Renting an F800GS - Tools? Issues?

I will be flying to Denver in late August and renting an F800GS for a 7-day, 3000-mile jaunt through CO and UT. My own ride at home in New England is an R12GS and that's what I would have rented but none were available. I am quite unfamiliar with the F800GS, and I'm kind of looking for the "Dummy's Guide to the F800GS" Looking for any known issues (and I just finished reading up on the vent line re-routing issue) oddball tools, that sort of thing. My toolkit for the R12GS, which I am bringing along, is pretty complete but very specific, and I am not sure how its contents apply to the F800GS. What about chain adjustment? What size nut on the rear axle?

Others can help better than I, but at the top of the list should be some;

1. chain lube (cleaner too would be nice).
2. tire irons
3. rim protector
4. bead breaker
5. tire patch kit
6. spare tube(s)
7. small plastic mallet to help break the bead (optional)
8. those special tools to get the bolts off (not allen wrenches, I forgot what they are called)

Lots of F800GS wisdom at F800Riders and in the "Beasts" section of AdvRider.

The rear axle nut is a 24mm, don't recall the front off hand, but you'll need a selection of torx bits and sockets since those are the majority of the fasteners on the bike. Tires have tubes, so you'll need a tire repair kit that will work with those. No plug kit is going to be of any use. And of course, some means of re-inflating the tires after the repair.

All-in-all, I think much of the negative hype you hear is mainly that, just hype. Carry a cell phone or some other device (SPOT) for signalling for assistance should the unlikely occur and you find yourself stranded.

Some oil can be handy with the F800GS...

And a chain.








Or Two

Thanks for the replies so far, folks. Much appreciated. If anybody else wishes to chime in, please, keep them coming!

So it's got tubes. Gotcha. I can deal with that.

I am aware of F800riders.com and Advrider. I must admit I was looking for more of a quickie distillation of the issues rather than a research project. Every time I visit Advrider three hours disappear in a heartbeat.

24mm rear axle nut, thanks. That's clearly not a size I am currently carrying around in my R12GS toolkit. Maybe I'll pick up one of those Motion Pro combined tire lever and 24mm hex... I anticipate putting enough miles on this rental that there might be a chain adjustment out on the road, so this one is practically a given.

ChiTown, what's the story with the oil? Did a line let go? Cooler puncture?

soffiler said:

ChiTown, what's the story with the oil? Did a line let go? Cooler puncture?

Click to expand...

Things seem to happen in pairs...

The oil leak in the photo is # 2 leak.... leaking through the valve cover gasket.
Not a show stopper, but makes for dramatic photo's... and uneasy riding, especially when on the Dempster Highway a long ways from help...
I actually had to ride with it like that for 6,000 miles, including a 1300 mile iron butt ride - the story's in my RR.

When your adjusting your chain, be sure to follow the manuals instructions to the letter... don't do it how "someone else" says how they do it...

Don't believe the computer for range, use the odometer and get fuel every 150 miles give or take.
I'm not sure what bags if any you'll have, but don't drop it if you have the Varios, they will break.

Oh, and might I suggest an Airhawk seatpad.... if you plan on doing long miles it's a small investment.

Have a great ride on the 8GS, it's a fun bike to ride.

Here's a more inspiring 8GS photo to help you out.

ChiTown said:

Things seem to happen in pairs...

The oil leak in the photo is # 2 leak.... leaking through the valve cover gasket.
Not a show stopper, but makes for dramatic photo's... and uneasy riding, especially when on the Dempster Highway a long ways from help...
I actually had to ride with it like that for 6,000 miles, including a 1300 mile iron butt ride - the story's in my RR.

When your adjusting your chain, be sure to follow the manuals instructions to the letter... don't do it how "someone else" says how they do it...

Don't believe the computer for range, use the odometer and get fuel every 150 miles give or take.
I'm not sure what bags if any you'll have, but don't drop it if you have the Varios, they will break.

Oh, and might I suggest an Airhawk seatpad.... if you plan on doing long miles it's a small investment.

Have a great ride on the 8GS, it's a fun bike to ride.

(Snip photo link)

Click to expand...

Thanks much, ChiTown! Great advice.

(Incidentally I followed a couple of your links, and holy crap, gorgeous photograpy and fascinating stories... gotta find time to read more of it...)

I *hope* the rental comes with a manual. I figure there's going to be a chain adjust along the way; trip is about 3Kmiles with roughly 500 miles of desert two-track in southern UT. I'll be packing spare oil and chain lube along with a pretty comprehensive tool kit.

Not riding alone, not by a long shot. I've done a similar version of this trip on two occasions in the past and both times it was me and two other guys (on 1150GS's, this was a couple years ago). THIS time, six guys on bikes and two more in a rented SUV. Three 12GS's, two KTM 990's, and me on the F8GS.

Not completely sure which luggage the rental comes with, but here's a clue: I inquired via email and got a wonderfully criptic reply: "if you know the 12GS bags, these are similar." I guess I'd better not drop it. In a perfect world I'd forego the bags and run just a drybag and tankbag (since we got a sagwagon for the rest of my stuff) but that saddle is so skinny I'm not sure if that's a good plan.

On the saddle, I was thinking perhaps a BeadRider. I use the stock saddle on my 12GS and do daylong distances with no problem. I realize however that the 8GS saddle is a completely different animal!

Thanks again for your inputs!

No problem, glad to help.

I've had a few different dry bags on the seat, it's no problem with a few Rok Straps...



You probably have a route, but if you want to go here @ 12,000 ft, there's the track. Go to Ophir heading west off of hwy 550 (another Colorado must ride road IMHO)... It could be done in an SUV if dry and would be a blast on the 8GS.

Have fun!

I have put a beadrider on my F650GS, which has the same miserable seat as the F800. I did help quite a bit. My Bill Mayer saddle arrives next week and that should help even more!

For some reason Dan's post reminded me...
Avoid wearing mesh pants. Top fine, but the radiator exhaust is like a blast furnace on your knees/thighs in warm weather... something you and I don't have to worry about on a 1200 boxer.
Just a thought.

ChiTown said:

For some reason Dan's post reminded me...
Avoid wearing mesh pants. Top fine, but the radiator exhaust is like a blast furnace on your knees/thighs in warm weather... something you and I don't have to worry about on a 1200 boxer.
Just a thought.

Click to expand...

Fabulous... so I am renting a blast furnace to trek across the Utah desert in August. *shrug* oh well. I'm an ATGATT type and use a 'Stich. Done this trip twice before, on rented R1150GS's at the time, but same 'Stich. It's black, of course. I find that it's pretty tolerable if I run with zippers open as much as possible.

some followup questions...

Bump.

What are people using for tankbags? I was looking over the 8GS at my local dealer and realized that the keyswitch location and the dirtbike-style padded tank are going to make fitment of just any old generic tankbag quite a challenge.

Also - that bike at my local dealer had an accessory outlet right next to the keyswitch. Is that outlet standard or optional?

the outlet is standard on US models methinks.

ChiTown said:

the outlet is standard on US models methinks.

Click to expand...

Thanks again ChiTown!

The accessory outlet location makes it quite convenient to electrify a tankbag. I'll be running chargers for cell phone, MP3 player, and Palm Pilot. Experimenting with voice memos on the MP3 rather than notepad and pencil. Also experimenting with National Geographic Topo maps on the Palm. Not for primary nav by any means, more for the WTFAW? situations if any should arise.

For tankbag I have prepared a makeshift adapter scheme for my Chicane "12GS" bag. Stock mount design is single, central strap front and rear which is great for the R12GS. But on 8GS the front is hampered by keyswitch location. Rear is hampered by elongated dirtbike seat halfway up "tank". But the Chicane has four D-rings, one each corner, so I plan to affix paracord to four accessible points on the frame and hold the bag down that way. The cord will run thru sections of bicycle innertube to protect the paint on the rental.

I still wonder what tankbag options are out there for the 8GS. There's not much room on the "tank". I am not a GPS convert - yet - and still like my tankbag with a map staring me in the face.

Watch for a RR here on the MOA forum sometime later in September.

soffiler said:

Thanks again ChiTown!

The accessory outlet location makes it quite convenient to electrify a tankbag. I'll be running chargers for cell phone, MP3 player, and Palm Pilot. Experimenting with voice memos on the MP3 rather than notepad and pencil. Also experimenting with National Geographic Topo maps on the Palm. Not for primary nav by any means, more for the WTFAW? situations if any should arise.

For tankbag I have prepared a makeshift adapter scheme for my Chicane "12GS" bag. Stock mount design is single, central strap front and rear which is great for the R12GS. But on 8GS the front is hampered by keyswitch location. Rear is hampered by elongated dirtbike seat halfway up "tank". But the Chicane has four D-rings, one each corner, so I plan to affix paracord to four accessible points on the frame and hold the bag down that way. The cord will run thru sections of bicycle innertube to protect the paint on the rental.

I still wonder what tankbag options are out there for the 8GS. There's not much room on the "tank". I am not a GPS convert - yet - and still like my tankbag with a map staring me in the face.

Watch for a RR here on the MOA forum sometime later in September.

Click to expand...

http://www.wunderlichamerica.com/mm...A&Product_Code=1250111&Category_Code=F800GS-L

Pricey for one-time rental, but very well designed, fitted to 8GS tank, has 'outlet' opening for electrics, great map case

CourtFisher said:

http://www.wunderlichamerica.com/mm...A&Product_Code=1250111&Category_Code=F800GS-L

Pricey for one-time rental, but very well designed, fitted to 8GS tank, has 'outlet' opening for electrics, great map case

Click to expand...

Thanks much. Looks like very nice stuff! I can't say that I was serious about investing in an 8GS-specific tankbag, but I asked the question because I wanted to see how they were handling the mounting situation, looking to possibly crib some ideas.