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Sport Touring Rigs

My one complaint was that it felt a little buzzy at times. But I enjoyed the heck out of it regardless. Very nicely balanced and easy to ride.
You know, I read all the reports about vibration and was getting pretty concerned while I was looking at them. I also own a Kawi W800. Now THAT bike vibrates. Between 3500-4000 RPM (which is 60-70mph in top gear) it makes the mirrors useless and blurs the instruments. However, most of the owners in the W800 threads marvel about how smooth it is -- and it probably is compared to the old British twins it's modeled after.

Then I got a test ride on the F800GT and was searching for vibrations. Given the fact that both my W800 and the F800GT are 360* 800cc, 8-valve parallel twins, they couldn't feel more different. The F800GT does have a slight buzz, particularly at 4000 RPM, but otherwise it feels like silk compared to my W800. It's so funny how subjective vibrations are to riders. The vibes on the W are bad enough I legitmately can't ride it for longer than a couple of hours if I'm hitting cruising speeds where they are the worst. The F800? I could ride that thing all day, and am planning to.
 
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I will admit that I found the engine in the F800GT a bit dull when I first rode it, too. It has grown on me, and a slip-on helped. The engine (the whole bike really) has this sort of all-day competence that a one or two hour ride can not expose. I can jump on the GT at 7am, ride the piss out of it all day, then pull into the garage at 7pm - and still feel great.
I'm thinking about a slip-on -- I can't even hear the engine at speed and I'll admit that bothers me. It also makes it hard for me to rev match my downshifts. What do you have on yours? I've had a Delkevic in the past and was pretty happy with it and see they make a variety of pipes for the F800GT.
 
I'm thinking about a slip-on -- I can't even hear the engine at speed and I'll admit that bothers me. It also makes it hard for me to rev match my downshifts. What do you have on yours? I've had a Delkevic in the past and was pretty happy with it and see they make a variety of pipes for the F800GT.

I have a 14" Delkevic with the db-killer installed. At constant throttle it's not louder than stock (from the saddle anyway) and you can still hear the engine internals over the exhaust. (!!!) But crack the throttle and it will emit a subtle bark that the OEM can lacks.

I haven't tried it without the db-killer and probably won't.
 
I've got an Akra can on Ginger, came with it, and other than being lighter, I see no real benefit. These bikes simply do not give good "aural." ;)

They are, however, jealous.

I thought we had an understanding. An adult, open, relationship. Wrong. So, so wrong.

After spending a month abroad with Ginger's (older) sister Mia, I came home to this:

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And to think I was going to take her out to a nice breakfast. At least I found it in the garage. Isn't that a really nice imprint of the nail? So special.


This was still left in the tire:

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Fortunately, I've got a brand new set of Michelin Road 5s in the garage, put on new front and rear, the used front goes into garage inventory. The BMW Owners of America has road hazard insurance up to $250, this is the third time I'm using it, certainly been worth the membership fee.


Scrubbing in the new rubber with a ride to the town too tough to die.

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On the way home, hit a sharp bump and get the dreaded LAMP message. Ginger was not done being pissed.

Ride on a bit, the error clears itself. Hmmm. Pull into the next gas station, fill up, check that all the bulbs are working: they are. Ride home, the LAMP message comes back, it is the rear tail light. Pull the housing, replace the bulb, all good.

Or so I thought.

A few days later, Ginger throws a hissy fit about 5 miles from the house, LAMP again. Ride home, same thing, the rear tail light. Pull the bulb, check the contacts...they fall away from the plastic socket housing...the plastic has deteriorated. Ugh. The desert at work.

To the internet! Have to replace the tail light housing, about $100. For about $40 more, I can get an LED assembly from Hornig in Germany designed to work with the the CAN-BUS system (it has a resister built in to fool the system into thinking it is an incandescent bulb). I can also get a gen-u-ine BMW LED tail light for $250, but this needs to be coded by a BMW dealer so the system will recognize it, and my local dealer believes the US dealer systems have that function disabled because it is not DOT compliant. Out of stock anyway; I order the Hornig part.

Ships the next day via DHL, I've got it in my hands 3 days later. Awesome.

Clear with red LEDs. Not sure I like the looks all that much, but I like the reliability and the brightness.

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Works flawlessly on a ride to visit Santa.
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Ginger is now "+1" on bling compared to her sister Mia. She seems happy... 😎
 
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Older rider here, searching for a lighter weight fun ST to do backroads and occasional 3-4 day trips off interstates. Very frequent Blue Ridge Parkway region rides - SW VA and N central NC.
Heart says BMW 800 ST or Honda VFR 750, love the V4. Really like the bikes BUT how available are parts now and in 5 years? Sorta local Honda dealer has a BMW available and local-ish Honda dealer has VFR with very low miles, almost brand new. Do to weight I'd probably choose the BMW F800 plus love the belt.
If MotoGuzzi had a dealer within 75 miles I'd consider a V7 Special with the 850 engine - a touch of panache.

Brain says Triumph TigerSport 660, Tracer 9, or Honda NC750x. All current production bikes. The Tracer probably more bike than I need. Honda 750 solid uninspiring bike that will do just fine until I walk away from 2 wheels - that's my 5 year plan. TigerSport has local support and is lightweight; probably my choice for a new bike. Test ride as soon as local dealer gets them in. Price difference in the bikes not a deal breaker.

Do have a sidecar rig that will stay until I can't go anymore. Great for grocery shopping and multi state rides on 2 lane highways, I do have the time to enjoy the ride.

Opinions and suggestions welcome.
 
If you can swing a new bike I'd vote for the Tiger 660 - it's got all you need and it's getting great reviews.

If you're looking to save some $$ and put it into traveling, I'd suggest the F800GT, or if the ergos of the VFR are doable a way overlooked bike is the Triumph Sprint (yes I own one, but I'm not pitching you a line): it's got a great motor, both in power and reliability, good MPG (I get 50mpg on trips) and they are cheap to pick up on the used market.
 
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A few comments...

There's a fairly big ergo difference b/w the F800ST and the GT, with the GT being significantly more relaxed. Also a longer swingarm, more passenger room, better luggage and 5 more hp.

This site is good for comparison, if you haven't seen it: http://cycle-ergo.com

As with most BMWs, there's a fair amount of aftermarket kit to change the ergonomics to your needs...bar risers, peg lowers, passenger peg lowers, seats, screens, etc. More choices than many other bikes, if that matters to you.

The belt drive is fantastic, and there are now Contitech belts (the original manufacturer) available on the aftermarket, mostly overseas. I just bought one for inventory, $113 delivered, as compared to $550 for the stock BMW part, which is identical. They are specified to be be changed at 24k, but usually last twice that or more...with ZERO maintenance, nada, nothing. I'd be hard pressed to go back to a chain on a travel bike. No drive line slop either.

The VFR is a great bike, I had a 1991 750, but the V4 is much more difficult to work on than the F800 motor, if that matters to you. 15 minute oil changes on the GT, nothing to remove, everything accessible. I've also come to love the under seat tank, easy to fill right to the brim, never have to remove a tank bag, always 50 mpg or more.

So...the downsides. The engine is "uninspiring" but very, very "competent" in the real world, with good torque, fueling and linear power delivery. The triple in the Tracer is more exciting, the VFR more exciting still. The F800 is a "relaxed" touring bike, 4k at 70 mph, just burbles along with that "twin cadence" you don't get with more cylinders. There's some heat that comes off the engine, primarily on the left side, more bothersome if you don't wear heavy riding gear. Great when it is chilly, less so when it is warm, not really an issue when it is truly hot b/c everything is hot.

The stock suspension is also only "OK" IMO, especially the rear shock, even if you get the ESA model. It is harsh on choppy pavement, which is kinda the entire US at the moment. I've got a Wilbers fully adjustable replacement on both of mine, made a world of difference, but not cheap.

FWIW, I personally will never buy a bike again without a test ride (been there, done that, sold it in a couple of months and took the hit). I was fortunate to rent an F800GT for a 10 day Scotland tour, so really got to know it. When I decided to ship a bike to Europe, went and found one. After riding it around for 3300 miles, came home and bought another, and sold my GS. No regrets.

Good luck with your shopping!
 
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I know it's cliche to bitch about the looks of this bike ... but I have to agree. The front is hard to look at, IMO.

There is a reasonably priced RT (too reasonable to be trusted, maybe) not far from me, and I have RT-owning friends who tell me it's a great bike, and I believe them. I am tempted. But I look at 'em and the near total coverage in plastic gives them a scooter feel, or a Honda Pacific Coast feel. If I owned it, would I get excited for a ride just looking at it like I do with my Sprint? (Definitely 'first-world problems,' I know. We're a lucky bunch!)
Maybe so, but I will take performance over aesthetic any day, and that headlight was awesome.

That said, I liked the look, though I also like the Aztek, so there is that!
 
You know, since you mentioned the V7 and having a local Triumph dealer...have you considered a new Street or Speed Twin? Not really "sport tourers" out of the box, but lots of accessories to make them so. Just another suggestion for the "retro look" from an easily accessible dealer. The new WC Triumph twins are very nice motors, especially the 1200 in the Speed Twin.
 
Maybe so, but I will take performance over aesthetic any day, and that headlight was awesome.

That said, I liked the look, though I also like the Aztek, so there is that!
Bad headlights are definitely a headache. It never gets addressed in bike reviews. They'll go on about tires, something that will easily be replaced at season's end, but headlights? It's as if no one rides at night. It took switching to LEDs to make my Sprint's headlight practical.
 
^ I like that color. It's similar to Triumph's, long gone, Lucifer Orange. I sort of passed up the opportunity to own a Tiger 1050 in that color.
 
^ All very nice. And which one is the standout?
Hard to say. The RT was an all day/all night ride. Not sexy but very comfortable. The K1200RS was kinda comfortable but what it lacked in that sense it more than made up with power and cruise control. The ST3 was a hoot but out in the windy West its light weight worked against it ESPECIALLY in Wyoming. The K1200S is surprisingly comfortable for a supersport but lacks cruise control. It's stooooopid quick and turbine-like smooth. All provided me with some great experiences and memories.

All that said, the standout was the RT. I did many a long day on it. Blasted across Texas, Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arizona, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, California, and New Mexico averaging 100+ for many hours without a hassle. Rode it through wind, rain, nasty hail, and into a blizzard (not intentionally) with the only hassle being a flat tire from a nail.
 
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