Which one? BMW F800ST/F800R or Triumph Street Triple R

Sorry, but duh...they are called naked sport bikes because they are...wait for it...naked sport bikes. If you are looking for comfort, go with a sports touring bike of some sort.

Whew! Thanks for clearing that up for me!

To really love motorcycles you have to sort of approach them as watching a movie. Suspend disbelief. IMHO

The 800R is an 800S with bar risers and lower pegs from the factory, when you get right down to it.

pretty much also minus the half fairing I guess as well......

Nonsense.

With all the bikes on the market and the upgrades available for them, if you can't find some combination that gets your fires stoked, then I'm inclined to think this is a "user error" problem and a not a "manufacturer defect." You don't have to suspend disbelief, you just have to be reasonable. You're not going to get Ohlins TTX/NIX handling all while having a supple, comfortable ride; you're going to have to make concessions in one area or another. For me personally, I'm more than willing to contend with a "rougher ride" if it means I'll have a bike that will feel planted and solid underneath me. YMMV. My SV's suspension was complete shit stock. So, I went about fixing to how I wanted it with emulators, springs, and oil up front with an overhauled ZX-10 shock out back. It's not perfect, but I have no major complaints that have me shaking me head when I get off it.

I apologize if you've already done something like this already, but can you please type out a numbered list (in order of importance) of what you're looking for in a motorcycle?

I apologize if you've already done something like this already, but can you please type out a numbered list (in order of importance) of what you're looking for in a motorcycle?[/QUOTE]

1) excellent brakes
2) reasonable riding position for my 5'6" frame and aged body. Inexpensive modifications, OK, to get that comfort zone. Prefer seat height under 32". Ergos to fit me riding in a relaxed position, not too aggressive, not too much weight on wrists.
3) under 500 lbs. under 450 better
4) reliable, reliable, proven reliable, all systems
5) something with a torquey engine and more power than my Wee at 65HP-
6) good or great suspension. Able to dial in a firm but compliant ride? Is that an oxymoron?
7) ABS
8) inexpensive to maintain
9) good MPG doesn't hurt
10) a centerstand
11) a gear ratio with spacing not so close as to be redundant
12) a small fairing is ok as well as naked
13) more sport than adventure or tour but I like a slightly longer wheelbase and somewhat upright ride. 17" wheels.
14) a belt over chain and sprockets
Not all this is in the exact order.
I bet I need more than one bike!

Yeah, 1-6 and 7 down are damn near mutually exclusive.

Ever thought about a used R1200R?

All the time. If a recent used one comes up for sale I check them out.

And if you do your own maintenance (easy to do) it's also cheap to maintain. I'd love to have one in addition to my Tiger.

Another vote for Street Triple R. My old man has one and out of a garage full of other choices (including a Tiger 1050 w/ Penske suspension) it's the one that gets ridden most. It's amazingly versatile. Fun, fast, light, easy to ride and comfy. It also feels positively miniscule as compared to the BMW, which I think is a good thing. I like bikes that are only as large as they need to be. Towering seat height and oversized ergonomics on a bike that's not going to be ridden by a giant and/or never going to go off road is silly.

Also, the motor on the triple is positively addictive, versus the F800 motor which is somewhat agricultural.

It appears that you are looking to hard IMHO. You are never going to find that exactly perfect machine for everything especially at a budget price. I know this because I have tried..... it is nearly impossible. The best you can hope for is to try and find something with about 80% of what is on your list. This is doable I think. Since 1991 I have had the following bikes:

1987 Kawasaki Ninja 250
1986 Honda VFR 750 (Wish I still had this one)
1991 Suzuki GSxR 750
2001 Harley Davidson Dyna Standard
2003 Harley Davidson Electra Glide Standard
2006 Triumph Speed Triple
2007 Ducati Hypermotard
2007 Ducati 1098
2008 Yamaha WRX 250
2001 Ducati ST4
2009 Kawasaki KLR
2007 Suzuki DRZ SM
2004 KTM 950 ADV
2007 BMW F800s

The one thing I discovered after all these bikes is that there is no one absolutely perfect bike. Some come closer then others and if I had my druthers I would have 3 bikes in the garage but life circumstances don't allow that currently. Right now I have the BMW at that is all. I haven't had it long enough to say whether or not it will last in my garage, but so far I am digging it. I tend to go through bikes at times like some folks do underwear in search of that perfect ride. The other thing I had learned is buy used and let someone else take the appreciation hit. My last several bikes have been purchased used and it makes it a lot easier to sell it off for a couple hundred dollar loss and move onto the next one then eating thousands for a mistake. I will add that the most versatile bike in that list was the Speed Triple for my purposes anyway except it didn't have luggage and wasn't super comfy on high speed runs, that is why the BMW is now in the garage. Its not quite as inspiring from a passion stand point however I kind of like the no nonsense teutonic approach from BMW. I think any bike can have character but that depends more on the owner kind of like being poor with class and being rich with no class I guess.

Sorry for rambling but I was bored this afternoon, home sick.... Good Luck with the hunt that is half the fun.....

In my opinion, the Steet Triple is suberb. Somewhere around 109hp, and it almost telepathic when it comes to handling. Most fun bike I've ever ridden, and I have ridden the F800ST. To me, there is no comparison. I love BMW's in general, but they are in a different league.

Allow me to resurrect this dead thread. Whatever happened? Did the OP ever make a choice? If so, what and why?

I'm test riding a used F800ST this weekend. I'm going to be selling a CBR 600 and possibly - but not likely - my carbed Thruxton. In the past I test rode a couple of Street Triples but realized I would lose my license (they get too fast too fast). I've also ridden a Shiver 750 a couple of times and like it. However, some sport-touring on an actual sport-touring bike (F800ST) versus sport bikes or nakeds sounds good to me.

I've been down this road... Lol


Rode the BMW 800r, the Shiver 750 , the Street Triple, the Speed Triple, etc , etc....


The Beemer was okay. Looks good but performance wise? Meh..
The Shiver was great. Not the power on paper but the feel was nice. The ride modes are useless but keeping it in the sport mode was fine. Great bike for the money. Especially now.
Never bought one though because I was stuck on the Triumphs. The others didn't do it.. I weighed the Street Triple and the Speed Triple and in the end decided the Street Triple. But at the time the dealer had only an R model in white so I grabbed it not really knowing the difference. I liked the white. In the end I've had the Street Triple R. The bike has no faults. Does everything right. Reliable. Only issue was an oil pump and a leaking headlight in the 4 years of ownership.
The Street Triple is by far the best bike mentioned in this thread. 20k on my 2012 R it's by far the best handling motorcycle out there. A close second is the Shiver which gets zero love for an unknown reason. Another great bike.
But a top bike to see is a Honda CB1000r. A liter bike that handles like a middleweight but can be had for the price of a Street Triple and handles as well and if not better. Japanese but designed and manufactured in Italy.

I always thought that this bike does not look like it has been designed by Honda. Now that explains a lot.

"Allow me to resurrect this dead thread. Whatever happened? Did the OP ever make a choice? If so, what and why?"

I bought the Yamaha FJ-09! It seemed like a natural progression for me going from the WeeStrom to a Versys and then the FJ. The FJ is an upright sport-tourer with the power, handling and brakes the other two lack, at the same weight and seating position.
but...I am thinking about trying a street Triple again. My riding has changed from multiple day touring to almost all local day rides and a lot of commuting. The shorter wheelbase, weight, and power of the ST3 seems appealing again. Maybe it's time to be a 2 bike family!?

shoulda bought the FZ09 then!

Thanks for coming back and reporting your decision.

If you can, arrange a test ride on the FJ-09. You should ride one before you pull the trigger on a BMW f800st, gt or r.