Aggggghhh!!! I'm in love!

[FLASH]

Got a group down this weekend. One on an F800. Tried it out yesterday down Cadwell-sur-Charente and then on the the esses (3 times). Absolutely LOVED it. OK, it's a little lacking in the power department (but then so is my GS) but the HANDLING! Straight out of the box and I was taking the esses as quick if not quicker than the GS. Phenomenal.
I was looking for a second bike to support the GS (and let me get rid of the Speed Triple) and to date I've been out on: Aprilia Falco, Triumph Tiger (new one), Sprint ST, 1200GS, Ducati 966, Aprilia Mille and a.......Buell Firebolt Have to say it peeps, the F800 really floats my boat. Quirky, innocent-looking, goes like stink, eats everything in sight. An absolute gem.

Any horror stories I should know about before parting with my wedge? Paul?

[Paul]

Flash,

Horror stories? Don't eat a rare steak at that cafe in Oradour...

Early F800's had dodgy clutch/gearbox innards, which should have been sorted by recall now. Other than that, not much to worry about. How soon are you planning on splashing your cash?

Paul

[Penfold]

I s'pose that means I'll be keeping the GS then Tone...? But then, as that lovely Z4 for sale on here has just gone, I may as well.
Hope you two are happy together.
Thanks for another nice weekend a coupla weeks ago. The Beast didn't miss a beat during the onward run to Spain and back to Blighty.
See you next time,
Penf

[nab 301]

Got a group down this weekend. One on an F800. Tried it out yesterday down Cadwell-sur-Charente and then on the the esses (3 times). Absolutely LOVED it. OK, it's a little lacking in the power department (but then so is my GS) but the HANDLING! Straight out of the box and I was taking the esses as quick if not quicker than the GS. Phenomenal.

Any horror stories I should know about before parting with my wedge? Paul?

I'm sure you're aware of this place....
http://f800riders.org/

What was the firebolt like?

Nigel B

[BMW-Fahrer]

I know what you are saying.The F800S was eating me on the straights on my last trackday...
Nice bike I could see myself on except for the fact that it could read HOYASUKA on the tank.I'll stick with the boxers.I'm so emotional... Even with 20 more horsepower or 30 or 40,I would miss the feel you can only get from a boxer.
The F800 is kind of a more capable SV650 or better VFR800 because it does the same but with less which is always a good thing.Nice bike but I still think they should turn the R1200S into a bike as capable and useful as the F800S.Then I would be in love...

[FLASH]

Penfold! If you're sure you want to sell the 12GS I'm still here with my wedge, but I think you should hang onto it. Suits you sir.

Nab. The Firebolt was a revelation. Very similar to the GS as far as rev range and torque's concerned. Horrible at tickover and a disconcerting feeling that the clutch was dragging when you came to a halt. Road-holding was exemplary however and it loved bends: set up your line, tip it in and feed in the power...you can feel the suspension squat and the tyres dig in. Lovely stuff. It's perfect for what I do down here, but I wouldn't want to do any long-distance stuff on it. When I got back on the GS it felt (wait for it) s-m-o-o-t-h and cornering with the wide bars was just s-o easy. The GS really is a tough act to beat.... Thanks for the link to the F800 forum. Hadn't seen it before

BMW-Fahrer. I know exactly what you mean: Boxers, Ducatis, Aprilias, even the Buell...these are real engines. I have no intention of parting with the GS for just that reason, but I need a practical, comfortable, fun workhorse down here that satisfies my craving for something a bit "off the wall" and the F800 seems to fit. Cheap too, non?

[BMW-Fahrer]

Flash,the F800S is definately a very good bike and probably all the bike someone really can use or needs.But compared to the Boxers a little shorter on the emotional side...
On your list I would have added Moto Guzzi and probably dropped Aprilia and Buell.The Aprilia twins don't really feel like twins to me.
Really nothing down below 7000 and then everything but still not as much as a inline-4 up to 10 grand.
Doesn't feel torquey at all.
The Buell has nothing everywhere and cuts off above 6 grand...Feels like a diesel.The handling should be great but isn't.Twitchy at slow speeds and when going fast it doesn't want to turn because of the gyro of the heavy flywheel... The sticker on the tank says it all;American Motorcycles...
The KTM Superduke seems nice,though even if it is not as torquey as the boxers it is light and revs freely and has good handling.But compared to the F800 a solo only toy-bike...
Chaindrive instead of clean belt,no ABS and even softbags will get burned by the artsy exhaust...

[Gromit]

The Buell has nothing everywhere and cuts off above 6 grand...Feels like a diesel.The handling should be great but isn't.Twitchy at slow speeds and when going fast it doesn't want to turn because of the gyro of the heavy flywheel... The sticker on the tank says it all;American Motorcycles...

I owned a Firebolt (XB9) a few years ago - I'll say that it's quite possibly the best handling bike I've ever owned, perhaps even ridden. If you've had a ride on a Firebolt with its standard tyres (D207's) you haven't even felt what the bike's capable of. They Dunlops absolutely ruin it. As to power? Sure it's no road-burner but I rarely found it wanting. Fabulous little bike, I even hear they're much more reliable these days (Buell have had fewer warranty claims per 1000 bikes sold than any other manufactuer for the last 2 years).

If I was 6" shorter, and only wanted a bike for fun, it'd be at, or very near, the top of my list. Stick a loud pipe on one and they sound amazing too.

[nab 301]

Thanks for the link to the F800 forum. Hadn't seen it before

?

Gromit posted it up a while back....

The only Buell that fits me is the ulysses ,must take a test some time.
The F800 really is a nice bike and if economy is your thing I reckon they sip fuel at the same rate as a CB 500 .
Nigel B

[FLASH]

..... they sip fuel at the same rate as a CB 500 .
Nigel B

Certainly true. This weekend we had a '07 Blade, a 1200GS, Sprint ST, R6, Aprilia Falco, my GS and the F800. After 110 miles we'd all fill up and would all put in around 15 litres except for the F800 which would take about 7. Frightening!

[Boxered]

There are rumours of an F800GS surfacing in september, that should be interesting!

Steve

[throttlemeister]

[RiceBurner]

There are rumours of an F800GS surfacing in september, that should be interesting!

Steve

That's what I'm waiting for.

[FLASH]

Well.....you see, I find that the GS version looks too much like the Tiger for my taste. I really didn't like the Tiger: the gear selector is slightly too offset to the right, which meant that it doesn't line up with the footrest and every gearchange had to be approached carefully, or you missed it, and this was after having adjusted the damn thing 3 times during the day (I had it for a whole day and used it to take a group round the Cognac circuit); it was too "soft" as well and pushing it through bumpy twisties tended to get out of shape although I accept that it might be possible to dial this out as there's certainly lots of adjustment on the suspension (unlike the F800); the engine was powerful enough but felt like a 2-stroke,with lots of stirring of the gearbox to keep it on the boil (with the attending gearshift problems); bizarrely you could wind the throttle back to the stop without really trying and if you were in too high a gear, without much effect; it was high, higher than the GS and didn't have handguards. In it's defence I suppose it was very efficient at what it did but didn't engage with me at all; I suppose "characterless" would sum it up.

Ah, but the F800......[homer]....mmmmmm...... [/homer]

[FLASH]

There are rumours of an F800GS surfacing in september, that should be interesting!

Steve

That's what I'm waiting for.

Does that mean that we'll see you in October?