BMW F800S and F800ST January
2007 (from the web)
BMW's new range of middleweight twins is a whole new ballgame for the company. Guy Allen took a couple of them for a spin.
What's this? A BMW twin that isn't a boxer - has the world gone mad? Apparently not, though not so many years ago it was unthinkable that the German company would dare contemplate plonking a parallel twin in the showroom - no matter how good - and seriously expect people to buy it.
But times and attitudes have changed, or at least that's what the company is gambling on. It's been working hard over recent years to broaden its traditional sports touring market footprint, and part of that quest has been the development of the F800 twin, which promises to be light, punchy and, perhaps most importantly, affordable.
Price has often been the firm's Achilles heel over the years. Nice machine, but pricing that's just beyond the reach of the average pocket. Another important factor is that there is some red-hot machinery available in the mid teens price bracket, selling in decent quantities. And BMW wants some of the action.
We got to try both the F800S sports bike and F800ST sports tourer.
Perhaps the biggest surprise with the F800 is actually how few surprises there are in the tech package. It's a relatively conventional set-up in both the chassis and engine departments - certainly not as ambitious as some of the firm's upper end product. That's not a complaint - in fact many folk will welcome something they can instantly recognize, with the spinning propeller badge on the side.
The basic maths works, when you scan an eye across the specs table. It weighs a claimed 182-187kg, depending on model, while there's a healthy 85 horses to punch that package along. It's also slim, adding to the overall impression of being a light but powerful bit of kit.
There's a minimum of difference between the S sports version and the ST. The latter has more bodywork, a rear rack and more upright seating position. Both can be ordered with a 790mm seat instead of the standard 820mm. The extras mean it picks up a few kilos over the S. The sports version gets stickier tyres, the clip-on style handlebars and a more aggressive seating crouch for the rider.
Suspension is pretty conventional with 140mm travel at both ends and adjustment on the rear only for ride height and rebound damping. Both machines can be delivered with anti-lock braking, which is not standard.
One unusual aspect is the under-seat fuel tank, reached by a filler mounted to the right of the pillion saddle. The 16 litre capacity is modest by BMW standards, but quite adequate given the low fuel consumption of high teens through to about 20-ish km/litre.
The instrument package is a very tidy unit that includes vertically stacked tacho and speedo, with a digital screen that covers ancillary functions such as odometer and distance to empty. We suspect the latter feature starts off a little pessimistic, as the actual range often seemed greater than it was admitting to.
In the saddle: What you see is very much what you get with this bike. It felt light and punchy, with a refreshing snarl emanating from the muffler. There's some unique mechanical sounds to the powerplant, mostly evident at idle and on the over-run.
It started with no fuss, as you'd expect, and had a good spread of power right off idle. In fact, the flexibility of the engine was its key virtue, so long as you didn't feel tempted to lug it in too high a gear as if it were a cruiser. It jumped off from the lights with relatively few revs and really sparkled through the broad mid-range - which is where the tuning seems to have been concentrated. Top end was lively enough, though it was no GSX-R. No doubt the designers could extract more horses, but at the risk of robbing the machine of much of the flexibility that's a central part to its character.
The transmission on both machines was very positive, though one of them was borderline notchy. In any case, there were no missed shifts and you could hustle through the box at sports pace without any real drama.
The Gates belt final drive was very thoroughly shrouded - a good move as it will greatly reduce the chance of it swallowing a rock.
Comfort on both bikes was good, with the sports machine obviously challenging the rider's wrists more, thanks to the more head-down set-up. Nevertheless the sports version had quite good pillion accommodation.
The ST was more comfortable for day-to-day riding, and perhaps a little more confidence inspiring thanks to its more upright seating. Padding was okay but not luxurious. I suspect serious-distance riders might end up looking for a sheepskin cover.
Steering was middle of the road by current standards when it comes to turning speed, aided considerably by the fact the whole package was very easy to chuck around.
Suspension rates on both bikes were road rather than track oriented, and seemed to handle a variety of conditions including the odd fang, with no stress. You really wouldn't bother fiddling with this area until the original set-up started to wear.
Braking was strong with good feel and I suspect fitting the ABS, albeit at additional cost, will make the bike a lot easier to re-sell further down the track.
I must admit to liking the ST more, perhaps because of the extra bodywork and the more integrated paint scheme, plus the fact the conventional ride position was a far more versatile set-up and was arguably better for sports riding on the road. The S would undoubtedly be a smarter pick for the occasional track outing.
My one criticism of the bike is the sidestand foot, which looks nice but is too small and prone to going through rather than staying on top of whatever you park it on. Owners will soon get used to carrying around a support pad to slip under it.
GOOD TASTE Both the Fs left a good taste in the proverbial mouth after a couple of weeks of 'ownership'. The underlying package is lively and easy to handle (and would make for a really interesting GS), while pricing puts it in the thick of some pretty hot competition. This is one bike that is well worth a look, particularly if you're finding the bigger offerings on the market are just a bit to clumsy to handle.
Specifications - (ST in brackets)