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Call it naked, call it standard, call it urban, but this bike will be known for one thing: fun. With 87 horsepower
in a 391 lb chassis, the new R is another successful back-to-basics effort by BMW to return to motorcycling’s roots.
Feel the wind, connect to the road and the world around you yet get the best of today’s technology: handling,
braking, fuel economy, reliability. Little things like that. This is not a "Retro" bike; the R is all twenty-first
century.
We’re liking today's naked bikes more and more. They are easy to ride, easy to park and store, and have a comfortable,
neutral riding position. They remind us of the bikes we started riding on, and why we rode them. They also look
cool and are great value. BMW seems to “get it”, too: their naked bikes are built with all the technology and
quality components of the rest of the line. These are not a second choice or a stripped-down price leader; far from
it. From the Rockster of a few years ago to the Megamoto and the K1300R and now the F800R, BMW has put a full
helping of the Good Stuff in all these bikes. The F800R has an aluminum frame with a new aluminum swingarm and
O-ring chain final drive. Handlebars are also aluminum. Brakes are dual floating discs up front with four-piston
calipers. A single disc brings up the rear. The suspension has been tweaked and the forks given a brace.
The F800R is comes in 3 colours at a base price of only $9990. Available options include antilock brakes, tire pressure monitoring, and more. A special Chris Pfeiffer Limited Edition honours the world champion stunt rider who has won several times on BMW F800s. An Akropovic titanium exhaust is standard on the Replica; multicolour graphics include his signature on the fuel tank.
29 January 2010
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