BMW F800 R - the Rotax Roadster Thread

[Cortez]

How are the vibrations compared to the 650R?

[Elam]

I feel like both bikes have peak vibration around 4000 rpm,, but the f800 vibrations are much less pronounced.

Took it on the highway today cruising at 75 with about 4500 rpm and I didn't feel much vibration at all. Rode about 100 miles today and about 150 yesterday and I had no hand or feet vibrations after the ride. I guess the Ninja has toughened me up

The windscreen worked fine as well, certainly as well as my stock ninja screen. And the stock exhaust has a pleasant note. It Growls and barks.

Still can't believe how well this thing handles and how easy it is to toss around. There's an intersection near my house that essentially is 2 medium sweepers and 2 smaller tight turns. I went around them each 4 consecutive times, each time leaning more and more. Bike was rock solid. My chicken strips are now about 1/4 of an inch.

[Cortez]

Damn, that's nice!
So, you'd say the f800 feels lighter then the 650r too?

I was shocked after riding the nc700x when I heard how heavy it was, it felt 50-75 lbs lighter then the 650r.

..and people say that the 650r is easy to ride! :)

I loved that lightweight feeling on the dorsoduro too.

Damn, I want the 800 now too!

[drsnuggles]

I haven't ridden the 650r but I definitely agree on the 800 being easy to ride, feel very light and flickable. At the same time it felt a lot more stable than the comparable bikes I tried before settling on the R (monster, triple, both were used though). The 800 is my first bike with a steering damper so not sure how much that plays into part.

Random question - can I upload pictures to adv for use on the forums, or do you need to use a separate picture hosting (since the picture attachment button asks for a URL)?

[Elam]

Originally Posted by Cortez

Damn, that's nice!
So, you'd say the f800 feels lighter then the 650r too?

I was shocked after riding the nc700x when I heard how heavy it was, it felt 50-75 lbs lighter then the 650r.

..and people say that the 650r is easy to ride! :)

I loved that lightweight feeling on the dorsoduro too.

Damn, I want the 800 now too!

Yeah it feels lighter. You figure with a full tank of gas, the Ninja is a lot more cumbersome with the fuel tank between your legs rather than under you. It's really easy to lean the 800 and I feel a lot more confident in its ability to stay stable than the Ninja. The Ninja could be squirrely at times, but the tires are long of tooth. I really want to test ride a N700x to compare, because I was really looking to buy that bike but Honda takes too damn long.

Went riding for about 4 hours today, around 180 miles. After all the riding there was some lingering vibration in my hands, but no worse than any other bike I've ridden. I cruised on the highway for about an hour at around 70 mph. Did 6th gear roll ons from 70-100 in about 7.5 seconds. I will say that when you get above 80 the mirrors get shaky. At 90 and above every thing looks like an Impressionism painting. But who needs mirrors at 100 mph?

For a sporty bike, it's very comfortable for long distances. The seating and arm posture are great. The ride up averaged around 50 mph and the computer was telling me 65 mpg. Not bad.



Long ride deserves lots of tasty beer! ( Courtesy of Quay St. Brewery in Port Huron )

[Elam]

Random question - can I upload pictures to adv for use on the forums, or do you need to use a separate picture hosting (since the picture attachment button asks for a URL)?

Its just url based I think. I'd offer some image hosting suggestions but I use my own web space.

[Cortez]

That beer shot made me drool, who cares about the F800R!

[rancox]

Rode my wifes new F800R - 1600 miles on it - Saturday in Western, NC - 300 miles total - 120 on interstate and the rest twisties.

• Love the looks (red/silver) and feel of the bike - weight, seating, etc. I have a Speed Triple - familar feel.
• The motor is surprising - 2nd, 3rd, and 4th are major pulling gears and surprised me a couple of times. 6th on the highway is very good on roll ons for passing ,etc.
• Handling was fine. Will consider gold valves for the front end and an upgraded shock when it is time.
• We have the Z Technik medium shield - works fine for my wife 5'4" - major buffeting for me at 5'11" - even with custom ear plugs was very loud. I may add a Laminar Lip when I ride her bike.
• VIBRATION - over 5,000 rpm's bad - grips, seat buzz - mirrors blurred. Ran 80-90 on I-40 from Asheville to Hickory - 70 miles - I was worn out when I got home. I plan to add the Throttlemeister bar end weights and welcome other suggestions. Had steering head bearings adjusted on Saturday morning during service at dealership. Tire pressure was 42r/36f - no weight in bags.
• Q - Will it get better as the mileage is increased on the engine? Any other ideas?

RAC

[ADVBMR]

+1 on the Throttlemeisters. I noticed the engine smooth out noticeably during break-in. Big difference between 100 miles and 600.

[ADVBMR]

So, when they named it a road bike, I wonder if this is what they had in mind.

[Kahrnage]

That's an awesome shot.
How is it on the gravel...haven't done any of that with mine yet

[ADVBMR]

Did fine on the gravel, but I picked a sunny weekend to avoid mud and slick surfaces. Ran in 3rd gear at 40-50 mph and 4th gear at 50-60 mph. I didn't hit any really soft places and ran in 3rd gear when I was on the ball bearing stuff. This road (Denali Highway) is about 120 miles of dirt.

[Kahrnage]

Any rock damage to the radiator cooling fins or do you have a guard over it?

[ADVBMR]

Originally Posted by Kahrnage

Any rock damage to the radiator cooling fins or do you have a guard over it?

Radiator guard from Wunderlich.

[Elam]

I'm a little over a thousand miles today. Took it in for my 600 mile service check, and everything is good.

Everything that felt good about my test ride has been reinforced with more mileage. This bike really does do everything well and some things great. I'm flogging it regularly but gets 200+ miles per fill up. It's fast, handles really well, is extremely comfortable yet has an aggressive sporty feel. Stops on a dime. And the tiny windscreen does a surprisingly effective job. And a 3 year, unlimited mileage warranty.

The vibrations have smoothed out a bit, but after 80 there's quite bit of mirror vibration, so that's really my only complaint. The hand and feet vibes I don't even notice. I have a couple of longer trips coming up to St Catherine's and Deals Gap, so I'll get a good idea of the vibrations on a long day.

I was on the fence between this and the nc700x. I'm happy with my choice, although I'm sure the honda is a great bike. Still gonna get a test ride.