Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

ICIockwise from above left) A cIoHr look at BMW's monolever exposes back wheel completely. The other side Is Ita "normal" side; note _flrMr fender frame ....mbly which bolts to main frame. Kick starter Is awkward to IIH (electric start works fine); shift linkage Is also shown. Tool kit Is deluxe. stability with four pounds less weight than their other models. The swingann leg uses thin wall, larger diameter tub· ing to achieve this. In practice it seems to work, at least in view of the bike's intended purpose. With 170rnm (6.6") of rear wheel travel available, the R 80 is stable and comfonable on the street. In the din, it works acceptably until you stan pusbing for more speed. If worked out for any length of time in rough stuff, the non-reservoired shock would stan fading. In sandy whoops, the bike would start hopping from side to side, forcing you to back off before discovering just how far it would hop before you went plop. At least the shock did not seem prone to bottoming. In front, BMW leading axle forks with 200mm (7 .S") of travel do a good job on pavement. easily soaking up surface irregularities and doing their pan to contribute to a plush ride. Offroad, they seemed a little soft and exhibited a tendency to top out. It would be nice to have air caps for a greater range of adjustability. While the R SO is smooth and stable on long stretches of freeway, mountain roads (strong winds wiD buffet it a bit) and around town, it is not particularly confidence inspiring after leaving asphalt. Excess weight (a claimed !l6S lbs. dry), exc;,ess bulk (our shins were forever hitting the carbs or cylinders when throwing a foot out for a comer; you've got to go around the engine components), and non-grabby rires (while they work alright on blacktop, the rear should be at least a 4.50 to halfway harness the engine's power in the din) all contribute to an uneasy feeling on natural terrain. Successfully sliding the bike is difficult because of its nasty habit of suddenly finding traction and senlling you in a direction different than intended. It was hard to tell if this was because of the torque reaction of the shaft drive causing the rear end to rise up on the suspension or if it might have been due to the .eemingly shonswingann., Trying to hustle around comers, especially in softer stuff, often caused the front end to wash out. The culprit here was the tire, a necessary compromise, and having so much weight on the front end with such a large engine sitting there. The high front weight bias also made the bike more difficult to wheelie. When up on the pegs, it was hard to grab the tank with your knees. Also, due to the placement of the carb, it became mandatory to slide the right foot back until only the ball of the foot rested on the peg. In order to use the rear brake, you had to angle your foot inward and down to make an awkward stab at the lever. The rod-operated drum unit did work well, though, anywhere you chose to use it. Likewise with the single hydraulic disc in the front. It always worked fine thanks to the Brembo caliper and newfor-'S 1 SetDi-metal pads. We weren't able to find any streams deep enough to test either brake's wet stopping efficiency, but they should do alright. The R SO perfonned quite well and reliably throughout the test. The only thing that started to falloff was a nut in the shift linkage. We averaged about 44 or 45 mpg in riding that was mostly easy and moderate. With its 5.15-gallon tank, that should take you a little over 200 miles before running dry. We usually had to switch to reserve after about 170 miles. Should you be required to do some emergency roadside maintenance, don't worry. The R SO has the same type of marvelously complete, highquality tool kit that other BMWs come with. There is even a tube patching kit, a BMW cleaning cloth and a tire pump that live inside the frame's backbone included. We noticed that when the throttle was shut fairly quickly, there was a popping sound in the exhaust pipe, especially prevalent when the engine was still wanning up. According to BMW people,. that is normaL and caU¥d by the air pump, required to help satisfy the EPA. This BMW is a unique motorcycle. What kind of penon will buy the R SO GIS? Besides having an extra $4S00 to spare, the prospective owner must enjoy having something out of the ordinary, explaining its feature to the curious in parking lots. While he'll never be able to stay on his minute in an enduro or be otherwise competitive in the dirt, neither will he be subjected to a choppy ride, cramped quarters and a screammg engine while gobbling up mile after mile of mountain twisties or concrete horizons. Despite the faults we found with it in the dirt, the R SO still perfonns and handles better there than any pure street bike and is a lot more pleasant to tour long distances with than any other din-oriented two-wheeler that comes to mind. BMW, it looks like you have hit your mark and given the world a special dual-purpose motorcycle. • Specifications Suggested List Price .••...•...•...•..•.• __ . , __ , .•..... $4800 Engine Type Horizontally-opposad, twCH:ylinder four-stroke Displacement •...........•......... ...•..•.............. 798cc Bore and Stroke •• , , ••. , •. , .•• , , •. , , •..... __ . _ 84.S x 1O.6mm Compreulon ratio •. , , .. , S.2:1 BHP @ rpm ....•...................•.•....••........... 50 @ 6600 Torque @ rpm 66 @ 5000 C8rburatlon.........................•. , , •.....•. 32mm Bing V 64111 Starting, , •• , • , , •• , , •••.•....•.. __ .............• _.. Electric or kick Transmission Clutch. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Slng"plate dry clutch with diaphragm springs Gearbox ••.•...... , . . . . . . . . . . .. Rv.spead with dog-type hook shift Drive system Enclosed drive shaft with spiral bevel follower Ratio _ , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.36:1 Suspension Front •..•..... ,. , Telescopic fork with hydraufic dampers. taper roller bearings In steering head Front Suspension Travel. ............• , .•............. 200mm 17.S'" Rear , BMW monolever with Bllsteln gas shock Rear Suspension Travel. , , , , 110mm 16.6'" Brakes Front. , •... , Vented single disc. 260mm diameter. fixed caliper Rear. _ Rod-operated Simplex full-hub, 200mm diameter Tires Front 3.00 x 21 Metzeler Rear...................•. , , • , , , • , . , , . , •..•...... 4.00 x 1S Metzel.r Dimensions Length, , , __ _ _ 2110mm 183.1'" Wheelbase •••. , . , ..•...•.......................... 1466mm 167,7'" Handlebar Width, , , .. , , . , , , , . , .. , , . , . , .. , 820mm (32.3'" Engine Width , • , , •• 748mm (29.4'" Seat Height , , , • , , , ••............•......• , . .• 880mm 133.9") Dry Weight 187kg l368 lbe.' GVWR .....•....................................•. _kg l881 lbe.' Fuel Tank Capec:Ity , ,. ,., 6.16 U.S. gel. • .. ~ ., ... or u

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