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Long Tours with F800ST

I ride the F650GS. Since acquiring it last May, it has carried me, with enough gear for an army, on a 6000 mile trip through New England, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, including Cape Breton Island . . . it has taken me through the Ozarks of Arkansas then down through Texas for a 3000 mile loop, and now has 20000 miles on it. My longest day was 600 miles, but that had a lot more to do with me than the bike. I'm 73, widowed, and also ride 1 up. Your bike wil willingly tour at whatever level you choose and will, without complaint, handle whatever road surface gets thrown at it. In other words, DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!. YOU WILL ALWAYS BE SO GLAD THAT YOU DID.

Floyd
 
if your 800 isn't up to long touring then i guess i better come up with a new idea as i had planned to ride my F650GS to Gillette this summer. all kidding aside,i am sure your 800 will tour just fine.
 
Ah, the gas mileage! After 19 years of top heavy
K bikes I just can not believe the mileage I'm getting on my new F800ST. This last gas stop I kept rechecking to be sure I did not make a mistake.
I made a good choice!
 
Ah, the gas mileage! After 19 years of top heavy
K bikes I just can not believe the mileage I'm getting on my new F800ST. This last gas stop I kept rechecking to be sure I did not make a mistake.
I made a good choice!



So come on....TELL us what you got...?????
 
I have a 2007 F800ST, equipped with GIVI side bags and top box.

I bought this thing to travel on, but have since had LOTS of people tell me that it is only good for short trips. Too small, they say, for a multi-thousand mile vacation.
In 1971, my wife and I travelled throughout Europe for three months on two Honda 49cc mopeds. Not quite as big as your F800ST. Small and slow with very small cloth panniers, but they were no impediment to our long distance riding. Enjoy your trips on your F800ST!
 
Could I be so bold as to ask about how close to sticker everyone ended up forking over for there f800s/st...?
 
I have a 2007 F800ST, equipped with GIVI side bags...

The new Givi V30 side cases that fit closer to bike? I put those bags on my wife's Kawasaki Ninja 650R.....that setup makes for a great mid-size sport touring motorcycle.

I like these new mid-size, 600-800 cc motorcycles best of all. I've got a V-Strom 650, ZR-7S (750cc) and VFR800 myself....all good bikes that I wouldn't hesitate to ride across the country. Heck, we rode a pair of the older F650 carb model bikes from the Redmond rally in 2001 back to Alaska....no problems at all.

I think you're going to love taking tours on the F800ST. I had a test ride on a F800S last summer and loved the engine....the ST might be perfect.

Have some great rides this summer! Wish I could make to the rally in WY.

Gary Benson
Eagle River, Alaska
 

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Could I be so bold as to ask about how close to sticker everyone ended up forking over for there f800s/st...?

We bought ours last July and as it was the first and only lowered F800ST to arrive at the dealer with no more expected for a few months, so we paid 100% of sticker as it was still in the crate. :blush
 
No deal on the sticker, but BMW was offering low interest loans. I went with my credit union because I prefer to shop locally and the rate difference was minimal.

I did get 15% off all gear for the rest of the summer, so the BMW sport cases were not so much of a kick in the wallet.
 
Right now, I tend to avoid interstates because they are boring but also because I am still skittish about having trucks blow by me at 400 mph (more or less). I have to get my skittishness behind me.

Finally, I am grateful for the encouragement, because the simple fact is that this is my bike and it must serve all purposes. I was worried that perhaps there was something that made the F800 inherently unworthy as a long distance tourer (even some of the other posts on this forum seem to make that claim).
I started riding 5 years ago this week!

I remember my "firsts".

My first drop.

My first time at 55 mph.

and the scariest...my first time on a numbered highway at 56 mph and having my mirrors on my F650CS filled with a big chrome Freightliner. I can still hear the whine of the turbo today.

Trucks can be scary. Granted, I should not have been on a highway until I had more experiance. My uncle, a very experienced BMW rider and dealer owner said non chalantly "Just roll on the throttle and leave 'em behind." How I do that now!
 
When I turned 11, I came from camp that summer to find Dad's new BMW R50/2 in the garage. I started riding it in parking lots at 13 (supervised), and at 17 I became street legal. I have been riding ever since.

That bike was 500cc (493 IIRC) and 23 HP. From Southern Long Island, NY, I took it to Boston, Albany and home first, and then, DC, and Miami, FL twice when I was between 19-21. Who says a small bike can't be used as a national touring machine? Bless that now ghost of a bike, my F800S is just as capable, if not far more! If only Dad had not passed away a few years before I bought it. :cry :cry :cry :cry

I anticipate Gillette will be my longest tour on the F800S to date; I am still balancing out painful, nasty left shoulder issues two surgeries helped, but did not cure. I almost gave up riding with my old top-heavy, pain inducing bike, I could not ride more than 2 hours.

But on the F800 I have done 800 in two days with very mild not-lasting episodes, and 600 in one day w/o any. The key I found is to prevent such aggravation of it that it takes days to burn off. Unfortunately, six-years post-op the threshold for that still alludes me. I think that's because it is a moving target.

I will be trying to bring my endurance up between then and now, and my new Alaska Leather sheepskin seat cover will help. It had its first test ride yesterday, but is now off the bike for city driving this week. In May, I go to one of our local MOA chapter rallies, and since it is in Heber, I will use the sheepskin for that 500 mile turn-around as a true trial.

But I hope to see you Ol Al, and many others in Gillette, come July. :thumb
 
Just thought I would add this. I rode my scooter on a 2000 mile trip. I left the K75 at home this time. I actually loved it. Sometimes I find that smaller is better. The photo was taken along the Blue Ridge Pkwy. By the way, my gas milege was about 75 mpg up there.
 

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What RPM is the 800ST turning at 70 mph? Does it sound "busy"?
 
What RPM is the 800ST turning at 70 mph? Does it sound "busy"?


The S and the ST rev about the same. My S's RPM at 70 mph is quiet and low middle (3.5-4K). It gets a little buzzy and louder at high 80's, a bit more at 90, and does not sound busy until 95+ (5K RPM and up in 6th)
 
So come on....TELL us what you got...?????

I rode one in Europe and rode it VERY hard, my wife was on a F650GS riding conservative, and when we filled the 800 would use just a little more than the 650!!! Ridden identically I believe the 800 will get better mileage than the 650, in the 50 -60 mpg range.
 
Just thought I would add this. I rode my scooter on a 2000 mile trip. I left the K75 at home this time. I actually loved it. Sometimes I find that smaller is better. The photo was taken along the Blue Ridge Pkwy. By the way, my gas milege was about 75 mpg up there.

I rode the Blue Ridge last year and couldn't believe all the scooters. Some 2 up with huge looking soft bags hanging off them. And they were moving right along.
 
Gas mileage so far

So come on....TELL us what you got...?????

55.3mpg, 54.25, 75.1mpg (solo, all interstate, 65mph, 70 degrees and sunny. If I had failed to reset my tripI I would have to show at least 110mpg. 187.6miles divided by 2.498gal.),49,60.65, 62,53.
I still think that 75mpg was a fluk.
 
Rally Bound

The good news is I will be in Gillette. The bad news is I am leaving the F800S at home and flying in, instead. Neither my bad shoulder nor if I think the F800S is capable/incapable HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS ( and I don't think the F800S is incapable, anyway).

I am flying in because no one here will commit to going with me, and I deemed a July trip through the AZ, UT, CO desert area, traveling alone unsafe; but I refused to miss the Rally in Gillette. It will be my first and I am a volunteering for photography and ON reporting, so please try to meet me. :buds

In the meantime, for a consolation, I am also signed up and going to the BMW Motorrad Mexico Rally in October, with 2 days in Guadalajara and 2 in Puerto Vallarta, and 8-12 of us are going on that one. :clap

I can't for the life of me decide which will be more fun, BUT, not a bad consolation prize, huh? See you there!
 
Curious about ride to rally

Tweety1, you mentioned that you've "deemed" it unsafe to ride alone through the deserts of AZ, UT and CO. I notice that you are from AZ and surely know more about this than I do.

Will you say more about what those unsafe elements are--beyond being hot? As a solo, female rider, I'm always interested in hearing what others can add to my knowledge about a trip/route.

Thanks

Sharon
 
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