BMW F 850 GS - review of the average of the GS family for the best in offroad (review and technical data)

The medium GS is a complete motorcycle, both well-equipped, comfortable and very well made (although the engines are made in India) all assembled in our western border. I invite you to test the BMW F 850gs, the motorcycle I decided to buy.

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F 850 GS how the review looks like

I would like to note at the outset that this review is based on a week spent with this motorcycle. I had the opportunity to ride in hot sunshine, on asphalt, and light off-road conditions (the tires don't allow for more). I traveled from Warsaw to Szczyrk, took a little spin around its corners, then returned and tested the bike in the city.

Duration of the test: 7 days.

Number of kilometers covered: 1000 km

The next important piece of information is that I bought the GS 850 in the Adventure version. So, on our website, you will be able to find plenty of information from a real user of this equipment. I invite you to visit regularly for updates on its subsequent use.

F family - BMW Motorrad

And after a few years since its premiere (2017), the most anticipated BMW model, the most off-road machine in the manufacturer's offer, landed in my hands. I present to you a review of the BMW F 850 GS.

The F series motorcycles are, let's admit, more financially accessible for a premium brand like BMW. The starting price for the basic BMW F 850 GS is 54,700 PLN (as of July 2022) and peaks at 68,990.04 PLN for the full version. What does the extra equipment include?

• GS Trophy Color (2,809 PLN)
• Comfort Package (3,709 PLN)
  • Dynamic ESA,
  • M Endurance chain,
  • Central stand,
  • Keyless system
• Dynamic Package (2,379 PLN)
  • LED headlight,
  • PRO gear changer
• Active Package (2,119 PLN)
  • Heated grips,
  • PRO driving modes,
  • Plate for the central top box

There are several mid-range BMW motorcycles to choose from. If you know that you'll be mainly riding on roads with a sporty approach, then you'd opt for the F 900 XR (review here).

The most affordable and the smallest in the family is the F 750 GS - which I also tested. It's equipped with the same engine as the 850 but with limited power. It's hard to compare them, especially in terms of the engine, but I invite you to read the aforementioned review.

The F 850 GS was refreshed in 2017, and since then, it hasn't undergone any significant changes apart from new paint jobs. After the updates, the motorcycle gained a stronger engine and a fierce modern look, which, thanks to its LED lights, is unmistakable from any other bike.

As you can see, it's been on the market for 5 years now, and BMW Motorrad will likely be updating this model soon.

BMW F 850 GS vs Honda Africa Twin - Technical Specifications

Users of these types of motorcycles probably most often wonder which one to choose: for asphalt, a bit of off-road, or more of an off-road proportion? I won't answer this question here as I'm preparing a comprehensive test of these two motorcycles. For now, just a few technical details for comparison.

It's worth noting that Honda refreshed its Africa Twin in 2018, adjusting and modifying the engine to meet new emission standards. As a result, it gained more power and thus an advantage over BMW.

Engine

Dimensions

Suspension

Let's take a closer look at the engine

The engine is a liquid-cooled, four-stroke, inline two-cylinder with four valves per cylinder, dual overhead camshafts, and a dry sump.

This engine delivers a solid dose of power, especially after my transition from the Honda NC750X, which can rather be described as sluggish than powerful. If you're wondering whether it can handle being fully loaded with a passenger, the answer is simple: Yes.

95 horsepower and various riding modes, especially when choosing the Dynamic option, handle well in any conditions and the engine pulls very smoothly.

The flexibility of the engine is as follows.

The engine would readily lift the motorcycle onto its rear wheel, but you don't have to worry about that. In the classic Road or Rain settings, you are protected by electronic systems that prevent it from lifting.

The only downside to the engine is its sound; unfortunately, it's not the most pleasant. Luckily, while riding, the exhaust takes precedence and it stops being a bother. On the other hand, a plus for the engine is the lack of vibrations. However, they will return depending on the tires you choose; if you opt for off-road ones, you'll feel some on the handlebars.

While testing the F 750 GS model, I was hit - literally by a wave of heat. Clearly, the motorcycle had a cooling problem, and in temperatures above 25 degrees, it added a tremendous amount of heat to your thighs.

This problem does not occur with the bigger GS models. I haven't noticed such issues even in the highest temperatures exceeding 30 degrees.

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Fuel consumption - you will be positively surprised

The fuel tank capacity is 15 liters and allows for a distance of about 400 km on the road. The BMW F 850 GS Adventure has a much larger fuel tank with a capacity of 24.4 liters. It's a machine for globe-trotting motorcyclists; you can ride half of Poland on a single tank. Reserve 3.5 l.

For such a powerful engine, the result is more than satisfactory, showing significant improvement over its predecessor F800 GS. In the city, the motorcycle will consume about 5.8 liters for you, while on the road it drops below 4 liters! It consumes the least fuel in its class, so you'll be refueling less frequently.

Dynamic package with Gear Shift Assistant Pro

There's some electronics here, but everything works very smoothly. Gear shift assistant - it's worth ordering it to make even better use of your GS's capabilities. It's a quickshifter that allows for gear shifting without using the clutch. For the system to work, you have to roll off the throttle; if the throttle grip is closed, you won't engage a higher gear. Reduction is possible, of course; the clutch equipped with anti-hopping will protect you from engine jerking and rear wheel slip.

In conclusion, the gearbox works very precisely. The gears engage with a pleasant click, and you'll easily find neutral.

Safety systems offered in the F 850 GS

BMW's touring enduro is equipped with a range of systems that take care of your safety. For example, there's the excellent DTC traction control - dynamic traction control, which in its sharpest variant - with the ignition map set to Rain - won't allow you to experience a rear wheel slip.

If you twist the throttle too much on gravel or wet surfaces, the DTC will smoothly do the job for you and you won't experience the characteristic knocking that prevents further throttle. It works smoothly, returning to acceleration after a moment just as you would expect.

For more experienced motorcyclists, the lack of adjustability might be a problem. Indeed, you can turn it off completely, but there's no gradation.

This is indirectly possible using ignition maps, e.g., it will behave differently when you activate the enduro pro mode - it will allow for rear wheel slips, and the dynamic ESA characteristic changes similarly.

Dynamic ESA is a system that adjusts the operation of the rear suspension in real-time to the current road conditions. The shock absorber works perfectly, whether the road is potholed or as smooth as a table; the rear tire will always have perfect grip.

Among the options, you have, for example, tire pressure control or cornering ABS, just like the shock absorber.

For longer trips' comfort, there's a cruise control that works from the lowest values. What's cool is that it doesn't disconnect when shifting to higher gears using the gear shift assistant (quickshifter).

You'll also get three progressively heated grips, but unlike the larger GS, there's no heated seat.

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The brakes are, of course, Brembo, which BMW has accustomed us to. They don't require a strong hand and are well modulated. You can adjust the levers to your liking with a knob. They are made of black plastic, and together with the hand guards, everything matches, a premium product. The front brakes consist of two floating discs with a diameter of 305 mm and a floating dual-piston caliper.

The rear braking is ensured by a single disc with a diameter of 265 mm and a floating single-piston caliper.

Enduro pro

This is the only mode that allows you to set the traction control, ABS, engine braking, or throttle response yourself. In other modes, these values are set by default, and you cannot modify them.

You change the motorcycle settings with the "Mode" button under your right hand on the handlebar. To save a value, you need to close the throttle for a moment. Naturally, you can do this while riding, which offroad enthusiasts will appreciate, just like the traction control, which you can turn off with a single button while riding.

The engine, after turning off and restarting, remains in the last selected mode.

And there was light - LEDs in BMW F850 GS

In Szczyrk, where I went for a test, there are plenty of places where I had the opportunity to check it.

These lights are somewhat a hallmark of BMW GS, regardless of engine capacity. When you see these lamps, everyone knows that a GS is passing by.

Two strips account for the low and high beams, and the remaining four for the parking and daytime lights.

This bike doesn't have the cornering light function introduced by Honda Africa Twin in its new 2020 model. Remember, the GS 850 debuted in 2017.

These lamps, however, are present in the larger GS R 1250 - which I, of course, tested for you.

6.5-inch display with connectivity system

I've discussed it many times when talking about previous BMW models. I'll just re-emphasize that, along with the control ring, it's my favorite system in all modern motorcycles.

Very intuitive, perfectly readable even in bright sunlight. It allows you to connect via Bluetooth to a phone and two helmets. Thanks to an app that you'll learn about in a moment, you can play music, control it, and make phone calls. It's cool that the photo of the selected person appears on the motorcycle's screen.

Dedicated BMW Connected app

I haven't mentioned the Connected app yet. You can set navigation on it, which works very decently, showing when and where you will need to turn, somewhat like motorcycle rally maps.

You can plan a route on it, send it to the motorcycle, find the nearest POI - restaurant, hotel, or gas station, all while riding without the need to touch the phone.

Another useful feature is recording your routes, statistics, or, for example, locating photos from your trips and placing them on a map.

Quick help in emergency situations - SOS

On the right side of the handlebar, we have the SOS system equipped with three scenarios.

A series of sensors ensure that the system will call the helpline for help in the event of a serious accident.

During a minor fall, such as laying the motorcycle down or a simple parking mishap, the system will call for help with a slight delay. You then have time to turn it off before the call goes through.

The third and last scenario is to independently call for help for yourself or other road users.

Keyless ride - keyless system

Another piece of electronics that I hope won't disappoint. The steering lock, ignition, fuel filler flap, or alarm system are activated with a transponder from the key, which can be in your pocket.

If you approach within less than 2 meters, the steering lock is automatically unlocked. To lock it, just press a button on the key.

After turning off the ignition and moving away 2 meters, the system automatically activates the alarm system.

Review summary of BMW F 850 GS

Touring enduro from the heavy category, and it's not an exaggeration. It's genuinely difficult to maneuver off-road, which you will see in the attached video. The test model admittedly had road tires, but later I had a chance to ride my own F 850 gs in the adventure version on Metzler Karoo 3s, and it performs well off-road in terms of power reserve, torque, and grip. Only the weight and size are issues.

Wind protection

Thanks to dynamic esa, with one click of the left thumb, you can lift it further - if you're riding with a passenger or luggage, it's super convenient. This mid-sized GS, equipped with a gearshift assistant, is very comfortable and will serve you well for long-distance asphalt trips. However, the windscreen, or rather a short screen, won't protect you much from the airflow. It's adjustable in two stages, and you can do it with one hand, but it's very short and rather aimed at motorcycle rally enthusiasts.

The covers also protect the knees. I believe this protection is adequate. It's a good compromise between cooling on hot days - some wind gets in - and protection from the wind on the road. The elements are so fitted that you have a lot of space for your knees even with such long joints as mine.

BMW's off-road representative

As I mentioned at the beginning, this is the most off-road of the GS range. Just look at the technical data; the large GS has a 17-inch front wheel, here we have 21 inches and a narrow tire. This helps even when slogging through deep sand.

Gearbox

The gearbox works smoothly, and you'll easily find neutral, gears engage with a pleasant click. Another sentence about the size of the BMW: sitting on it in the highest ESA position, I touch the ground with the tips of my fingers (I'm 190 cm tall), which speaks volumes. I tried to understand why it is so, and on the saddle there's written "high," which probably means that it's the version with a higher seat. The distance from the saddle to the ground is 88 cm.

Comfort in BMW style

When it comes to the riding position, nothing is compromised in terms of comfort. The position is comfortable, and the footrests are located in such a way that even after many hours behind the handlebars, you won't get tired of them. The footrests are admittedly narrow, but this is not an ADV; however, without the need to tinker with a screwdriver, you can remove their rubber and reveal spikes for better grip.

Finally, because it may be important for some, the battery is now located under the seat and is easily accessible. You can remove the seat with a key. There's also a fairly large storage compartment there for basic tools. You don't have to remove the battery to charge it; BMW has equipped the motorcycle with two power sockets on the left side, similar to a mini cigarette lighter - with this, you can charge the battery. On the right, you have a USB port for charging your phone.

It's up to you on which tires your new GS will leave the factory. At the time of writing this review, the choice between road and gravel tires was available without any additional charges.