BMW F650 GS opinions

Alan Pennykid · Sep 21, 2003

glitch1 said:

the 21" BM.
Click to expand...

-21" is more suitable if you actually want to ride a fair bit of dirt, and
the tyres available are very appropriate.

-BMW F650GS is available with both (F650GS- 19" front wheel, normal
suspension), (F650GS Dakar,-21" front wheel, taller suspension, taller
'screen) the fact that the Dakar seems to outsell the normal version sort of
speaks for itself.

Al

phar_que_2 · Sep 22, 2003

Manning said:

My wife rode a 2001 F650GS for 12 months while on her P's We bought it used
at 1900 kms on the day that LAMS came in last September. She's 5'3" and
handled the bike quite well, so it is managable by shorter riders. She has
since moved up to an SV650-S (the 2002 model, she thought the new 2003 model
was not as 'female friendly').

After 12 months, here are some general comments.

- Braking is not particularly good on these bikes - I've never slid around
so much, the rear locks up alarmingly easily. I've ridden two other GS's and
found this to be consistent. The single front disc adds to the braking woes,
and I've had a couple of nasty frights at speeds of only 50 ks when
emergency braking was called for. Brake soft and early. This occurred on the
stock tyres which are (allegedly) a harder 'dual surface' tyre, so switching
to a softer compound might improve this. But after paying 13K plus, having
to fork out another couple of hundred for softer tyres just to avoid sliding
around seems annoying.

- I don't regard it as an off-road bike, it's too heavy and a bit fragile.
Think of it more of a road bike that can handle a gravel road without
grounding out. I would not take it anywhere *interesting*, especially as you
probably won't be able to fix it if something went wrong. If you really want
to go bush, stick to something without EFI and compooters in it, as you'll
have a fighting chance of fixing it if something goes wrong out of mobile
phone range.

- It is definitely a bike you can cruise on all day, the wife and I spent a
lot of time cruising around NSW/QLD with no complaints. She was very
comfortable, and the bike's low centre of gravity means it handles a
cross-wind better than just about any bike I've ever ridden.

In hindsight, we would not buy this bike again. It's a decent bike, but I
don't consider it 'value for money'. The handwarmers and panniers are nice,
but you can install those on any bike. For an RRP of $12,900 + orc I'd think
one could rightfully expect twin front discs, but apparently not.

Some good suggestions for dirt-worthy alternatives have been made above.
Possibly also consider the KTM 640 Adventure. For a road-bound learner (in
NSW) or anyone looking for a mid-sized commuter, I would also recommend the
Suzuki GS500. 500ccs, comfortable, upright seating position and able to
cruise at freeway speeds easily. More importantly a RRP of $7390 (+orc).
Take the $4500 diff, add a screen and some throwover bags and you're
laughing. In hindsight, that was the bike we should have bought for my
wife's LAMS period.

PS - We are planning on selling the GS very soon, so if you are interested
in buying it, please ignore the above. It's a fantastic bike and we love it,
really can't bear to part with it.

Manning
Click to expand...

Thanks everyone for all your comments. I might look further afield.
The SV650S is another alternative, by the looks of things....

BMW F650 GS opinions

Alan Pennykid Guest

Advertisements

phar_que_2 Guest

Advertisements

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

BMW F650 Funduro

decision made - BMW F650 vs TRX vs RGV

2004 BMW R1100S opinions wanted..

FS: BMW F650

FS: BMW F650 'Funduro'

PLEASE HELP...KTM DUKE 640 OR BMW F650 GS?????

FS: BMW F650, East London needs pickup or someone who can fix an ignition

Opinions please: BMW 650 GS Dakar

BMW F650 GS opinions

Alan Pennykid Guest

Advertisements

phar_que_2 Guest

Advertisements

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

Useful Searches