How do they do that? Do they have to change crankshafts?
BMW F800GT a new sport tourer
- Thread starter Lorien
- Start date
Warren
2
The XS650 has a pressed together crank. It can be pulled apart rephrased and reassembled with a press. Some members were able do it in their home work shops while others had to have the work done at a machine shop. I was a purest and keep mine stock and tried to tolerate the shaking.
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Coyote Chris
Site Supporter
Yeah, I think you are probably right....the older I get, the better my Yamaha 650s were....but I will still think my Yamaha "Virago"s were pretty darned smooth...especially the 920 cc. Of course, I was coming off my 650 twin but still...which brings up another interesting point. I went from the XV920 RH Yamaha sport touring V-twin to a stock 1983 GoldWing with a Vetter in 1985... and that was probably the smoothest bike I ever owned. But in 2003, I had no problem transitioning to the C10 Concours even though it was a bit buzzy...not bad and certainly a bit less buzzy than the NT. But when I get on the C10 now I notice the lesser amount of buzziness over the NT right away. The I get on the NT and don't even notice it being any sort of a problem.
bicyclist
Guest
Which is what Honda did with the NC. It has a 270? crank.
Warren
2
I don't think Honda did it for character. Typically its only done on parallel twins that are being sold as cruisers and they feel they need to mimic a v -twin sound. None of that applies to the NC. I think Honda did it to make a smoother running motor. A 270 deg motor with a counter balancer would do that.
KMGuy
Guest
The F800GT and the preceding ST both have some issues with hot legs issues due to engine heat. I currently ride an F650CS, and BMW's are great bikes but they can be spendy to maintain. If you have one and you don't wrench on it yourself then find an independent certified mechanic. Parts are still more than others but you'll save a ton on labor. The dealer wanted $500 for an oil change and ABS service on mine but the indie wrench did it for just over $100. People who stay with the brand do so because they like the BMW experience. Just as the HD people like their's and I've noticed that Goldwinger's are the same. The price of that BMW experience is seen in the shop. The Rotax engine in my 650 single is amazingly gutsy for it's size. I hope the V-Twin in the NT I'm looking at in the morning hauls my butt up and down the CO mountains as well. Also, if you've sat on either a GT or an ST there is a definite sway towards the sport end of sport touring. Significantly more cramped riding position than the NT.
Is the NT you're going to look at at a dealer? If so, which one?
Oops! Right you are! Darn chubby fingers...
Ntamer
Guest
warren: as the owner of an nt and an f800gt i'll tell you for sure the nt has much more upright seating position. i consider the gt to be a lot more "sport" than "touring".
and i'll +1 on the comments about the fairings not being as protective. if the weather looks threatening i'll take the honda over the bmw.
and i'll +1 on the comments about the fairings not being as protective. if the weather looks threatening i'll take the honda over the bmw.
Ntamer
Guest
and i don't gget the comments about the f800gt being a "crotch roaster" as i've seen mentioned on the f800 forum. the hottest day that i've ridden mine has been 96 and while i do feel some heat on my left leg at or just below the knee it's not terrible. i'm not sure it's any worse than what i feel coming off the nt. maybe it's worse at higher temps.
Coyote Chris
Site Supporter
OK, I rode the F800GT today. Here are my impressions. One feels like they are very far forward on the bike and that the bike is smaller than the NT. Riding position was fine. The clutch was light and fine to use. The bike is a bit twitchy from leading to trailing and again to leading throttle at slow speeds.......not real bad but it is annoying. The bike is sprung stiffly with the suspension switch to normal. The bike goes on the center stand very easily. The engine/bike is very smooth from 62 to about 74 mph. At 80, there is a buzz but not really a bad one. There is another buzz below 60 but again not bad. The power is there but not overwhelming....The transmission is a bit clunky for such an expensive bike. I did like the steam gages instead of the LCD digital readout. This is a good bike but it is more of a SPORT bike than a touring bike.
The bike maybe fine for others, but it is not me.....thumbs down. Not because it is a bad bike, but I found the stiff suspension wearing, the hair trigger throttle unsettling, and I wanted more of a fairing and the Euro version windscreen.
If money were an object and you can handle the weight, the FJR can not be discounted...other than that, the salesperson will call me when the new Interceptor arrives.
The bike maybe fine for others, but it is not me.....thumbs down. Not because it is a bad bike, but I found the stiff suspension wearing, the hair trigger throttle unsettling, and I wanted more of a fairing and the Euro version windscreen.
If money were an object and you can handle the weight, the FJR can not be discounted...other than that, the salesperson will call me when the new Interceptor arrives.
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