Wild Will
04-14-2009, 12:53 PM
From "On The Level" magazine: I promised this to Simon!
With the new G650GS, BMW is raising the standard for dual sport bikes in the big bore single class with standard ABS brakes, heated grips, a clock, and a multitude of options, including opening this exciting sport to riders of shorter stature. The new G650GS has an all new dry sump engine with a distinct black powder coat finish and more power than the first generation. This is not merely an entry level machine; it’s a true GS with all the available BMW features that we demand, but in a shorter, lighter package. It’s the world’s first single cylinder bike fitted with BMS-C engine control and a three-way catalytic converter. As I learned during the test ride, it has sufficient reserves of handling and power to keep a skilled rider entertained during aggressive backroad forays. It’s also a great platform for beginners, who will benefit from its light weight, seat height, predictable power, intuitive handling and controls, and ABS. The new bike has a G classification, being the designation for the 650 single. The F650GS is really a more ‘softly tuned’ vertical twin 800cc machine, sharing a basic engine with the more highly tuned F800GS twin. G series = single cylinder; F series = twin cylinders.
The new bike feels much more powerful. During the test, I saw some impressive elevated speeds, and the bike was perfectly composed. It has an under-seat 4 gallon fuel tank. The mileage is rated at 59.6 MPG giving the G650GS a 220 mile range. The new engine, built in China by BMW engineers, is almost an exact copy of the former Rotax/Aprilia mill. The rest of the bike is made in Berlin. This groundbreaking arrangement insures a great price for a highly appointed bike with features never before available as standard in this class. The double overhead cam, single cylinder, liquid-cooled engine is rated at 53 HP, with 44 ft. lbs. of torque. The power is impressive and pleasant. The dual stainless steel under-seat exhaust is stylish and has a nice note. The bike will easily keep up with (or pass) anything you’re likely to encounter on a freeway. This is a handsome machine. I’ll take mine in black, please, but you may prefer red.
The new machine has the lowest seat height available in the dual sport market, an option needed by many and a problem until now. For example, the popular Honda XR650L has a 37” seat height, and the KLR650 is 35”; the GS sits at 30.75” standard or 29.5” lowered. With the taller accessory seat option, the height is 32.3”, plenty of room for a six footer. It’s an interesting notion to have to buy an accessory seat because the bike is too short, but having both feet firmly planted while stopped is very reassuring. The shorter dry sump engine insures adequate ground clearance in most off road situations. And neither the Honda nor the Kawasaki are available with ABS!
The G bike has a 5 speed constant mesh gearbox with a wet clutch, and the lever is adjustable in three positions. Final drive is by O ring chain with shock dampening in the rear wheel via rubber cushions. The spoked, tube-type wheels are 19” front and 17” rear and the machine comes with excellent tires. The front wheel lofts easily to clear that log across the trail, and the clutch is strong enough to handle it. While sport riding it up and down Mount Palomar, the gutsy single and silky gearbox with easy, positive changes made the impression as a capable, willing mount.
.
The Showa 41mm male slider (upside down) fork has 6.7” travel and has a strong integral fork brace to control flex. The frame and swing arm are rectangular steel, ensuring maximum stiffness and stability in all conditions. The rear shock has 6.5” of travel and is adjustable for pre load and rebound damping, easily accessed for adjustment. During spirited sport riding, nothing bottomed out for this 175 lb. rider and the suspension felt compliant yet taut. The bike must be ordered in either standard or lower height - that’s how they’re built at the factory, with appropriate fork, shock, and seat components. Total weight is 423 lbs. with all fluids.
The single disc front brake is 300mm with a two piston caliper, and the rear is 265mm with a single piston. The brakes are typically BMW - very good. The ABS has been updated with the current F and G bike series, is switchable for dirt riding, and is 3 lbs. lighter. It’s now analog instead of digital, allowing a precise level of valve control instead of the previous “on/off” operation. A partial list of available options include center stand, hard and soft luggage and top cases, tank bag, windshield, hand guards, solo seat with storage below, alarm, ride computer, luggage rack, tire repair kit and more, including a beautiful Dakar Tool Kit that comes in a belt pack that’s a must-have! The BMW 3 year/36K warranty is standard and is an industry leader. MSRP is $7,670 plus the usual fees.
What’s the bike like? Comfortable from the start, the bike rumbles to life with a quick stab at the magic button, and rolls easily as the throttle and clutch operation are light and smooth. The fuel injection feels seamless. Wending our way in two groups of twelve to the test area east of San Diego, the bike feels very easy to control in traffic, transitions well in turns, and would make a great city bike. The balance is just about perfect standing on the foot pegs, and the bars fall easily within reach as the knees grip the comfortable tank indents. The riding position is upright and comfortable, with high, wide bars. I rode aggressively all day with one finger on the brake lever, stopping comfortably. When I stopped in a hurry, adding the rear brake provided world class braking.
Our BMW ride leaders were riding the F series twin cylinder machinery, which made us ride harder to keep up, but on these back roads this was not an issue. The bike has plenty of usable, smooth power right up to the 8K rev limiter. We were able to ride with the bigger bikes easily, and some mainstream magazine fast guys actually passed the leaders and took off for who knows where. Not wishing to isolate them to singular condemnation at dinner, several of us followed suit and a spirited sport ride unfolded. This was on the best sport riding roads in Southern California, according to certain L.A.- based fast guy editors. The bike flicks into corners, as we did ascending Mt. Palomar. When downshifting, the transmission snicks into lower gears like a sport bike. Blip, shift, brake – all in one movement, corner after corner. Proving again that a sport bike has no advantage over a powerful dual sport on a tight road, we passed both Ducati and Suzuki liter class bikes while climbing that no- guardrail mountain road.
After a couple hundred miles on this machine, it feels like the perfect choice for dual sport riders of all skill levels who demand longevity, high quality, unsurpassed warranty, and dealer support no matter where they may ride. It’s a light, easy handling machine capable of all conditions except narrow single track, but that too would be possible with knobby tires, removal of the vibration-damping rubber inserts on the footpegs, and maybe a few other minor changes. It’s also a wonderful and safe entry level machine, and is suitable for an experienced rider who wants a lithe, lightweight ride with all the luxurious BMW components available. As I said, other dual sports may be more more suitable for off road use right out of the box, but all have serious seat heights. That means a six footer like me can only have one foot on the ground when stopped when on an XR650L. The GS is heavier, more complex, more comfortable, far better-equipped, better on the road, has many available options, better brakes, more power, bigger fuel tank, has 3X the warranty period, and can handle US Forest Service roads without any mods. The Honda requires an inseam like an NBA player. Not so the BMW. But, in a reversal of fortune, now taller riders are challenged by the somewhat ill-shaped stock saddle and cramped knees. I found myself hitting the tank as the seat sloped toward it. I’d need the 32.3” accessory taller seat. During the test, one of the riders deployed the sidestand on a soft dirt shoulder, and the bike started to sink. He saved it easily and commented that he’d have dropped it surely if it’d been a 1200GS. This opens the GS experience to a legion of the heretofore too-low, by way of the unprecedented lower seat height on a genuine dual sport! Bravo, BMW.
I've read some of the mainstream tests of the G650GS. I do think that riding and writing incessantly about motorcycles can make one jaded to a degree. Riding less than the finest machinery available on the road may allow some lesser, yet important issues to be lost in translation. This is a fine machine. Some of my friends who have street-licensed Honda XR 650R's would be impressed, and that's says a lot. I began this test ride expecting the bike to feel weak in lots of places, like the old F650 felt to me. But I almost immediately knew the bike was a player with its slick transmission and clutch, beautiful fuel delivery, decent fork and shock, and way above average brakes (and can you believe they included ABS in a street legal dual sport). No, I was enthralled by the powerful single - well appointed, handsome, and short enough for adventurers of either gender. Just know that a taller rider, like me at six feet, will want a higher seat.
The USA is lucky to have almost exclusive availability of this well-made, handsome new machine. I’ll wager the world demands it as well, but for once it’s nice to have a fine mount that the Euros can’t get! Just a pinch of moto 'schadenfreude'. See it and ride it soon at your local BMW dealer. You won’t be disappointed, and it won’t break the bank!
With the new G650GS, BMW is raising the standard for dual sport bikes in the big bore single class with standard ABS brakes, heated grips, a clock, and a multitude of options, including opening this exciting sport to riders of shorter stature. The new G650GS has an all new dry sump engine with a distinct black powder coat finish and more power than the first generation. This is not merely an entry level machine; it’s a true GS with all the available BMW features that we demand, but in a shorter, lighter package. It’s the world’s first single cylinder bike fitted with BMS-C engine control and a three-way catalytic converter. As I learned during the test ride, it has sufficient reserves of handling and power to keep a skilled rider entertained during aggressive backroad forays. It’s also a great platform for beginners, who will benefit from its light weight, seat height, predictable power, intuitive handling and controls, and ABS. The new bike has a G classification, being the designation for the 650 single. The F650GS is really a more ‘softly tuned’ vertical twin 800cc machine, sharing a basic engine with the more highly tuned F800GS twin. G series = single cylinder; F series = twin cylinders.
The new bike feels much more powerful. During the test, I saw some impressive elevated speeds, and the bike was perfectly composed. It has an under-seat 4 gallon fuel tank. The mileage is rated at 59.6 MPG giving the G650GS a 220 mile range. The new engine, built in China by BMW engineers, is almost an exact copy of the former Rotax/Aprilia mill. The rest of the bike is made in Berlin. This groundbreaking arrangement insures a great price for a highly appointed bike with features never before available as standard in this class. The double overhead cam, single cylinder, liquid-cooled engine is rated at 53 HP, with 44 ft. lbs. of torque. The power is impressive and pleasant. The dual stainless steel under-seat exhaust is stylish and has a nice note. The bike will easily keep up with (or pass) anything you’re likely to encounter on a freeway. This is a handsome machine. I’ll take mine in black, please, but you may prefer red.
The new machine has the lowest seat height available in the dual sport market, an option needed by many and a problem until now. For example, the popular Honda XR650L has a 37” seat height, and the KLR650 is 35”; the GS sits at 30.75” standard or 29.5” lowered. With the taller accessory seat option, the height is 32.3”, plenty of room for a six footer. It’s an interesting notion to have to buy an accessory seat because the bike is too short, but having both feet firmly planted while stopped is very reassuring. The shorter dry sump engine insures adequate ground clearance in most off road situations. And neither the Honda nor the Kawasaki are available with ABS!
The G bike has a 5 speed constant mesh gearbox with a wet clutch, and the lever is adjustable in three positions. Final drive is by O ring chain with shock dampening in the rear wheel via rubber cushions. The spoked, tube-type wheels are 19” front and 17” rear and the machine comes with excellent tires. The front wheel lofts easily to clear that log across the trail, and the clutch is strong enough to handle it. While sport riding it up and down Mount Palomar, the gutsy single and silky gearbox with easy, positive changes made the impression as a capable, willing mount.
.
The Showa 41mm male slider (upside down) fork has 6.7” travel and has a strong integral fork brace to control flex. The frame and swing arm are rectangular steel, ensuring maximum stiffness and stability in all conditions. The rear shock has 6.5” of travel and is adjustable for pre load and rebound damping, easily accessed for adjustment. During spirited sport riding, nothing bottomed out for this 175 lb. rider and the suspension felt compliant yet taut. The bike must be ordered in either standard or lower height - that’s how they’re built at the factory, with appropriate fork, shock, and seat components. Total weight is 423 lbs. with all fluids.
The single disc front brake is 300mm with a two piston caliper, and the rear is 265mm with a single piston. The brakes are typically BMW - very good. The ABS has been updated with the current F and G bike series, is switchable for dirt riding, and is 3 lbs. lighter. It’s now analog instead of digital, allowing a precise level of valve control instead of the previous “on/off” operation. A partial list of available options include center stand, hard and soft luggage and top cases, tank bag, windshield, hand guards, solo seat with storage below, alarm, ride computer, luggage rack, tire repair kit and more, including a beautiful Dakar Tool Kit that comes in a belt pack that’s a must-have! The BMW 3 year/36K warranty is standard and is an industry leader. MSRP is $7,670 plus the usual fees.
What’s the bike like? Comfortable from the start, the bike rumbles to life with a quick stab at the magic button, and rolls easily as the throttle and clutch operation are light and smooth. The fuel injection feels seamless. Wending our way in two groups of twelve to the test area east of San Diego, the bike feels very easy to control in traffic, transitions well in turns, and would make a great city bike. The balance is just about perfect standing on the foot pegs, and the bars fall easily within reach as the knees grip the comfortable tank indents. The riding position is upright and comfortable, with high, wide bars. I rode aggressively all day with one finger on the brake lever, stopping comfortably. When I stopped in a hurry, adding the rear brake provided world class braking.
Our BMW ride leaders were riding the F series twin cylinder machinery, which made us ride harder to keep up, but on these back roads this was not an issue. The bike has plenty of usable, smooth power right up to the 8K rev limiter. We were able to ride with the bigger bikes easily, and some mainstream magazine fast guys actually passed the leaders and took off for who knows where. Not wishing to isolate them to singular condemnation at dinner, several of us followed suit and a spirited sport ride unfolded. This was on the best sport riding roads in Southern California, according to certain L.A.- based fast guy editors. The bike flicks into corners, as we did ascending Mt. Palomar. When downshifting, the transmission snicks into lower gears like a sport bike. Blip, shift, brake – all in one movement, corner after corner. Proving again that a sport bike has no advantage over a powerful dual sport on a tight road, we passed both Ducati and Suzuki liter class bikes while climbing that no- guardrail mountain road.
After a couple hundred miles on this machine, it feels like the perfect choice for dual sport riders of all skill levels who demand longevity, high quality, unsurpassed warranty, and dealer support no matter where they may ride. It’s a light, easy handling machine capable of all conditions except narrow single track, but that too would be possible with knobby tires, removal of the vibration-damping rubber inserts on the footpegs, and maybe a few other minor changes. It’s also a wonderful and safe entry level machine, and is suitable for an experienced rider who wants a lithe, lightweight ride with all the luxurious BMW components available. As I said, other dual sports may be more more suitable for off road use right out of the box, but all have serious seat heights. That means a six footer like me can only have one foot on the ground when stopped when on an XR650L. The GS is heavier, more complex, more comfortable, far better-equipped, better on the road, has many available options, better brakes, more power, bigger fuel tank, has 3X the warranty period, and can handle US Forest Service roads without any mods. The Honda requires an inseam like an NBA player. Not so the BMW. But, in a reversal of fortune, now taller riders are challenged by the somewhat ill-shaped stock saddle and cramped knees. I found myself hitting the tank as the seat sloped toward it. I’d need the 32.3” accessory taller seat. During the test, one of the riders deployed the sidestand on a soft dirt shoulder, and the bike started to sink. He saved it easily and commented that he’d have dropped it surely if it’d been a 1200GS. This opens the GS experience to a legion of the heretofore too-low, by way of the unprecedented lower seat height on a genuine dual sport! Bravo, BMW.
I've read some of the mainstream tests of the G650GS. I do think that riding and writing incessantly about motorcycles can make one jaded to a degree. Riding less than the finest machinery available on the road may allow some lesser, yet important issues to be lost in translation. This is a fine machine. Some of my friends who have street-licensed Honda XR 650R's would be impressed, and that's says a lot. I began this test ride expecting the bike to feel weak in lots of places, like the old F650 felt to me. But I almost immediately knew the bike was a player with its slick transmission and clutch, beautiful fuel delivery, decent fork and shock, and way above average brakes (and can you believe they included ABS in a street legal dual sport). No, I was enthralled by the powerful single - well appointed, handsome, and short enough for adventurers of either gender. Just know that a taller rider, like me at six feet, will want a higher seat.
The USA is lucky to have almost exclusive availability of this well-made, handsome new machine. I’ll wager the world demands it as well, but for once it’s nice to have a fine mount that the Euros can’t get! Just a pinch of moto 'schadenfreude'. See it and ride it soon at your local BMW dealer. You won’t be disappointed, and it won’t break the bank!