Optical Illusion ? ? ?

[keithr]

During my 4 hour ride on Saturday, at one of the lights, I stopped next to a +/-2004/5 CBR600 H0nd@
The first thing I noticed was how long the F800 seemed to be when parked next to the H0nd@ - is it possible that the F800 wheelbase is significantly longer ? If it is then BMW have done a really great job to get it to handle the way it does.

[Pat H]

I don't think it's much if it's any at all.
I used to have the CBR600FX and it has a space in my garage. The new F800 fits the same space (length wise) as far as I can tell.
I guess there maybe a bit in it. The newer hondas are making a big play of shorter than ever wheel bases and clever stearing dampers HESD what ever that is. I have my old CBR manula at home so if I get a chance I can compare for sure.

[Pat H]

Ok checked with my mannual and there is a difference:

F800
Length 2194mm
Width 797mm
Wheel Base 1465mm

CBR600
Length 2065mm
Width 685mm
Wheel base 1390mm

which if my maths serves me right is 129mm longer for the F800 which is 5 inches or so. Although the wheel base is only 3 inches more?

[keithr]

Thanks Pat,

Strange though, I thought the difference would have been more.
When parked at the lights the F800 looked like a significantly longer and bigger bike than the CBR600

[Pat H]

Well 5 inches in the overall length is quite a lot. The newer CBRs are even shorter.
The drive seems to be to make the bike as short as possible. Lot's of Honda info on how they have striven to reduce the bike length. This makes handleing more problematic but Honda are proud (and rightly so) on how the CBRs handle.
Not sure why a short bike would be the goal I can only assume it is more agile with a shorter wheel base? But I don't design bikes so no idea really.
I can imagine that a longer bike is more stable as it must help reduce weave and oscillation?
If I get a chance I'll see if I can find some info on the Honda HESD system seems innteresting. It's some form of speed controled steering damper. So low damping when slow and rigit when fast. It lives under the fuel tank. Never heard of it before. Before my time on CBRs.

[Pavlos46]

Well one thing I can add is that the long wheelbase provides more stability at high speeds, and propably the reasons is the characteristics of the engine used, I am defenite that if you put 2cl in-line in a CBR frame it would vibe like crazy.

Also the shorter wheelbase bikes turn a lot faster in track conditions and of' course are a lot lighter, thats mainly beacause the 4cl in-line fours are very much head heavy so to keep them as light as possible they bring center of gravity as much as possibly down.
Of' course that makes this bikes impossible to ride standing up you need to be on top of the tank or nowhere at all.

The much smaller and lighet Rotax engine made it possible to have the tank under the seat.

Lastly the back wheel of the F800 is also kept as far as possible away from the tank, so that could be another reason also.

Never the less it is remarkable the level of handling offered on our bikes despite the long wheelbase, so here BMW definitly exceled.

PAvlos