Rockster vs. F800ST

[Sine_Nomine]

Hello all - brand new to the forum and BMW motorcycle in general. I have been riding for just shy of 10 years. I recently parted with a retired police cruiser (KZ1000P), and am looking to get back on to a sport touring motorcycle for daily commuting and fun times on the weekend. Thus leading me to the title of the post.
I have finally narrowed my choices down to a 2007 F800ST with 16k miles and a 2004 R1150R Rockster with 19k. Both bikes are around $5500 with the Rockster being a little less. And to not be a total noob, I do know that these are two completely different bikes.... here are my thoughts so far.
- Good ergonomics (for me) with each bike
- Low/no maintenance final drive
- I love the look and feel of the Rockster, with the downside being it's heavier and lower MPG
- I really like the "all-around-ness" of the 800st, and again, fantastic MPG
Has anybody ridden both bikes and can provide a comparison? Are there any other pros/cons I am missing? Thank you so much in advance for any comments and insights. I was all ready to pull the trigger on the 800st, and then I sat on the copper Rockster and had to re-evaluate what it was I exactly wanted (practicality vs naked street fun )

Keep the rubber side down -
Josh

[Buckster]

Sine,
You may want to check the F800 section of this forum for answers to your questions. Cyclerob had a R1150R and went to a F800. There is much to read on that as well. I take it that you have already test rode both bikes. If not, do that first. The F800's had some problems when they first came out. You can do a search the f800 forum for more on this.
http://f800riders.org/forum/forum.php
I have ridden both and still prefer the R.
Good luck with you decision!

[Bigg-Brother]

My wife rides 2010 F800ST and I had a chance to put more then 1000 miles on it last year. This particular one has lower suspension and lower seat, so after 100 miles or so I'm not as comfortable on it as I am on my R12R but I really think F8ST is a great bike. I love the engine - very smooth and torque is great. And it does make 55 mpg with both of us on it. If you are looking for lower cost way to ride, F800ST is to go. One thing I don't like about it is hot seat - if you stop for two minutes or so, your butt will get hot...

If I would have to chose just one, I would go with R. Better riding position, "more" engine to play with, better looks in my opinion. More of a classic bike for sure. And I think if you are planning on keeping bike for some time, reliability of R is better from what I have read.

[sweatmark]

Call me biased, but I say they're both good all-around bikes.

Last season I rode my wife's F800S exclusively and enjoyed every mile. Revised ECU programming appeared to fix the stalling problem that our bike (and many others) exhibited. We've had a few other issues with the F800 but overall have been impressed with its balanced capabilities.

The Rockster is a better ergonomic fit for me, and well-suited for travels (if you prefer the naked bike, brave the elements riding style) when the outstanding BMW cases are attached. I'm committed to the R1150R Rockster despite it's acknowledge flaws... there's just something about it.

If I had to replace the Rockster, the F800ST would be among my short list of preferred options.

You've likely found the F800 website in addition to this one... good info to be found there about the F800S/ST, problems, fixes, modifications, etc.

Depending on your location, drop me a PM to set up phone call to discuss details about these two bikes, if you're interested.

[Sine_Nomine]

Thank you all very much for your responses - very good info and things to think about. I do think I'm now leaning towards the Rock after much research and disscussion on this and other forums. My commute is pretty straightforward, especially in the morning without traffic; on the way home I do have to go through some stoplights and hit more traffic. Thanks again, and I'm sure I'll be posting up when a decision is made and I have a big grin on my face.

[riceburner]

I've only ridden an F800S and mostly I thought it was pretty good.

The only thing I really did NOT like about it though was the ABS system. I needed to scrub off some speed approaching a junction on a main road (I was on the main road), so I "caressed" the lever just to regulate the speed and firstly the power-brakes cut in much harder than I needed, and then, due to the bumpiness of the road surface, and the softness of the fork damping, the front wheel and ABS cut in and out - scared the absolute pants off me and meant that I approached the hazard (a car potentially pulling out of the side-road) a lot quicker than I intended.

It's something you could learn to live with - but it totally killed ABS for me.

[Woland]

I've only ridden an F800S and mostly I thought it was pretty good.

The only thing I really did NOT like about it though was the ABS system. I needed to scrub off some speed approaching a junction on a main road (I was on the main road), so I "caressed" the lever just to regulate the speed and firstly the power-brakes cut in much harder than I needed, and then, due to the bumpiness of the road surface, and the softness of the fork damping, the front wheel and ABS cut in and out - scared the absolute pants off me and meant that I approached the hazard (a car potentially pulling out of the side-road) a lot quicker than I intended.

It's something you could learn to live with - but it totally killed ABS for me.

What power-brakes? The ABS on the F800 can be a tad exciting on bumpy surfaces, but easy to adapt to.

I haven't ridden a R1150R, but I really liked my F800ST when I had it. My main problem was that it's pretty cramped for a guy at 6'4". The R1200R I have now is apart from having a boxer engine I love just more bike in every way, better luggage and more comfortable for me. The mpg sux compared to the F800.

[shards]

I have owned both bikes (in the past) and currently have an 2004 Ed80. For me the choice is easy....the Rockster has the Telelever front suspension. For me, after I got used to it's different "feel", any bike with forks was doomed. In my view this may well be one of motorcycling's best kept secrets. I won't ever own a bike without it. If Telelever means nothing to you, I think the F800ST is a perfect alternative...as you say, great MPG, lovely engine, light weight etc etc.