Really excellent review, maybe the most professional one I have heard so far. I have ridden a 750 for a while and its behavior on twisties is like you said here...very comfortable, very handling. This was maybe the best reason I choose it.
Thank you for the excellent review. I’ve driven the F750 for 30k and enjoyed touring with it. It handles well and 40 to 50kg luggage seems to balance the bike even better, making driving a pleasure. I agree that it is probably not the first choice for tall riders. I had to put the rear suspension setting to passenger to get a decent hight. Recently, I’ve exchanged my F750 for a F850. I love the extra power en torque, propelling you forward. Is a tall bike, even in rain mode I can stretch my legs flatfooted. However, back with your feet on the foot pegs, the position of the legs is more or less the same as on the F750. Up to now the main difference is the handeling, cornering etc at different speeds. For me, it takes getting used to, but a bar raiser did help. Can’t wait to go touring, all road…….
Thanks, Santana! It means a lot to us to hear, and I'm glad you liked the video! :-) And congratulations on your new bike! What accessories did you get for it?
Thank you gentlemen for your entertaining and informative videos. I've watched them all. I'm agonising over the 750 or 850 but the standard height of the 750 with ESA seems to wins out. I have to be confident (feet down) and comfortable (not extra low "torture" seat) after having a lot of different bikes previously. I saw your video on the aftermarket lowering of the 850 and still keep ESA, and that is VERY interesting, but in AUS its still about a $4k difference in price for 850 over 750. Will I ride on some graded dirt roads...yeah sure, but mountain trails, I don't think so. The better upright position and more power on the 850 is very tempting. Arghhhhh!!! It's such a hard decision when dealers don't have any stock to test ride and won't have any in this current climate.
Interesting comparison, thanks. I have the F750GS (I've owned it about 10 weeks now and done 1800 miles). I'm quite heavy, but I have to admit I am quite happy with the standard seat. I'm also happy with the power and on-road bias. And finally, the F850GS is too tall for me.
Hey, Richard! It is a great bike! Have you tried the comfort seat? For me, on my old F700GS I had before, I drove around on the stock seat and didn't realise it could be any different, but I did squirm around in the seat quite a lot on the longer stretches, when I was driving for 6-10 hours per day. Then, I tried an after market saddle from Sergeant, and it was like a whole new bike. It blew my mind.
@@MotorcycleTourists Well I guess we don't know what we don't know... So far - for me - the bike seems very comfortable, and I have not felt any discomfort - but perhaps on longer stretches I may wish for something better. Only one way to find out.
Wow gentlemen, what a fantastic video and review! Your riding tests are real-world and relevant to most everyday riding, and your video is very professionally done! Thank you so much for the effort you made to enlighten so many of us "normal" riders. Others can learn that it's not just about out & out horsepower and speed. Well done, great job, and thanks for sharing! Best regards from South Africa!
You guys are great - very sincere and very knowledgeable. Your comparative preferences helped me make my decision. I bought an F850GSA today! Thanks for being a part of my decision making process. I would love to spend a few days on a trip with you guys, chatting about bikes and life. Best to you.
Hey, Keith! Hope you’re happy with it, and we wish you many safe riding days :-) Who knows, maybe we’ll bump into each other somewhere along the road! 👍
Growing horns is exactly what i felt when I got onto the 750. The quickshifter made me feel like i was riding a 50cc with aggressive down gearing...that slipper clutch makes all the diffs.
Very good video. Well, that settles it... I'm going for the 750 coz it's lower, good for my 5'7" height. I'd probably change to knobby tires for trail rides.
Brilliant video contrasting 2 very similar bikes made with a good sense of humour. Appreciate the detail about seat height being one of those riders with shorter legs, when will other reviewers learn it's your inside leg measurement that matters not your height.
Thanks! And congratulations! It’s certainly a nice bike! Miguel got one, but opted for progressive springs instead of factory lowered, in order to both lower it and keep the Dynamic ESA. It made for a slightly stiffer suspension. I’m very curious to know what the factory lowered suspension feels like!
For when a video about motorcycle and travel gear/equipment? Thank you for all your feedback about the 750 GS! It really helped me with my choice and no regrets 8000 Km after 😉 Best regards from Portugal 🇵🇹
Fantastic review. Are you father and son? The way you speak with each other is so pleasant, respectful and thoughtful. Every statement had purpose. Nothing was performative. I don’t know if it’s an American thing to talk too much and embellish the message, but this simple honesty was refreshing. And I laughed out loud at the “medieval torture device called seats” comment haha 👌 Cheers.
Hey, Arthur! We are indeed! We’re also best friends, and we ride all over the world together. Dad got me bitten by the motorcycle bug, guided me away from the idea of giant scooters and onto the path of adventure bikes, and adventures in general. He gave me a lifelong hobby and passion, and we really connected through it :-) I’ll show him your message later tonight, and I know it will mean the world to him.
Thank you. Very comprehensive review and comparison. I tried both in city riding only with a bit of motorway. The 850 was preferred as the motor just has that bit more punch and flexibility. The 850 was surprisingly confidence inspiring as your video suggests. Both nice bikes though.
17:20 Here you're addressing a very important point. Many riders underestimate how important it is to have a safe stand with a motorcycle. A safe stand with both feet completely on the ground gives safety and confidence to the motorcycle. Just like you, I've often seen riders at traffic lights tilt around on their toes on a 250 kilo bike. It is much too unsafe and the risk that such a bike falls over or that of an accident is significantly higher. That would be out of the question for me.
Cheers, and I agree. We put a lowered saddle and progressive springs in our 850, and now Miguel can plant his feet solidly on the ground, a bit wide, even 👍
Great review guys! I have a 2012 f650gs (bought brand new) and love it, but will upgrade to get more power and off road capability. Surprisingly, I can do quite a bit of off roading (dirt, gravel) with my f650 as I have all the protection on it with a heavy duty skid plate, and Michelin Anakee tires, so even at 5'7"/66 years old, I will probably prefer the f850. I rode a 1250gs recently and it is a beast - beautiful on the highway, but off road, for me it's tall and heavy. I'm not boulder jumping, but I have had the 650 on bad mountain dirt roads, in sand, crossing streams, etc. So my guess is the f850 will more than suit my needs, maybe just lower the suspension?
thx for a good video. I just got a 850 gs for the wife and 1250 gsa for me , cant wait to get on the road . we are still in winter mode here in denmark so i am waiting for spring.
@@MotorcycleTourists Had a 1200 GSA from 2014-2017 sold it and bought a K1600 GTL. The K1600 was fun but we like to go on long trips and camping, and the k1600 cant take that much cargo (tent..sleeping bags....). The R1200 GSA was to slow and underpowered for me, no fun factor, and when i tryed the new R1250 i was in love again. Why GSA, i think it looks better and i like the large tank.
Cheers! Thanks for the reply! I agree that the 1250 has a lot more fun factor than the 1200. I drove around on a 1200 for a few months last summer and it felt a bit utilitarian to me. The 750 had a much higher fun factor. I tried the 1250 a few months ago, while waiting for ours to be delivered, and it's on a whole new level, compared to the 1200. Those shift cams sure work wonders on the mood :-D
Agree. I tested both thoroughly and I basically felt the 850 to be more tailor-made to me (I'm 6'). I also like best the white version on the 850 than the 750, plus the spoke wheels. I ended up with the 850 (last week). I came from a Royal Enfield 350 Classic so it was quite an upgrade.
@@MotorcycleTourists first looks, second, ease of repairing, and third, I've never done off road before. I'd really like to try though. So far in the city turned out to be an awesome bike.
You make awesome reviews... I love your voice too. So soothing. I'm almost sold on the 750. I watched a review stating that the 750 isn't for big guys (I'm 95kg) because of suspension in the front; but in your review of the bike you told it wasn't a issue so that's reconforting.
Thanks, Kelly! Truly appreciated! Maybe I'll do audio-books at some point ;-) I don't think you need to worry at all. At 95kg, the bike will hardly notice you on it. I'm a lot heavier than that, not quite twice as much, but definitely a lot more, and I've never felt the suspension came up short, bottomed out or left me wanting. Neither on gravel roads nor on absolutely horrendously wrinkly, broken asphalt with potholes. In fact, it's one of the very few bikes in the segment that can handle my weight on such terrain with next to no effort.
@@MotorcycleTourists Just wanted to let you know I finally had a chance to watch the rest of your posted reviews. Again, great job and love the scenery also. Do you guys have anything in the works coming up? Any thoughts of doing the Suzuki V-Strom 650 or Triumph Tigers?
Hey! We sure do! We got a few more videos planned for the 850 in terms of accessories and mods. We’re trying them out now and planning the videos. We also plan on doing some videos about riding gear and at least three new bikes ;-) It’s been a bit of a slow winter with everything buried in snow, but we’re ramping up now again for the summer, so stay tuned! We actually did reviews of both the V-Strom 650 and Triumph Tiger last year, but I wasn’t happy with the way they turned out (we were on Gran Canaria for those reviews and the audio turned out crap). We’ve since invested in professional audio equipment, so hopefully that’ll never happen again! We’ll definitely give both of them another go as soon as we can! We got a bunch of b-roll and riding footage we can use, but need to reshoot quite a bit.
Thanks Vicha! Truly appreciate it! I’ll have to check the name of the song next week when I get back. I’m abroad on vacation right now, but I’ll get back to you as soon as I’m in front of my computer :-)
Hey Vicha! The song is called Teenage Lullaby, by Ooyy. I've licensed it via Epidemic Sound. You can listen to it here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5_FdqTT6Ztg.html
Great Review Guys i Am New Sub....You Both Had Good Reviews of Both Bikes and Were Funny !! I Am Buying The 750 in 2 Weeks and Yes Will Replace Seat and Bigger Windshield For Wind and Then She Will Be Perfect For Me.....Most of My Driving Will Be City and Some Freeway Here in Los Angeles.
Thanks for the great job! Very useful especially for people who are "between" africa, 750 and 850. Maybe important would be also to pay attention to abilities to make the BMW lower (non beatable by other manufacturers) - may be important to add into description something about 850
Thanks! You’re right, even lowered, the 850 has more suspension travel than the 750, but you lose out on Dynamic ESA (suspension adjustment with riding programs). I haven’t had a chance to try a lowered one, so I don’t know what they’re like. Miguel considered having his 850 factory lowered, but opted instead to keep the Dynamic ESA.
Great video as always Jesse. I tested both bikes extensively since I wanted to trade my F700, I daily commute with my bike, heavy traffic involved with occasional out of town trips. The 850 was sweet, gear ratios were spot on, torquey on every gear/revs, but the 750 was horrible, very lumpy ride, unlike my 700, you have to be in the correct gear every time, you can’t go 2nd gear on low revs. The 750 ride rough and definitely not at home in congested roads. Disappointed since the 850 felt great in this scenario but with a 21” wheel, the bike is noticeable less nimble. I guess I’ll keep the 700 for now. Any comments?
Hey, Luis! Thank you so much! The 850 does pack a bit more oomph, for sure. I didn’t have that clunky experience with the 750, though. Admittedly, the 700 was wonderful gearing for city traffic with its very long 1st gear. That is something I really liked with the 700. Then again, I haven’t driven so much in congested traffic. A bit, but not that much. Maybe it was faulty?
I’m being offered a small mileage 850 but at the same time thinking about a brand new 750 for the same money. I’m 1.80 but feel intimidated by the height of the 850. Could I use a 19” wheel on the 850? I’ll be riding mostly road, so you would say: go for the obvious choice 750; but I like the feeling of riding the superior bike that the 850 is
Very nice review and generally very good video editing. I would have liked a caption on the riding sections showing which bike you are riding as they look so similar.
Hey, Steve! Thanks for the great feedback! I hadn’t thought of that, but I will in the future! (You can usually tell by the 850 having a taller screen), but caption would have made it much more obvious. Thanks again for the tip and for taking the time to post it :-)
The BMW low seat on the 850 makes touring on it very unpleasant if you are a tall person. I ride/drive the 850 like i'm playing GTA. It's no where near the comfort level of the last beemer I owned but it's fun and I take it off-road without feeling guilty.
Cheers! Sargent, and a few others offer after market low comfort saddles that are a clear improvement. That said, there’s only so much miracle one can expect from a single inch or less of padding. A review of the one from Sargent is being made as we speak (type?) 👍
You two are awesome together, liked and subscribed . Appreciate your thoughts and opinions on these 2 bikes , I am looking for a mid weight street bike that does everything . I do enjoy my 2004 919 Hornet , I like an upright seating position but still like the twistiest . I am 5’10 and like the lower seat height and I am in stop and go traffic at times .I do 💯 on road but still think mid size adventure bikes might be right for me .
Hi, Can i ask..... the 750 and 850 both benefit from a 853cc engine. Can the 750 engine be mapped to achieve the same power output as the identical 850 engine ? Thanks.
Off road is not major time riding a bike... So for me the F750 is better. I drove 4500 km in 15 days with it and i xan really say it's a fantastic bike!
Yo estoy contento con mi 850. Cierto es que no he probado la 750. Mi elección realmente fue debido a que en el concesionario la 850 era una 40 aniversario y me gustaban los colores…
Thank you for this video, it was very helpful. I really want the 850 but i am a little short so i don't know how i will do on the 850. I did up to the start of this year have a F800R & i was tippy toe on that bike, but i was happy & i never dropped it. I mite have to go for the 750, but i really like the spoke wheels on the 850. I guess when i am closer to buying i will try both bikes & see what happens, great video guys. From Australia
Friends is there more than like 👍🏻 and subscribe to do for the best compare i have seen ever , great keep the same work this is the best . Waiting for r 1200 gs vs f 850 as soon as possible
Hey, Abdullah! Thanks for the support! :-) Likes and subscribes is what helps us grow! We’re making a 1250 vs 850 soon. COVID pandemic has forced us to alter our plans and delayed us a bit, but it’s in the making :-)
I’ve been driving my F800GS for almost 11 years and eventhough you say the seat’s rubbish, I don’t agree… I’ve been a motorbike courier for quite some time, doing at least 5-600km a day running from left to right and I felt just great on my little honey.
I have 29" legs, and my F750GS is ok with the Wunderlich low seat, and really tall boots. I can't quite flat foot it. The 850 with low seat is still a couple of inches too tall for me, and not as good a road bike.
The 310 is junk. It's made in India and cost over 6 grand u.s.. it's a big bike height wise. But it feels very cheap and has no power. I'm 6ft3 200 lbs. In fact, sitting next to a750 or a 850 they look very similar. People who bought the 310 are already trading them in. I've seen quite a few under a 1000 miles. They are junk. Buy a650 or bigger and you'll be much happier. And you'll get an actual bike made in Germany.
@@jimgordon3468 the price of f850 is almost x3 times from g310, yes g310 is a cheap bike(bmw) but its best in class. I am looking for f750gs after rode g310 below 1,000 km., But i still saying its best in class and enough for cruise speed 120-140 km/hr.
750 with smaller front wheel will obviously be better around the corners on the road. 850 will not be as good as the 750 on the road but will be better off road.
Good review. Thanks for taking the time to do this. I don’t know what the deal is with BMW seats. Last year I spent a ton of money on a new, fully loaded R1250RT, and I couldn’t ride it for more than an hour because the seat was so painful. I was really upset to have to go out and spend another $900 on a seat for this “premium” machine.
Thanks, glad you liked it! I hear you! BMWs comfort saddles aren’t bad, but their stock saddles generally are :-) Not sure why.. Would have thought a manufacturer like BMW wouldn’t want to associate their brand with poor comfort in any way.
Coming from from a 750GS (which I loved) and after riding a 850 extensively, I recommend you to try a 1250GS. It’s a hoot! although a comfortable and very well balanced bike. Hope you can test that bike and give us your unbiased opinion.
Tested both and bought an Africa Twin. I think these bikes are over priced and quite doll. Fortunately there are plenty of bikes in this segment too choose from and a very attractive second hand market.
What I really wanted to know - and you didn't talk about it at all - is what advantages come from the lower powered engine. BMW must have had something in mind when they de-tuned that engine, so what does the 750 owner get out of it?
Hey, Dale! Good question and the answer is nothing. Plain and simple. There is no logical reason why the 750 is detuned down from the 850. I don’t know, but I’m guessing it’s a marketing thing. They have near enough identical fuel consumption, so that’s not it either, if anyone was guessing. At least, the difference is too small to merit it as a point alone. If anyone actually knows, or has facts, I’d love to hear them!
Since they both have the same engine, I would assume that a simple chip swap would up the HP on the 750 and make it the same, yes? But would that also void the warranty?
Very good video, I enjoyed a lot! I am thinking about both bikes. From which country are you recording? Here where I live the 850 is 25% more expensive. I am a short guy , but I was more impressed with the 850, unfortunately here in my country only the 850 comes with the TFT dashboard. I am going to wait until next year to buy it, and I will only rely on the low seat version if I do feel terribly insecure on the ordinary bike. The reason I will wait is because I have heard there are a few problems with these bikes, engine related. Thank you for the video!
Hi! I’m glad you liked the video! I live in Sweden, but some of the videos are recorded in Gran Canaria :-) How Come only the 850 comes with the TFT? What country are you from? There have been some issues with the early bikes and the engines, yes. But I think all those problems have been fixed by now, though. If you liked the 850, go for that. You can get it factory lowered if it’s too tall for you. You lose a little bit of suspension travel, but that’s the price we pay for being short :-)
What height are you guys? Trying to get an idea of how seat height will work for me. II thought I'd leave here wanting the 750, but the 850 is certainly sounding good....
Liked the review. Is comprehensive. Good job. However i have one comment: in your review about 750 made in the video where you went in north cap, you said that the sadle is very comfortable and that you don't need an aftermarket one. It's quite confusing hearing you todat saying the exact opposite. Can you explain?
Hello, Serban! Sure thing! It might not have been easy to see (and maybe only explained in one of the older ones), but in that video, I was riding with the BMW comfort saddle, not the regular one. The BMW comfort saddle is quite good, but the regular stock saddles are not. I hope that clarified it :-) Ride safe!
Thanks for the great review. The 750 is my bike. However, I'd buy the 850 simply coz of the straight riding position, and extra horsepower. Such a pity that BMW doesn't use the comfy R1200GS seat on these bikes. It's a small change in return for attracting more customers, me for one.
So people keep telling me 😁 In fairness, we use the same word in Swedish to drive a car and ride a motorcycle. I’ll blame it on English being my third language, but I’ll try and get it right in the future 😉
Nice review guys thanks. is it posible to mapp the 750 with the same as the 850 have perhaps ? ? Handelbar shuld be abel to change to the 850's handelbar if this makes u sitt better allso right ?? ?
Hello, Göran! I’ve read somewhere that it’s possible, but it’ll probably void the warranty. I’d rather consider a factory lowered 850 instead of a remapped 750, if the height difference is the show stopper for you. It’s also not just the shape and size of the handlebar, but the position of it and the overall ergonomics of the bike. The 750 is undeniably more “street bike” shaped while the 850 is more “adventure bike” shaped. Out of curiosity, if the 850 is more your thing, why not get that instead of reshaping the 750? That said, you can probably do it, just not sure it’s worth it. The cost would probably be higher than the price difference between the two.
Great review gentleman, l bought a f 750 in November, got 1500 miles on it and love it so far, no problems at all but like u l am disappointed in the stock saddle and l wish someone would develop a comfort seat maintaining the same seat height of that s possible.
You could try the low comfort seat from Wünderlich, and raise the handlebar with a spacer, for a whole new experience in comfort :-) I don’t know if any of the other companies out there, like Sargent, have made it to market yet with their comfort seats. But I expect they’re not far behind.
Those are rental bikes :-) Ours have the Vario cases, but it’s mid-winter, freezing cold and tons of snow here in Sweden. So we took a trip to Gran Canaria and booked those bikes from a rental agency ;-)
Will make that soon! We’re on the continent going through the Alps and Carpathians filming now for the next video. Miguel’s mods is the next video after that :-)
Thanks for the efforts on your videos. I am looking at a new F850 GS and GS Adventure. I am 173 cm tall. After viewing your video maybe I should rethink the 850. I was under impression I could get a lowering kit that would make the fit ok. Do you have any "must have" accessories you recommend? What do you think of the BMW Motorrad Navigator VI?
Thanks, jbrose! Glad you liked it! We put a lowered seat and progressive springs in the suspension on the 850, now Miguel reaches to ground with his feet planted slightly wide, even. It made The suspension a bit firmer (because of less travel, of course), and we have to replace the side stand with the shorter one. Seems to work okay! We’re planning on doing a video about it in the coming weeks. I like the navigator, and a lot so because you can control it using the controls on the handle bar, which makes it the best option for your BMW. As for must have accessories, a bracket to mount the GPS above the dash like on the 1220/1250GS is a must have if you ride with a gps. The factory mount for the gps on the handlebar is outright dangerous, since it requires you to take your eyes off the traffic completely in order to check the gps. I personally love the TFT display and keyless ride. We also mounted the adjustable windscreen from the 850GSA on both the 750GS and the 850GS. Big improvement. Then there’s luggage, of course, of which there are many, many options. But that’s a whole other topic :-) Quick shift is nice, but nothing most people couldn’t live without. I use it mainly to downshift into curves. It’s a pure convenience, but not a must have. I can see if you’re going off-road and standing on the pegs, it would be even more convenient, since you can shift without using the clutch. On the other hand, a solid thump from the side when you drop it and it’ll probably bend or break, leaving you stranded, so it’s a trade-off.
@@MotorcycleTourists Where did you find the adjustable screen for the 850GSA? I only see an option for a screen 4" taller for the 750GS which makes it the same size as the stock 850GS screen. Is it a direct fit and how much did it cost you?
