Terra or F800GS

Terra ownership in Canada seems like to much of a hassle. I realize the F800GS is a more pricey option. Has anyone ridden both so they can comment. Thanks.

Ride both. I did and bought the TR and pocketed $6000!

i looked at the same two options. While the F800 is smoother and more refined....in the end...it came down to weight and price. The BMW is a porker, and it will not be as fun in the rough stuff. And you can buy a new Husky for less than a used BMW.

Depends on what kind of bike you want.

The F800GS is a lightweight ADV bike.

The Terra is a heavyweight Dual Sport.

Don't let the terms sway you, the Terra is lighter. But it's a shorter haul bike with less power to weight than the F800GS. It's much cheaper, though and people seem to love it.

I'm quite fond of my F800GS, which handles pavement twisties great and is surprisingly capable in the dirt for it's size. It's more capable of the longer haul, has a vast aftermarket for accessories and is designed for serious ADV use.

Anyone expecting to do much rough stuff on either bike is buying the wrong bike.

You would never know this is a Husky site . I plan to use the bike as a daily commuter and hopefully some long distance tours any off roading would not be of the aggressive variety. I have a wr 240 if I need a dirt fix. The extra money for the Bmw might be worth the piece of mind. I'm reading what Terramack is going through with his new bike not very pleasant.

buy the bmw, it is going to be around alot longer.

doesn't matter, you'll be able to get parts for the Terra for at least 10 years, if not longer.

I still don't believe that 10yr rule. Nobody has ever once produced legislation supporting that. But that is a debate for another thread.

To the OP, you're comparing apples to oranges. Nevertheless, you mentioned that you wouldn't be doing much offroad with whatever you buy. That tells me right there that the F800 is a better option. If you're commuting and doing long trips though, don't write off the Tiger 800. That triple kicks BMW's butt, and you won't have to worry about cracked engine castings.

I loved the F800GS, but I now know two people who have cracked cases that BMW won't warranty, and both were pavement commuters under 30k miles when it happened.

!0 year rule or not, the Terra with the exception of very few parts like bodywork, seat etc are particular to the Husky but EVERYTHING important is BMW guys. Wheels, wiring, relays, engine, rear chock, swing arm, brakes, clutches, Rad, controls, switch gear, everything BMW. It is pretty simple to figure out what part it is what, order it thru BMW shop and it will last as long as the other BMW singles are out there. As far as the F800 vs the TR, really has everything to do with your intended use and budget. I would not buy the BMW simply because they are becoming more and more dealer dependent. TR is too but nothing like the BMW. IF I were to go the BMW route, buy the new ADV version. ONLY bmw I would even consider.

Yep. That's why I gladly bought a TR650 knowing it was likely to be an orphaned model. No sweat, no worries.

I owned a F800GS and now a Terra plus many others and He nailed it. They are not in the same category so you need to figure out what you're looking at usage wise. In my experience both are very good at their intended purposes.

I believe, there are tonns of feedback already here - http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/tr650-vs-f800gs.31033/

Maybe worth merging threads....

I never rode an F800. They look like great bikes. I never rode the Honda 700. Both have the two cylinder, The 700 weighs in with the Sertao. Looks pretty nice too.

The Honda has a really nice storage compartment, big enough for a full face helmet and then some. It is at the $8k price point give or take.

The reason I mention this one is because when I was looking for a battery for my Honda Xl500, the darn thing caught my eye. I had no intention of getting a bike, but decided to check it out anyway. I was just fixing up the Honda for sale, I had my scooter. I have had the BMW R100GS (2) and other R100's and even a K100RT. In recent times, I did not ride the R100GS much and sold it 4 years back.

A friend got a great deal on a pair of Sertao's and offered me one at cost, $7,800. I test drove one and didn't like it. I kept thinking about that Honda, but they would not let me test drive it. Our local Husky dealer ran an ad on Craigslist and I saw it, great price and nice looking. I went down and test drove a Strada, KLR 650 and some other bike. I loved the Strada, no comparison to any of the other bikes. Just in a league of its own.

I hem and hawed, lot of money still, and looked at some Suzuki DR 650's and similar. For the money the Husky was the best bike for me. For the POWER, the Husky was the best fit. For the design and reliability, the Husky has BMW backing. For Uniqueness (very important) the Husky mops the floor with the others.

The Honda still sits on my mind, cannot tell you how it drove or handled etc. Honda makes a good bike and that 700 got me jazzed about riding again. It is 30 lbs heavier than the Husky.

And here is yet another big difference in the bikes you mention. The headlight turns with the bars on a Husky. This may not seem like a big deal, but for me it is a big deal. You add that nice little feature to the added horsepower, lighter weight, and BMW orphan, it is a no brainer which one I am going to choose.

And now I am going to go for a short ride.

SP has stated publicly that parts will be provided for 10 years 'as required.'

I suppose that could mean they'll make them as customers need them (ie: as required. Can you say MASSIVE backorder?) But my impression was that meant as required by regulation.

When countersteering at speeds above 30mph or so, a frame mounted headlight is better than fork mounted because it points more in the direction you're going.

BTW, BMW makes a K1600GT/LT bike that has a headlight on a moveable mount that allows the headlight to look into the turn. It's pretty bad ass. But it's just on their big tourer. And I'm not sure it would be viable for off road. Something tells me the mechanisms that move the light wouldn't take the pounding too well.

Sounds like street talk to me.

I was wrong on the weights. I could have sworn at the dealer they told me the Honda was about 437. The BMW is over 500lbs.

Here is a nice review on the 2014 BMW. http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/05/04/2014-bmw-f800gs-adventure-first-look-review-photos-video/

Specs on the Honda NC700X http://powersports.honda.com/2012/nc700x/specifications.aspx

Nice review on the Honda here, and they compare it with the BMW also. http://rideapart.com/2013/02/rideapart-review-honda-nc700x/

As much as I know we should be bragging up the Terra and Strada, it sounds like this Honda would be a good choice. If it is hard to get it serviced or parts, the Husky would have drawbacks, but only in that area. What does that mean to the guy who has to wait 3-4 weeks to get a bike fixed? Alot, just look at the crash bar topic, and that won't stop you from riding.

Fuel economy comparisons in real world settings http://fuelly.com/motorycycle

By EU law which is very strong laws as they need to be so they can keep their Euro jobs. Very hard to go against this law, but anything is possible.
The Strada was a choice for me as it has no can ban wiring which I believe the BMW has (correct me if I'm wrong)? There has been gearbox issues in the UK and other teething problems with the Beemer but it does look good particularly the Adventure, but at what cost? A lot more than the Terra/Strada for sure and the Husky is a lot less complicated and has no horrible tubes, wires etc around the engine and seems to be a very striking Italian design which always seems good in my book. Finally, the engine bred from a Rotax engine, superb reliable long term engine, been around for years!