BMW F650 GS Motorcycle - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Sen · 07-14-2003, 08:30 PM

Does anyone have one of these or know much about them? I would love to have one, but would value some feedback from anyone more knowledgable.

supgbi21 · 07-14-2003, 10:12 PM

Would the F650 be your first bike?

Sen · 07-15-2003, 07:49 AM

Yes it would be my first bike. I've liked them since 2000 when I saw them at a car show in Baltimore. Now my friend has one and I have some connections with a dealer here in town. I would just like some independent opinions on the bike.

I would probably get the Dakar, either 2003 or 2004.

deverell · 07-15-2003, 12:38 PM

It's a good bike. But the Aprilia Pegaso is just as good and the Caponord is even better. He He

Sen · 07-15-2003, 12:46 PM

deverell, I'm not real familiar with all of the bikes out there. Could you please point me to some resources about those bikes?

supgbi21 · 07-16-2003, 03:30 PM

The mother in me would say they want way to many monititary units for a first bike, being as a new rider 'will' drop it in the first year. -dont ask me now i know

Id be inclided to get an older bike, learn the ropes, take her to the limits of the bike then sell it for what you paid for it then look at upgrading.

After riding an older bike youll appreitcate all the advancances in bikes made today. And able to better test them.

My .02 cents.

---------
buy FULL gear, read Proficient Motorcycling, take a MSF course,

mother mode off.

kod · 07-16-2003, 08:39 PM

You will indeed drop and/or low-speed crash your first bike. Assuming that money is at least somewhat of an issue, buying something along the lines of a used, easy to find kawasaki klr 650 makes more sense. It's a similar style of bike, check out

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/DSN_klr650/

then

http://cycletrader.com

Even after you drop it, you should be able to get a significant portion of your investment back when you sell it to get an f650.

Sen · 07-16-2003, 08:54 PM

Those are good points and something I should consider. However I should clarify some, this would be the first bike that I own, not the first bike that I ride a lot. I grew up riding dirt bikes in rural areas both on and off road on a regular basis. My uncle is a farmer and I used to visit them a lot during the summer and when there would take his bike everywhere.

But, as I said, this would be MY first bike and also my first experience in an urban setting. My early experiences in dirt bikes is what attracted me to the BMW 650 since it can do both on and off road, to a certain extent.

Also, thanks for the links.

sapituca · 07-17-2003, 10:11 AM

I had an 97 BMW F650, the carburated type, built by Aprilia in Italy. The 'new' ones are BMW-built, in Germany. The first set of BMW-built (the 2nd generation F650's) had serious fuel injection issues when launched, but word is the bugs are fixed now. All BMW 650's have BMW-spec 4 valve heads while the Aprilias uses/used a 5-valve head design. There are other internal engine changes imposed by BMW with durability in mind (crank journals, bearings, etc). Either way, the engine is origianally a Rotax (Bombardier) design, first class stuff.
The bike is expensive, for you are buying the BMW name printed in the manual and the badges that comes glued literally everwhere (so everyone can see it's a beemer).
The F650 is not an off-road bike. The Dakar, with a bit more suspension travel and the optional Pirellis fares better on the dirt, but no matter what the glossy brochures say or show, these bikes are not meant for crossing the Darien gap or the bog accross the field. They go fairly well on fire roads, smooth dirt roads, perform great in canyon roads (you will be amazed) and cruise effortlessy at 65-75mph all day long.
Mechanically, the engine is bullet-proof (salvo for the FI issue on the problematic models), BUT if there is an electronic gremlin, plan on having a BMW motorcycle dealer nearby... Fit and finish is very good and the controls are extremely teutonic.
Think electrics by Siemens & Bosch as opposed to Denso/Marelli. Hell, at least it's not Lucas, the Prince of Darkness.
There is a lot of plastic and fasteners all over the bike, so access to mechanical items under the skin usually involves a fair amount of time and swearing when taking things apart.
Think carburator & gravity (KLR/ Yamaha XT) vs. fuel injection & sealed electronic pump driven by FI module under the cowl.
Suspension is by Showa, Japan. Brakes are Brembo, Italy. So, yes, while you pay for the German badge, you buy a bike suspened by a Honda subsidiary, stopped by an italian company and driven by an engine designed by a Canadian company.
Is it a 'true' BMW motorcycle? Hummm... Is it a good bike? Hell yes.
So:
- if you are an experienced rider and plan on going on a round-the world adventure, get yourself a KLR 650.
- if you are an experienced rider and plan crusing around town on the weekends with an occasional 1k mi. road trip somewhere in the 1st world and money is not an issue, get an F650 by all means.
- if you are an experienced, rich, rider and vibration, money and chiropractor is not an issue, get a KTM 640 LC4.
- if you are somewhat experienced and want a bike to fool around on the dirt but still be able to go to 7-11 for a frostie (street legal), get yourself a Suzuki/Kawasaki (they are the same now that it's just one company) KLR/DRZ 400 flavor of the day.
- If you are new to bikes and dual-purpose, get yourself a used 150-250cc japanese 4-stroke dirt bike and trash it first before spendinga $8K+ on a bike you are not sure is right for you.

For good info on the beemer 650 look here :
http://www.f650.com

For info on dual purpose bikes in general, look here:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tripplan/bike/

Remember: it's not what you ride. It's the fact that you ride.
Cheers

Sen · 07-17-2003, 11:20 AM

Wow, now that is a first class response. Thanks for all the info, sapituca. Sounds like you really know what you are talking about.

Thanks again.

deverell · 07-17-2003, 03:06 PM

Sen, if you want bike info you should check out a magazine like"What Bike" or the back pages of Bike Magazine. (published in UK) You must have magazines like that in the midwest. Whatever you get, enjoy.

rodgerd · 07-18-2003, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sapituca
For info on dual purpose bikes in general, look here:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tripplan/bike/

Wow. Thanks for all that - I'm planning on my second bike being a dual purpose, so this is incredibly useful.

07-14-2003, 08:30 PM	#1 (permalink)
Sen Insane Location: Midwest	BMW F650 GS Motorcycle Does anyone have one of these or know much about them? I would love to have one, but would value some feedback from anyone more knowledgable. __________________ "I want to announce my presence with authority!" "You want to what?" "I want to announce my presence with authority!!"

07-15-2003, 07:49 AM	#3 (permalink)
Sen Insane Location: Midwest	Yes it would be my first bike. I've liked them since 2000 when I saw them at a car show in Baltimore. Now my friend has one and I have some connections with a dealer here in town. I would just like some independent opinions on the bike. I would probably get the Dakar, either 2003 or 2004. __________________ "I want to announce my presence with authority!" "You want to what?" "I want to announce my presence with authority!!"

07-15-2003, 12:46 PM	#5 (permalink)
Sen Insane Location: Midwest	deverell, I'm not real familiar with all of the bikes out there. Could you please point me to some resources about those bikes? __________________ "I want to announce my presence with authority!" "You want to what?" "I want to announce my presence with authority!!"

07-16-2003, 08:54 PM	#8 (permalink)
Sen Insane Location: Midwest	Those are good points and something I should consider. However I should clarify some, this would be the first bike that I own, not the first bike that I ride a lot. I grew up riding dirt bikes in rural areas both on and off road on a regular basis. My uncle is a farmer and I used to visit them a lot during the summer and when there would take his bike everywhere. But, as I said, this would be MY first bike and also my first experience in an urban setting. My early experiences in dirt bikes is what attracted me to the BMW 650 since it can do both on and off road, to a certain extent. Also, thanks for the links. __________________ "I want to announce my presence with authority!" "You want to what?" "I want to announce my presence with authority!!" Last edited by Sen; 07-16-2003 at 08:57 PM..

07-17-2003, 10:11 AM	#9 (permalink)
sapituca Upright Location: at home	F650 I had an 97 BMW F650, the carburated type, built by Aprilia in Italy. The 'new' ones are BMW-built, in Germany. The first set of BMW-built (the 2nd generation F650's) had serious fuel injection issues when launched, but word is the bugs are fixed now. All BMW 650's have BMW-spec 4 valve heads while the Aprilias uses/used a 5-valve head design. There are other internal engine changes imposed by BMW with durability in mind (crank journals, bearings, etc). Either way, the engine is origianally a Rotax (Bombardier) design, first class stuff. The bike is expensive, for you are buying the BMW name printed in the manual and the badges that comes glued literally everwhere (so everyone can see it's a beemer). The F650 is not an off-road bike. The Dakar, with a bit more suspension travel and the optional Pirellis fares better on the dirt, but no matter what the glossy brochures say or show, these bikes are not meant for crossing the Darien gap or the bog accross the field. They go fairly well on fire roads, smooth dirt roads, perform great in canyon roads (you will be amazed) and cruise effortlessy at 65-75mph all day long. Mechanically, the engine is bullet-proof (salvo for the FI issue on the problematic models), BUT if there is an electronic gremlin, plan on having a BMW motorcycle dealer nearby... Fit and finish is very good and the controls are extremely teutonic. Think electrics by Siemens & Bosch as opposed to Denso/Marelli. Hell, at least it's not Lucas, the Prince of Darkness. There is a lot of plastic and fasteners all over the bike, so access to mechanical items under the skin usually involves a fair amount of time and swearing when taking things apart. Think carburator & gravity (KLR/ Yamaha XT) vs. fuel injection & sealed electronic pump driven by FI module under the cowl. Suspension is by Showa, Japan. Brakes are Brembo, Italy. So, yes, while you pay for the German badge, you buy a bike suspened by a Honda subsidiary, stopped by an italian company and driven by an engine designed by a Canadian company. Is it a 'true' BMW motorcycle? Hummm... Is it a good bike? Hell yes. So: - if you are an experienced rider and plan on going on a round-the world adventure, get yourself a KLR 650. - if you are an experienced rider and plan crusing around town on the weekends with an occasional 1k mi. road trip somewhere in the 1st world and money is not an issue, get an F650 by all means. - if you are an experienced, rich, rider and vibration, money and chiropractor is not an issue, get a KTM 640 LC4. - if you are somewhat experienced and want a bike to fool around on the dirt but still be able to go to 7-11 for a frostie (street legal), get yourself a Suzuki/Kawasaki (they are the same now that it's just one company) KLR/DRZ 400 flavor of the day. - If you are new to bikes and dual-purpose, get yourself a used 150-250cc japanese 4-stroke dirt bike and trash it first before spendinga $8K+ on a bike you are not sure is right for you. For good info on the beemer 650 look here : http://www.f650.com For info on dual purpose bikes in general, look here: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tripplan/bike/ Remember: it's not what you ride. It's the fact that you ride. Cheers

07-14-2003, 10:12 PM	#2 (permalink)
supgbi21 Upright	Would the F650 be your first bike?

07-15-2003, 12:38 PM	#4 (permalink)
deverell Upright	It's a good bike. But the Aprilia Pegaso is just as good and the Caponord is even better. He He

07-16-2003, 03:30 PM	#6 (permalink)
supgbi21 Upright	The mother in me would say they want way to many monititary units for a first bike, being as a new rider 'will' drop it in the first year. -dont ask me now i know Id be inclided to get an older bike, learn the ropes, take her to the limits of the bike then sell it for what you paid for it then look at upgrading. After riding an older bike youll appreitcate all the advancances in bikes made today. And able to better test them. My .02 cents. --------- buy FULL gear, read Proficient Motorcycling, take a MSF course, mother mode off.

07-16-2003, 08:39 PM	#7 (permalink)
kod Upright	You will indeed drop and/or low-speed crash your first bike. Assuming that money is at least somewhat of an issue, buying something along the lines of a used, easy to find kawasaki klr 650 makes more sense. It's a similar style of bike, check out http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/DSN_klr650/ then http://cycletrader.com Even after you drop it, you should be able to get a significant portion of your investment back when you sell it to get an f650.

07-17-2003, 11:20 AM	#10 (permalink)
Sen Insane Location: Midwest	Wow, now that is a first class response. Thanks for all the info, sapituca. Sounds like you really know what you are talking about. Thanks again. __________________ "I want to announce my presence with authority!" "You want to what?" "I want to announce my presence with authority!!"

07-17-2003, 03:06 PM	#11 (permalink)
deverell Upright	Sen, if you want bike info you should check out a magazine like"What Bike" or the back pages of Bike Magazine. (published in UK) You must have magazines like that in the midwest. Whatever you get, enjoy.