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Just rode from Omaha to Northern Minnesota - 550 miles. Outdoor temps 90-100. Heat index 100+
Heat from bike? If I checked by squeezing my legs extra hard I could feel a certain warmth, but I would not call it hot. That's with Motoport mesh kevlar pants on.
I think the stock screen makes a difference. I'm much more aware of warmth from the bike when I have the V-stream wind screen on in winter and it's 35 degrees. But under those conditions warmth is a good thing.
Rick
If you have a 100+ from those temps you can't truly feel that heat due to the high humidity. Here where it's as dry as could be and we rarely have a heat index, if ever, you can tell right away the ST is hotter than an S.
Uhm, okay.
Never ridden in AZ and never ridden an S. Just responding to the concern that the ST is supposedly a "hot" bike. I've driven it for 5,000 miles now in stop and go traffic and 1,000 mile trips, in temps ranging from 35-100 F, and I have never felt any uncomfortable heat coming off the engine.
Maybe it's one of those things that varies from bike to bike and owner to owner. Never had any vibration problems either and you see threads complaining about that too.
No heat and no vibrations here. Just a great bike, whether I'm going to Lincoln a hundred miles away or to Canada and back.
RD
Have taken numerous long rides on my 800St and my previous 07 800S had 93,000 miles on it last year when it met its end. Last week I rode 1018 miles in one day.
Back in 1978 or so my wife and I took a day trip from Thornton, Colorado (north side of Denver) to Pueblo, CO on my '77 RD400 Yamaha with a Vetter Windjammer fairing. It's about a 250 mile round trip. I was a lot younger then, but I don't remember being particularly tired at the end of the day. The RD had a lot less horsepower than the F800, but it handled freeway speeds just fine, even pushing that big fairing (and two up).
In 1988 I rode my Yamaha 650 Seca Turbo from San Diego, CA to Fort Collins, CO and back. On the way home I rode from Grand Junction, CO to San Diego in one day, about 840 miles. You couldn't pay me enough to make that same trip on that motorcycle today. The seat was terrible and there weren't nearly as many options for custom seats back then as are available today.
Just last year, I rode the '01 R1100RT from Albuquerque, NM to San Diego in one day, about 860 miles and I could easily done another 100 miles or more.
Like so many others have said, if you are comfortable on the motorcycle it shouldn't be a problem. Enjoy your trip!
I own a 2007 F800st and I've done about 9k miles in the last 2 years with no issues of heat. My only concerns with my F800 are: 1. The seat- I bought a Sergent seat and its much better than stock. I found the stock seat pushed me forward too much and had to adjust my position every 15-20 minutes. 2. Mirrors- For some reason the designers at BMW thought everyone had narrow shoulders...NOT TRUE. I bought a pair of mirror extenders and they work great. 3. The windshield- The windshield on the F800st is too short for most people. I'm looking at getting a taller screen when I do any distance riding (over 400 miles). I don't think you'll have any issues with touring on your F800 as long as you get what you need for for the kind of riding you want to do.
i've gone roundtrip from NY to Canada then NY to FL on a ducati monster 620, which is as naked a bike as a newborn baby, so touring with my F800S is a dream. have managed about 1500 miles during the last few months of riding since i got the F800S, but i sure wouldn't hesitate to take it on longer trips, given that all maintenance is up-to-date & there are no mechanical issues looming. as for your ST, i would imagine that it being the more sport touring version is capable of taking you as far as you are willing to go yourself.
as others have said, nevermind what everyone else is saying! what only matters is what works for you! :thumb
there was inquiry about possible heat issue with these bikes. had one experience about a month ago where the inside of my upper thighs felt like they were being roasted. i was wearing jeans & stuck in horrible stop-n-go traffic in nyc on a 90+ degrees day for about an hour. there was immense heat coming from right under the seat area. i had to shut the bike off a few times then just push it forward when the traffic moved or i would alternate which leg i was balancing the bike on so i could give my thighs alternating cooling off periods. there came a point when we all had to pull over because a couple of the air-cooled cruisers that we were riding with basically overheated. this gave me & the bike a chance to cool off then we were on our merry way. haven't experienced that level of traffic with that type of weather since that day so i'm just going to say that stop-n-go traffic on a high heat day sucks oh so very much on any kind of motorcycle. :banghead
No problems with heat, great for touring, just turned 20,000 miles coming home from Sedalia..It now has the taller seat and an aeroflow windshield.
I saw this gorgeous bike at Sedalia and talked to your wife. It was right on my walk from the campground to the fairgrounds.
I have a gray F800ST and was on the lookout for them.
I'd never been to a rally and am new to motorcycling and BMW.
So far, the bike has been great to me on four longish trips 500+ miles, as well as the Sedalia trip.
Rick
Its a safe bet that almost all of the hi milers and long distance riders who frequent this site have done plenty of miles on bikes they've owned that were smaller than 800 cc. After all, until the past 15 0r 20 years stuff over a liter was rare indeed compared to everything else.
My first reaction to anyone who thinks you can't go coast to coast on a modern 800 is that they either have no experience or have never ridden anything other than the overweight V twin cruisers...
[quote=racer7;806120]
my first reaction to anyone who thinks you can't go coast to coast on a modern 800 is that they either have no experience or have never ridden anything other than the overweight v twin cruisers...[/quote]
+1
You would not want to do it on my old F800S! It would not make it.
That's why I have the R1200S!
Why not? Is it because of riding position , sitting up or low down?
My F800S was lemoned out, 18 months into ownership, although I could ride it for over 14 months. That last 4 months were failure after failure, all very dangerous, as well.
I'd never own another 800CC BMW again!
Engine heat to the legs is a serious factor with this motorcycle. Windshield is not a factor as the heat goes to the legs, which are where the hot air blasts out, especially when the fan is on. To me it is a serious problem. When in motion you can open up your legs for a little cooling.
Pegasusjockey made a nice solution which I have not tried on another thread.
Riding position is not the best as you are leaned forward and your legs are scrunched up.
Still, it's a wonderful motorcycle!