F800ST good for LD or IronButt??

[Nicholas]

 

I currently have a Suzuki Intruder 1500 cruiser but have fallen in love with the F800ST since going to a bike show in Toronto. The problem is, I also love long distance riding and mostly see photos of bikes over 1000cc's involved. Before I buy the F800ST I would like some input from long distance riders as to whether or not it is feasible to do long distance (eg Iron Butt SS1000 ride) on such a bike. I do a fair bit of commuting and find the 1500 good but not entirely sporty enough .

Thanks very much

[motorbob]

Dear fellow motorcyclist, may I suggest you do a real demo ride come spring. The ST is to long distance what the Intruder is to sport riding.

You want a sporty long distance motorcycle, then look a sport touring bikes such as the K1300GT or R1200RT if you like BMW.

There are many other choices such as the Concours 1400, FJR, and ST1300.

The most unpleasant aspects of motorcycling are poor wind management and riding comfort (position, seat, cruise, heated seat and grips)

The RT is probably the best bike in the world for long distance in comfort. The KGT is much sportier but also a fantastic machine.

 

 

[UberXY]

The ST is on the sport end of the sport touring spectrum, and the RT is on the touring end.

 

I sold my R1150RT recently and bought an F800ST. If you are going to do long trips of a week or more, or ride more than 700 miles in a day, the RT is the way to go - great torque, comfortable ergos, good brakes, and mile-munching front suspension.

 

I mostly do 3 day trips now, riding solo, with maybe 400 miles a day. The ST is great for this kind of riding - it's light, sporty, reasonably comfortable, and will haul some stuff. It's also better for exploring the roads less traveled - dirt, mud - than the RT.

[Nicholas]

Thanks for your ideas, and that sounds like a good plan. I had a Honda 1200ST 8 years ago and found it too heavy for commuting and around town. I'm trying to step it down but that just might not be possible.

 

Thanks again,

Nick

[Nicholas]

(correction my previous bike was the ST1100, not that it matters much)

 

If am being reasonable then 400 miles in one day is right for me anyway.... but I would like to able to go the long haul once a year. It's always a compromise.

 

Thanks for your advice.

Nick

[Nicholas]

... and then I see people on 800GS models traveling across the entire continent of Europe or taking the longest road in the world from Alaska to Chile. I'm so confused. I could go for the 800GS because it looks rugged and practical, the 800FS cause it's sporty and toury like, or the R1200RT (second hand due to price tag) for the IronButt.

 

It's all part of the fun of biking! Isn't it.

Nick

[TEWKS]

The short time I have on an F800ST would lead me to believe you could ride the bike long distances in relative comfort. If you really like the bike, go for it. Another option might be the R1200R, it can be configured a lot of different ways & oh yeah, the displacement thing.

 

 

 

 

Pat

 

[Nicholas]

Thanks Pat,

You may just have something there. I just checked the catalog and the price seems ok... I just have to add the touring package and bingo. The size look right, the weight is not much more than the ST AND it looks practical..... I like the flat twin (always have since the 70's) ... I'll check it out at the dealer on Monday.

 

Thanks for the great idea ( the nice photos)

[Jon_M]

Another option might be the R1200R, it can be configured a lot of different ways & oh yeah, the displacement thing.

Pat

I agree. I usually ride and appreciate an R1200RT, but I recently rented an R1200R for two weeks in the Alps. I loved it. It was nimble and I really appreciated the low speed grunt when the corners got really tight and the inclines got really steep. The weather was good and the speeds were relatively low, so I did not miss the fairing. In heavy weather or for long, high-speed distances, the RT would be better.

[Firefight911]

We've had the F800ST and my wife easily did 700 mile days on it, and did so coming home from John Day, OR to Placerville, CA.

 

The seat was an issue as butt squirm got going but we changed out the seat and all was perfect as a result.

 

I have the F800GS and have also done 700 plus mile days on it. Again, I needed to change out the seat for those long day butt squirm issues.

 

Given a choice between the two (GS, ST) I would go GS as it is more upright and more comfortable, IMO, for those long days. An added bonus is that the GS will take you down dirt road easily.

 

CC's is no issue. Find the bike that will work for you, decide where your bulk of riding exists (distance, commute, weekenders, etc) and then get on one and ride it with that mission in mind and you'll probably be just fine. A couple farkles to tailor it to you and you're off and running.

 

Any other help, let us know.

[Nicholas]

I didn't think I would get such good thoughtful advice from a forum. So the F800ST/GS are back in the running now and I'll just have to sit in the showroom for a few more hours with an open mind... tough life! I can't keep buying motorcycles.... I can only afford one

[mig]

I went from an ST110 to an RT and wouldn't go back. Dropped about 150 pounds of weight, and you can really tell. I like the built in ammenaties(sp?) too.

Rode to Arizona last month, 760+ miles all comfy with the stock seat, but I could see how a better seat would work. The nice thing about Beemers is that you can actually take them for test rides !!! So Go!!!

[David13]

Many people with the F800's, the ST or the S, do iron butt. Some of them change the seat.

I no longer want to drive or ride anything more than at most 500 miles per day.

And I have had no problem with the original seat. And wind is not a problem with it.

But each rider has to suit themselves.

If I need to go more than 800 miles in a day, I will take the airplane.

I like the gas mileage and the light weight of the F800.

dc

[notacop]

As one who has had both an RT and a ST riding 1000 mile days, I can emphatically say YES YOU CAN.

The 1100RT had a bigger tank but a bigger fuel consumption. The ST has a 4 gallon tank but still good for 200 miles.

The seat suck, you betcha. An Air Hawk fixed that.

The 800GS can be fitted with a touratech 5.3 auxillary tank and have a real Iron Butt capability. I checked they don't offer an aux tank for the ST. I carry a couple liters of fuel in the top box for an emergency.

THe folks that poo-poo the smaller bikes are stuck on bigger is better. I put 217000 miles on an R65LS with no Farkles of any sort. The tank bag was my fairing/windscreen. Did a couple 1350 mile days on it and several 1000 mile days.

THe motorcycle is what you make of it, not versey-vicey.

[JohnnyJ]

I recently did an Edelweiss Tour Of Tuscany on a F800GS. I easily kept up with the boys (and girls) who were on the big 1200GS/RT's and Ducati Multistrada’s. A few said they tried to outrun me and were quite surprised when they were unable to. I was very comfortable and had little fatigue at the end of each day.

 

Both Tour guides (Little German women) preferred the 1200GS's to all the bikes they rent. And we were never off-road.

 

Johnny J

[Froggy]

I went from an ST110 to an RT and wouldn't go back. Dropped about 150 pounds of weight, and you can really tell. I like the built in ammenaties(sp?) too.

Rode to Arizona last month, 760+ miles all comfy with the stock seat, but I could see how a better seat would work. The nice thing about Beemers is that you can actually take them for test rides !!! So Go!!!

:eek:What weight plan were you on :rofl:What bike to buy,thats a tuffy.I love the looks of the 800ST,but I new getting back into riding that my wrists would not be able to handle it.The 800GS is a good in-b-tween but I finally settled on the RT.Good choice,bad choice,I can't tell you but I am enjoying my final pic

[RockBottom]

Thanks Pat,

You may just have something there. I just checked the catalog and the price seems ok... I just have to add the touring package and bingo. The size look right, the weight is not much more than the ST AND it looks practical..... I like the flat twin (always have since the 70's) ... I'll check it out at the dealer on Monday.

 

Thanks for the great idea ( the nice photos)

 

I traded an F800ST for an R1200R last July. I'd put about 34K on F in a little more than two years of ownership, and have put 12K on the R since last July.

 

The riding position on the R is slightly more upright (less weight on the hands). The suspension is better (the F had moderate nose dive on braking unless you changed to aftermarket springs). There is less wind buffeting behind trucks on the R. But the big thing for me was reliability. I'd had 6 major warranty repairs, 3 calls to roadside assistance, and a couple of recall jobs in two years on the F. So far on the R, the only problem I've had was a replacement fuel strip.

 

The only fault I've found with the R is the stock seat. If you look at the two showroom pictures above, the white one has a BMW "comfort" seat, and the red one a regular stock seat. I've been using a regular one with an Airhawk, but am ordering a comfort seat next week.

[randys]

The best bike to do LD riding is the one you are comfortable on. If you can sit in the saddle and twist the throttle, you are good to go. Find that bike, add a fuel cell, and go for a ride.

[Paul Mihalka]

If you can be comfortable on the F800ST, go for it. Check and plan to do something on seat and windshield.

F800GS vs. F800ST: F800GS has chain drive and inner tubes in the tires. F800ST has belt drive and tubeless tires. Based on this I would prefer the ST.

 

[Jon_M]

 

The only fault I've found with the R is the stock seat.

The R1200R I rented had the factory low seat. I liked it. It was more comfortable than the factory low seat on my own R1200RT.

[rclbaker]

After many years of riding an R1100RS I now ride a black F800ST since September 2010 (model 2011). Biggest difference is the weight. And less weight for me is more comfort and more satisfaction.

The standard seat is OK and the standard screen is VERY OK (I am 175 cm tall).

 

I don´t like the standard bags ("beauty cases"), but mounting the Givi V35 bags makes the bike ready (but not perfect) for long distance touring and holidays.

 

Sport touring for me has nothing to do with RT´s and GT´s: too big, too heavy, too much of everything. An important condition for liking a bike for me is: do I expect stress riding a bike over a camping place? You know what I mean?

 

But I also make long trips (frequently with the wife) with my trusty R60/7 and comfort has never been an issue.