BMW F 700 GS (800cc Twin, 2012-2018) Maintenance Schedule and Service Intervals
This is the maintenance schedule and service intervals for the BMW F 700 GS, the update to the F 650 GS (twin). The BMW F 700 GS was launched in mid 2012.
Like its predecessor, the F 700 GS is the smaller, road-going sibling to the bigger, more adventure-focused F 800 GS.
The BMW F 700 GS is still powered by a 798cc parallel twin with a 360 degree offset, giving the twin a lumpy idle that’s reminiscent of the bigger boxer engines, as well as (according to BMW) giving it a “unique” power characteristic.
In the F 700 GS, the engine makes 55 kW (75 hp) of peak power at 7,300 rpm, up from the 52 kW (71 hp) @ 7,000 rpm in the F 650 GS, but still down from the F 800GS.
The BMW F 700 GS is higher spec and power than the outgoing F 650 GS, but still lower spec than the F 800 GS. It still is lower weight, shorter, and cheaper.
Like the F 800 GS, the F 700 GS was updated in Jul 2016 with throttle by wire. However, the maintenance schedule is the same other than lubing the throttle cable.
In 2018-19, the F 700 GS was replaced with the higher-spec BMW F 750 GS, which received an all-new larger 853 cc motor.
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What you need to service the BMW F 700 GS
To service your BMW F 700 GS, you need the following consumable parts. There’s a lot in common with the BMW F 800 GS but some are different (I mean there’s only one brake rotor…).
| Part | BMW F 700 GS part spec |
|---|---|
| Oil | BMW recommends using BMW Advantec Pro 15W-50, their own brand, but you can use other 15W-50 synthetic oils of high quality. |
| Oil filter | The standard oil filter is BMW part 11 42 8 409 567, which is equivalent to Hiflofiltro HF160RC. |
| Air filter | BMW part number 13 71 8 529 998, which is equivalent to Hiflofiltro HFA7913. |
| Spark plug | The standard spark plug is an NGK DCPR8E per the manual. BMW part number is 12 12 7 690 603. |
| Brake fluid | Use DOT 4 brake fluid, e.g. Castrol DOT 4, or you can get BMW part number 83 13 2 445 461 for the official stuff |
| Brake pads | Part numbers for the brake pads are 34 11 7 705 216 for the front brake pads (you need just 1 ) and 34 21 7 722 884 for the rear. |
| Cable lubricant | Use Protect all cable life to lubricate moving cables. |
| General grease | Use a lithium soap-based grease for external pivot points like the kickstand etc. |
Maintenance schedule for the BMW F 700 GS
Below is the maintenance schedule for the BMW F 700 GS. It has been adapted to be a little easier to read and to fit this screen.
We’ve omitted the “running in” check as we assume your F 700 GS is no longer new.
The schedule is quite similar to the contemporaneous F 800 GS, except for not having to change the oil in the forks.
| km x 1000 | 0.5-1.2 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mi x 1000 | 0.3-0.75 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 | 36 | 42 | 48 | 54 | 60 | Every |
| BMW running-in check | X | |||||||||||
| Standard BMW service (see below) | Year | |||||||||||
| Engine oil change with filter | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | Year (a) | |
| Check valve clearance | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||
| Replace all spark plugs | X | X | ||||||||||
| Replace air filter insert | X | X | X | X | X | |||||||
| Check or replace the air filter element | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | Year (b) | |
| Change brake fluid in entire system | Year, then 2 years (c) |
Footnotes
- a Annually or every 10,000 km (6,000 mi), whichever comes first
- b when used off road, annually or every 10,000 km (6,000 mi), whichever comes first
- c First after one year, then ever two years
Standard BMW service — BMW F 700 GS
Below is the standard scope of service. The schedule says you have to do this every 12 months.
Notes:
- [D] means items that a dealer does.
- [CT] is for pre mid-2016 models that have a cable throttle.
| BMW Standard scope of service — BMW F 700 GS |
|---|
| [D] Performing vehicle test using the BMW Motorrad diagnostic system (MoDiTeC) |
| Check coolant level |
| Check/adjust clutch play |
| [CT] Check freedom of movement of the throttle cable (if fitted) and check for kinks and chafing |
| Check the front/rear brake fluid level |
| Check the front/rear brake pads and brake discs for wear |
| Visually inspect the brake lines, brake hoses, and connections |
| Check the tyre pressure and tread depth |
| Check and lubricate the chain drive |
| Check side stand for ease of movement |
| Check centre stand for ease of movement (when fitted) |
| Check the steering-head bearing |
| Check the lighting and signal system |
| Check the engine start suppression works |
| Perform final inspection and road safety check |
| [D] Set the service date and remaining distance to service |
| Check charging state of battery |
| [D] Confirm the BMW service in the vehicle literature |
About the BMW F 700 GS
The BMW F 700 GS is the update to the BMW F 650 GS (the parallel twin one with the detuned 798cc engine). Like the F 650 GS twin, the F 700 GS has a name that doesn’t correlate directly to the engine capacity of 798cc.
It’s still positioned as the more easy-going, road-going F 800 GS. It’s not an adventure bike, though it will of course handle anywhere that you can take an upright standard with street tyres. Some call it a “soft roader”, much like an SUV.
The concept is still the same — a F 800 GS but with a detuned engine and some lower-spec but cheaper components.
In the F 700 GS, the 798cc engine makes a peak of 55 kW (75 hp) at 7,300 rpm, compared to the contemporary F 800 GS’s peak power of 63 kW (85 hp). It’s not a huge drop, and for the kind of riders that buy the F 700 GS, barely noticeable.
Because the F 700 GS has a shorter gear ratio, the F 700 GS has a livelier feel than the outgoing F 650 GS.
One important update on the F 700 GS is double disc brakes – the same set of brakes found in the F 800 GS. The F 650 GS twin had only a single front disc brake.
You can also get Electronic Suspension Adjustment (ESA) as a standard feature in the F 700 GS — a very high-tech feature for a more budget bike.
Other changes in the F 700 GS vs the more expensive F 800 GS are:
- Cast wheels, the front wheel being a smaller 19 inch front wheel, vs the 21 inch spoked front wheel of the F 800 GS
- Conventional “right way up” fork, vs the USD fork in the F 800 GS
- Steel handlebar (F 800 GS has aluminium)
- Lower ride height
- Lower weight (just 5 kg/11lb)
- Cheaper!
The fact that the F 700 GS is cheaper and that most people tend to use the big adventure bikes as road commuters means that it was a popular choice.
In mid 2016, BMW updated the F 700 GS to give it ride by wire, as well as two basic ride modes (Rain and Road). Apart from lacking a throttle cable to lube, maintenance remained the same.
The F 700 GS was eventually replaced by the F 750 GS, borrowing the engine from its bigger sibling the F 850 GS (but similarly, just detuning it).
Tyres on the BMW F 700 GS
The BMW F 700 GS ships standard with the following tyre sizes and pressures.
| Wheel | Tyre size | Tyre pressure (cold) |
|---|---|---|
| Front | 110/80-R19 | 2.2-2.5 bar (32-36 psi) (one-up to 2-up/with luggage) |
| Rear | 140/80-R17 | 2.5-2.9 bar (36-42 psi) (one-up to 2-up/with luggage) |
Manual for the BMW F 700 GS
The maintenance schedule for the BMW F 700 GS came from the rider’s manuals for different years.
Maintenance Schedule
Throttle by wire-
Cable throttle F 700 GS
You can download the user manuals directly from BMW’s website here.
