BMW F800 R - the Rotax Roadster Thread

[EmanP]

Manufacterers have liability to worry about. They're not going to tell you to go out and pin it for the first 30 miles because when you kill yourself your family will come after them. I've read various thoughts and ideas on the net as well as taken advice from close freinds that race cars and build/rebuild engines. Here's a good link with more than just this one part. I've changed my oil at 39 miles and will change it again after today's 150. I'll proabaly change it one more time about 400+. As someone else said, it's the cheapest performance boost I'll ever get.

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

And while we're at it, here's some information regarding car oil filters that fit motorcycles. Read the link for yourself and decide what ever you like. There are many more topics that will relate off to the left. Educate yourself and come to your own conclusions that suit you. I've got a friend in cars that can get Mann filters for $4 a pop. I just get car oil that works for the few hundred miles to help with break in. Got a deal at O'Reily's for $22 for a gallon of oil and a $20 gift card after sending it in that will get me more oil. I then drain it, replace the filter and go out again hard for the first few hundred miles until most of the break in is done. I'll keep doing that at larger intervals until 2K - 3K and then consider it good. Then I'll switch to the semi-synthetic oil BMW calls for. For now, car oil works just the same. That engine is working hard and that oil is getting used up and cleaning all the little bits out of that engine while I'm floging it.

http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/FilterXRef.html

[Kahrnage]

Originally Posted by ADVBMR

Hey Kahrnage-

I took a look at the tail on my bike yesterday. The plastic plate is there and it all makes sense how you rigged the license plate light. The question I have is where you relocated the license plate. If you mounted it where the bracket was mounted, that looks to be pretty far forward and I'm wondering about the clearance. Have you had a chance to wring her out and see if the license plate is hitting the tire? Thanks.

Roger

I haven't hit the license plate once so far and I've been riding it hard...cornering with full use of tire width, bumpy back roads that have hit me hard in the saddle, and some bad railroad crossings. I don't think it will be an issue on paved roads.

[Kahrnage]

Originally Posted by Serge A. Storms

How hard have you been riding? Above 5000 RPM? I have not been babying mine but have kept it between 4000 and 5000 RPM, mine has 275 miles. A couple short bursts above 5K but thats it. I dont want to ride too hard before the runn in check but want to set those rings for sure, dont want an oil burner.

4,000 RPM's is about as low as I run the engine during normal (to me) riding conditions. I have experimented with the speed/gears to see what the computer's instantaneous GPM's will show. So far the best I've gotten was 70gpm while drafting an 18-wheeler at freeway speed in 6th gear.

Frankly I think BMW's GPM for this bike is completely unrealistic if not intentionally over-rated. No matter how I ride my R6 it will get low to mid 40's for gas mileage but the F800R routinely does worse than that unless I really try not to exceed 5,000 RPM's. Considering the F800R really doesn't develop a lot of power until it's around 5,000 RPM's this seem's to me to be an intentional marketing ploy to misrepresent the bikes gas mileage because it would be nearly impossible to ride it anywhere but in a flat desolate state or desert and still get the claimed mileage.

[moe.ron]

I have seen Motomans page before, good info in there. I have had a couple BMW techs tell me its OK to go beyond 5K rpm after a couple hundred miles, just dont cruise there for miles. Perhaps I have been babying it a bit!

[EmanP]

I also removed that charcoil canister today and took a picture of the area with it removed to give an idea of how much space is in there that could be fuel. I'm not sure if this is the only area that makes up the difference between the two tank sizes. Seems like there isn't 2.5L worth of space in there but who knows, maybe.

[ADVBMR]

Great, I appreciate all the recent replies. Sounds like the plate location is not a problem at all. As for break in, I was reading a post somewhere - don't remember where - about breaking in contrary to the normal "baby it." The idea was to run it pretty normal (to hard), still varying RPMs, speeds, but getting to set the rings in solid. I have always thought it makes sense to change the oil early and often. Interestingly, when I was reading the manual last night it gave a spread for the oil change, not a single calculation like 600 miles (1000 km.) like I thought. Something like 350 miles to 650 or something. I have yet to break mine in, but I think I'll do an early oil change and run it llike I would anyway. The new tires still need to get some scrub off, but given that I will start on some crappy conditions with the snow just clearing and lots of gravel everywhere, anything I can get the bike to do is a gift.

[flkovacs]

Originally Posted by Serge A. Storms

How hard have you been riding? Above 5000 RPM? I have not been babying mine but have kept it between 4000 and 5000 RPM, mine has 275 miles. A couple short bursts above 5K but thats it. I dont want to ride too hard before the runn in check but want to set those rings for sure, dont want an oil burner.

hmm, on my '11, it appears that no matter how hard i ride it, i get 49mpg, as indicated both by the obc, and by my (tripmeter miles)/(gallons of fuel refilled) calcs.

the most i've seen on mine is limited by the 2.5 char display: 199mpg.

also, being european in still many ways, i tend to shift early, even though ozzie's said to just break the bike by riding it as you normally would (!).

puzzled by your mpg,
ferenc
ps wonder where the '12 ventura has its cannister?

[Red Sand]

Originally Posted by Serge A. Storms

I have seen Motomans page before, good info in there. I have had a couple BMW techs tell me its OK to go beyond 5K rpm after a couple hundred miles, just dont cruise there for miles. Perhaps I have been babying it a bit!

I just read Motoman's page and now I don't feel so damn guilty for whipping the bitch too hard a few times during the first 600 miles.

Thanks Motoman - whether you are right about break-in procedure or not, I feel much better about how I popped the cherry on my F800R.

[Theory]

Originally Posted by Kahrnage

this one

Part nr for the tail cover plate: 46627693107


http://www.ascycles.com/Illustrated_...indCat=46_1219

[moe.ron]

I just filled up again at 162 miles, it took 3.280 gallons, 49.4 MPG. The fuel light had just come on and there were 2 bars left on the gauge.

Just installed my Z-Technik smoked sport windscreen.

[Kahrnage]

Originally Posted by Serge A. Storms

I just filled up again at 162 miles, it took 3.280 gallons, 49.4 MPG. The fuel light had just come on and there were 2 bars left on the gauge.

Just installed my Z-Technik smoked sport windscreen.

I've been thinking about tying out a sport windscreen myself. When you get a chance I'd be interested to hear if it helps reduce wind buffeting as the stock instrument screen is of little use in this regard. My issue is noise within the helmet-wind buffeting makes it loud unless I sit tall in the saddle. So I'm thinking that a screen might change the wind pattern enough to help but I'm not sure as I've read that it can be loud behind the screen unless the helmet is in clean air (i.e. not in the turbulent air behind the screen). Any

[ADVBMR]

Check this out...

http://www.ztechnik.com/ztechNews/Virtual_F800R.html

and this...

http://shop.nationalcycle.com/perl/c...h_model=bm-089

The Sport is for riders up to 5'8" and the Touring is for riders over 5'10". I guess is you're 5'9" you're screwed.

There might be other brands available now but I'm not aware of any. FWIW, there are no clearance issues with risers and handguards mounted, and it was an easy install.

[moe.ron]

Originally Posted by ADVBMR

Check this out...

http://www.ztechnik.com/ztechNews/Virtual_F800R.html

and this...

http://shop.nationalcycle.com/perl/c...h_model=bm-089

The Sport is for riders up to 5'8" and the Touring is for riders over 5'10". I guess is you're 5'9" you're screwed.

There might be other brands available now but I'm not aware of any. FWIW, there are no clearance issues with risers and handguards mounted, and it was an easy install.

I'm 5'9" and bought the sport, I'm screwed!

Risers go on over the weekend so I will be sitting even taller. Seemed pretty good for the 2 miles I rode it, and it sure looks nice.

[ADVBMR]

The risers will raise your arms but won't make you sit taller. Your helmet height should be the same.

But if at 5'9" you're an inch too tall for the windscreen, you can always file an inch off the top of your helmet. Yeah, that'll work.

[moe.ron]

Originally Posted by ADVBMR

The risers will raise your arms but won't make you sit taller. Your helmet height should be the same.

But if at 5'9" you're an inch too tall for the windscreen, you can always file an inch off the top of your helmet. Yeah, that'll work.

Could always take the seat off too.