Best motorcycle for Highway 1?
If your weekend is 250 miles of coast road and back, this fits. It won't hurry you, but it carries you all day on one tank and asks very little at the pump.
Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
2012–2019 · Adventure · Buyer's Guide
F 700 GS (MY2012)
GS Soul Without The Weight
The Machine's Character
BMW built the F 700 GS as the GS you don't have to work up to. The 798 cc liquid-cooled parallel twin makes 75 hp at 7,300 rpm and 57 lb-ft at 5,300, and it puts the useful part of that in the middle of the rev range where road riding actually happens. A 19-inch front wheel, 10.0 inches of ground clearance and 6.7 inches of travel front and rear place it on the road-biased side of adventure. ABS is standard and the rear shock takes preload. Traction control, heated grips, a center stand and luggage all came from the options book.
On the road it does the BMW thing: nothing gets dramatic. It holds a line, shrugs off a broken surface, and stays composed when a mountain pass gets windy. Economy near 69 mpg turns the 4.2-gallon tank into roughly 290 miles of riding, which quietly changes how you plan a day. Ownership stays simple if you keep the chain fed and watch the handful of known weak spots. The honest caveat: at 461 pounds wet and with modest travel, this is a bike for pavement and graded dirt, not for rocky, rutted backcountry ambition.
Hard Numbers
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
Show full specs & equipment Hide specs & equipment
| Power | 75 hp (55 kW) @ 7,300 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 57 lb-ft (77 Nm) @ 5,300 rpm |
| Displacement | 798 cc |
| Engine | Parallel twin |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Telescopic |
| Front brake | 300 mm |
| Front tire | 110/80 R19 |
| Rear tire | 140/80 R17 |
| Ground clearance | 10.0 in (255 mm) |
| Front travel | 6.7 in (170 mm) |
| Rear travel | 6.7 in (170 mm) |
| Seat height | 32.3 in (820 mm) |
| Wet weight | 461 lb (209 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.2 gal (16 L) |
| Fuel economy | 69 mpg (US) |
Equipment check
Chassis
- Electronic Suspension Optional
- Rear Suspension Adjustable Standard
Comfort
- Heated Grips Optional
- Luggage System Optional
Connectivity
- Tire Pressure Monitoring (TPMS) Optional
Safety
- ABS Standard
- Traction Control Optional
The Voice of Experience
The test ride
Swing a leg over and the spec sheet stops mattering. At 32.3 inches the seat lets most riders get a boot down flat, and the 461 pounds disappears the moment the bike comes off the sidestand. The bars are wide and close, the reach is upright, and your weight sits over the tank instead of on your wrists. The twin thrums low and soft at town speeds, gets busier as the revs climb toward that 5,300 rpm torque peak, and sends just enough buzz through the pegs to remind you what's underneath you. At a steady 70 the fairing pushes clean air across your chest and leaves your helmet out in the breeze; the fixed screen makes no promises. Chain whir, a little driveline slack on a closed throttle, and a chassis that stays quiet under you all day.
The Truth on the Street
Two decades of listening adds up: paddock talk, owner conversations at club nights, and the messages riders send me straight to my inbox. On the F 700 GS that chatter lands in a consistent place. Riders trust how it behaves and use it for everything, then spend their money fixing the parts that touch them directly.
The Bike They Stop Thinking About
Handling leads every conversation. Owners call it planted and neutral, steady through a corner and just as settled at parking-lot speed. The engine gets the same treatment: strong in the middle, flexible enough that nobody talks about chasing revs. Shorter riders keep raising how easily they get a boot down, and the low seat option comes up regularly. Many use it as their only bike, from city traffic to back roads to light gravel. Fuel economy near 69 mpg (3.4 L/100km) draws steady praise for the range it buys.
Where The Money Goes After Purchase
The seat is the loudest gripe. Riders say it turns hard inside a couple of hours, and plenty have already replaced it. Wind protection draws similar comments: the small fixed screen leaves highway miles tiring. Owners also note how much sits in the options book, so a base bike can feel thin. Off-road, some mention a tall first gear that asks for careful clutch work.
Known issues
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Side-stand switch recall (2013 models)
On certain 2013 F700GS models built between June–October 2012, the side-stand switch could become damaged and allow the engine to run with the stand down, creating a safety risk. NHTSA recall 13V279000 addressed the issue.
-
Water pump gasket weeping
Some owners reported a minor oil or coolant leak from the water pump gasket seal, often resolved by gasket replacement under warranty.
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Rear wheel bearing failure
Isolated reports of rear wheel bearing needing early replacement; not a widespread issue but can occur.
-
Cosmetic fuel tank cracking
Superficial cracks can appear on the plastic fuel tank cover (the dummy tank housing), sometimes replaced under warranty.
The Expert Benchmark
Where this BMW F 700 GS pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
What kind of bike this is — character vs. the class
The shape of the BMW F 700 GS — numbers and character vs. the average Adventure
Head-to-head: BMW F 700 GS vs. its rivals
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
The Long-Haul Verdict
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the F 700 GS is actually built for.
Best touring motorcycle for long distance?
Big days and big scenery suit it, and the fuel range keeps stops rare. Loaded two-up with gear, 75 hp and a single preload-adjustable shock are working near their limit.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
What's new versus the previous generation
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2008–2012
BMW F 650 GS (K72)
The Approachable GS That Delivers
Compare to the previous model →Alternatives to the BMW F 700 GS
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this BMW F 700 GS. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
