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Newbie looking for advice

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capicuuu

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BMW F850 GSA
Hi all,

Current owner of a 2019 F850 GSA and just came back from a test ride on an R18 Transcontinental but interested in the R18B (did not have one to test ride). I wanted to know if anyone has advice on whether this is a good bike to get. From my limited time with the bike:
Likes:
- Sound, definitely had a nice little grunt to it even in "roll" mode
- low speed maneuverability - Was worried about the weight but felt easy to maneuver
- Seating position - Felt nice and comfortable but then again, was only a few miles
Concerns:
- Shifter! - This one had me going nuts, for some odd reason I was having a lot of difficulty getting my foot under the shifter and kept missing shifts. Briefly tried the heel shifter but not much better
- Heat - Didn't help I was in Charlotte and it was 90+ degrees, the engine got toasty very fast

Im on the fence about it and looking for any feedback that might help me make a more informed decision. Thanks in advance!
 
Shifter is adjustable, but I never put my foot under the shifter, have become fond of the heel toe, so always pushing down with heel or toe. I come from sport bike riding and also have a k1600GTL which I love to get out on both the R18B and the K1600, just depends on my mood and if I need storge or not. Definitely no room in the tank bags on the R18B.
 
After adjusting the heel-toe shifter on my TC, I’ve gotten quite comfortable with it. And I haven’t experienced any heat coming from the big jugs even in 100 degree heat, but then I was wearing boots.
 
Good advice above for adjusting shift lever and as to engine heat I have some suggestions if you get one and folks here would chime in too. I often try to get something very different when I change bikes every couple of years and made a similar change to my R18 with a few more steps in between.

Anyway, the F850 is a great bike. I had one and a KTM 790 Adv when I wanted to try something less bulky to take back to AK than my previous R1200GSA and GSs and ended back with another R1200GS and a RT that I ultimately traded for my R18. I bought my R18 in NC where I lived near the foothills and now we live in WA. She's flawlessly taken me back and forth across the lower 48 and it's been a hoot to ride be it in the lovely Appalachian backroads, Ozarks, Rockies, Cascades, et al. A R18 B has so much more petrol capacity, suspension, luggage, etc., than the naked bikes like my Classic for touring, but I was smitten with the looks of the FE and Classic and still am so mine was a very subjective choice v. the "better tool" for the riding I do.

That all said, after some practice I was comfortable on my R18 doing lock to lock turns with feet up, etc., but there's no way to hide these bikes are long and heavy. Certainly they can be used in city traffic, but if my weekly riding was "stop & go" and routine parking lot maneuvering it would not be my first choice whereas your F850 shines for this type of duty.

BUT!! I'm a bike whore 🤣 and easily weakened by shiney 2 wheeled things that talk dirty to me so nothing "practical" would keep me from trying a beautifully made motorcycle that is extremely competent in so many riding situations and ultimately for "stoopid" little money for so much motorcycle.

Asheville BMW has an "almost brand new" R18 B on the floor and they are great with test rides with the Blue Ridge Parkway just down the street that allows for a great mix of roads to safely decide if you want to add a R18 to your stable..

Good luck!
 
capicuuu said:
Hi all,

Current owner of a 2019 F850 GSA and just came back from a test ride on an R18 Transcontinental but interested in the R18B (did not have one to test ride). I wanted to know if anyone has advice on whether this is a good bike to get. From my limited time with the bike:
Likes:
- Sound, definitely had a nice little grunt to it even in "roll" mode
- low speed maneuverability - Was worried about the weight but felt easy to maneuver
- Seating position - Felt nice and comfortable but then again, was only a few miles
Concerns:
- Shifter! - This one had me going nuts, for some odd reason I was having a lot of difficulty getting my foot under the shifter and kept missing shifts. Briefly tried the heel shifter but not much better
- Heat - Didn't help I was in Charlotte and it was 90+ degrees, the engine got toasty very fast

Im on the fence about it and looking for any feedback that might help me make a more informed decision. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
First of all, welcome to the forum.
All the R18s are wonderful machines and you may choose the variant that best suit your needs.
Obviously the TC has the biggest payload of all but if you don’t need that much then the Bagger will do just fine if you only need to carry a modest amount of cargo.
I own a 22 B and I can’t fault it. After 15 years with a M109R (which I absolutely loved) the B gave me a bit more comfort with the added wind protection, heated grips and seat, as well as the panniers to carry a few stuff. Like others have mentioned, the shifter is adjustable and you can raise it or lower it to suit your preferences. Normally I don’t put my boot underneath, I tend to up shift with the inner side of my big toe. It is sooo smooth, you don’t need any force to up shift. Sometimes I use the heel shifter, sometimes I don’t and it is not because I don’t like it, to the contrary, I find it comfortable, but this is my first bike with heel shifter so I don’t have the habit in me yet.
If you can get one with the optional reverse gear I would recommend it. Although I don’t tend to use it, I have been caught a few times in situations where there was a small gradient and the reverse helped me a lot to manoeuvre the bike.
Currently we have late 20s in the UK and yes, city traffic can rise the temperature on the cylinders, but because they stick out, as soon as you start moving past 30mls/h the wind flow will carry away the heat and the cylinders will cool off considerably.
Have a test ride, at least one hour and incorporate different roads so that you can see how she behaves. I normally ride on Roll mode and the grunt and speed is enough for my riding style. Even in Roll mode, the R18 has enough va va voom to takeoff in no time.
Best of luck, looking forward to hearing how you got on.
 
I probably use my TC (I have removed the top case to gain MORE storage ability), unlike most others in that most days I commute 18 miles each way to work on a mix of slow roads, fast(er) roads and a filtering through a couple of miles of traffic. There is no way around it, the R18 is an unwieldy lump but it can do it. Slow speed manouvering is fine if you look where you are going and don't be afraid the use the engine revs and rear brake. Lock to lock turns are easily possbile.

Gear shifter has been covered- use the heel shifter it's easier. BMW have done a very good job of replicating the H-D gearbox feel. The sound can easily and cheaply be deepend, but don't make that a purchasing decision! I find the seating position extremely comfortable especially with the running boards, but I'm only 5'9" with short legs and have had additional foam put into the seat. A 400 mile one day trip was no trouble at all, with around 1200 miles incurred during the next few days. I have as much "bubble" of wind protection that I had on my RT (Remember mine is the TC with extra wind deflectors).

You aren't going to get a very balanced opinion on an R18 forum, but IMO they are useable day to day, but are compromised. The weight is an issue, but can be managed. Heat? Just keep moving, as said above it needs wind flow. When you have that it's fine. It's an old technology engine, not sophisticated at all but in the R1200 oil cooled series they had no major issues and were capable of big miles. The R18 is either a play thing, or a tourer depending on the model. It is not a good all rounder. I really like mine, but my purchase was based on my use of the bike with an MC, which I have just left; so I now have my own decision to make about keeping the bike!
 
I jumped off of a 2008 R1200 GS Adventure after 96,000+ failure free miles.. I was already out shopping for a new HD Street Glide ST or Road Glide ST; however, every HD dealership wanted $2,000+ over the retail price.

All of my buddies ride either of the two above mentioned bikes and I wanted all of the following items and or attributes on my next bike... Flat feet on the ground, sound system, navigation, heated seat, heated handgrips, Bagger style look and wind protection...

Anyway, a buddy showed me a picture of the R18 B and I had to check it out... Long story short... After 7,000+ miles on my R18 B, I have never looked back and really enjoy ever ride on my R18 B; I've added the following Transcontinental attributes to my R18 B: Auxiliary Lights, OEM Engine Protection Bar, Fairing Winglets and the Lower Leg Wind Protection..

Good luck on your search, it's always an exciting time shopping for a new bike..

Oh.. heel and toe shifter, took me all of a couple of rides to completely fall in love with it; I'm not sure how I went so long without it the toe - heel configuration..

Screenshot_20240719-044854.webpScreenshot_20240719-044805.webp
 
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Wow, thanks for all the advise provided thus far! Definitely a lot to digest and honest opinions to help further my plans to either purchase or move on.

Shifting seems to be something that is adjustable and getting used to it over time seems to be easy enough. Makes sense, 20 minutes on a bike is nowhere near enough to get comfortable with everything available. I would love to have one for a longer trial but i'm in NY and just happened upon the bike in Charlotte while on business trip. I know for sure in NYC I would be avoiding traffic as much as possible.

Usage: Will definitely be either a long distance tourer or short rides along the beach when the wife wants to ride. I'm trying to get her comfortable while also being comfortable 2 up, and neither of my current bikes are set up for this.

Payload: Honesty, if not riding with the wife, I have the 850 that I can load up for solo trips and would be easier to navigate through certain areas. I did check out the bags and definitely nowhere near what I have on the 850 panniers plus the tail bag (60L) i bought for the rear rack.

Will be speaking with the wife this weekend and pleading my case to the CFO (Wife) to free up funds. I will have to part ways with my Ducati Monster, but It's been in the family for 14 years and its time to change it up. Looking forward to more advice!
 
In the circs you describe, it would seem like an R18 would be a great fit.

Please do not take this as any slight against your skills as I don't know what they are, but if you are not 100% confident with the handling, do some training or at least watch some trainng videos. Youtube is rammed full of vids where people cannot negotiate bends on large cruisers and at nearly 1000lbs for the bike only, not many riders will be in a position to jump from their last bike to this one without some adjustment, unless it was another heavy cruiser. I like others here, have done additional training for work and some for pleasure and you can't appreciate how useful it is until you have done it.

I have to say I love my R18; it is currently scratching the itch. I've never liked sports bikes, so have only ever had big sports tourers, starting with the mighty CBR1000 back in the 80s, but this is still a hoot. Floorboards can be easily scraped without fear and the lean angle is 32 degrees, so not at all shabby! It sounds like you would enjoy it.
 
If you are keeping the F850 and replacing the Duc with the R18 for the travel you describe you will have a very complimentary stable for best bike for the day’s activities. It would be sad to see the Duc go.

It took me approximately 100 miles of riding interstate, curvy farm and mountain roads to really start enjoying the R18 as I learned her limitations and reprogrammed my riders input. The weather now is great so I would plan a test ride get away and visit one of the Max BMW shops where upstate NY or the New England shops may have one you could test ride. A test ride by you is better than all the opinions here.

Good luck.
 
Rider0974 said:
It might be worth discussing with your wife about the choice of TC or B versions. My
wife loves the backrest on the TC.
Click to expand...
That's a fair point for sure, I do like the look of the B better and know there are some backrests that can be added but will most likely not be nearly as comfortable as the TC seat.
 
I went from a 450lb old Hnnda to the R18 classic. The R18 is twice the weight but you wouldn't know it. I took a test ride because I was nervous about the big bike. I fell in love with it on the spot. I also got used to the heel/toe shifter very quickly.
 
It took me around an hour by myself figuring it out with no help. Now it would take 30 mins, 20 with help. This IS my TC after (with sissy bar and rack) and before. You get more accessories as standard with the TC 1000009404.webp
 

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capicuuu said:
Wait, Que??? :D

So that's a thing? Now my interest has gone up significantly. How difficult is it to swap the tail on/off?
Click to expand...
I thought about the same approach when trying to decide between the Model B or the TC; for me, it came down to the look of the color scheme and to be honest - my wife hardly ever rides with me...

The Model B had Black Painted handled bars, front fork, engine case, wheels and the lacquer black dashboard; where the TC, had all of those items in either a chrome or gun metal gray color.

I like the sportier looking seat of the Model B vs the thicker TC seat.

Don't get me wrong... there was a lot that I liked about the TC in terms of lighting and wind management, AND I added all of those things to my Model B over the first year or so of ownership.
 
I like the B look much more. Out of choice I would prefer it all black with dark chrome like the Roctane.
 
BobW said:
Good advice above for adjusting shift lever and as to engine heat I have some suggestions if you get one and folks here would chime in too. I often try to get something very different when I change bikes every couple of years and made a similar change to my R18 with a few more steps in between.

Anyway, the F850 is a great bike. I had one and a KTM 790 Adv when I wanted to try something less bulky to take back to AK than my previous R1200GSA and GSs and ended back with another R1200GS and a RT that I ultimately traded for my R18. I bought my R18 in NC where I lived near the foothills and now we live in WA. She's flawlessly taken me back and forth across the lower 48 and it's been a hoot to ride be it in the lovely Appalachian backroads, Ozarks, Rockies, Cascades, et al. A R18 B has so much more petrol capacity, suspension, luggage, etc., than the naked bikes like my Classic for touring, but I was smitten with the looks of the FE and Classic and still am so mine was a very subjective choice v. the "better tool" for the riding I do.

That all said, after some practice I was comfortable on my R18 doing lock to lock turns with feet up, etc., but there's no way to hide these bikes are long and heavy. Certainly they can be used in city traffic, but if my weekly riding was "stop & go" and routine parking lot maneuvering it would not be my first choice whereas your F850 shines for this type of duty.

BUT!! I'm a bike whore 🤣 and easily weakened by shiney 2 wheeled things that talk dirty to me so nothing "practical" would keep me from trying a beautifully made motorcycle that is extremely competent in so many riding situations and ultimately for "stoopid" little money for so much motorcycle.

Asheville BMW has an "almost brand new" R18 B on the floor and they are great with test rides with the Blue Ridge Parkway just down the street that allows for a great mix of roads to safely decide if you want to add a R18 to your stable..

Good luck!
Click to expand...
Reference, “I'm a bike whore 🤣”, now I know what I am. ☹️
 
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