Niall's Spin: BMW F800ST

Click to read: BMW F800ST owners reviews, BMW F800ST specs and to see the BMW F800ST image gallery.

The F800ST IS a bike that was built to encourage bikers back on to the road without being intimidated or scared in any way.

But it also serves another important purpose – BMW deliberately designed the F800ST to apppeal to riders who wouldn’t normally consider buying a BMW. And it appears to have worked, as the initial reaction from the public is they like what they see, and the new owners are more than happy with their mid-sized tourers.

I love riding the F800 as it handles well both on the road and track. BMW have fitted conventional telescopic forks, which give nice feedback, and the adjustable rear suspension easily copes with the 80-odd bhp. The Rotax-developed engine is smooth, however there is just a tad of vibration through the bars at certain rpm.   

The 800cc twin delivers adequate performance for one rider but I’m not sure how sporty it would be with a chunky passenger and full panniers, climbing up through the Swiss Alps.

This is very functional little bike with a decent price and sensible seat height, and has many other uses when you’re done with touring.