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Lemonchili_x1
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 02:00 am: | 
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Continuing my test ride list... here is Chili's subjective, biased, inexperienced evaluation of the BMW F800R, aka "Bill the Cat" (with Akrapovic slip on exhaust)
Based on a scale of 1-5, where 5=AWESOME, 4=impressive, 3=Not good and not bad, 2=meh and 1=You're kidding, right?
Styling 4.5
For some reason I just like it, a lot! Quirky, odd, streetfighter-ish, little but not.
Ergonomics 4.5
Hard to fault - immediately comfortable, not particularly wide, I can almost flat foot with normal seat. Easy to use (almost conventional) switch gear, though some switches a bit small. Clear and funky instruments, though the tacho is a bit small. Gear lever, clutch and brakes felt very naturally positioned. Nice seat, available in normal and low is a nice touch. Some really nice details like easily accessible shock adjusters.
Practicality 4
Good seat, plenty of room to strap stuff on, looks like a reasonable pillion seat too. Definitely a do-everything bike. Must check if panniers are available, but BMW have a good range of soft bags, seat bags etc.
Fit and finish 4
I couldn't fault it.
Brakes 4
NICE brakes - lots of power and feel at the front. Rear was ok, not a heap of bite.
Ride (comfort) 3
Firmer than I thought it would be, very controlled, but not harsh.
Handling/cornering/flickability 4.5
This suprised me - very controlled, very little front end dive, *extremely* flickable at lower speeds, nice fast turn in at higher speeds. Felt like it would be a *heap* of fun in the twistys and able to carry a lot cornering speed. Confidence inspiring. I was expecting a soft mushy commuter/tourer, it was more naked sportbike.
Engine/responsiveness/acceleration 3.5
Nice. Fuelling seemed close to perfect on my short ride, no hesitation or hunting anywhere. Not a heap of power, but enough, and power everywhere, nice broad spread. A little bit of a step up somewhere around 6000 where the exhaust note gets a little snarly, hehehe . Pulled cleanly (though slowly) from below 2000 in top gear which was impressive. Exhaust note a little bit drone-y, but nice pops and snarls on the over-run.
Grin factor 4
This is a fun motorcycle, could be a giant killer in the right hands. Very confidence inspiring.
Giggle factor 4
This is a BMW??? Again, a FUN motorcyle. Kind of a two-thirds scale Speed Triple 
I'm still trying to get a test ride on an Aprilia Tuono and a crossplane R1, but it's not proving easy to find a demo of either. I'd hoped to ride the 'Prila before the 1125CR, but looks like I'll be testing a CR next week 
cheers,
chili |
Jlnance
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 05:18 am: |
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very little front end dive
Paralever? |
Jaimec
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 09:32 am: |
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Not on the F800. Standard telescopic forks. |
Lemonchili_x1
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 09:45 am: |
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Very plain, unadjustable telescopic forks, which had me thinking it would be on the soft, mushy, comfortable side like I'd heard about the F800S and ST, but they're apparently set up quite differently to those models.
Think it suits me?
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Rubberdown
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 09:48 am: |
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Paralever is the rear single sided shaft drive swingarm.
Telelever is the anti-dive "A" arm front end.
Not on the 800's. |
Buellgrrrl
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 11:04 am: |
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Like I said, it's a "Buell done right". I've got 12k happy miles on my F800S now... My Buell sits broken 1800 miles away in Florida and I don't miss it at all. |
4cammer
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 12:34 pm: |
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Hmmmm....just went downstairs to the garage to check on my XB9R. Looks like I got one of the Buell's that was done "right".
Thank goodness! |
Reepicheep
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 12:38 pm: |
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Buellgrrrl... In case your friends are too polite to tell you, you remain tedious.
Thanks for the report Chili! That BMW is on a short list of bikes I recommend friends look at when they are asking about street bikes... but that was all pure speculation on my part based on brochures.
Good to hear a first hand ride account, and that it belongs there.
Just promise me all BMW owners aren't as insufferable as Buellgrrl. If that's the case, you couldn't *give* me the bike... |
Johnnymceldoo
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 02:51 pm: |
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Like I said, it's a "Buell done right". I've got 12k happy miles on my F800S now... My Buell sits broken 1800 miles away in Florida and I don't miss it at all.
Maybe some of your fellow well off white BMW riders know of some blue color minorities who could fix your buell on the cheap. Next time you guys ride to starbucks just ask them. |
Rubberdown
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 02:55 pm: |
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Nice Johnny. Real nice. Whatever. |
Not_purple_s2
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 02:58 pm: |
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um...... yeah.....
back on topic.
Cool review lemonchili.
How tall are you?
At first glance it looks like it would be too tall for me but on closer inspection I'm not sure. |
Bill0351
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 04:23 pm: |
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What exactly are blue color minorities? |
Lemonchili_x1
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 07:52 pm: |
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Glad you liked the review, expect more, though I'll need Glitch's help with more Bill the Cat illustrations 
I would definitely recommend it as a "do everything" kinda bike  Really impressive bike... I wonder if they could do a 1000cc version... or add a blower...
I'm just under 6', but with ducks disease - short legs! They have a normal and a low seat (about 1/2" to 1" lower) and I think when you buy it you get the choice of seat (no price difference). I sat on the bike with the low seat and could easily flat foot.
A woman who works at the dealer is under 5'6" has an F800S, same seat, and she has a custom seat about an 1" lower again which I tried - too low for me, but she loved it and I think she was looking at trading her S model. |
Aldaytona
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 08:44 pm: |
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I'm thinking "Buell done right" is a tuber.
Hard to beat the pre 2004 Sportster engines and trans(trap door)missions, and CV carbs.
I know "BMW done right" is an Airhead, not that complicated junk they sell now.
In BMW:
"F" stands for FAKE
"R" stands for REAL |
Buellgrrrl
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 09:01 pm: |
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First off, Johnny may be making a mistake assuming I'm white...
"Buell done right" is right- the F800 BMWs do just about everything as well or better than the aircooled Buells- smoother, handle just as well, better mileage, and more usable power. The watercooled Buells could be competitive with BMW's twins, but in their current iteration they're too narrowly focused to go mass market.
As for the airheads, I did a couple hundred miles on the '84 R65LS today and it continues to impress. After 100,000 miles the engine and tranny still haven't been apart and it rides better than the F800S. The F800S does handle better and gets about 20% farther on a gallon of gas though. |
Johnnymceldoo
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 09:06 pm: |
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Color of skin or economic status is something people like you take advantage of. |
Cyclonedon
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 10:54 pm: |
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My Buell sits broken 1800 miles away in Florida and I don't miss it at all.
too lazy to fix it or would you just rather complain about it? |
Bbbob
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 - 09:43 am: |
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I own a Buell & sell BMW's, Ducati's & Triumph's. Comparing Buells to BMWs is like comparing apples to oranges. Now compare air cooled Buells to Duc Monsters or Rotax Buells to 848's or 1198's & the comparison makes more sense...BMWs are not Buells done right, Buells are Buells done right, BMWs are BMWs done right... |
Swordsman
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 - 11:29 am: |
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I didn't get the Bill the Cat reference until I saw the photoshop. The likeness is uncanny. What's with BMW and all the crooked, jacked-up headlights? Lead designer got a case of Proteus syndrome?
~SM |
Lemonchili_x1
| | Posted on Friday, October 02, 2009 - 02:13 am: |
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I dig the headlights big-time myself, very cool 
Comparing Beemers to Buells is apples to oranges in some ways, but I like apples, and oranges too... So I could compare an F800R and an XB12Ss because they are both naked, "do everything" bikes with roughly equivalent power outputs, similar weight and roughly similar price range.
Put another way, *I* would consider purchasing either one.
Edit: I mean the above with a ... I mean sometimes I compare bikes which don't seem to be logical competitors, but I'm not always logical
(Message edited by lemonchili_x1 on October 04, 2009) |
Elsinore74
| | Posted on Saturday, October 03, 2009 - 12:47 pm: |
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Thanks for the "test report," chili. Always enjoy your bike critiques.
What's all this "done right" business about?
We all order our steak differently. Medium Rare is "done right" for me...
And if anyone has abandoned a broken Buell, tell me where it it, and it may find itself strapped to the headache rack of a Northbound Freightliner.  |
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