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BMW F800S

23K views 51 replies 34 participants last post by  Murphy123 
#1 ·
parallel twin...sweet....sounds like a fun ride...
 
#5 ·
It will probably cost less than ten grand, have adequate power (80hp), good handling , hard bags (I hope), and the aftermarket support that BMWs enjoy.

I doubt,however, that it will have much of the overall goodness of an Airhead. This will be an entry level Beemer without the over-engineering and gadgetry that has come to characterize that brand.
 
#8 ·
As a long time BMW rider I lament the passing of the airhead and its replacement with the overly complex and porcine bikes that BMW has offered since. Let's hope that this model will usher in a new commitment to the production of lighter, simpler motorcycles. VWW
 
#9 ·
Parallel twins are inherently impossible to balance. This is the reason why so many great British bikes from the glorious era kept self destructing.

This one may not self destruct, thanks to 50 years of progress in engineering, electronics, metals, and other details, but it will still shake like a cub scout at Neverland (who did I steal that from?).

 
#11 ·
BMW already has an F650CS and GS, they are thin, light, have ABS option and the CS is belt drive so no chain oiling. The gas is below the seat so it feels more scooter size than motorcycle so for me it is a hoot in LA traffic, in fact it is my primary LA transport.
 
#13 ·
Well after I found out the F650CS was discontinued I was hoping for something even lighter and smaller, a BMW standard/motard. Looks like they decided to go more sporty as they have with their other bikes. Looks like they kept the single sided swing arm, which is good, hope they kept the belt drive from the CS vs a chain. I also hope they kept the gas under the seat, but it looks like they ditched the storage tank and put on a traditional gas tank :( Handle bars look like clip-ons vs the more comfy standard style bars the CS has now. In general I am disappointed as BMW no longer has a beginner friendly standard any more.
 
#14 ·
Are you kidding? One word: COUNTERBALANCERS. The modern triumph Bonneville engine family has them, as does EVERY modern parallel twin, such as the Yamaha TDM, MZ 1000S, Kawasaki ER6, and certainly this BMW 800. I bet it'll be smooth as silk. Remember, IT'S A BMW.



For what it's worth, I've ridden 197os era Kawaski KZ750 twins, and those are pretty smooth too.
 
#15 ·
I think ABS will be the primary reason folks pick this bike over other better bang-per-buck bikes. I'm eager to read some reviews on the bike, and I applaud BMW for at least trying to fill the void between its thumper and uberbikes. However, as you mentioned, the costs will be the deal breaker.
 
#21 ·
Well, well. What we have here is a brand-new example of that previously common but recently hard-to-find item, the middleweight roadster that can do everything. BMW always used to make them, of course, under the title of R75/5 and before that the R60, but recently they've been kind of hard to find, though Honda's CB500S is pretty good for its size (and looks not unlike this Beemer, don't you think?). Over here in Europe where things are closer together, you rarely get the chance to use more than 80 bhp before you meet something else and have to stop, so this little item seems fine to me. In fact, 80bhp and 200kg is just a touch more than the old K75S used to make, which was just a touch more than the old R100S used to make, and nobody ever thought they were underpowered, did they? No, this one sounds fine to me, and might well turn out to be a sort of modern Norton Interstate if it was done out for touring with luggage and stuff. But just as the advent of the R850R sounded the death-knell of the K75, which was a fine bike, this F800 is going to kill off the R850R, which costs as much to make as the R1150 but has to be sold for less. Which means that if you want an R850, and they're very nice bikes if you want a keeper rather than something to set your hair on fire, then they'll be going cheap very soon.
 
#23 ·
be interesting to see what Yamaha are going to do with their TDM in reply...



so far everyone is taking the ***** - should be looking at around 300lbs for a big vertical twin (compared with the way Jap fours have evolved)



180 degree crank throw vertical twins with gear driven balancer can be relatively smooth, BTW
 
#24 ·
I've been watching the news/rumors about this one for a couple of months. Seems like a neat bike but, unfortunately, one without a home. It's not going to wow the spec-sheet jocks (although, I understand that BMW is going for big torque) and there are far lower priced alternatives. Maybe a niche bike for BMW-lovers, but that's probably about it.
 
#26 ·
Obviously you've never ridden a solid mounted I-4 without counterbalancers. My old CB750F was literally impossible to ride at 65mph because the bike felt like a dental drill. My 81 KZ750, even with rubber mounts had vibration problems too.



Also, a 180 degree twin like Honda used to build en masse is an entirely different animal than the 360 degree twin the Brits were so fond of. Some people used to pull those old 650s apart and have the cranks dynamically balanced which made them run much more smoothly.
 
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