BMW F750GS - Honest owner's review after 10 000 km 

Hey, Daniel! Thanks for the kind words! Much appreciated :-)

Instablaster...

How did you move the GPS mount. Did you have to extend the wires?

@@demotors070161 nope, cables are all fine, didn't need to change them. Just did the simple swap over. Easy 10 minutes job

Cheers, Goncalo! Glad you liked it! 👍

Hey, Sun! Thanks for the kind words! I appreciate it, and try my best :-)

Hey! Thanks! And congratulations!

Hey, Blackie! Thanks for the nice words! Means a lot to me to hear :-) Glad you liked it!

Hey, Richard! Thanks for the nice words! I’ll do my very best to keep them coming :-)

Thanks, Stephen! What colour did you pick, and what accessories and “doohickeys”?

Cheers, Aussie! You're most welcome! It's a great bike, and much appreciated especially by shorter riders. If your wife is tall, there's taller seat options from the factory that you can look into. If she's average height, the comfort saddle is a recommended accessory. The stock saddle is not very comfortable (like sitting on a bakelite phone from the 80's). There's also a low saddle oem, but it's even worse than the regular one. I would recommend looking at a low comfort seat from Wünderlich or Touratech or some other after-market, if the oem comfort seat is too tall. Hope she likes the bike! :)

Hey, Ross! Thanks for the kind words, I'm glad you liked it :-) It's always nice to hear!

Cheers, Brian!

Thanks! I appreciate it :-) I told him about your comment, and he likes the idea of doing a comparison. Not sure when we could get around to it since he lives in the other end of the country at the moment, but hopefully we can do a video on the topic early next season. Winter is crawling in and there’ll be snow everywhere in a few weeks, most likely. So April probably. During winter we travel all over and rent bikes, and not maybe very likely to come across a DR650 at a rental :-)

Nothing laughable about it at all...not everyone shows complete bias and defend their purchases. I’ve owned about 35 bikes and I happily say to anyone what is shit and not.

Thanks, Matt! It means a lot to hear! It’s a fun and competent bike. Spirited and exciting, but predictable and gentle enough not to set your pants on fire. Hard to imagine a more compelling choice at the moment. Hope she likes it!

interesting ; very top heavy; 25 kg more than 500x and i feel the weight; if you try to pick it up;l i can't !! but

Hey, Robert! You’re most welcome, and glad you liked it! :-)

Thanks, Jacob! I appreciate the encouragement, and I’m glad you liked it! I have 750 vs 850 up too, if you haven’t seen it :-)

Cheers, Jeff! I’m glad you liked it!

Thanks, Gian! It's hopefully not the last one, though ;-) . More might be coming!

Óla, Henrique! Many, many thanks for your kind words. They truly made my day :-D Ride safe and far, on whatever bike you end up getting :-)

Cheers! Thanks for watching!

Cheers, Gisle! Nice to hear you liked it :-)

Totally agree! :-)

Thanks! I’ll be sure to berate my little bro for his total lack of table manners :-D Not sure it’ll help, but I will surely lord it over him ;-)

Hello, mr. Gecko! Thank you so much! Truly appreciated :-) This is a really tricky question! One I struggle with as well, as you pointed out! :-D As for the 850, it’s tall. Really tall, for us shorties. I can only barely get my toes down with the stock saddle. Gimping the suspension to lower it kind of defeats the purpose of getting it in the first place, and the stock saddle on those is just a cry short of a medieval torture device. And the lowered ones are even worse. So for a long trip like that, you really need the comfort saddle (which is about as comfortable as the stock saddle on the 1200), but then it’s just going to be too tall. I’m 5’ 10” and weigh around 340 lbs. When I sit on a bike, it goes “squeak” and gets lowered by a few of inches, which helps me reach the ground. Even so, the 850 with the stock saddle is too tall for my comfort. I’ve seen people who jump down to hang by their knee at traffic lights, because they’re so short, and their bikes are so tall, so sure, it can be done, but I wouldn’t choose it for myself. Also, the weight difference isn’t that huge between the 850 and the 1200GS. Also, I think at least in many parts of Asia, you will find the suspension on the 750 a bit lacking, if you’re used to the tele-para lever of a 1200GS. While the suspension on the 750GS is both great and much improved from the previous 700GS, it’s still not on par with the 1200. While the 750 is more fun than the 1200 (especially in the twisties), the 1200 is definitely more comfortable, especially on those long stretches. There’s a reason why it’s called “the king of the road”. The 750GS is quite road oriented, with some light offroad capability, and the 1200 is more a 50/50 bike. Even so, for every edge the 1200GS has over 750GS on offroad/bad roads, like better suspension, wider handlebar, better rider ergonomics and so on, the 750GS retorts with less weight and slightly more agility. You would probably welcome the naked bike feel of the F750GS in the blistering heat of Asia, where the wind will cool you down, and with a comfort saddle, you will sit well on it for hours on end. You would welcome the lighter weight, and added agility on it. But, in Europe, and on the highways and long stretches, you will miss the comfort of the 1200 that you’re used to, which eats miles for breakfast. So, there’s no clear winner here :-) Me, personally, on such a long and varied trip like that, both Europe and Asia, I would be really torn. I’d probably either want the new 1250GS, or the 1200GS Rallye. Not the adventure version, but the regular one. Bring a couple of empty, plastic fuel canisters for when I need the extra range, and save on the extra weight and bulk when I don’t. That, or maybe the new Honda CB500X 2019 model, with its 19” front wheel, or with a Rally Raid kit on it, because it has about the same range as the 1200GSA (500’ish and a bit km on a tank), but weighs like a moped. That, I think, might be a really good choice for spelunking about in Asia with. It kind of depends on whereabouts in Asia you plan on going, and how much mud, gravel and jungle you plan on seeing. But I wouldn’t maybe want it for the European highways, so probably the 1250GS. I suspect this didn’t help much, it just made the decision even more difficult :-) Comfort vs. lightweight agility is no easy choice, and one I struggle with continuously. Maybe consider swapping your 1200GSA for a 1200GS Ralleye. It’s a whole lot lighter and nimbler than the GSA. What do you think?

@@MotorcycleTourists Your so considerate. I plan on keeping my 12GSA low suspension bike because it is a 2018 Rally and loaded with everything. I also bought a Sargent low seat which is the best investment on earth for those bikes -- I know you said you have one too. I never felt uncomfortable for the 3 month trip. I will keep the bike because I use it in the States. I live in Florida so I cross the country -- done it twice and took 30 days to mess around from east to west each time. I will do it again and the 1200 is built for North America roads. Ok, so weight, weight, weight and height, height, height ... It means a lot when going to goofy places. 1200 GS/GSA could be the King but it constantly needs attention and help from my buddies when on crap roads or uphill situations. I am an average rider -- not bad at all, but not the best. 85 lbs. difference between the GSA and the 750GS is massive and maybe more fun than having some bad suspension. Also the seat height is huge -- I would love to sit flat footed with room to spare -- that equates to safety I think. I need to find out how bad the 750 is on dirt and gravel. So I keep coming back to trying the F750. I would load it up to the tits with Super High Windshield, all the conveniences and I would work hard to find spoked wheels if possible. For sure, add a third party comfy seat -- aka Sargent. I keep looking but other than suspension, the 750 looks very similar to the 850. Another big issue is fuel when going on some daily legs -- none available. A 15L tank sucks -- so I would add a Rotopax 2 gallon (8L fuel container) just in case and put it on pannier. I also saw your comment about the Nav location and I need to find a fix for that to rise it above the LCD -- it is a must when alone on occasion. Any help or anything you learn between now and end of January, please advise. There is no perfect answer but after riding the 1200GSA on shit situations, I am so into weight loss and low seat height. Thanks again. Phil.

Hey Phil! I think with a set of knobby tyres, or at least some 50/50 ones, you're good to conquer bad roads. It can get a bit bumpy, but I've not had any trouble with those. Light offroading is fine, too. Obviously, the 850 will be a smoother ride because of the softer, and longer suspension travel. Unless you're in my weight category, you will have access to most if not all of the suspension travel on the 750, so you'll be even better off. It might not be the very best tool for the job, but it's a damn good compromise :-) The 850GSA is out now, with its massive fuel tank, but it's close enough in weight to the 1200, to make the 1200 a viable option instead. I just finished two weeks of filming a comparison between the 750 and 850GS, which might shed some light for you. It'll take a while to edit all the footage, but hopefully it'll be up in a couple of weeks!

Hey, Mari! Thanks! I’m glad you liked it! Means a lot to hear :-)

my screen is 4x that hi. perfect. Perfect size as I'm 180cm; or 6' . such a differnt ride than my cb500x but the seat is not as comfy.

Cheers, Dana! Always nice to hear :-)

@@MotorcycleTourists bought the F750GS and it's going to be shipped next week

Hey, Dana! Congratulations! I hope you'll be happy with it. Let me know how the low suspension works out. I've been itching to try one with it, just to see if there's any noticeable difference.

Hey, Robson! I couldn’t agree more! I need three bikes. At least :-)

Hey, Andrew! I’m glad you liked it! And you should! It’s one of those things every motorcycle adventurer has to do. Check out Trollstigen and Lysebotn. Great pit stops along the way. Beware the food though, it’s mostly junk food along the road.

Cheers, David! Glad you liked it! The F700GS is a great bike. I had a lot of fun with mine :-)

Hello, Abdelatif! You're most welcome, and I'm glad you liked it! Safe rides to you as well, wherever your adventures take you.

Hello, Pomoz! Thanks! I’m glad you liked it :-) Toasted feet are, as you guessed, not an issue in this climate :-D The warmest I’ve ridden in is like 32 degrees Celsius, and at that temperature, I didn’t notice any heat coming from the engine, but in truth, it’s not something I was paying attention to. Same with the 700, didn’t think of it. Also, if I were to ride in Thailand, I think the 850 might be the better choice over the 750. As you mentioned, the roads there are what many might consider “off-road”. It’s a lot different here, where the roads are as smooth as a BMW dealer’s sales arguments. Try it out at such a dealer! Let me know if it runs hot. I’m quite curious to know the outcome!

Congratulations, and you’re most welcome! Ride safe 👍

Hey, Keuisr! Thanks, and I’m Glad you liked it! It’ll probably be a big change from the KTM Duke 790. I had a Duke 690R (single cylinder) earlier, but didn’t feel it was well enough suited to long distance travel. I haven’t tried the 790 twin, but I imagine the seat is as hard as ever :-)

​@@MotorcycleTouristsThe 790 Duke is a very good machine in its segment. But I wanted much more comfort for longer tours. And there are not many in the middle class who can keep up with BMW. And when I expressed my wish to my BMW dealer, he made me an offer that I could not refuse. ;)

Thanks! I’m glad you liked it :-)

Cheers, John! Truly appreciate it! The 850 isn't a bad touring machine, though. I'd even go so far as to say it's a smidge better than the 750, because of the rider ergonomics and increased power. If you have the legs of a giraffe and can ride it comfortably, that is. I can't. But my legs are super short. Like a cartoon, I have super long torso and tiny little legs, and the 850 is too tall for me. I'm in the process of editing a 750 vs 850 review, so stay tuned for that, if you're interested ;-)

Look forward too the review, Ride Safe! Out

Cheers! It does warm your legs a little bit. Not as bad as some other bikes, though. I just spent a week riding it around in 30°C at slow speeds; slow moving traffic, twisties, hairpins and so on. And every now and then I could feel the heat against my leg. Not enough to bother me, but enough to be noticed once in a while. But as soon as you get moving, it cools down and the wind cools you down too.

I’ve heard that many times. Going to have to try one out for myself soon...

Thanks, Oswaldo! Glad to hear you liked it! I hope is was of some use :-)

Thanks, Nick! We will!

Hey! I’m glad you liked it! The dynamic ESA lets you adjust the load as solo rider, rider with passenger and rider with luggage. I have it permanently set to rider with passenger, and that works for me and my weight 👍

Hey, Dmitry! You’re most welcome, and I’m glad you liked it! It’s a great bike and I’m sure you’ll have a lot of fun with it. Good luck with the license and ride safe :-)

Get the 1200gs rallye which can be lowered to very low seat height with bmw low suspensions and low seat. Idk why bmw hasn't made a low suspension kit for the 1250gs yet.

I had no idea! I thought of getting one on the F700GS, but ended up with the one from Sargent instead. That's very interesting, actually. I might try and see if my local dealer has a 700 or 800GS with a comfort saddle I can have a look at, just out of curiosity. But I think everyone can agree on the fact that the stock saddle on the F700GS and F800GS was ... well ... uncomfortable, to be diplomatic :D

How is the stock seat on the F750GS?

I haven’t tried the stock seat on the 750, only the comfort seat. If I were to guess, it’s a little more plush, but don’t know for sure. The dealer near me only brings in demo bikes with comfort seats too, so can’t go there to try.

Thanks for the reply

Hi, Elgin! Thanks for the kind words! :-) Did you see our comparison between the two?

Thanks, Richard! Glad you liked it 👍

It’s a great place to explore! Try it if you can, it’s worth it :-)

Hey, Erman! Glad you liked it :-)

Hello, Stuart! BMW has a long-standing history of confusing people with their model names. I'm guessing it's some sort of German humour. I honestly don't know. There is actually an 850 as well, which has the exact same engine, but is more off-road and touring oriented. Why they chose to call them F750GS and F850GS, instead of F850GS and R850GS or something like that, to differentiate between them, is a mystery on par with where all the odd socks go once you put them in the washer.

Thanks, Walther! Glad you liked it! :)

Cheers, Timur! Glad you liked it! :-)

Hey, Haohua! Thanks, and you’re most welcome!

You’re most welcome, Roy! :-)

Thanks, Manu! It’s nice to hear, and we’ll do our best 👍

Thank you, we appreciate it :-)

Thanks, Luis! Glad you liked it! Isn’t the TMax like an executive lounge on wheels? I actually almost got one as my first bike! But ended up a different route, so I never got around to even try it. And now, with the 750, all I can think about is when I get to go out on a long adventure tour next, and where to go.

Try a Honda X-ADV (it's 750cc). 😎

@@gordonLP I tried it and felt cramped for my 6'1" height, it was definetely faster than the Tmax but the F750GS will run circles arround it.

@@gordonLP Its very small though. Im 1.89 and you can't turn the steering full lock without it hitting your knees.

Oooh! Like I said in the video, I'm super torn between the F850 and F750. I think the F750 was maybe a better choice for me right now, because I don't do much in the way of off-roading, and I don't adventure all the way around the world yet. The F750 felt like it had better road handling, but the F850 wasn't that far off. It's still quite good. Not as good as the F750, but still good. Might be "good enough". I'll have to do a proper, really in-depth F750 vs F850 soon :-) Just to make sure. Maybe drive both every day for a couple of weeks or so.

Hello, Kelly! It *is* a tough choice! Everyone being different, what works for me, might not work for you! For me it was the suspension. The BMW suspension eats the others for breakfast, especially when the terrain gets rough, potholes, wrinkly asphalt, gravel or dirt roads. Those others you mentioned are very road oriented, with 17" front wheels and stiffer, shorter, road oriented suspension. Great bikes to travel on asphalt with, but not sure I'd want to take any of them on any gritty adventures and river crossings :-) But then again, last time in the Alps, some maniac on a Vespa overtook me in the Stelvio pass. So ... I guess the bike is only 20% of the experience, the other 80% is how crazy you are :-D

Thanks! Glad you liked it:-)

Thanks, Roger! Much appreciated :-) I’m glad you liked it!

I just ordered now the F750 GS :-) end of April I can pick up. Thanks and best regards

Hey, Terry! Thanks for the nice words! It means a lot :-) The comfort seat is 15mm taller, but the padding is a little softer I think, so maybe 10-12mm taller in practice when you sit on it.

Thanks, Gungor! I’m glad you liked it :-) I happen to be a bit of a foodie, so I might just follow your suggestions :-)

Congratulations!

Hey! I’m glad you liked it! :-) Do try the 1250, it’s definitely a fun bike, if for no other purpose to be sure that the 750 is the right one for you. The 1250 is almost twice as expensive, and definitely both bigger and heavier, so it’s going to depend entirely on your preferences, budget and what you fall in love with. Either way, both are great bikes, so you can’t really go wrong whichever you chose. Let me know which one you end up getting 🤠