2007 BMW F800ST

by Ligea
(Boulder, CO, USA)

I just bought this bike a few weeks ago and am already in love (with a few caveats). I upgraded from a Kawasaki EX500 looking for a more upright riding position and more power for longer rides/highway trips. Let's get the cons out of the way first, so I can end on a high note: I hate having the turn signal cancel button on the throttle side and it's too far for my short fingers to reach without letting go of the throttle (this bothers me a LOT - enough so that I plan on changing the way it is set up when I add a set of risers to get the handlebars up just a bit more); the low seat doesn't have quite enough cushion for the sit bones - I'll fix that by taking it to a local custom seat shop; I am really having trouble getting used to the locks on the darn bags (go figure); finally, it's grey - yes, that's definitely a negative for this girly girl motorcycle rider! The perks? It is SO smooth, even at really low parking lot speeds, it corners like a dream, I can sit up straighter than on the EX, I can SEE out the rear view mirrors (BIG improvement!), and when I need to get out of a tight spot, she just GOES! I was lucky enough to find a guy who just bought an F800ST with a low seat, so we traded my standard seat for his low seat. This worked well enough that I don't think I'll need a lowering kit/spring for the suspension - I'm 5'3 with a 30" inseam and am almost flat-footed on the bike (like 1/4" shy). So, I'll be adding some great risers, some padding to the seat, and a custom paint job to make her mine. Then they'll be sending out the search party when I don't come home because I just don't want to get off the road.