BMW F800R (2009 - 2019) Review

Year: 2013

Annual servicing cost: £200

Something a bit different from the crowd

Buying experience: Second hand with low miles, no fuss and they don't hold their price that well, so bargains to be had.

Version: 2019 Sport (BMW Motorsport colours)

Year: 2019

Annual servicing cost: £277

Purchased as a return to motorcycling after an absence due to lack of garage and having kids I wanted a bike that was comfortable and affordable for commuting. This was available on a great PCP deal so signed up to it. Decided to go with a naked to help keep the speed down. The bike does everything I need it to. Has a reasonable amount of power. Great brakes and is easy to ride. Corners well. The headlight is pretty useless night riding though if commuting at all hours and all year. My commute is A and B roads. Bike has now been superseded by the F900R and XR. This has impacted on value. Have seen dealers getting rid of new old stock with over £2000 off. Good for a buyer if they don’t want the F900R not too good for me when I’ve had the bike for a year and owe more than I see new old stock being sold for. I have the sport model but didn’t go with the extra dynamic and touring packs as that added another £1000 to cost and thought they weren’t needed. This will impact resale value though.

Buying experience: Purchased from a dealer. £9206 total cost with the BMW service plan included. Got a 0% PCP deal that without I would have probably purchase an older bike, but needing to get my no claims back opted for a mid range bike that could do what I needed well.

Version: Sport

Year: 2016

Annual servicing cost: £400

I went from a KTM 690 Duke to this and both were great but the BMW is quicker and smoother for longer runs. Front brakes are in another league, super feel and power. Engine is great if odd sounding except for 4k5-5k5rpm == 70-80mph in 6th.

Buying experience: Bought from a dealer, without a FSH, but 3k6 miles and in immaculate condition. I’m half waiting for a gremlin but already added 1k5miles without any issues.

Version: Loaded

Year: 2013

25k in 3.5 years, like power, Handles great, did raise handlebar 32mm, don't like, left ankle gets hot, cluster reflection terrible, no cruise, grips vibrate..

Buying experience: Bought new 1 mile, all good, gave good trade in $$ on 2005 f650cs with 47k miles

Version: Sport

Year: 2016

Great all rounder.

Year: 2013

At 24k miles, Left foot ankle gets hot, did raise handlebars 35 mm.., only things i would change.

Buying experience: Bought New 1 mile, dealer gave good deal on trade of f650cs 48k miles, although wish i would have kept it too.

Year: 2011

handlebars and foot begs buzz at 80 MPH

Year: 2011

Overall it is easy to ride and will only ever become boring to speed fans. It's not the most beautiful bike, I'll admit, but the ride is easy and you never feel misplaced. Common driving school bike here in Germany.

Year: 2010

Annual servicing cost: £190

Best Features: This bike is an excellent first big bike to ride. Due to the low centre of gravity it is excellent to manouvre at low and high speeds. It really is an all rounder and is just as happy touring round north Wales and beyond or going for a little play round the twisties. It doesn't struggle to keep pace with bigger motorcycles. It has plenty of pull when required and returns a healthy 55mpg based on normal/playful riding. It comes with plenty of kit options and people consider it to be a much more expensive bike than it really is due to the badge. I have the BMW side panniers and a 12v battery port which covers luggage and sat nav issues. Bad points: It's a naked so don't expect excellent resistance from the elements. The stock exhaust makes it sound like a lawnmower and is put to shame by other bikes when involved in a shouting competition. This is easily remedied by adding an after market can and accidentally removing the baffles. Once this has been done then the shouting competition is back on!

Buying experience: Bought from a dealer. Listed at £5000, bought for £4500 with additional options (panniers & 12v) fitted

Year: 2015

Buying experience: Fantastic service from Harry Fairbairn Inverness.

Year: 2011

Annual servicing cost: £200

powerful and very easy to handle and ride

Buying experience: I bought it privately and I paid bit extra for the extra fitted equipment which for me much cheaper in total.

Very easy to ride , great for commuting it has enough power when revved hard however easy to manage in London traffic when taken easy. Very Reliable bike so far so good !

I must agree that the bike can be a little snatchy at idle speeds but after some practice using the clutch to smooth things out it isn't an issue at all. Also agrees it can ping a little on heavy throttle at under about 2,800 but, again, no big deal here. I used a plug and play item that tricks the management system into thinking it's 20C cooler than it is (no problems here in Sydney) and that has richened up the mixture and helped a lot. No other issues though. A stable, great handling bike that inspires confidence, my friends on their 1000s and bigger are struggling to maintain pace in give and take situations. Top speed may be less but what does that matter on a naked bike. Fuel consumption can run to 70mpg doddling around. It is comfortable (for my 5'11 inches), well finished and has plenty of real world useable power. The vibrations they speak of are just no issue to those who are used to singles or twins. I have every factory option except panniers and flyscreen, plus centre stand, 12V socket and Oggie Knobs. If you can buy one with all the fruit it will sell better down the track. Best overall bike I've had

I've had my F800R (with all the options ticked) for 6-months or so now and have almost converted it to a F800RT, including Autocom, DAB Radio, IPod connection and Satnav. The only way I could find to add a touring-standard windscreen that works was to combine three diferent aftermarket products, but it's sorted now. I've also added bar risers and just need to improve the seat comfort for longer journeys, but it's great already for my daily commute. It's a fantastic bike that combines the right amount of performance with frugal use of the juice. If it had a comfy seat and an option for a decent screen, it would get 5 stars.

This bike just gets better... at 20K miles the engine is fully run-in now & pulls much more smoothly. Only fault I've had was an indicator switch replaced without question under warranty. New Skidmarx screen (£68) looks the part (fits over the stock screen) & makes m-ways a doddle. Taken it 2-up across Europe & got better economy (60mpg) than my normal 40mile commute. Luggage/pillion no problem. Even the chain is no hassle lasting longer & without adjustment than any other I've had (no Scottoiler). Finish is good enough to withstand UK winter use. When this has done too many miles I'll have another.

I thought I would just add a further update on my F800R following a weeks touring trip around the Scottish Highlands. I've got the BMW panniers with my bike and, coupled with a Kriega tail pack and Baglux system, the bike easily carried all the kit I needed for a week away. Prior to heading up North, I had a pair of the new Bridgestone BT023 tyres fitted - they're awesome in both wet and dry conditions! The bike hasn't missed a beat in over 1300 miles of day after day riding - it's economy is awesome, handling tremendous and performance more than enough to leave every other bike behind on the twisties. (I went with lads on VFR's, GSX-R 1000's and a mixture of big tourers! If you're considering a naked street bike you must try this one before discounting it - BMW have created a revelation! ;-)

Headlamp replacement £240!!!... it's very vulnerable on today's post-winter, gravel strewn roads... get a protector or petition BMW to sell the lens separately.

I have owned my F800R for one month and I am loving it. I have added quite a lot accessories to it- ABS, heated grips, Akrapovic end can, fairing, R & G protection, BMC air filter, Ilmberger carbon hugger, luggage..... This means it covers every angle. The strong points are the brakes, low weight, nice exhaust growl, comfortable seat and funky looks. There are no down sides. I did consider a Ducati 696 and Triumph Street Triple R but the Ducati is awkward in slow moving traffic and the Triumph makes a horrible supercharger like squealing noise. Also, the Triumph Street Triple R has the worst looking headlights of any bike I have seen in the metal.

Done 6000 winter miles on mine now & I can't fault it... rock solid engine, good handling, great OEM kit. I'm surprised BMW don't do a higher screen for it & the aftermarket suppliers haven't quite cottoned on yet tho there are some. Engine hasn't quite got the low rev punch of the singles or boxers but once you get it spinning it's fine... roll on the summer!

I have had numerous bikes from Supermoto's to a Honda SP-1. Prior to my new F800r I was running a Triumph Sprint ST (1050) as my main bike. Although very good it just didn't really stir my soul enough so I was planning on getting a Speed Triple. However, following an impromptu visit to Southport Superbikes I saw my F800r sitting there with panniers, ABS, heated grips, Acropovic can, BMW rear raxck etc, etc..... I took it for a test ride and what a surprise! O.K. so it's never going to be 'set your pants on fire' fast, but how fast do you want to go on a naked bike - believe me, 133mph is quick enough when your head is bouncing around in the wind!! All I will say is if you're thinking about it, give it a go - you might like it!! ;-)

@owensj Your review is so over the top and such a fabrication that I really have my doubts about your intentions. Let me tell you that I did make several test rides and have a completely different experience. The bike is very smooth, comfortable and easy to ride. Great fuel economy. At the end I did not yet go for it ($$), but its absolutely #1 at my shortlist.

This bike ticks all my boxes. Looks great, ABS, big tank range, BMW badge, quality, light and agile. But, and it's a huge but... I went on a 2 hour test ride but gave in after half an hour. The bike is snatchy and lurchy in first gear when doing under 5mph. It sounds like a tractor and vibrates a lot. When moving swiftly up the gears (3rd to 4th) I suddenly ended up in 1st. What's that all about? MCN say fueling is perfect round town? I was scared to go back into first gear. Had to pull in the clutch to stop the jerking. This test ride was a massive disappointment. I was glad to get back on my Z750 which is as smooth as you can get. ;-(

Well I have been riding my new F800R for a week now, both commuting through London and a weekend ride. All I can say is I love this bike. Being new it is turning head as obviously not many about. The bike is shaping up as a great all rounder, brilliant at commuting and well up for a longer ride. This is a very easy bike to get on with, I am a relative new rider and as a 1st big bike this is possibly as good a bike you could have. I test rode most of the nakeds out there, in my opinion the nearest to this is the Street Triple (which I really liked), I went for the beemer as it was the one I was most comfortable on. So far I have not for a second regretted my choice, it is a bike you can grow with.