BMW F650GS first ride

Despite the 650 name, the BMW F650GS actually has a 798cc twin cylinder motor derived from the F800GS and has just been laiunched alongside its bigger sibling.

MCN Road Test Editor Phil West travelled to South Africa to see if the motorcycle could better the 'Funduro' tag associated with its predecessor.

Satisfy all your biking needs at http://www.motorcyclenews.com/video

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[friendofthemarsupial]

i own several bmw's k1200lt thru r1100s my wife is starting to ride so i demo'd this bike for her -  impressive . the new twin has an exceptionally smooth powerband and rideability - perfect for beginning riders , w/ plenty of room to grow as they progress in their skills . big thumbs up

[simon44]

This bike is better than the F800GS and I'll tell you why. You still have an 800cc engine with a tonne of torque and power but yet its a much smoother delivery of that power and thus easier to control off road, in towns, filtering etc. It has a lower seat height which is perfect for anyone under 6 foot tall. It has a better centre of gravity and thus easier to manage at low speeds and take corners. Its also better on fuel, its cheaper to buy and maintain. This is the GS I'd go round the world on

[BMWBiker2]

For anyone that is confused:

F650GS is a twin, 800 cc

G650GS is a single - 650 cc

The old F650CS was a single, 650cc

[yamahaforums]

Looks good but I have heard the seat is not very comfortable? We're looking for a couple of light weight bikes for a 4000+ mile trip next May. At the moment it's between the BMW and the Kawasaki Versys. I'm leaning toward the Kwacker myself but I have my wife to consider and this will be her first big bike after passing her test. Might grab a test ride on the BMW and see how it goes.

[slipperyox]

@mazdaman1980 saying eh er etc is normal linguistics. The eh's and er's are put in by the speaker as filler words to maintain continuity.

For example, in normal conversation a pause means its the other persons turn to speak, consious of this, a solo speaker will fill gaps with er's and ehh's to fill the gaps as they intend to continue the narrative.

[silencerro]

fellow motorcyclists, don't be surprised by misleading model names, bmw have been calling 2.2 engined cars 2.0's for a long time now. it wasn't going to be long until they started doing this with bikes too.

[patrick1wtf]

Drove this bike as my first bike , as a 'first short bike lesson' .. drove really smooth , like it (y)

[mazdaman1980]

Great bike but by god what poor commentary. How many ers did you say??. Sorry but you ruined that.

[tshlk]

@friedredfish that depends more on your experience and road conditions

[ChristianOsterhof]

This is not a nice bike....

[friedredfish]

Thinking of buying the F650gs for my Cape Town - Cairo trip. Rather then the 800? The thing is 798 cc, but cheaper and easier to ride...