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Message started by stinger on 01/06/12 at 23:21:02

Title: BMW 650 single
Post by stinger on 01/06/12 at 23:21:02

I was reading about this BMW 650 single. Base price is $7,000 and if I can swing it I think I am going to buy it. I will never get rid of my savage, it is the best bike I have ever owned and to sell it would be like selling a family member. But most of my friends have duel sports and leave the paved highway when ever they can. Being on the short side, this bike comes in 3 different seat heights. I'm not buying anything that both feet cant touch the ground on. 48 Hp should move it right down the road.

http://www.modernman.com/2011-bmw-g-650-gs-review/

Title: Re: BMW 650 single
Post by ham45 on 01/07/12 at 04:47:55

The reviewer talks about the BMW 650 riding off road. It certainly is a nice bike but I ride my Savage 650 down to the barn and out around the field looking for deer sign all the time. It's so light it goes off road with no problem, that's one of the reasons I bought it.

Title: Re: BMW 650 single
Post by John_D FSO on 01/07/12 at 07:05:29

Just read an article about that very model about a week ago. It definitely peaked my interest! :-?
It's going on my wish list for next Christmas... ya hear that Santa?! :D

Title: Re: BMW 650 single
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 01/07/12 at 07:17:49

They get about 150% of our HP..

Title: Re: BMW 650 single
Post by gerald.hughes on 01/07/12 at 08:29:18

BMW stopped making the 650 single in 2008.

Title: Re: BMW 650 single
Post by Driller on 01/07/12 at 13:02:25

I had an f650, in fact it was my first bike when re entering riding after too many years. It was a very nice bike, though not all that off road worthy. The newer GS model is indeed more capable.
That said, I have gone through five different dual sport bikes over the last 10 years. 250's, a 350, and a couple of 650's, air cooled and liquid cooled. Zooks and Kawis. The BMW's are harder to do do routine maintenance on and much more expensive to repair and replace busted parts. The f650was just too nice to take back into the bush. Road riding...just fine
For off road riding, the smaller displacement bikes were the easiest to pick up and more fun when beating around the back country. The 650's were a lot more work but are more comfortable for longer "Adventure" touring.. The Kawi Super Sherpa had the lowest seat of the bunch and it was easy to flat foot it with my 30" inseam. The others were some taller, A KLR 650 can be lowered a good bit by changing links and seat. A DR650 is built to be lowered at the riders need (almost both feet down).
You learn to "slip a cheek" to put a foot down when stopped. The DS bikes are taller in order to yield the needed clearance.
My favorite bike of the bunch was the Suzuki DR650. A nice used one would cost you half what the BMW would and you would have plenty of traveling money after putting some accessories on it. A new , left over would save you more than a couple of grand.
Just my two cents worth. ;)

Title: Re: BMW 650 single
Post by John_D FSO on 01/07/12 at 15:31:16

Good point. If I ever get one, it wouldn't be for hard-core off-roading, just something that could go down fire roads and such without killing my back and bouncing itself to pieces. My C50 can handle gravel, although it's a little squirrely on street tires, but if the road's in bad repair, it's pretty rough. :P And the big rocks on the fire roads make me nervous about damaging the tires! :o

Title: Re: BMW 650 single
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 01/07/12 at 16:19:57

Driller said

You learn to "slip a cheek" to put a foot down when stopped. The DS bikes are taller in order to yield the needed clearance.

I learned to slip a cheek when I was about 7 years old.
A kid only needs to embarrass himself a couple of times in church before he figures that out,

Title: Re: BMW 650 single
Post by Driller on 01/07/12 at 17:25:35

We Florida Crackers called that "lifting a cheek".
When you get old like me you have to take care there aren't any "sharts" sneaking up on you. ;D

Title: Re: BMW 650 single
Post by stinger on 01/07/12 at 21:23:17

It does say it is a 2011 single cylinder. The lowest seat height is 28 1/2 inches so not much taller than he Savage. If I was riding on dirt the Savage would work but on gravel roads the belt on the Suzuki would get shredded in no time let alone broken teeth on the pulley.

Title: Re: BMW 650 single
Post by jef.savage on 01/08/12 at 20:37:45

That's a really good looking bike for a dual sport. Most of them are pretty ugly. They may have quit building 650 singles in 2008 but they're building them again now. Looks like a great all around bike.

Title: Re: BMW 650 single
Post by dinsdale on 01/09/12 at 10:47:43

5351465558501A5C41535C5147340 wrote:

BMW stopped making the 650 single in 2008.

And restarted in 2009.

Title: Re: BMW 650 single
Post by WebsterMark on 01/10/12 at 06:07:49

Within the next month or two, I hope to pick up a 650 V-strom. Read up a lot of the smaller adventurer touring bikes and spoke to a few people online who had both the BMW and V-Strom at one time or another. The BMW name appeal is strong, but for performance, longevity and cost, the Suzuki V-Strom seems to better than the BMW. As someone else mentioned, the maintenance expense on a BMW is ridiculous.

Title: Re: BMW 650 single
Post by Boule’tard on 01/10/12 at 06:28:09

Those weestrom/SV engines are sweet, I've missed having a smooth v-twin like that ever since I sold my Hawk GT. But going forward I stuck with thumpers for their simplicity and light weight. Good luck on the purchase, and we look forward to some pics.

Dang, for the price of a DR + tons of farkles I could almost have bought one of the BMWs. But then.. maintenance. 8-) There's a lot to be said for a simple air/oil cooled thumper.. I don't think I will lust after the BMW too much.

Title: Re: BMW 650 single
Post by Bubba on 01/10/12 at 07:41:39

Yep, I've looked at quite a few dual sports. My vote goes to the V-strom or the Kawasaki Versys. The Suzuki V-Strom is kinda like a sport bike for the dirt.

Title: Re: BMW 650 single
Post by PerrydaSavage on 01/11/12 at 03:25:59

The BMW X-Country 650cc Thumper is a very COOL Bike ... have never actually seen one in the flesh, but would LOVE to try one out!

http://pituntuel.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/2009-BMW-G650-XCountry-Review-and-Image-design-8.jpg

Title: Re: BMW 650 single
Post by arteacher on 01/11/12 at 05:42:00

My BIL used to race in the dirt. He was a big fan of Suzuki, because it didn't cost him as much to race.