“Around 18 months ago I traded in my 1150RS for the rather smaller F700GS. As I'm getting older I found the lower bars on the 1150 induced pain in my wrists on longer runs and the wide turning circle meant I only used the bike for mainland trips and not on the small roads of the Isle of Wight where I live.
I borrowed the F700GS from a main dealer in Guildford and took it for an extended ride over two hours taking in motorways, A roads, the twisty lanes and city riding - quite a comprehensive test. During that two hours I had more fun on a bike than I'd had for years and even the sales guy noticed I still had a grin on my face when I got back to the showroom.
One of the notable things about the F700GS is the tractability of its detuned 800cc engine (yes that is right - actually 798cc) it's a very easy bike to ride, and even with full luggage it cruises effortless at 80mph. Obviously its more economic if the panniers are removed at those sport of speeds. The bike handles well, the wide bars making low speed handling particularly easy, the brakes are good, and the gearbox is reliable - if a little clunky.
One of the biggest changes was getting used to a chain drive again. Mine's fitted with a Scott Oiler - and I wouldn't contemplate buying a bike like this without one.
So - basically a delight to ride; and I'm much less likely to get a speeding ticket. The bigger bike used to eat up the motorway miles so easily - all too often at speeds way above the legal limit.”
“I bought this following several years not riding and relatively inexperienced, I wanted something easy to ride and ideal for commuting, this bike does both vey well.”
