2007 BMW F800ST ownership review

[@dominichayes9808]

Best bike I've ever owned. Had my 2011 ST from new. Commuting, touring and track, it's had a hard life. Crashed mine a few times on the road and track, it's robust, crashes well and is relatively easy to fix. I have BMW service it once per year and that's pretty much it, no oil, no lube, nothing, I just keep the tyres pumped and load it with petrol. 75k km now and on my third belt, and second clutch, but I'm hard on my bike and it's never let me down. Super economical, even on track, easy 300km per tank commuting into town. The only downsides are the ABS, which does give you the running on feeling when the road is bumpy and you slam on the brakes, and the forks are a bit budget. May not set the world on fire, but the torque gives a nice peak at 5500rpm.

[@thomascharnock]

Just bought one of these after not knowing they even existed until a week ago. Superb machine so far. Hello from the UK!

[@cdm121880]

Fantastic, and hello from the U.S.! I, too didn't know anything about them, but found one for sale locally. After a test ride, I was convinced that this should be on my short list for an inexpensive sport tourer. I'm very happy with it and just purchased a set of expandable panniers a few days ago.

[@partyguarder]

The BMW F800ST is a great bike and I enjoy riding it (owned a 2008 since 2019), the only thing I think BMW dropped the ball on is the rear wheel bearing arrangement. There is no practical way to service or lubricate the bearings, and as a result - they can become lubrication starved and cause the inner race to spin on the shaft. The good news is there is a safety recall for this item, so if it starts to go bad on you...BMW will have to replace the bearing/hub assembly for free. I have heard that some people have had trouble getting the work done on the company dime. As they say - YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary). As for me, I have been keeping tabs on it...and periodically checking the rear wheel for play or roughness. The one caveat we should be aware of. Thanks for the video, and keep the rubber side down... 🏍

[@cdm121880]

Good info. Thanks!

[@LzPredii]

The BMW F800S was my first motorcycle bike and I did more than 60.000 km (37.200 miles, approx) in less than 3 years and a half. Although some maintenance was tough (belt, plugs, and strator), the rest was superb. I did use it for everything: day-to-day trips, sport routing, and traveling. Also my partner loved to ride it with me on the back; she always said that the seat was super comfortable. 9,5/10 of a bike ^^

[@cdm121880]

@LzPredii I enjoy it. Been thinking of getting a different sport tourer, but we will see. I really like the Honda Blackbird.

[@LzPredii]

@@cdm121880 A friend of mine had the Honda Blackbird many years ago. I might say is more sport than touring because the posture gets more lean than the F800S, but apart from that you are getting a Honda bike, there is not much else to be said, you will not regret it.

[@cdm121880]

@LzPredii I do have a Triumph Bonneville for upright seating when that's the riding position I'm in the mood for. I'd just like to see what a big, powerful, smooth machine like the Blackbird feels like on the highway at speed. Unbothered, would be my guess.

[@burlapse4113]

Such a fun bike with plenty of power and fun ride every time. Only complain I have is there is a lot of heat on your legs while riding.

[@TheTopdogski]

I found the riding position a bit too much sportbike also (I'm 65 and not as flexible as I used to be). Adding a set of bar risers, a footpeg lowering kit and a Sargent seat made it just about perfect for me. The seat in particular worked wonders, the first decent-length trip on the bike was a breeze-I rode a couple of 10 hour days with no issues. When I bought the bike it had a factory low seat, which was like sitting on a cinder block. I found a standard seat used and it was pretty nice, but like you I noticed that I was sliding forward and contacting the "tank" by the end of a ride. The Sargent seat (also used) eliminates all of that, is comfortable all day and is about the same height. The bike will cruise all day at 75-85 mph (there's a nice sweet spot in the rev range there where engine vibration is barely noticeable). You're right when you say it sounds tractor-like (strangely the exhaust doesn't really sound like any other 360 twin I've ever heard and there's all sorts of thrashing noise coming from somewhere) but other than that it's a great bike. Light enough to move around in the garage, great handling, decent power, looks nice and has fabulous brakes. I love it.

[@cdm121880]

Oh, for sure. I really like the bike, but if I'm giving an honest assessment, I have to talk about the bad too. Luckily, there's not much bad to talk about. Cheers!

[@sundarmg6532]

Solid review mate, just picked up an 06 F800 ST and moved from an ER6F here across the pond

[@cdm121880]

Outstanding! The Kawasaki is a great learner bike, but a tourer it is not. The BMW is certainly one that I would consider "underappreciated", but it is a very versatile machine that checks a lot of boxes. Thanks for watching and for the comment!

[@randomtravel4361]

I'm considering buying a 2010 model. Had there been age related problems with this bike, such as electrical gremlins?

[@cdm121880]

@@randomtravel4361 none, whatsoever. Tpms battery failure is the only thing I experienced, which is normal.

[@enderfinisher]

Appreciated this video. Seriously considering an F800ST for my second era motorcycle. Keep having to fight my tendency to get a big bore sport touring bike. My last bike was an ST1100.

[@cdm121880]

Not sure how it would compare to the 1100, but this bike has a great power to weight ratio.

[@enderfinisher]

I bought one an F800ST today actually lol@@cdm121880

[@jacobwilliams1285]

Apparently the F800GT has somewhat higher bars. I sat on that, and noticed the difference...but even still I wish the bars were higher on the F800GT as well. A Honda NT700 Deauville for instance felt immediately comfortable to me.

[@cdm121880]

@jacobwilliams1285 I'd love to ride a 5th gen VFR800. Seems to be one of the more universally loved sport / touring machines out there.

[@AscotMarketing]

Great video. Thanks.

[@cdm121880]

You're welcome. Thank you!

[@Thecreekysailboat]

Just bought one. Great ride I just wish drive belts were both easier to come by and not so $$$ Mine is ok but a spare is needed lol

[@cdm121880]

I have done a bit of research and the forums mention a part number for a belt that is the same, but uses a different part number and costs much less. Worth looking into.

[@jdawg5960]

@@cdm121880 continental timing belt?

[@cdm121880]

@@jdawg5960 CT1158, IIRC.

[@KarinaMartin-gj8yd]

Been into bikes ill be a new beginner around my area there is 2012 f800 st around $4800 is that value or over value iv been really having my eyes on a ninja 400 as to contrast ....?

[@cdm121880]

It depends largely on the condition of the bike. If it has been well cared for, it might be a fair price. You can always haggle, though. ;) I've never ridden a Ninja 400, but I have heard that it is a terrific choice for a beginner. Super light-weight and easily manageable power. Can't go wrong there.

[@DaleGrimsrud]

Why do you have red fingers

[@tonymctony]

Do you ever experience stalling when letting go of the throttle on this motorcycle?

[@cdm121880]

Negative.

[@tonymctony]

Lucky! I love mine, it's a great motorcycle. But has some... character :)

[@cdm121880]

@tonymctony that's unfortunate. My BMW is silky smooth anywhere in the rev range. My Triumph Bonneville, on the other hand, has a bit of a lightswitch throttle just off idle.

[@robertmartin2482]

Yes. This is an engine which has low torque at low RPMs compared with some other engines. Keep a higher RPM off the line to avoid stalling.

[@saltykat3533]

Yes. When I first bought mine I had that problem all the time. I almost sold her as she'd stall out when I'd down shift it pull in the clutch to brake. Scared the shit out of me on several occasions as I was a new rider. It eventually went away until just a week ago as I was heading out on a trip with it. I love this bike otherwise. I also agree, that I'd like to have the bars back and up a bit more and sit on the bike versus leaning. I do rest my elbow and arm against the "tank". I've never had issues with vibrations. And my girl sounds very very nice. No tractor here.

[@mloclam6917]

That BMW would smoke the Kawasaki

[@cdm121880]

@mloclam6917 your comment interested me enough to do some research. According to zeroto60times.com, the 2009 ER6N will cover the 1/4 mile in 11.8 seconds and zero to 60 in 3.5 seconds. The 2007 F800ST timed out at 12.1 and 3.9 seconds, respectively. In conclusion, I stand by my comment that these two bikes are very close, though a slight edge appears to go to the Kawasaki. Thanks for watching!