Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Impression: 1983 BMW R80ST A different kind of Beemer By Dorde Woodruff The people under the sign of the Bla u mit Weiss propeller have been doing some interesting things in the last few years, and this year's new R 80ST is possibly the most interesting of all. A 400-pound 800cc street bike? Beemers have never been known for acceleration. but this is some different kind 22 of Beemer. And still, you get the kind of longevity attached to a machine which loafs along at less than 3700 rpm when it's doing the national speed limit. When the R80G/S dual purpose bike ca rne along a couple of years ago. riders liked its proficiency on pavement, even though it was tricked out for dirt with specially developed Metzelers, long-travel suspension. a high front fender. a skid plate, metalclawed foot pegs. wide handlebars, and a high pipe. Some may have bought it primarily for its nimbleness, though they didn't have much need for fire-trailing. Now we have the ST, which is even better for street, and not bad on dirt roads, either. With its narrower handlebars, somewhat shorter-travel suspension, slightly shorter wheelbase and seat height. and a 19-inch front wheel instead of a tall 21-incher. th e ST feels much more together . than the G IS , therefore demanding a shorter period of rider break-in. The ST's seat is only a half-inch lower than the G IS 's. but the G IS also has a higher steering head. and the larger gas tank is carried -a liitle higher. The two" : bikes feel quite different, though yo u can tell they're closely related. Traditionall y, Beerners are like Harleys in that they expect more from the rider in the way of conforming to the machine rather than vice versa, than do most present-day japanese bikes. But this is changing; civility has come to the BMW , and especially to th e ST. True, yo u still have those cylinders stick ing out right where you want to put you r feet som etimes, but th e bike is so acco mmodating in other ways that it doesn 't seem as important. (An d the cylinders aren 't all bad, they keep rain off your feet. a n d protect th em if you go down.) . BMW made a minimal number of changes in evolving th e ST from the G IS . Both have the same engine. the same Bing V64 /2 carbs, the same gear ratios. the same frame designed especially for these two models but em ploying many R 100corn ponents. The ST is furnished with a gas tank that holds a little over 4.2 gallons rather than the 5.15 (claimed) of the G IS . The Boge-designed and BMW-built monoshock is shortened a little, and has a different spring rate. Front sus pension is made up of what the company considered to be the most appropriate of R65 and RIOO components: R65 triple tree. RIOO tubes, and R65 legs . The low profile tires may be Metzelers, the new Conti Super Twins, or Pirellis on different individuals; suspension cha nges and tire s make the STs ride less harsh over potholes and railroad tra cks. The skidplate is gone, naturally, on the ST, and norma l street foot pegs a n d rear brake pedal replace the toothed pegs and tucked-in pedal of the G IS . The street bike's bright quartz halogen headlight is bigger than the one on the G IS . The front fender is still plastic but no longer set high above the tire to accommodate large quantities of mud. The rear fender and high pipe remain the same, though the ST's is chrome. as are its cylinder protectors. and there are other minor stylistic differences. BMWs have always been light for their displacement. But the 800cc ST (a nd G IS ) are radical, keeping far ahead of the japanese in this respect , though their recent goal has been to lighten their motorcycles. japanese 750s, even the V-twins, tend to range upward from 480 pounds or so . Some of the ST's lack of weight comes from changes common to all Beerners, some from characteristics of the G IS. For instance. in 1981 all BMWs got new flywheel and clutch assemblies which saved close to 10 pounds, as well as eliminating the old heavy cI utch pull. The new nickel-silicon cylinder coatings made obsolete six pounds of iron liners. Like the G IS, the ST has spoked wheels with alloy rims, and the high pipe is lighter than the usual street exhaust system. The Monolever rear suspension consisting of a monoshock connecting to a onesided swingarm saves 4.4 pounds over the conventional setup. The single front brake disc is drilled and the rear drum is lighter than a disc would be. The very light fenders are plastic, as ar e the turn signals. The ST returns to the conventional BMW instrument assembly, rather than the G IS's asymetrical pod lack ing a tach, and also returns to a real 120-mph speedo which is more than sufficient. While the ST is quick, with its 7000 rpm red line it isn't fast , calculated top speed being about 105 mph. I rode it to a 104 indicated, but I'm not sure I had it wrung out all the wa y, and the speedo seems to read fast. Running before an approaching snowstorm, corning over a hill I got radared at 69 mph. Despite the cold I was enjoying too much "laying behind those instruments" as the ads used to say, to notice whether 70 or 75 was indicated (probably the latter). Unless you have a radar detector, awfully good luck. or a lax state highway patrol, quick is certainly more useful th an fast these days . This bike is so integral that it's difficult to pick out qualities dependent on seat-of-the-pants feel. The suspension is very good, and well balanced between back and front. I mostl y ignored bumps on Salt Lake City's streets, not the usual state of affairs. The ci ty's ample snowfall and long season of freezing is hard on asphalt, making its street system an excellent suspension test . Riding a BMW oil a twistin g road is a unique experience. With those low, splayed-out cylinders, it's easy to drop if leaned to the side a bit while standing sti ll. But at riding speeds the cylinders become an asset; there is a different sort of balance of forces from that of the more usual engine conformations. The bike is then both stable and responsive in the roll axis. In addition, the ST has everything else going for it, good acceleration, seating position, steering, suspension and brakes, a wide 'pow erba nd , and it's Iighi weight. On

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