Double loop tubular frame with bolt on rear section
Front Suspension
Telescopic
hydraulic fork
Front Wheel Travel
175 mm / 6.8 in
Rear Suspension
BMW Monolever swinging arm
Rear Wheel Travel
153 mm / 6.0 in
Front Brakes
Single ∅285mm disc, 1 piston caliper
Rear Brakes
∅200mm Drum
Front Wheel
1.85 - B19
Rear Wheel
2.50 - B18
Front Tyre
100/90-H19
Rear Tyre
120/90-H18
Dimensions
Length 2180 mm / 85.8 in
Width
790 mm / 31.1 in
Height 1150 mm /
45.2 in
Wheelbase
1447 mm / 56.9 in
Ground Clearance
170 mm / 6.69 in
Seat Height
845 mm / 33.3 in
Wet Weight
198 Kg / 436 lbs
Fuel Capacity
19 Litres / 5.0 US gal
Consumption Average
4.9 L/100 km / 20.4 km/l / 48 mpg
Standing
¼ Mile
14.1 sec / 148.5 km/h / 92.3 mph
Top Speed
171 km/h / 106 mph
Introduced in 1982, the R80 ST has changed very little
for '84. Based on the R80 G/S, the street-only ST is intended to acquaint
buyers with BMWs at a moderate price. Like the G/S, the ST features spoke
wheels and a single disc up front, with a full-width drum brake in the rear.
It features a larger-capacity fuel tank than the G/S as well as crash bars
and a more comfortable seat as standard equipment. The ST also has a 19-inch
front wheel in place of the G/S's 21-incher, 25mm less fork travel, a deeper
oil pan and the road-going handlebar of the R65 ST.
There are no new BMWs, a friend of ours once observed at the dawning of a new
model year, only new numbers and letters,and maybe a new styling touch or two.
This observation came toward the end of an exciting, two-hour discussion about
all of the breathtaking new models that would soon fill showroom floors. For one
hour and 58 min., we waxed enthusiastic over new engines, new frames, new
suspensions, new styling all-new bikes that the Big Four manufacturers were
dangling before us.
"What about BMWs?" a tentative voice asked during a pause. Silence. Then our
friend stood up, pulled on his jacket, hefted his helmet, nodded wisely and
uttered his pronouncement. There were few disagreements.
Truth of the matter was, giving in to indifference when discussing BMW was
rather easy. It still is. Since 1923, the German make has meant, with a few
exceptions, the same thing: opposed Twin engine, two valves per cylinder,
pushrods, two carbs and a driveshaft. It's not a great leap from that to
"There's no such thing as a new BMW." A BMW is a BMW is a BMW, right?
Wrong, and here's proof: BMW's R80 ST. Okay, it doesn't really qualify for
the adjective "brand-new"; it's still steeped in the BMW tradition (see
preceding paragraph) and it was born of the go-anywhere R80 G/S. But the R80 ST
is so, well, pleasing to ride that it definitely deserves the NEW! IMPROVED!
label.
First, a bit of not-so-distant history. In 1980, BMW introduced the R80 G/S,
an almost-dual-purpose bike aimed at the exploring market. The G/S (the initials
came from the German words for Woods/Street) had an 800cc engine, extra ground
clearance, a single rear shock, a single-sided swing arm (which doubled as the
drive shaft housing), and a high-rise 2-into-l exhaust system. "All in all, a
great machine for getting away from it all," we judged (Cycle World,
April 1981).
The G/S sold reasonably well, but there seemed to be more interest in a
street-only version. A BMW spokesman recently recalled: "We saw buyers
converting the G/S to all-street bikes, and people kept asking where was the
street R80." So, the ST—for Street Touring—was a natural.
Of course an 800cc street BMW is not, by itself, anything new. In 1978, BMW
expanded the bore of the trusty R75 and created the original R80. At that time
the R80 was sandwiched between the bigger and faster R100 models and a slower
R60 model that subsequently disappeared and was succeeded by a more sporting R65
model. Somewhere along the line the R80 standard model faded away when the G/S
was introduced. It wasn't that a 800cc BMW was a bad idea, it just needed some
kind of distinction from the larger BMWs. That's where the ST comes in.
Essentially, the ST is a G/S with a narrower mission, changes kept to a
minimum. Only things which needed to be redesigned, were. What didn't need
changing for the street, wasn't. That's in keeping with another BMW tradition:
no change simply for change's sake. The ST got new wheels and tires, shorter
forks and rear shock, more instrumentation, a slightly stronger battery, lower
handlebars, an improved seat and a set of crash guards. Along the way, it lost
the G/S's kick starter.
The engine is the 797.5cc ohv opposed Twin, a small-bore version of BMW's
standard big Twin engine. Bore is 84.8mm. Stroke is 70.6mm, the same as that of
the lOOOcc boxer engines. Valve sizes are 42mm for the intake and 38mm for the
exhaust; each is held open for 305°, a BMW standard. They're operated by
pushrods and rocker arms. According to the company's rather peculiar way of
putting it, the "maximum permissible engine speed" is 7400 rpm, while the
"maximum continuous engine speed is 7200 rpm (as is the tachometer red-line).
Cylinders are aluminum, with a nickel/silicone-carbide coating. The compression
ratio is 8.2:1. Carburetion is by a pair of 32mm Bing CVs. The exhaust pipes
join in a collector box below the transmission; a single pipe then sweeps up to
a shielded muffler mounted just beneath the seat. Ignition is electronically
triggered.
The ST has a single-plate dry clutch with diaphragm spring, and a five-speed
transmission. Final drive is (there's that tradition again) by shaft.
The welded-steel, double-cradle frame has widely spaced, giant, 1.25-in.
round downtubes that bend under the engine and then curve up to join a single
backbone. Steering head junctions are reinforced by extra tubes and gussets. The
bolt-on rear subframe, made of smaller-diameter tubing, supports only the seat,
rear fender and the muffler.
The right-mounted, cantilevered gas shock has three adjustments for spring
preload. Damping is not adjustable. The top of the shock bolts to the main
frame; the bottom bolts to the short, wide single-leg swing arm. The telescopic
front forks are similar to those of the R65 models. Both the shock and forks
have been shortened in the translation from G/S to ST. As a result, travel has
been reduced: the ST has 6.9 in. of front travel (compared with the G/S's 8 in.)
and 6 in. of rear travel (compared with 7 in.).
A 19-in. front wheel replaces the 21-incher of the G/S, while the 18-in. rear
wheel is unchanged; both are spoked, with Akront aluminum rims. Gone arethe
Metzeler enduro tires. The ST comes with low-profile Metzelers (100/90H-19 Rille
16 up front, I20/90H-18 Perfect in back). Brakes remain the same: a single,
fixed-caliper Brembo 10.2-in. drilled disc in front and a 7.9-in. single leading
shoe rear drum.
Odds and ends: Instrumentation resides in a little plastic dash that covers
the lower, narrower handlebars, and includes speedometer/odometer/trip odometer,
tachometer, neutral indicator, high beam light, turn signal indicator and
warning lights for generator output and oil pressure. The fork lock, separate
from the ignition switch, is on the left side of the steering head. The throttle
is a straight-pull Magura. A 16-amp-hour battery replaces the G/S's
nine-amp-hour unit. There's a 60/55-watt halogen headlight. The flush-capped gas
tank holds 5.5 gal., a half-gallon of that in reserve. The seat is narrower in
front, with foam rubber replacing the old plastic foam, and lifts off with the
push of a lockable button. A tool kit and tire-patching kit are under the seat;
a tire pump is stored in the frame's backbone.
Time to ride.
The boxer engine, as always, fires right up. And, again as always, usually
dies after a couple of thumps. More tradition. Using full choke and a slight
twist of the throttle, it generally takes several firings to coax the Twin into
life. And that's when the weather is warm. Cold, cold starts are even
more precarious. Once the ST is running, you can back off the thumb lever to a
click-stop (about three-quarters choke) and ride away. After a few blocks, the
choke can be released and the engine settles down to a comfortable, quiet idle,
about 950 rpm.
BMW doesn't make horsepower claims anymore, but the original 800cc engine
produced 50 bhp for the low compression version, Adequate, but not especially
powerful. Just for comparison's sake, the 90° V-Twin in Ducati's 600SL Pantah
turns out 58 bhp—and that's an engine three-quarters the size of the ST's. That
rather conservative amount of power is reflected in dragstrip performance
figures. The R80 ST turned in a 13.80-sec. quarter-mile at 93.26 mph, and posted
a half-mile top speed of 105 mph. That's performance that any given Japanese
650—and some 500s—can meet.
But dragstrip figures can be, if not exactly unfair, misleading when it comes
to considering some bikes. BMW has not, in recent years, been a pretender to the
performance throne. Like its companions in the BMW line-up, the ST isn't a
motorcycle that will hurl you across the countryside like a land-locked ICBM.
What it will do, is transport you, smoothly, steadily, dependably—even, one
could say, classically. BMWs don't blur. They travel.
Cruising on the ST is a delight. The engine runs very well above 5000 rpm
which, in fifth, will propel you along at extra-legal speeds. At that engine
speed, the ST revs powerfully, without hesitation. Low rpm power is sufficient,
but not abundant. Still, there's enough flywheel to keep things from being too
balky; the engine pulls best from about 2000 rpm. Under hard acceleration,
there's a flat spot from 4000-5000 rpm, but then, again, BMWs usually aren't
pressed into that kind of service.
Clutch pull is light and the clutch is smooth, thanks to the diaphragm
spring. The transmission shifts neatly and decisively through all five gears.
The shift lever has a longer throw than that of many bikes, but you don't notice
it after putting in a few miles. It's just matter of getting accustomed to the
bike. One problem. Our test bike exhibited an occasional reluctance to shift
from neutral to first while stopped. Slipping the clutch, or clutching a couple
of times, remedied that.
On turns, the ST is responsive, steering quickly and lightly. The ST's
agility attests to its light weight. With a half-tank of fuel the ST only weighs
432 lb. At highway speeds, steering slows some, but the bike is easily leaned
over. And it's supremely stable, aided here by the low center of gravity
provided by the engine configuration. Ground clearance (7.1 in.) is generous for
a BMW. On a hard tack the brave rider will drag the pegs or the case guards,
depending on the attitude of the bike at maximum lean.
Taut is the word that best describes the suspension. There's plenty of travel
for chuckholes, mole-sized bumps and deep dips. But the stiff suspension doesn't
absorb much of the jolt of small bumps such as highway expansion joints.
Traveling over successive small bumps, the ST does a two-wheeled version of the
jitterbug. Oh, and you quickly forget about the missing half of the swing arm.
There's no sense of flex or imbalance. BMW says that the single leg and mounting
point arrangement actually increases resistance to torsional flex.
An important note, although an oft-repeated one about BMWs. The rear end is
quite responsive to driveshaft-induced torque reactions. Grab a bunch of
throttle and the rear shock unloads; the rear end pushes up. Shut off the gas
and the shock compresses; the rear end dips. Keeping the gas on while traveling
over a pavement dip will tend to prevent the shock from absorbing the drop. If
that happens when the bike is leaned over at the exit of a turn, the rear tire
could slide. And closing the throttle while traveling over a bump will tend to
prevent the shock from absorbing the rise. Under some conditions, that could
cost you ground clearance you might wish you had.
The brakes work well, stopping the bike from 30 mph in 28 ft., and from 60
mph in 121 ft. That represents a major improvement over our 1981 G/S (which
needed 36 ft. to stop from 30 mph, and 159 ft. to stop from 60 mph). The folks
at BMW chalk the improvement up to a change in the composition of brake pads and
shoes; the G/S had asbestos pads and shoes, while the ST has metallic ones. No
doubt the street-only tires help
The ST is a pleasure to ride. The seat is firm, but not hard, and comfortable
over a long distance. It's relatively flat, permitting easy movement. Passengers
had no complaints. The seat, by the way, is high, a couple of shades over 33 in.
That could present a problem for riders of average or small build.
There was a time when BMWs were considered virtually vibration-free, at least
in comparison to other bikes. But now that many motorcycles have rubber-mounted
engines (BMWs do not), they can no longer be said to be the smoothest bikes
around. ■ The ST is far from a shaker, but some vibration is noticeable,
especially at low rpm when the engine firing pulses throb throughout the
motorcycle. This diminishes to a light buzz, finally dying out at about 3800
rpm.
The lower, narrower bars felt good during both low-speed, in-town riding and
high-speed interstate travel. Footpeg position seemed ideal, neither too far
forward nor too far back. Shins occasionally encountered carbs, but that's the
nature of a BMW and what're you going to do? The instruments are easy to read.
The speedometer could be more accurate. When the speedometer read 60 mph, the
bike's true speed was 55. And the controls aren't exactly placed in the most
convenient locations. The horn button is too high on the left-hand pod. By the
time you look to find the button and then accomplish the awkWard thumb-stretch
necessary to reach it, well, the reason you wanted to honk is usually far behind
you. Once located, though, the horn is nice and loud. The kill switch is next to
useless in an emergency. You can't operate it with your right hand in normal
position on the grip.
Basic maintenance is a breeze. Single bolts fasten the two rocker arm covers.
Valve lash is easily and quickly adjusted with everyday tools. Three
automotive-type lug nuts hold the rear wheel in place. Remove them and the wheel
slips right off. It's the most easily removed rear wheel ever. The word
"excellent" doesn't do justice to the BMW tool kit. Almost every common
maintenance task imaginable can be completed using the tools that come with the
bike. Of the decreasing numbers of models that are sold tool-equipped, how many
can boast that?
It's generally agreed that the finish, the detailing, of BMWs is among the
best to be found on motorcycles. The ST
is no exception. The bike is available in two colors: a bright,
screaming-for-at-tention red-with-just-a-dollop-of-orange, and a calm,
conservative silver-graphite. Our test bike was red; the paint on the graceful
gas tank was rich and deep. The frame was the blackest of blacks. The chrome
was, hmm, very chromed. The finish is nothing short of elegant. Even the
plastic fenders seemed, somehow, cultured; if there is a creme de la creme
of plastic, this is it. The only thing that seems a bit out of character is
the high-mounted muffler, but we grew to think of that as an endearing
eccentricity.
The ST attracted a lot of attention, that's how stunning its appearance is.
Kids stopped in crosswalks to compliment it. Women fawned over it. Old folks
nodded friendly in its direction. Even the highway patrolman who stopped us for
speeding was moved to deliver a rhapsody on the Beemer. As one beret-sporting
gentleman with a foreign accent put it: "The bike, she smiles at me like a
pretty girl."
Yes. Now a few nit-picks. There oughta be a law against BMW's
one-minute-it's-there-the-next-minute-it's-gone sidestand. It has a hair-trigger
spring that retracts it, as we put it in our G/S test, "as soon as you want, if
not sooner." It's a public hazard. And don't even think about parking the ST
headfirst on a downgrade, no matter how slight, or on pavement that slopes to
the starboard. You'll have some lifting to do. The locking gas cap will refuse
to unscrew, permanently, if it's tightened too much. The fork lock is difficult
to use, impossible to find in the dark unless you've had prior experience with
Braille, and locks the front wheel in a position that contributes even more to
the pre-cariousness of the sidestand. And the bike comes with a silly folding
key; you can't keep it on a keyring and it makes using the fork and seat locks
even more of a maddening experience. Luckily, the spare is a normal key.
BMWs used to be not just expensive, but expensive, priced considerably
higher than similar-displacement bikes made by other manufacturers. The gap has
narrowed. A couple of years ago, BMW cut prices. Since then, they've gone up,
but not as much as those of some of the other makes. At $4190, the R80 ST is
almost priced competitively. And it comes with the longest warranty offered for
a motorcycle—three years, unlimited mileage.
What you get for your money is a light, agile, uncomplicated, clean,
attractive motorcycle. A bike that's refined, almost understated, not
overbearing like some hell-for-leather machines.
Some bikes, you ride to travel like the wind, to get from Point A to Point B
with the greatest of dispatch. The R80 ST, you ride for the simple thrill of
riding.