Thanks Mike!
Here's a few tips should you start looking at bikes on ebay etc.
Firstly, they'll all look shiny in the ads, but ignore that as none of them will show close ups of the sump and engine casings. Most are pretty tatty underneath and it just makes it harder to sell on. Always ask the seller for close up pics – (as a general guide, have a look at the centrestand crossbar on advert photos to get an idea of what the rest of the bike might look like underneath).
I'd look for bikes with less than 12,000 miles, plus good service history (inc brake fluid change after 2 years) and Castrol Power 1 oil (15W50) which BMW recommend. The engines will easily do 100,000+ (sometimes without valve adjustment) but the model has only been out for 4 years so there's no need to pick a high miler and be faced with a belt change sooner than necessary.
Always buy one with the full comfort/dynamic packs – the traction control actually works! You're unlikely to be paying more for these. Also get the luggage as it's an expensive after-market purchase. Hugger is advisable too.
If you like the riding position of the S1000XR and the GS then you'll need to have decent bar risers (not the titchy Wundelich 20mm ones) plus lowered pegs. Suddenly the bike is transformed! It now feels like a lighter, more nimble GS. You may also like the comfort seat – I had to use an Airhawk on the standard seat. Beware of the low seat – it's a board yet ads often don't mention that the bike has a low seat.
The standard screen is reviled by many (but not all) and the two popular replacements are the Givi Touring and the Madstad. I have both but just prefer the Madstad – absolutely no turbulence (I'm 5'8..ish)
The “vibey” bikes seem to bother some more than others. Same with the heat issue. I have no complaints with either but best to test ride if you don't know the seller.
There's also a slight low speed fuelling issue. The bike can feel a bit twitchy around town although it's so easy to fix with an inexpensive module (think I paid £23).
White bikes are harder to sell on, but are cheaper.
As for prices, it's hard to say without being bike specific. I know that my 14 plate is probably worth around £5350 on a private sale, maybe even less, but that's an immaculate, under 6000 mls, fully speccd bike with all the main mods. But use that as a starting point and you should get a feel for what's good/bad value.
Give me a shout if you want any help.
Wow! That is awesome, fella. Thank you for taking the time write this for me, it is surely very much appreciated!
I am now starting to think that my getting one of these bikes is maybe not supposed to be.... for the third time in a row now, an F800GT that I have inquired about is suddenly either sold or provisionally sold when I have phoned up about it - the third in a row! I had even made plans to go look at one tomorrow after work - but is now sold.
I will of course keep looking, and more will come up for sale I know. Thing is, I will have to take out finance to buy one, as I don't have that kind of funds available to buy one outright, nor do I know anyone who does. So that also limits potential buys too, as not every seller can arrange finance.
But be that as it may, I still aren't deterred, and I will keep looking.
Something I have found while looking at all currently available GT's, is that despite the OEM luggage panniers and top boxes being very expensive after market, they don't necessarily increase the value of those that have them fitted already. I must have looked at two dozen F800GT's over the last few weeks, and there is no real difference that I can see between the price of one with both the side panniers and the top box, and one with just a top box, or just the side panniers, or one without any of them at all. Same with the colours.
The only real price difference, unsurprisingly, is between the registration years. Seemingly, a excellent 2013 model, fully loaded, with less than 10k on the clock is typically priced around £5-6k +/-, but I saw one 2016 fully loaded one with only 1.6k on the clock, that is BMW approved used and being sold by a BMW bike specialist, and it comes with a 2 year warranty, is up at £9,250 - which isn't far off what a brand new spec'd up one would cost.
Another thing I would like to know about these bikes, is about the pannier boxes. This may seem a bit of a daft question, but I really don't know if you have one without panniers, does the bike have the pannier rails already fitted, such as you would find on a GSA, so you could source the boxes some time afterward if you wanted? How do they actually fit to the bike and are they a simple to fit and remove principle like the GSA is?
I really don't know how they work on the F800GT, but I figure they can't be too different to the GSA?? .... There do seem to be more available without any of the luggage boxes fitted, but as I said, that doesn't necessarily mean they're any less expensive than those that have the full OEM luggage package already fitted. So I would be reluctant to take finance out on one that doesn't have the luggage boxes for two reasons, a) it would be a further cost to me (and not a cheap one either) to find a set of OEM luggage boxes, and b) it would only solve half of my problem if I got one without the luggage pack, since the main reason I am looking to get something newer to use as a daily all weather rider, is to still be able to use it for work and work purposes, and I frequently have to carry many parts and parcels, which I cannot do on my current, modern classic bike (which I won't be selling or trading in as I would want to keep it as well as something newer), as it also has no luggage carrying capacity.
I would consider a GS or a GSA, as I very much like the riding position of them. My boss very kindly loaned me the use of his modified F800GSA just recently for a week or so, and at first, to be honest I didn't think I would like it. I thought it was too big, and as such it would be too heavy and too cumbersome especially in traffic and around town, but I got the shock of my life when I first took it out - it felt light, and balanced, nimble and agile like a flea, and it gave me the confidence the really ride it properly - it is a properly brilliant bike! ..... Not as brilliant as the truly awesome S1000XR though it has to be said, that thing is just mad, and I absolutely loved being out on it! It was a fantastic experience - I described it to Mark afterward as being "Angry" .... It's an Angry bike!
But there are a couple of problems for me with a GS(A), not least because I simply cannot afford a 1200GS(A) LC, because as an all rounder, I believe it really doesn't get better than a 1200GS - so it really isn't an option anyway, but also because I kind of have my sights set on an F800GT now. I just really like the aesthetics of them, and having had the experience of some of BMW's best current bikes, I know it will be pretty good to live with day to day, and I cannot convince myself that I would be truly happy with anything other than an F800GT - especially if I am paying finance on it every month....
