F 800 S

[Steve Carlton]

Is this "Lahar Gray?" Looks good!

[phantomx]

$12k for a run of the mill parallel twin with left over parts from the parts bin and a Harley Davidson belt drive and no real new technology is crazy, even the dealers agree. I can by and SV1000S that will smoke it in every way possible for half the price

[Steve Carlton]

[Anton]

The SV is arguably a better bike in every measurable category. Yet, if I'm making the choice, I'll take the BMW every time. Especially the red one. Now where do I get a test ride.

[Guest24]

I've always heard that belt drive was one of the most efficient methods of transferring torque.

[phantomx]

Originally posted by Steve Carlton

You picked the least expensive camparo The F800ST I looked at was $12,700 without bags. See you can't buy a BMW without options on it, it's like looking at cars, you don't ever pay base MSRP for a car they always have some sort of options on it. The F800S I looked at was $11,700 at Euro Cycles here in Tampa with just some basic options. You can get SV's all day for $8k. As a matter of fact they did a performance test against the R1200S as well and the SV smoked it.

I guess if you have money to burn and you don't care about value for your $ then spend full boat for the Beemer. They are good bikes but it's not for that kind of money...

[Steve Carlton]

Well, my comparo was based on the subject of this thread, not the ST, which starts out $1,000 higher.

I don't think BMW is ever going to win any value-based comparisons, at least not on MSRP to MSRP. There's a few factors beyond that that contribute to the true cost of ownership, such as resale value, maintenance/repair, finance rates, and insurance. And there's a few factors that don't show up with pencil and paper, like the feel and quality of the machine.

An F800S at $11,700 ($11,225 without freight) must have $1,750 worth of options on it. That's probably all but one: ABS $890, heated grips $235, TPM $260, computer $250, alarm $250, white turn indicator $50. I don't think the Suzuki has any of those, so that's not apples-to-apples. And you should be able to factory-order an F800S any way you want it.

It doesn't surprise me the SV1000S can be had for $8K. Most bikes that have been out a while will be discounted, including BMWs. Your argument of "half the price" and "smoke it in every way possible" is way off the mark. Expect somebody to call you up on it.

[slowrider]

I only rode the F800ST for 10 miles or so, just on back roads, and I never got beyond 4th gear...

I really just have impressions of the bike, I remember the "handling was great*" and the engine was good. I liked the character of the engine, even if I wasn't wow'd by its power. Its the bike I hope my wife eventually "graduates" to...

As for comparing new bikes and MSRPs....that's for each person to decide. No one is forcing anyone to buy these bikes, voice your opinion with your buying dollar. I will say some things don't always come across in a spec sheet. How a bike cleans up 5 years from now is hard to quantify, but I prefer a bike that cleans up looking brand new after many years/miles...historically, I've had good luck in that area with BMW's. It doesnt hurt the resale either.

*I sometimes confuse lighter with great handing...so take that with a grain of salt...

[Guest24]

You're killing me Kevin. Here I am seriously considering a bike that you want your wife to graduate to". bummer. I have found that eclectic groups gravitate toward a certain brand for various reasons. Such as the yuppie that is in a suit all week longs to be a Hell's Angel, not shave get a couple of tats that only show if he goes bare chested with a leather vest. The chain drive group that love the sound of a rattling clutch an the throaty sound of the Staintune cans on a v/l twin. And then there's the BMW gear head that likes a silk running, opposed cylinder air cooled engine that has a pedigree that dates back to before many were born:but, has been refined not by adding more cylinders or liquid cooling, but through fine tuning the engine drive system and suspension. Mass production is how you through out cheap (sorry inexpensive) bikes and drive down the resale value. Fewer is better for those who are addicted to the buy and sell gotta ride 'em all group. BMW builds just enough bikes to keep a couple on the floor but they want demand to pull them to the market. The F800s/st is an attempt to capture the BMW follower that is intimidated by the high octane bikes that are really have more power than is necessary to enjoy a good run through the twisties. I would never compare the rice bikes with pasta or bratwurst. But then you opinion and taste is why there are more 2 wheel choices.

[riders]

I purchased a yellow 800S 2 weeks ago this Tuesday. It listed for $11,800. I traded a 04 R1150R in on it with 66,000 miles. Before that I had a 99 R11RT and before that a RS etc. Anyway, this bike is probably the most fun bike I have had and I have over 1100 miles on it; It has plenty of power and cruises at 80 with no problem . It is comfortable and I have been able to ride 150 miles without stopping more than once. I had the 600 mile service done and it was 83 dollars. It only has a sidestand so I am wondering how I am going to get the wheels off to change tires but other than that I love it. I am anxious to take it on a trip. This morning my wife and I (she rides a R1100S) rode 2 up on the 800 for about 50 miles and she said it was comfortabe.

[riders]

And here is a picture of my new 800S

[Guest24]

Thanks for the report I think I might pull the trigger on an ST this week or at least get wha I want ordered. What options do you have?

[riders]

I have abs, the computer which is a lot of fun, the tire pressure monitor which I could have done without and the clear turn signals. I think that is it; the dealer charged 185 dollar diagnostic setup. That made the total $11,800. I have a small tankbag on it right now and have a tailbag and a small duffle I may use to tour with. I just can't recommend it enough. I don't know how the long term reliability will be but at least it has a 36,000 mile warranty.

[Guest24]

Originally posted by riders
I have abs, the computer which is a lot of fun, the tire pressure monitor which I could have done without and the clear turn signals. I think that is it; the dealer charged 185 dollar diagnostic setup. That made the total $11,800. I have a small tankbag on it right now and have a tailbag and a small duffle I may use to tour with. I just can't recommend it enough. I don't know how the long term reliability will be but at least it has a 36,000 mile warranty.

Well, it's settled. I'll take a test ride in Atlanta on Wednesday.

I imagine we'll soon see the S-mini site pop up on Pelican. Wouldn't want to be run over by a HEAVY S.

[slowrider]

You're killing me Kevin. Here I am seriously considering a bike that you want your wife to graduate to".

Maybe my wording wasn't quite accurate..."ultimately graduate to" is more appropriate, after a few more years on other bike(s)....

This is mainly my crazy pipe dream...one that doesn't involve nearly as much savings as it should....and the desire to sneak off on that 3rd bike once in a while. If there was an F800ST in my garage, it would absolutely get some saddle time by me.

Give it a ride, try to check out the vibe situation. I wish I had a better feel for what that would be like. That was my only real complaint about the R1100S*. I would just feel worn out after a long ride. The K can cover insane distances with no effort.

If you can wait till the fall, you might be able swing a better deal on a demo unit or even a discount on a 0 miler in Dec.


*In case anyone cares, my only real complaint about the K1200S is the on/off throttle transition fueling. In lower gears, its hard to be smooth in a corner. I have no idea what revision FI I have loaded, so there may be updates that help the situation. My concern there is that any fix might tame its current visceral character and for now, I prefer to try to ride around the problem

[Guest24]

Thanks for being truthful about using the wife excuse to get that third bike. I'm going through Atlanta on Wednesday and will test ride the mini-s and mini-st. I really loved my R12RT--smooth as silk except at 80 mph where there was a little vibration in the grips. The amount of Tupperware seams to be the only discernible difference between the S vs ST and I'm not worried by the 8 lbs or so.

[greyk12s]

From Slowrider:
"*In case anyone cares, my only real complaint about the K1200S is the on/off throttle transition fueling. In lower gears, its hard to be smooth in a corner. I have no idea what revision FI I have loaded, so there may be updates that help the situation. My concern there is that any fix might tame its current visceral character and for now, I prefer to try to ride around the problem"

__________________

My K12S is a 2005, and I believe that the latest software has taken care of the throttle problem without detracting from the visceral character. I'd say go ahead and update the software, but if you didn't find it helped, it would be a shame as you can't go back. I'm glad I made the change, but it's a bit of a gamble.

[NoCalRider]

Don't let the comments about "graduating to" the F800 color your opinion. It's true that it's smaller and friendlier than the big 1200s, but it's got enough juice to be fun. I took a very spirited ride with a friend on an FZ1 and he couldn't get away in the twisties. The F800 screams from 60 to 100 and I've reached an indicated 135 on mine. That's plenty fast for me. If my bike can flirt with the 100mph mark easily then I'm satisfied. Again, I work with / ride the R1200S quite a bit and the F800 compares very favorably on the fun factor.

[Guest24]

For NoCalRider: Was the belt drive a weight consideration vs shaft/chain alternatives and do you see an after market (larger sproket to allow more gears in the twisties rather than worry about the straights. One post indicated that he never got above 4th gear on his test ride and he was running in the 80's I believe.

I had the same situation with the ST3 I just sold. The 6 gear was never used except on the Freeway. As I stated earlier I'm going to do my own assessment on Wednesday enroute to the USDESMO gathering in Mt Airy.

If you had anything to do with the great showing at VIR this past weekend--a hardy WELL DONE. Cheerleaders are included.

[bikpaintr]

So is BMW bringing in any of the F800s without the "optional" abs?