Well, I got off my lazy butt and rode Britta over to Touring Sport BMW in Greenville, to buy a right hand adapter to make it easier to put air in Britta's tires, and more importantly, test ride the new BMW F800ST.
They had a pretty graphic mettalic ST sitting outside that was designated for test rides. I filled out the usual form and gave them my DL so they could make a copy of it. I was heading out to get on the bike, when John, one of the sales guys (and a fellow Conebutt club member) caught up with me and said, "There's been a change in policy of test rides. A sales person is now supposed to accompany the rider. I'll get my helmet and jacket and meet you outside." My heart sunk. No taking the bike where I wanted to take it, no "flogging" the bike unmercifully to see what it had.
John said we would take the bikes out on a 10 mile loop, a few miles on the highway to see how the F800ST would accelerate, then in a suburban area that had some curves, to test the handling. I nodded and asked, "Anything I should know about the bike before we start?" He answered, "Yeah, be REAL gentle on the brakes until you get used to the ABS."
We took off from the lot and made our way down the street to the entrance ramp to the highway. I could already tell that the bike was WAY more powerful than Britta (duh!) and also much more responsive. My legs wer cramping a little from the more crouched seating position I had to assume (I can only imagine how much more of a racing position the S model had). I didn't think about the fact that the ST had a fairly small windscreen on the fairing, and I was wearing my "shorty" helmet with a visor, and as soon as I began to twist the throttle, the wind about yanked my head straight back, almost pulling the helmet off my head!
Anyway, I adjusted for that effect, and settled back and began to enjoy the ride. We were only out for about 20-30 minutes total, but long enough to form some opinions about the newest Beemer design.
Power & Acceleration: Whoa!!! LOT'S of acceleration, and quick as hell! it didn't really feel like a "twin" like in the Triumph twin sense. It reminded me more of the way BMW's K75 felt when you gunned the throttle. More of a "whirring" sound, like a jet turbine.
Brakes: I'm glad John warned me about the brakes, because they are
powerful and
sensitive. Of course, riding a 23 year old Airhead with worn out brakes didn't exactly prepare me for the change. But they were outstanding, once I got used to them. Truly "one finger" operation.
Handling: For the few curves we went through, I could tell the ST is a very "flickable" bike. I'm sure once I got used to the sitting position that I would really enjoy throwing this bike into curve after curve.
Instrumentation: Geez, about like a damn fighter jet's!! It had four (I think) different screens you could bring up by punching a button marked "info" that had all sorts of information. John couldn't even remember what some of the stuff on the screen meant. (But only having the bikes in for a short time, I guess that's understandable.) But there is a wealth of information there, once you undersatnd what it all means.
I couldn't quite "flat-foot" the bike, but it wasn't a real high seat height, either. It still had a more "hunched over" riding position than what I was used to from riding Britta every day. I think once I got used to it that I would enjoy it, though. Not quite "crotch-rocket" style of riding, like the S model probably is.
I have a feeling this bike will be pretty successful for BMW, especially if they introduce a GS version of the F800. Personally, I'd like to see a "naked" version, with bars that are a bit higher and pegs that are a little lower. I can tell you that it sure didn't feel like a "800" size bike, that's for sure. It wasn't heavy or bulky, either. On the contrary, it felt pretty "slim" while I was riding it.
It's a quantum leap from the R65s that we have been riding, that much is for certain. Will it become the new "R65" of the future, the "runt of the litter" as we lovingly refer to our present bikes? With the power, braking, handling and feedback these new Beemers can provide, a lot of riders may never feel the need to go beyond this size of bike for touring or just fun-time riding.
I say, "Get over to your BMW dealer and take one out, and judge for yourself!"
Topic: My (brief) impressions of the F800ST.... (Read 2031 times)