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

[basstodave]

I think I'm saying bye bye to my Wee. I want a mid sized light, good mpg, road only commuter, sporty funner bike good for daily chores and occasional multi day trips. I am 5'6" and do not want a tall adventure bike. The Wee is a good bike but I do not need a 19" front wheel. I look forward to not having to upgrade the suspension and brakes.
The BMW on paper looks good. Do I need or want belt drive wrapped in plastic or naked with a chain. The one thing I worry about with the Rotax twin is I keep reading about the inherent undampenable vibration. I have briefly ridden the ST and felt the vibration but it was a short ride and living with something day to day can make a small problem big and a big problem unsurmountable. Nothings perfect I understand.
The ST3 seems to get good reviews and has some great features. Good brakes, suspension and an engine I'm told simply makes a rider smile. I think it is more on the sport side with the short wheelbase but I believe side bags can be fitted and maybe a top box?
Anyway. Which one would you pick? Reliability, ease of maintenance, cost of parts, and economy are important. Mostly in town riding from 20 to 50 miles a day. Short days on the backroads when time permits. I live in the desert and ride at night, too.

[Grainbelt]

Hands down the triple. The F800R motor just didn't do anything for me - plenty of torque but slow to rev and just wasn't a willing partner. Disclamer: my daily ride is an FZ6, so I'm used to very revvy motors. Seems the STripleR strikes a great balance, it is on my list.

[L.B.S.]

LOL The grass really is greener on the other side!

As a maker of $$$ payments custodian until 2015 of a 2009 F800ST, and desperately wishing he'd bought a 650 Strom instead, all I can say is you're a loon for wanting to switch the other way.

I do love my ST, but it's one of those things where you know you've made the biggest mistake of your life with a new girlfriend kinda deals.

...after she tells you she's pregnant.

[Garp]

If you want Sporty and Fun, it's the Triumph hands down.

Economy is about the only factor you listed where I would give the nod to the BMW's, they do get great mileage. That said, when I'm riding it isn't about the mileage, if it was I'd get a scooter

[basstodave]

Originally Posted by L.B.S.

LOL The grass really is greener on the other side!

As a maker of $$$ payments custodian until 2015 of a 2009 F800ST, and desperately wishing he'd bought a 650 Strom instead, all I can say is you're a loon for wanting to switch the other way.

I do love my ST, but it's one of those things where you know you've made the biggest mistake of your life with a new girlfriend kinda deals.

...after she tells you she's pregnant.

You are making payments? You knocked up your girlfriend? Hard lessons.

I think the ST3 would be significantly different from the Strom. All street, no pretensions to adventure with power, brakes, and suspension that make the Strom seem outclassed. That's my impression. Different characters but both capable of doing what I want. Does the ST3 have more panache worth the price? I'm leaning toward answering my own question.

[Lujo]

I can't do much of a comparison to the other bikes you mention, but I've been very happy with my ST. I like the belt drive -- it's clean and needs no maintenance. I haven't been bothered by the vibration -- my ST is smoother than my '04 GS. The bike is light enough to be convenient in the city, and I'm happy to ride it all day. The fork springs are useless if you're going to be carrying any weight on the bike, but that's a $100 fix.

[Steve G.]

Normally I would have saqid the Triumph is for you. But I see you are 5'6". One thing to remember, about virtually ALL Hinckley Triumph triples, they are top heavy, and tall. The BMW ST is incredibly light, all weight is down low, fuel tank below the seat, it gets what I think is fairly incredible fuel economy, belt drive, ABS, heated grips. It really is a decent bike.
The triples have very cool engines, but for you the little Beemer is the one.

Steve

[moe.ron]

I went and sat on a Street Triple about a year ago and it was OK but felt really small. I didnt get to ride it but it looked like a lot of fun.

I bought a F800R a couple weeks ago and so far have been really happy with it, I have since done a few things to make it my own and its plenty comfortable for me. The mileage is awesome and while its not the fastest bike on the road she pulls plenty good.

A couple advantages the BMW has that have been already been mentioned I think are the heated grips, ABS, and a better warranty. Its a little buzzy but nothing to stand up and scream about, switching out the bar ends seem to be the answer.

The Street is pretty compact so I dont think being top heavy would be an issue and the seat height is the same as the F800R. I had a Tiger 1050 and that triple is one bad ass engine for sure.

The only way to know for certain is a road test.

[DFH]

Originally Posted by Steve G.

Normally I would have saqid the Triumph is for you. But I see you are 5'6". One thing to remember, about virtually ALL Hinckley Triumph triples, they are top heavy, and tall. The BMW ST is incredibly light, all weight is down low, fuel tank below the seat, it gets what I think is fairly incredible fuel economy, belt drive, ABS, heated grips. It really is a decent bike.
The triples have very cool engines, but for you the little Beemer is the one.

Steve

Street Triple 675R is considerably lighter than the BMW f800ST or f800R. Remember the 675 is a supersport chassis with comfortable bars fitted. Its the Triumph 1050 triples that can feel top heavy. FWIW the vibration on the f800 is much coarser than your weestrom. The 675 street triple is smooth & a sweetie, but a much more involving ride than either a f800 or Weestrom

[VixObs]

Originally Posted by Steve G.

Normally I would have saqid the Triumph is for you. But I see you are 5'6". One thing to remember, about virtually ALL Hinckley Triumph triples, they are top heavy, and tall. The BMW ST is incredibly light, all weight is down low, fuel tank below the seat, it gets what I think is fairly incredible fuel economy, belt drive, ABS, heated grips. It really is a decent bike.
The triples have very cool engines, but for you the little Beemer is the one.

Steve

Not true at all. I'm not sure how Steve G got the impression that the Street Triple is top heavy. I'm 5'4" and the Street Triple is a great fit for me. Very light and nimble. I had the opportunity to ride the BMW F800S, BMW F800ST, Ducati Monster 696, Buell XB12SCG Lightning and the Street Triple back to back at Femmoto a few years ago. I really wanted to like the F800ST, it is a good bike. There's just something about the Street Triple that made my choice easy. There's such an amazing feel to the ride
I've done every kind of riding on mine: 115 round-trip commuting, multi-state/week touring, track day, local canyons, etc. Just go test ride one and see.

[Tripped1]

Originally Posted by DFH

Street Triple 675R is considerably lighter than the BMW f800ST or f800R. Remember the 675 is a supersport chassis with comfortable bars fitted. Its the Triumph 1050 triples that can feel top heavy. FWIW the vibration on the f800 is much coarser than your weestrom. The 675 street triple is smooth & a sweetie, but a much more involving ride than either a f800 or Weestrom

With pretty much any aftermarket can (or set of cans) the Street R is a little under 400lbs curb weight. likewise it has a lower seat than the Daytona which helps, I think its something like 29", its lower.

They are fun little bikes, if I didn't already have a Speed Triple I would have looked (or be looking) for one now.

[basstodave]

Originally Posted by DFH

Street Triple 675R is considerably lighter than the BMW f800ST or f800R. Remember the 675 is a supersport chassis with comfortable bars fitted. Its the Triumph 1050 triples that can feel top heavy. FWIW the vibration on the f800 is much coarser than your weestrom. The 675 street triple is smooth & a sweetie, but a much more involving ride than either a f800 or Weestrom

What exactly do you mean "involving"?



Test ride on a 2012 ST3r Wednesday at local Triumph dealer.

Thanks everyone for sharing your advice and your experience.

[ADVBMR]

Originally Posted by Serge A. Storms

I went and sat on a Street Triple about a year ago and it was OK but felt really small.

That was my feeling, as well. The F800R fit me a lot better, so I went with it. (I usually use the GS on weekends and wanted a commuter.)

Originally Posted by Serge A. Storms

The only way to know for certain is a road test.

I agree. Many people rave about how fun the Street Triple is to ride. Either way, both bikes are better than the strom for commuting and fun. The strom is a great bike for reliability and mine gets me down the highway just fine, but it's unglamorous in the turns and I'd sell it in a heartbeat if I needed to ride it as a commuter. But if you can ride the ST3 and F800R, that would be the way to tell.

[Steve G.]

Originally Posted by VixObs

Not true at all. I'm not sure how Steve G got the impression that the Street Triple is top heavy. I'm 5'4" and the Street Triple is a great fit for me. Very light and nimble. I had the opportunity to ride the BMW F800S, BMW F800ST, Ducati Monster 696, Buell XB12SCG Lightning and the Street Triple back to back at Femmoto a few years ago. I really wanted to like the F800ST, it is a good bike. There's just something about the Street Triple that made my choice easy. There's such an amazing feel to the ride
I've done every kind of riding on mine: 115 round-trip commuting, multi-state/week touring, track day, local canyons, etc. Just go test ride one and see.

OK, i stand corrected. i deidn't realize we were talking about the 675. Yes, I've ridden that one as well, super lite and flickable. The engine is slightly de-tuned from the Daytona, which had a reputation for expiring prematurely. I still will not ignore the F800ST, for it's ABS, heated grips, astounding fuel economy, and belt drive.

Steve

[mammal]

All the points you mentioned (heated grips, abs, mileage, belt drive) I really enjoyed about 800ST. I rode it from Denver to Columbus, OH (taking a southern route through OK) after riding for a couple days in the Rockies. Found it to be a great back road bike and very comfortable for hours-long slab duty. I generally prefer naked bikes, but if you don't mind the aesthetics of a faired bike, it's hard to beat for solo riding. Looks good with hard bags, too.