2011 BMW F800R Review

[pplassm]

The "Pivoting balance arm" may be like the balancer used in the Ducati Supemono.

[Morbo the Destroyer]

I guess the balance arm is that gizmo at the top center with what looks like a short con-rod? Seems like a very bulky solution in this engine.

[acecycleins]

Cool little ride. If I were a city guy this would be on the short list for a commuter bike.

[Kevin_Duke]

Originally Posted by Duken4evr

Ya baby! It is a naked party! Sounds fun

Looking forward to shootouts and more ride impressions. These bikes are the future. Good to see the manufacturers paying more attention to the details. This BMW looks very well turned out. Still waiting for the mythical crossplane FZ1 to hit the roads. That would be cool.

A crossplane FZ1 would sound great, but the R1 motor would need some work. It's relatively peaky in the R1, plus it's heavier than other literbike mills so it can withstand the odd vibrations of the crossplane design.

I wonder what we'll see first: an updated R1 or a crossplane FZ?

[Kevin_Duke]

Originally Posted by Morbo the Destroyer

I was reading a technical journal article on the MID switch technology. Solid-state switches that cannot wear out, are impervious to weather, temperature (within reason), and ham-fisted mechanics....it's like science fiction. I hope the technology gets into more bikes and equipment than just BMW bikes!

I had not heard of the "pivoting balance arm" engine balancer before. Did BMW happen to give you any cutaway or line drawings of the engine? Maybe I can find something on Google Image; I'd like to see how that lays out.

Here's a link to a pic of the F800's balancing system: http://www.motorcycle.com/gallery/ga..._itemId=168602

And a description from BMW:

"The mass forces are offset by a balancing mechanism that is unique in series engine design. Instead of having conventional counterweight shafts, the oscillating mass forces are balanced by a joint system on the center of the crankshaft with deliberately positioned counterweight masses: an eccentric on the crankshaft offset against the crank pins by 180° carries what is known as a balancing correcting rod. This connecting rod is hinged to an approximately horizontal balancing rocker. The kinematics are designed in such a way that the balancing connecting rod moves contrary to the two engine connecting rods. Because of being guided through the relatively long rocker, an almost linear swivel movement of the connecting rod head is achieved – to put it precisely, the small connecting rod eye describes a slightly curving path. The mass distribution at the connecting road head and rocker is chosen in such a way that the mass forces resulting from the swinging movement combat, in every crankshaft position, the oscillating mass forces from the crank drive (piston and con-rod proportion). This means that first and second order mass forces are almost completely eliminated, resulting in low-vibration engine running."

[Kevin_Duke]

Originally Posted by Morbo the Destroyer

I guess the balance arm is that gizmo at the top center with what looks like a short con-rod? Seems like a very bulky solution in this engine.

The system in the Supermono isn't quite the same as in the F800. The Ducati single-cylinder system is built to mimic a 90-degree V-Twin. The extra pseudo connecting rod at the top of the engine cancels the forces of the piston/rod of the firing cylinder in the same way a 90-degree-apart cylinder does on Ducati's V-Twins. It's a clever way of enabling a single-cylinder engine to rev well above 10,000 rpm. And the more revs, the more power (if the cylinder head can handle the flow).

[Morbo the Destroyer]

Wow, that balance-arm setup is really intriguing; I guess there's a lot of ways to accomplish the same goal. They should put a piston-pump on the other end of it and let that move the oil!

[Duken4evr]

Originally Posted by Kevin_Duke

A crossplane FZ1 would sound great, but the R1 motor would need some work. It's relatively peaky in the R1, plus it's heavier than other literbike mills so it can withstand the odd vibrations of the crossplane design.

I wonder what we'll see first: an updated R1 or a crossplane FZ?

Forgive the somewhat off topic conversation, but here goes anyway. How about we have some fun tuning literbike nakeds eh? I brought dyno charts! I know I am an annoying fanboy of the FZ1. Bear in mind these are selling for around 8K OTD if you shop around. I got mine on the road for 8.4K, brand new. Being a cheapskake who likes to modify bikes, this excites me

First up, a stock FZ1 vs. a stock Z1000/Ninja 1000. The FZ1 does not look so hot in stock form. Weak midrange (for a 1000) and the throttle response is soggy. The bike sucks right? Ya, it does



Now let's put a full exhaust, air filter with an enlarged airbox opening and a correctly mapped PCIII on the FZ1 and try it again shall we? Modded FZ1 vs. stock Z1000. Cost of mods, about $650 for the Yosh full system, $375 for the PCIII and air filter, the airbox mod is free.

Holy mother of midrange power lifts! The top end is not too shabby either. Yamaha put a really awful exhaust on the FZ1. Forget slip ons - you have to go with the full system



Now to be fair, the Z1000 with a full Akra exhaust and it's secondary butterflies removed. Modded vs. at least partially modded, in other words:



The new Ninja/S100 gains nicely, but the old dog FZ1 ain't dead yet. With the cheap buy in due to dealers willing to deal and a little owner involvment, the old girl is still pretty competetive. Too bad Yamaha corked it up so bad from the factory. A beast lurks within with an all up cost for the modded up FZ1 still well under 10K. Mine pretty much was right at 10K, as I put on a Penske shock too.

Sport bikes should not have all the fun. Naked bikes are fun to modify too, perhaps even moreso. The ulitmate numbers may not be as high as a racer rep, but the increase in performance is probably far more dramatic. It is very rewarding, I can tell you that. Just some info to pass along, as nobody rides a stock bike, do they?

The above does make me wonder about other standard bikes and how they respond to common owner added modifacations. For me it is a real consideration when buying as my bikes are never stock for long

[Dr_Sprocket]

Excellent post, Duken4evr! Best post today, no doubt.

[Jeff Cobb]

Originally Posted by Duken4evr

Forgive the somewhat off topic conversation, but here goes anyway. How about we have some fun tuning literbike nakeds eh? I brought dyno charts! I know I am an annoying fanboy of the FZ1. Bear in mind these are selling for around 8K OTD if you shop around. I got mine on the road for 8.4K, brand new. Being a cheapskake who likes to modify bikes, this excites me

First up, a stock FZ1 vs. a stock Z1000/Ninja 1000. The FZ1 does not look so hot in stock form. Weak midrange (for a 1000) and the throttle response is soggy. The bike sucks right? Ya, it does



Now let's put a full exhaust, air filter with an enlarged airbox opening and a correctly mapped PCIII on the FZ1 and try it again shall we? Modded FZ1 vs. stock Z1000. Cost of mods, about $650 for the Yosh full system, $375 for the PCIII and air filter, the airbox mod is free.

Holy mother of midrange power lifts! The top end is not too shabby either. Yamaha put a really awful exhaust on the FZ1. Forget slip ons - you have to go with the full system



Now to be fair, the Z1000 with a full Akra exhaust and it's secondary butterflies removed. Modded vs. at least partially modded, in other words:



The new Ninja/S100 gains nicely, but the old dog FZ1 ain't dead yet. With the cheap buy in due to dealers willing to deal and a little owner involvment, the old girl is still pretty competetive. Too bad Yamaha corked it up so bad from the factory. A beast lurks within with an all up cost for the modded up FZ1 still well under 10K. Mine pretty much was right at 10K, as I put on a Penske shock too.

Sport bikes should not have all the fun. Naked bikes are fun to modify too, perhaps even moreso. The ulitmate numbers may not be as high as a racer rep, but the increase in performance is probably far more dramatic. It is very rewarding, I can tell you that. Just some info to pass along, as nobody rides a stock bike, do they?

The above does make me wonder about other standard bikes and how they respond to common owner added modifacations. For me it is a real consideration when buying as my bikes are never stock for long

Thanks for the sorta off topic post. Now to keep the ball rolling or meandering, as the case may be, a couple months ago we were going to mod a Z1000 but it was late in the year, so Kawasaki asked for it back. Perhaps we could see if Ivan could help us with the 2011 Z when we get one? I know he does good work. Any other suggestions for it?

And to meander back a little more on topic, today Kevin gave me the F800R. It's a nice bike. Love the fact the Euros actually spec good (Michelin) tires on their bikes, instead of so-so OE Bridgestones and Dunlops the Japanese give us. Engine note is odd, but I could live with it. Feels crisp. As sort of a backdrop, I'll ride that to the FZ8 launch next week, and give ya'll a heads up on that one too.