Brads wrote: ↑Thu Jun 07, 2018 4:35 pm
In what way Steve.?
Seeing as you asked:-
I'll start with the water pump - down on the lower RHside of the engine. I know that there will be the BM engine bars that will help protect it come that "Oops" moment, but the pump looks to be nearly twice the size of the F8's and it just looks too vunerable.
The swingarm/shock absorber set up looks wrong to my eye. Can't say why, but it just does.
The oil filter is now incredibly well protected, having moved from the front of the engine on the F8GS to being mounted right above and slightly behind the exhaust on the RHside of the engine. It'll gather so much heat from being so close to the zorst pipe. Again, it just looks wrong. and it'll be a real pig to change come oil change time - you will get oil on your hot exhaust and you may well get burnt didgits when fitting the oil filter removal tool - tis tight in there.
The oil cooler is also now very well protected, being located right behind the engine, just to the rear of the ABS unit! How the feck thats going to cool the oil I have no idea
The most obvious is moving the fuel upstairs, to the "conventional" place in front of the rider and above the engine. I have little doubt the BM boffins have done the C of G workings out and got as much mass centralisation as possible, but putting all that fuel weight higher up can only, to my un-trained thinking, increase the energy imposed momentum that the moving fuel will generate.
They have, again to my mind, created a mini 1200Gs looky-likey that will sell to the majority that only ride on tar, maybe selling more that way. The F8GS does tar and dirt equally well, in my experience. And it does dirt better than a few of the other big trail bikes out there.
I have said to anyone that'll listen that I think the F8GS is the natural succesor to the XRV750 Africa Twin (I've had 4 of them). It does everything the old bus can do, but is better at doing it, using less fuel, having a better balance, more power (but not too much to make it a handful on the loose) and with more ground clearance.
But what do I know?
Steve T