The BMW F 800 GS ridden beyond the tarmac
BMW Motorrad’s enduring tagline, “Make life a ride,” truly embodies the spirit of its diverse motorcycle lineup. Whether it’s just a “Starbucks ride” or an extended exploration of remote adventure ride routes, BMW offers a machine tailored to every journey.
Staying true to this ethos, BMW Motorrad’s introduction of the F 800 GS (alongside the F 900 GS and F 900 GS Adventure about a year ago) provides motorcycle enthusiasts eager to venture into the world of adventure riding with a less daunting and more “beginner-friendly” entry point.
Serving as a more approachable all-road tourer within BMW’s adventure bike lineup, the F 800 GS offers a detuned but still capable version of the 895cc engine found in the F 900 GS and its Adventure counterpart. Its 19/17-inch alloy wheels cater to a mix of road and light off-road use, supported by two riding modes Road and Rain. Also, its very low seat height contributes to its user-friendly nature, designed to be unintimidating for a broader spectrum of riders.
More like 95% road, 5% off-road tires
Road tires, no problem!
Despite BMW Motorrad marketing the F 800 GS as an “all-road” machine, my adventure bike buddies have always leaned heavily towards the off-beaten tracks. To be fair, they initially assured me “puro kalsada lang tayo” – meaning it would be strictly on paved roads. That assurance was also delivered with a wink and an evil grin on their faces. I already knew that I’ll be in for some serious off-road action.
Our route was pretty straightforward: start from Doña Remedios Trinidad (DRT) in Bulacan, then stitch the various mountain backroads that will soon land us in Nueva Ecija, more particularly, in Palayan City.
Ahon!
Typically, at the start of these adventure rides, the local guides (also riding big adventure bikes) will lead participants, especially first-timers, through some technical “warm-up” sections as a way to both prepare the riders and for the guides to assess their skill levels before tackling the main adventure routes.
The F 800 GS, equipped with its road-biased Maxxis Maxxventure tires, found the gnarly warm-up sections exceptionally challenging and slippery. Good thing at this point that the prolonged dry spell worked in its favor, allowing the tires to maintain a decent grip and enabling the F 800 GS to power through with well-applied momentum and with traction control off, especially in the uphill sections.
F 900 GS territory
Following the challenging warm-up, the F 800 GS showcased its surprisingly capable nature as we cruised the backroads towards the Bulacan-Nueva Ecija boundary at Minalungao National Park. After crossing the river, we reached Palale in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija, near Laur, which proved to be the true test.
The incredibly steep inclines leading to the ridge presented a significant challenge, even for bikes equipped with more off-road oriented 50/50 tires. This terrain seemed decidedly outside of the F 800 GS’s comfort zone. However, drawing on its F 900 GS DNA, this bike defied expectations, conquering the ascent on its very first attempt.
From that point on, the ride was smooth, and we were rewarded with breathtaking panoramic views from left and right.
Two riding modes: Rain and Road
Stripped down to basics in terms of suspension and lacking the electronic wizardry of complex ABS and riding modes, the F 800 GS still showed it had the grit to play in the same challenging sandbox as the more sophisticated adventure bikes in BMW’s stable.
With the growing popularity of adventure riding these days, the F 800 GS has effectively made budol rides accessible even for beginners, which can inspire them to join without hesitation.
