New Irish Member (Intro)

[Booster]

Hello everybody. I found the site a while ago, finally got around to joining. I'm based in Dublin and ride a Grey F800ST. Not too many mod.s yet (Double Bubble, Stebel Horn). Like many of you, I'm anxiously awaiting a Hugger, front mudguard extender and maybe an Akrapovic exhaust.

Just completed a track day training course in Mondello Park (Just outside Dublin) - great experience. Track was very wet, but that gave me a safe way to learn how much grip is available in those conditions.

Looking forward to joining in the discussions.

[Pat H]

Welcome to the forum.
Never done track days myself. Could never afford to break my get to work and back tool!

[DFH]

Originally posted by Pat H

Welcome to the forum.
Never done track days myself. Could never afford to break my get to work and back tool!



Buy a commuter hack....CG125,XR400,GT550etc. Will solve your in town F800 running issues and you then can save the BMW for joys of real motorcycling (... as opposed to commuting) like track days, weekend tours in Wales, week long trips to the Alps or even an afternoon in the twisties with some mates.

DFH

[Mystic]

I'm curious what tyres do you have on your ST, how did it feel in the wet to you and how much traction did you feel you had. I've got Michelin Pilot Roads and I feel I haven't gone near the maximum it can do in the wet, (yet).

My tyres let go a bit when new but lately I've been going quicker and other than the slippery patches the road workers seem to want to add to make my riding more entertaining the tyres have felt pretty good.

I never thought of doing a track day. Maybe a rethink is due.

[Pat H]

Originally posted by DFH

Originally posted by Pat H

Welcome to the forum.
Never done track days myself. Could never afford to break my get to work and back tool!



Buy a commuter hack....CG125,XR400,GT550etc. Will solve your in town F800 running issues and you then can save the BMW for joys of real motorcycling (... as opposed to commuting) like track days, weekend tours in Wales, week long trips to the Alps or even an afternoon in the twisties with some mates.

DFH


What are the requirements of a commuter hack?
Reliable, Low maintance, Good ecconomy.
That's just what I needed and just what I got with my F800
So for me the F800 is my commuter Hack.

Now if and when my wife finishes her degree and goes back to full time work and my eldest leaves university assuming, of course, my younger two don't want to go to university, I can think about something for the weekend run outs :D

But even then I won't do track days. Just doesn't do it for me. Don't want to know my bikes limits or push my limits. Happy to feel I'm at the limit when there is more than likely loads in reserve.

All the friends I have that hog the track seem to spend a lot of time falling off on roundabouts. Maybe no correlation but even so.

I do love a run around in the country but suspect I'm a lot slower than many here. I love the open road and cruising. I don't need to wear my pegs out to feel I took a corner well.

Now if you want to take bike riding to the next level and really feel in control in 3D take flying lessons. Awsome. Now that is skill. Get it wrong and there's no question your dead.

[rb800]

Hi Booster, welcome!

[fitz irl]

Hi Booster

I did a the bmw track day in Mondello last Summer on what was a 4 week old f800s
great fun and a lot safer than I thought it would be.

Where did you buy your bike from?

enjoy the bike/forum

[Zofo]

Welcome Booster, I too am in Dublin, have a blue ST. I have the bar risers and will definetly change the horn. It's embarrasing to use in public. Do you subscribe to Biker.ie I saw someone on that forum with a grey ST defending BMW owners from the great unwashed (it was good fun). Might see you stuck in traffic somewhere in this grid locked city or getting the knee down in Wicklow.

[Pat H]

Originally posted by Zofo

I saw someone on that forum with a grey ST defending BMW owners from the great unwashed (it was good fun).

Hey some of those great unwashed ARE BMW owners. It's almost worth it just to see the look on the Dealers face when you have to visit.
(Ok I do dig out my old tatty kit for the occasion)[lol][lol]

[de100kb]

Hi Booster and welcome. Hope spring arrives soon in this part of the world so we can all enjoy our beemers even more [8D] but training in the wet sure has it's advantages.

[Booster]

Originally posted by Pat H

Welcome to the forum.
Never done track days myself. Could never afford to break my get to work and back tool!

Thanks Pat H. I don't know if I'll do a full track day on mine either, for the same reasons. That was a training day - so wasn't really going for it. Still I'll be more confident on wet roads as a result.

[Booster]

Originally posted by Mystic

I'm curious what tyres do you have on your ST, how did it feel in the wet to you and how much traction did you feel you had. I've got Michelin Pilot Roads and I feel I haven't gone near the maximum it can do in the wet, (yet).

I'm using Road Pilots too. Traction was very good even though I was cornering harder than I would normally do on the road. Only got one back-wheel wobble, due to braking late coming in to a corner and taking too much weight off the back wheel.

If there's a similar training course in your area, I'd highly recommend it - even if you never go on to do a proper track day.

[Booster]

Originally posted by Zofo

Welcome Booster, I too am in Dublin, have a blue ST. I have the bar risers and will definetly change the horn. It's embarrasing to use in public. Do you subscribe to Biker.ie I saw someone on that forum with a grey ST defending BMW owners from the great unwashed (it was good fun). Might see you stuck in traffic somewhere in this grid locked city or getting the knee down in Wicklow.

Hi Zofo...that was me taking on the infidels alright. And they wonder why we don't wave at them:D
Hopefully won't be stuck in traffic too often...will we see you on a Biker.ie ride-out some time?

[Booster]

Originally posted by fitz irl

Hi Booster

I did a the bmw track day in Mondello last Summer on what was a 4 week old f800s
great fun and a lot safer than I thought it would be.

Where did you buy your bike from?

enjoy the bike/forum

Thanks Fitz irl. Got it from Joe Duffy's...been happy with them so far. Might look into getting my software updated. I've read on this site that BMW are rolling out some mod.s to the final drive, etc. Will find out how good the dealer is when I enquire about that.

[Mystic]

Hi Booster

Thanks for the comment. Agree on the late breaking thing and throttling. So give us a list of tips for wet weather cornering. My wet weather cornering has improved dramatically. I'm curious as to whether anyone uses a touch of rear just before the corner to get the back down quicker while throttling on. (I just know that last line isn't going to make much sense). Where I'm going is you want the bike set up in posture for the corner rather than changing the forces between front and rear during the corner. So I'm guessing weight down on the pegs and more on one than the other etc.

So put me out of my misery and give me that list of tips to play with.

Cheers.

[Booster]

Originally posted by Mystic

Hi Booster

Thanks for the comment. Agree on the late breaking thing and throttling. So give us a list of tips for wet weather cornering. My wet weather cornering has improved dramatically. I'm curious as to whether anyone uses a touch of rear just before the corner to get the back down quicker while throttling on.

I'm not an expert, just more confident now that I had that training. My tips for wet cornering (you probably already know) would be - get your braking done well before the corner, keep a positive throttle to maintain speed through the corner, be extra smooth in all your actions especially powering out the other side. My rear wheel wobble was caused by using the rear brake with too little weight on the back tyre (due to heavy braking) - so avoid that scenario. Many racers don't use the rear brake at all - so I've been told.

Hope that helps

[pldac]

Welcome to the forum.

Wet weather track work with someone watching over you sounds like it was an excellent opportunity and safety/confidence booster.

I'd never do extreme track work on my F800 but after being away from riding for a while I would love to quickly reacquire my wet weather skills. We have had some heavy rain the last few days and I am no doubt annoying everyone with my slow cornering. The right hand's getting a little exhausted from the tension.

I'm an expert at focusing on all those little pretty pools of rainbow water. Even after 2 days of heavy rain, there still everywhere.

[Mystic]

I know what you mean about the wet riding and the torque on this thing has meant I've needed to be real smooth. Came out of a corner the other day straightened up and powered on and the engine revs shot straight up as the wheel spun itself up. It makes an interesting sound likle taking off from a set of lights before you realise the bike is in neutral. I also lane split to the front and just as I dropped to first and was coming to a stop the lights turned green with me about to put the foot down to stop. I set about accelerating but the bike just didn't go. Just the engine. Suddenly I'm having to get the foot down because I've lost the forward momentum. While the cars accelerate off either side of me. It took me a moment to realise that I'd pressed down hard from 2 to 1 and miraculously had the bike find neutral. So there I am with two cars accelerating while I have a minor "what the?" moment.

How is it that it normally takes the gentlest touch to get neutral and when you don't need it and at the worst possible time it finds itself.

[Mystic]

The most interesting wet riding is at night because you can only see what the light shines on and in a corner that's less. Makes for an interesting experience. And its much harder to tell what the surface is doing.

If all else fails remember the tyres WILL STICK. And say it over and over holding on ever so carefully as the bike having let go finally succumbs to your Jedi mind control.

[pldac]

My mantra is "hang on and ride it out"

[Pat H]

I was always advised to "look at where you want/need to be" Don't look at where you think your going to end up. ie crashing on the apex. Look at the corner exit. Your body will take you where ever you look as long as the bike can manage it.
[ride][ohno]

[Booster]

Thanks guys. Some good advice there...saw a great link to a sports riding site in another thread. Also, I've emailed my dealer about the mod.s and software upgrades. I'll post the results (if any) in the relevent threads when I get them.