I finally got to ride the new BMW F 800 GS and what a bike! BMW have done themselves very proud. This bike is all it has been cracked up to be. It was certainly worth the wait, even if it is a little too late for me personally... I'll explain that later.

I rode a Sunset Yellow/Black schemed bike with BattleWing tyres, ABS, heated grips, on-board computer, full BMW expandable panniers and top box. The bike I rode has the lowered seat which I wish was the higher one, but it didn't cause me too many problems with leg bend (I'm 6'3" with bad knees). I would definitely get the higher seat if I was buying, but the down side is that I think that would cause more wind exposure.

I picked up the bike from Bahnstormer today in the middle of a fierce storm we're having here in the south of England. It was raining hard with severe wind gusts. I rode my 2001 BMW F 650 GS along the hedge row protected back roads down to Bahnstormer to avoid most of the wind. However, when I road the F 800 GS, I took it out in the open more (A32, A272, A31) and it was a sturdy feeling bike and I didn't get blown around as much, even with the panniers and top box providing a bigger target.

The bike sounds quite tame when you first fire it up and idle it, but that soon gives way to a nice little growl when the tyres snatch some asphalt. The first bit of the ride along the A31 told me it was a BMW. It has a nice, tight build to it. Nothing rattles or feels loose. Very firm, but also a little "flickable," like the 2006 KTM 950 Adventure that I ride most days. I was also a little skeptical that the F 800 GS would be as much fun as the KTM, but it is for a rider like me. What I mean by that is that I cannot wring as much out of the KTM as a pro can, so the F 800 GS is about the same as the KTM 950 Adventure for me in the "kick up the backside" acceleration stakes. It is all I need for sure. The curves of the A272 then showed me that the BMW is also as comfortable at cornering as the KTM. In comparison to my old F 650 GS, there is no comparison. The F 800 GS is in a whole other league. More on that league status later.

I turned up a couple of farm tracks near the fields where the Battle of Cheriton occurred on 29 March 1644. This isn't real off-roading or even real green-laning, but I couldn't really trash out a test ride bike, could I? Below is a picture of the bike near the point where Sir Henry Bard made his fatal mistake.

I have ridden this area many times on my 650 and KTM, so I know the area and roads well. The F 800 GS is as sure footed as anything I have ridden, even with the stock BattleWings. The mucky farm tracks and debris strewn forest track I rode ( Badshear, Scrubbs and North End Farm Lanes ) gives a good feel for the bike's capabilities. It is supremely balanced and the under seat tank keeps it from feeling tippy as the beefy KTM is wont to feel in far less strenuous situations. Again, this is definitely not off-roading, but it is a good indicator of the most strenuous work that many of these bikes will ever see. It is also fairly typical of the type of battlefield touring that I do.

Back out on the A31, I was able to open the bike up a little and I can say that it certainly rivals the KTM for quickness. I'm not a real hair on fire rider, but I would hazard a guess that it could outrun all but the best sport bikes with a good rider on it. It is really good fun. There is quite a bit of chest level wind buffeting, but it is manageable. I think one would need to consider the heightened screen for extended touring.

To wrap it up, I think the BMW F 800 GS is a superb bike. I'd rate it 6 stars on a 5 star scale. It is a step and half up from the old F 650 GS and is only a quarter step down from the R 1200 GS in its "GS factor." However, this may be the only rub I can find with is wonderful bike. Will R 1200 GS owners trade down to get a F 800 GS? I kind of doubt it. The 1100/1150/1200 bunch is a world to itself. Will the old F 650 GS crowd buy it over the NEW F 650 GS (with an 800 engine)? Not sure. I think this bike will largely attract new BMW riders ( which may be what they are trying to do ), but not so many of the existing ones. I think this bike is a real competitor to the KTM 950 Adventure and to the riders who just could not bring themselves to buy a boxer engine. I think this bike will set BMW up well for the future, but I'm not sure it will be a huge seller right away.

So will a 2001 BMW F 650 GS, a 2006 KTM 950 Adventure and a (USA-based )2003 Triumph Tiger owning rider ( i.e. me, aka the Battlefield Biker ) buy this bike? Probably not. Why? I waited for several years on the rumor that BMW was going to bring out a conventional 2 cylinder GS, before I bought the KTM last year. They just waited too long for me. I need to get some more value out of that bike, before I can justify buying a new bike. It is a great bike, and yes, it is better than the KTM to me, but it is not so much better to justify a £3,500 differential. Yes, I know, it is supposed to be great value, but once you get the extras on, it is is not far off the price of a new KTM 990 Adventure with the extra kit on offer as it is so often is these days. I'll enjoy the KTM for another year or two and pick up a used F 800 GS then. It's a shame, but it is life in the real world. Hope BMW factored that into their sales projections!

I love the F 800 GS. I think it will bring in a whole new class of GS riders and will solidify BMW's hold on this market. However, the Battlefield Biker will be seeing Europe on a KTM and the US on a Tiger for the next year or two. Below, may be the only picture you see of the Battlefield Biker with a BMW F 800 GS anytime soon.

Technorati Tags: 1600s 1640s 1644 29 29th A272 A31 A32 Alton Farringdon B3046 B3047 Badshear Lane BMW F800 GS English Civil War F 650 GS F 800 GS F650 GS F650GS F800 GS KTM 950 Adventure March North End Farm Scrubbs Lane West Me motorcycle touring motorcycles motorcycle-touring battlefields military history military-history F 800 GS

Intro

In the summer of 1644, the Royalist forces were threatening London in the English Civil War with the Parliamentarians. The Royalists confidently blocked a Parliamentarian force near Winchester and forced a battle. They would regret it. The battle was a turning point in the southern campaign and suddenly stopped the Royalist pincer strategy on London by destroying the lower jaw of it.

This is one of my favourite local rides. The battlefield is highly accessible by bike and foot with multiple farm tracks and lanes. Additionally, this part of Hampshire is beautiful and the lanes and good "A" roads around here make it a great Sunday morning ride.

The Battle

Around 27 March 1644, the Royalist forces of Lord Hopton, joined by the Earl of Forth had succeeded in halting Hopton's old friend William Waller's Parliamentary forces from securing Winchester by blocking the main road between London and Winchester near Alresford. Two days of skirmishing in the area left Waller's army near the village of Hinton Ampner and Hopton's army northeast of Cheriton with pickets on a ridge overlooking Hinton Ampner to the south.

Hopton's pickets and Waller's patrols skirmished in the night of 28/29 March. Waller had flanked Hopton's pickets on the south ridge to the point of making it untenable. Thus the day of the battle began with Waller on the south ridge and Hopton on the north ridge. Upon seeing the ground between the two forces, Waller saw that Cheriton Wood would be the key to Hopton's left flank and dispatched 1,000 musketeers there. Understanding this threat, Hopton countered with 1,000 musketeers of his own under Colonel Matthew Appleyard. The two forces met in the dense Cheriton Wood and by all accounts fought a fierce hand-to-hand melee with Appleyard's forces securing the ground. Hopton had been frustrated by previous attempts to bring his old friend, Waller, to battle, due to Waller's pessimistic nature and previous defeats, most notably Roundway Down and Lansdown Hill. Alas, Hopton would be frustrated, but not by Waller this time.

Although intending to hold their position on the north ridge, one of Hopton's lieutenants, Royalist Sir Henry Bard, on his own initiative, led his regiment on a ill-starred attack from the right on Sir Arthur Haselrige's regiment of horse, known as the "lobsters" for their 3/4 armour suits. Haselrige made Bard pay for his folly and destroyed the entire regiment in plain sight of the Royalists. The Royalists were so horrified by what they saw in front of them that they felt compelled to send re-enforcements to Bard. However, they were sent piecemeal without supporting fires or flank protection. The Roundheads met the challenge and soon the entire front became engaged between the two ridges.

Parrying between the two forces ended up in close quartered fighting along the hedges. Meanwhile, several cavalry actions played out over a period of hours with the Parliamentary cavalry gaining the upper hand. Finally, Waller's infantry enveloped the flanks and forced Hopton to salvage his troops and guns with an orderly retreat up today's Scrubbs Lane towards Basing House, passing the point where the commemorative stone sits today.

Ride Recommendation

This is a good ride with the tour of the battlefield in the middle of the ride along the farm lanes northeast of the village of Cheriton. Use Ordnance Survey Landranger 185. The battlefield is centred on SU 598294. If using a road map, the battlefield is located northeast of Cheriton village. It is 42.8 miles beginning and ending near Winchester, Hampshire. There is a National Trust property at Hinton Ampner, a good pub called the Flower Pots in Cheriton, a Husqvarna dealership (Husky Sport) in Cheriton and a BMW Motorrad dealer (Bahnstormer) at Lower Faringdon.

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Books and Map Recommendations

Technorati Tags: 1600s 1640s 1644 29 29th March A272 A31 A32 Alresford B3046 B3047 Badshear Earl of Forth English Civil War Hampshire Hinton Ampney Lord hopton North End Farm Scrubbs Lane Sir Henry Bard West Meon Willaim Waller Winchester motorcycle motorcycle-touring motorcycle touring military history military-history battlefields

Roundway Down may have one the most dramatic geographical features of any battleground, bar the cliffs at Pont du Hoc on the Normandy coast. The escarpment that falls away from the back of Roundway Hill is a sheer drop off and was the scene of a desperate retreat that ended with many cavalrymen going over the cliff.

After the stalemate at Lansdowne Hill a few days earlier, Waller wanted a decisive engagement with the Royalists that were working the area, so he set siege on Devizes in Wiltshire. Royalist Hopton, who had been injured in an accidental gunpowder explosion after the Lansdown Hill battle, knew he needed help, so he sent Prince Maurice on a end run to Oxford to get more forces to come to his aid. Those forces, under Lord Wilmot and Sir John Byron, approached from Oxford and Waller met them on the sweeping expanse of Roundway Down with a numerically superior force. Waller had what he wanted.
The battle opened with a cavalry charge by Sir Arthur Haselrige's cuirassiers or "lobster" cavalry that was beaten back on the Parliamentary right flank after two tries. Haselrige was lucky to have his beating early when several escape routes were still available to him and he took one from the field. The other flank was just as decisively engaged with charges and counter-charges swirling around the flanks of Waller's lines. Waller's infantry could only watch as their cavalry flanks were decimated by determined Royalist charges. Finally, to the horror of everyone watching, Parliamentary forces were cornered and fled over the cliff to their deaths in "Bloody Ditch," the steep escarpment off the back of Roundway Hill. Some Royalists were in such hot pursuit that they followed the Roundhead cavalry over. After such a fight, Waller's infantry was left stunned and almost defenceless to the Royalist cavalry and a large detachment from Devizes that had marched to the sound of the guns, but arrived late.
What had begun as an overwhelmingly favourable position for Waller, ended up with one the most decisive Royalist victories of the war. Roundway Down would affect Waller for years to come and made him overly cautious in future battles, especially those with his old friend, Hopton.

Recommended Ride

23.5 miles, depending on the options chosen. Take the A361 Northeast out of Devizes to Beckhampton, where you turn left onto the A4 and go to Calne. Take a left onto the A3102 to Chittoe. Near Chittoe, take a left on the A342 and go to Rowde. Just after Rowde take the lane to Roundway. At Roundway, take the farm lane north to a "Y" and take the left fork. This fork will give away to a very good, solid gravel road where you can view the whole of the battlefield on the down. You can also park up and walk about 500 yards to Oliver's castle and look over the edge into "Bloody Ditch." If you have the time, try the A360 from Devizes to Salisbury across the Salisbury Plain (additional 27 miles).

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Use Ordnance Survey Landranger 173. The battlefield is centred on SU 021655. If using a road map, the battlefield is located north of Devizes, Wiltshire.

Recommended Book and Map

Technorati Tags: 1600s 1640s 1643 A-342 A-360 A-361 A-4 bloody ditch Calne cavalry cliff Devizes English Civil War Hopton Maurice Roundway Rowde Salisbury SU 021655 Waller Wiltshire motorcycle motorcycle-touring motorcycle touring military history military-history battlefields

By July 1645, Royalist fortunes were on the wane and Lord Goring was using all of his strategic wiles to evade the confident New Model Army under Lord-General Fairfax. Knowing that Fairfax outnumbered him nearly two to one, Goring sent 3 cavalry Brigades under Lieutenant General Porter to threaten the nearby Parliamentary town of Taunton, probably as a diversion, in the hopes of dividing Fairfax's force. However, Fairfax caught up to Goring after capturing most of Goring's cavalry diversion betwixt Langport and Taunton. Fairfax came to the battle weaker than ideal, but still with the determination to break up Goring's force for good.

Goring took up an easterly facing position on Ham Down northeast of Langport overlooking the Wagg Rhyne, a small stream running generally north to south. Fairfax approached from the east (follow Tengore Lane for a good simulation of the movement) and occupied a westerly facing position on Pitney Hill, also overlooking the Wagg Rhyne. The two positions straddle the present day B3153. There was an obvious "pass" and/or ford over the Wagg, which both forces identified as the key terrain to own. There are 3 credible geographic points (on the A372, on the B3153 and an ancient footpath near the railway underpass) for the pass and academic debate is far from settled on the issue. Up to this point in research and on the ground viewing, Battlefield Biker reckons it is the middle one near the present day railway underpass. There is a footpath that leads right through the likely pass and up Ham Down.

The Battlefield Biker and CabAz at "the pass."

Goring placed artillery, cavalry and musket over-watching the pass, the narrowness of which gave him confidence of holding. Wasting no time in taking the obvious action, Fairfax took out the Royalist artillery with his own and then ordered Cromwell to take the pass and press the attack up Ham Down. The pass only allowed a 4 horse abreast attack. Under fire from Goring's over-watch, the lead troops of Cromwell's cavalry, led by Major Bethel were able to secure the pass and deploy on the slopes of the Down. The Roundhead infantry followed and established the fighting in earnest.

After some fairly fierce fighting on the Down, the Royalists were broken and they retreated whilst setting Langport alight. This did not stop Cromwell, who chased the fleeing Royalist through Langport and beyond.

Ride Recommendation

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33.4 miles. The route leads down to Langport and its environs. On the Wagg Drove you are bisecting the battlefield. Around Langport you can get several viewing angles of the battlefield from Ham Down, Wagg Drove and Pitney Hill. The ride finishes at the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton.
Use Ordnance Survey Explorer 129. The battlefield is centred on ST 441276. If using a road map, the battlefield is located 15 miles east of Taunton.

Book and Map Recommendations

Technorati Tags: 1600s 1640s 1645 A-372 A-39 B-3153 B-3165 Bethel Cromwell English Civil War Fairfax Goring Ham Down Huish Episcopi Langport Langport M-5 Pitney Hill Porter ST 441276 Taunton Taunton Wagg Rhyne Yeovilton motorcycle motorcycle-touring motorcycle touring military history military-history battlefields