confused1:
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Seems valid comment to me: Bobby has asked for the worst and he says that he can take it - apart from that, this is a forum for which bike and not which BMW.
Dave
F650GS (that works)
TT600R (not working!)
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