Been following a couple of threads on advrider.com about the new BM 800 where reaction Stateside to this new bike is extremely positive - as it has been in the UK press. Folk, including myself are beginning to wonder, since the the new 12S is heading off in a more sporty direction (not to everyone's taste - regardless of the why and wherefore etc etc) if the 800 may even capture some ex-1100S owners. Let's face it, it's putting out 85bhp which is only 10 or so less than the 1100, it has a decent torque output (63lbs according to the BM blurb) and more importantly has a lot less mass which will do well for power/weight.
Add to this its OEM hard luggage capability and (bearable) passenger accommodation plus belt drive, I'm beginning to think this bike may be something of a potential winner for BMW. It's also rather pretty too - and is available with black wheels
As Chris said, reckon it may well sell by the truckload, perhaps even end up the dark horse of the range.
I sort of agree Richard. indeed I'd even go so far as to say that it has a touch of the S about it's looks, apart from the cylinders having been put in the wrong way of course ! ! ! I'd be interested to have a test ride and see if it has the same drive as our 11's though.
Stopped in at the Ducati showroom today whilst buying some new boots, really like the look of the Multi apple stroodle thingy, very comfy too, and the new S version is a steal at only £750 more for Ohlins forks and rear !
Also the 749R just looks fanflippintastic in the flesh, always fancied one, but having actually seen it for real now, whoar ! Anyway , Bank holiday weekend, so no doubt it'll piss down on Monday
Best get my test ride of the Pan 1300 out the way tomorrow then !
Looks are only skin deep,but always a factor and for me the 800 looks right,the one thing that owning an S has taught me,horspower ain't everything,yes i crave it like the next man,oops person!!,i had a bike in the mid 80's that had more HP than my S,despite rideing a bike for 37 years can honestly say i've learned to make the best of my S(with a few improvements) instead of relying on just HP.
I'll contradict myself!!,haveing missed an Triumph ST Sprint by a whisker last week!!,and no chance of buying a bike at a decent price this side of august.
When a friend of mine owned an SV650, I occasioanally got the chance to have a spin on it, where it never failed to make me smile. Sure, it wasn't over-burdened in the bhp dept but was still an (indicated) 130mph motorcycle. Best thing is, in many ways like the 11S, the power it did have was extremely usable and, allied to its great chassis, was a total hoot to ride. Only downsides were 1. That for 2-up riding it would have struggled a bit and 2. It's just too bloody small for blokes my size.
The F800 could well address those 2 SV issues by being that little bit larger, and having a usefully gruntier motor. Sure it won't have that off-idle punch of the 1100's Boxer engine, nor I suspect its top gear flexibilty, but as a package I think it'll be a peach. I'm keener to get a demo on this than on the 12S if I'm honest.
Best get my test ride of the Pan 1300 out the way tomorrow then !
Toodle Pip
Don't do it - they aren't sorted in the weaving department (still)
I had a job to keep up with Winger on his Tiger in France, not on speed or acceleration, just stability, being two up and well loaded set the whole plot rolling.
Lloyd
It's not how fast you ride, it's how you ride fast.
Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear
bright until you hear them speak.
Rode an ST Sprint today!! again, two up a disaster!!!! didn't work at all,completely the reverse,to when i rode the S in 98,back to the drawing board!!!
Well Lloyd I had the test rode yesterday ( sat ) on the 1300 Pan. First impression is how well it hides it's weight, I thought the S was well balanced and easy to move about, but bloody hell, I'm amazed at how the Pan felt paddling it about.
On the go it was nice, very smooth, and amazingly rapid for such a big bike, and I am genuinely stunned at how easy it was to throw it about, crikey I even lofted the front without trying. The brakes were flipping amazing as well, mabey my S's need overhauled, but bloody hell, I nearly nutted the dash the first heavy braking I did ! and they weren't too sharp at slow speed either. It really was easy to ride around on, filtering, town work, and still skelping through corners like a bike 100Kg lighter, it just drops in so easily and then holds nicely unless you're really pushing when it did drift a little to the outside.
I didn't encounter any of the weave that you mentioned, though above 80 putting the screen up did create enough pressure on my back to feel as if I was being drawn to the front of the bike. I may not have had enough weight on the bike at the time though, as I only lightly filled the panniers.
Must admit got back on the S and thought, fooking 'ell, this is a bit of a cramped sporty position I must be getting old
Need to give the wife a run out on it, but I think there may be an addition to the garage in the next couple of weeks.
sorry Richard, I'll give you your thread back now !
Merseyside police have grounded their entire fleet of pans due to handling problems/ death of an officer, and Cumbria police have actually returned theirs to Honda. Think carefully.
Steve
Well-weathered leather
Hot metal and oil
The scented country air
Sunlight on chrome
The blur of the landscape
Every nerve aware
Boxered wrote:Merseyside police have grounded their entire fleet of pans due to handling problems/ death of an officer, and Cumbria police have actually returned theirs to H*nda. Think carefully.
Steve
What he said.
Last Summer, Rods & I were working up in Scotland (Edingburgh Tattoo thingy) where each night our coach journey from Dunfermline into E/burgh was escorted by Lothian & Borders Police, riding Pans of 11 & 13 varieties. Got chatting to a couple of the guys riding one evening and began to probe them about the Pan's handling problems. They didn't pull any punches with their descriptions - comments such as 'taking up 2 lanes of a motorway at 120mph isn't our idea of fun' etc etc.
Of course, Honda will deny there's a problem - as they've always done in the past. I've done a fair bit of digging about recently regarding supposedly reliable bikes - it's amazing what stories begin to surface after a while. Let's put it this way - some manufacturers' bikes aren't quite living up to their reputation. And I'm not talking about BMW.
winger wrote:Rode an ST Sprint today!! again, two up a disaster!!!! didn't work at all,completely the reverse,to when i rode the S in 98,back to the drawing board!!!
Chris - would you give us a bit more gen about the Sprint please? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on its 2-up suitablility; if I got one it'd only be used very occasionally for passenger-carrying, nothing mega-mileage.
Took Ann out on the Buell Ulysses a couple of weeks ago - I fully appreciate they're not your cuppa (and I'd never expect you to buy one) but with a pillion that bike's bloody amazing. Ann rated it as possibly the most comfortable bike she's ever been on the back of. Even made the bike handle better as the slight change in geometry calms the slightly twitchy steering.
After 5 with my Tiger and 6 years with the S,i've got e'm set how i won't e'm,so any comparison is always going to be difficult agains't a bog standard bike.
Rode an St last year,thought it was fantastic,not the 'It pulled my arms off lark' just a great alrounder,the motor is a league in front of my Tiger,with Jap fuel injection,steered well even with the dreaded 020 front,and handled a treat,and when you opened it up had a fair old turn of speed.
Have done some ducking and diveing trying to by one recently,not instead of,as well as,just in case!!!,and then thought sod it,with not P/X i'll chisel e'm on the price,i'll buy a new u'n.
Went to Windy Corner yesterday and took out their demo bike,not the one i rode last year another,June struggled to get on the back because of the high seat,an i'm not into the standing on the foot peg lark while you struggle to hold the bike upright!!!.
Set off, it was like a rowing boat because the rear shock was set to soft,but still steered spot despite the seesaw suspension,but thought i can sought that out with an Ohlin,were the trouble as soon as we got out onto the M69,the wind nearly took my head off and with June on the back trying to crouch down wasn't an option,but that might be rectified with optional high screen,but were the real hassle was the wind was comeing over my head and catching her directly into her throat.
As to wether that could all be sorted is anyones guess,but anyone who's met my other half knows she's no softy,a thousand miles in 16 hours on the back of the Tiger is no mean journey,and the rules in the house are simple!!! cost doesn't come into it,but it's got to work for both of us!!
Also felt after a short journey a little cramped,certainley wouldn't be wanting to be sweating my buns of in Barcelona traffic whilst sitting on it!!!.
June reckoned haveing the seat redone might be the way to go,but even before she said anything,i wasn't happy things just didn't gel,which was a bit ironic,cuz when i tested the S in 98,completely poo poo'd it but when i rode it two up couldn't beleave how good it was,so at the moment where back to square one,not exactly life and death the S and the Tiger are both going well,just the boredom kicking in after such a long time!!!!.
As for the story with Lloyds Pan,it's a long one,Big H are well aware of the problem,Lloyd has his own direct line to e'm!!! but he's far more qualified to tell the story and whats gone on,bit like rectifiers on VRF's really eveyone knows just swep't under the table.
Chris
Last edited by winger on Sun Apr 30, 2006 6:37 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Looking at the ST's seat, it does make me wonder how the passenger would fare, bearing in mind the very large height difference between front and rear sections.
I must be getting old 
