Why do you consider the F650GS/F700GS a newbie or girl bike?

[Hicks]

Originally Posted by chadhahn

i think it's like big trucks. The bigger your truck or the more ccs you have the smaller your dick. B

+1

[Dream Rider]

76 R90S first bmw followed by 1150GS, 1300GT, 1200GSA and now a 2012 F650GS The R90S was a kick. The next three were good bikes. Now, the kick is back. The 650 runs and shifts great. Has a 525 lb payload and gets 60mpg + on the road. Is 125 lbs lighter than the 1200 GSA and does handle different. But the 650 is a kick to ride I have close to, if not over, 100,000 miles on beemers so I guess I am no longer a noob. Hell, if you like a 34 cc turnpike rocket with a web seat enjoy it!!!! I met a 6' 2" + 650 rider on my 8500 mile ride this summer and he has about 100K on his 650. Carries hs dog with him. He thinks tyhe 1200 GS bikes are nice, but his 650 is a hoot. critics go easy please.

[runnr548]

Having been riding 36 years, I have come to a conclusion, and here we go!
Ten (not top ten) reasons people pick a bike:
1. It is available
2. They can afford it
3. It is what they "think" they want
4. They believe it will be Awesome!
5. "It's not too Big..Small...etc..."
6. My wife won't care ;-)
7. Women will think it's cool
8. My buddies will think it's cool
9. Everyone will think I'm awesome!
10. I can sell it later and make $$ lol
11. (No, I can't count) I've done research, talked to a lot of people, ridden numerous bikes, thought about it at length, and made a decision that myself and my wife are happy with.
All of these reasons are real. Numbers 1-10 are from one of my friends. 11 is from me. Ride the bike you like! If someone wants you to ride another bike, invite them to buy one for you, and not to be disappointed if it sits a lot. I tend to buy things I fully expect to keep for a while and I take care of them as well. I ride hard, drive hard, play hard and I still maintain my things. Good luck!

[puckinet]

IMO pick the bike that fits you and what you ride best. I may even joke that the F series is a his and her bike, but it is a good bike. I picked the 800 because I'm 6'5" and 250lbs, I ride more aggressive off road so the higher suspension is needed and 21" frount tire. My girlfriend picked the 650 and loves it but rides mostly forest service road. So I feel it's what fits you and what you ride.

[FredRydr]

Originally Posted by Jeuneyer

Why do you consider the F650GS/F700GS a newbie or girl bike?

I don't. It stands on its own merits.

Fred

[GH41]

"I think it's like big trucks. The bigger your truck or the more CCs you have the smaller your dick. Before you get too mad, I drive a Dodge Ram and have an 1100 GS"

I too have a small dick.. 10 inches and as big around as a beer can!!! I need to get a bigger truck and an F800GS!! My 658 is holding me back!! GH

[Maxacceleration]

The 658 is a capable bike. Stock its a little funky, with way to long a wheelbase IMO at roughly 62" for its low height.
For those that understand low rpm torque, you can drive the 658 off the bottom.
It is deceivingly fast. Faster than my Triumph Scrambler and faster than my friends 1200 Guzzi Coppa Italia. The Guzzi whoops on my Scrambler.
I bought mine because its the lightest twin cylinder street motorcycle available (originally stated at 377 lbs dry, although they bumped up the weight spec).
The 658 is a good candidate to build up.
Put an 800 aftermarket shock on and work the front to an equal height (various ways) and you have a tall-ish, light-ish adv touring steed with 19/17 tubeless wheels.
A nice combo.
I just did a 3000 mile + trip on mine. I carved the twisties, ran dirt and got up to 62 mpg. A great adv tourer for me.

I think the 700 is a good looking, classy upgrade to the 650. Wish I had one.

[vtbob]

Motorcycles are bought for fun. Part of that fun for a lot of people is building an alternate image of themselves by the bike they ride and the clothes they wear.

Harley riders, for the most part, are an excellent example of this. They get dressed up to match a folk image of the bad biker, dress their bikes the same way, and many evan adopt an attitude/persona they they don't use in their daily life.
Biking is an alternate self image that they put on to make build their ego, makes them happy. There are a lot of Harley riders!!

The GS craze, in my opinion, is a similar circumstance for many GS riders....not all, but many. While many are anti harley/bikers they are pro BMW/ riders ethos....and adopt the gnarly adventure rider profile as their self image. Just look at the self labeling tags they put on their post on this blog. In this alternate GS world the look of the bike is most important. The old cliche of bigger is better is alive and well. 60hp-R100GS...85hp F800GS, 100hp R1100GS, 115hp R1200GS and now 125hp R1200GS wet head. Note the bikes have also gotten bigger, heavier, poorer off road, faster on road during all of this. Now most BMW GS run on Hight Test gas....sort of an oxymoron for finding as gas station 200 miles from now where....gas milage for the GSA is some time in the 35mpg range...no wonder it needs an 8 gallon tank!

When I go for a BMW event, or any other for that matter, I do a GS version of the chicken strip test for cafe racers. I check out the skid pans for scratches, dings, big dents. If they are pristine its give a clear measure of how that bike is ridden, if the rider is a profiler or real. A quick look at the tires tellls a lot. The typical dual sport tire is just a street tire with a bit more open tread...worthless in mud etc. Some put on lug and semi lug tires. Of couse these give significantly better off road traction. Checking them out a bit closer, look for stone cuts, tears in the lugs, especially in the side lugs. If you only see tires worn square and the lugs in pristine condition, they have not seem much if any off road... profiling!

The F650GS and F700GS are actually among the better Adventure / dual sport bikes. They have adequate power for touring pavement at speed. More than adequate power for off road. Better gas milage so gas is less of a problem in truly remote areas. Run on run on regular gas(loops 700 no more). Weigh less and are of more user friendly height for most riders, dabbing you foot on a rut, log, stone is easier for most people. Most people can actually push the bike backward while setting on the seat....WOW what a feature! Suspension travel is more than adequate for most speed and train conditions.

You get the idea. Loven my F650GS twin. bagged alaska, yukon, NWT, Labrador, and a lot of back roads here in Vermont

[SDDinNH]

Originally Posted by vtbob

When I go for a BMW event, or any other for that matter, I do a GS version of the chicken strip test for cafe racers. I check out the skid pans for scratches, dings, big dents. If they are pristine its give a clear measure of how that bike is ridden, if the rider is a profiler or real. A quick look at the tires tellls a lot. The typical dual sport tire is just a street tire with a bit more open tread...worthless in mud etc. Some put on lug and semi lug tires. Of couse these give significantly better off road traction. Checking them out a bit closer, look for stone cuts, tears in the lugs, especially in the side lugs. If you only see tires worn square and the lugs in pristine condition, they have not seem much if any off road... profiling!

Although I agree with most of what you say, and I don't know exactly why Bob, that paragraph strikes me as very "elitist". It may be just the way I read it, but it seems to me that you are saying that just because you don't run knobbies and don't do a lot of "mud" and single track to bash your bike up makes you a "wannabe".

I know that for the fire roads and National Forest roads that I run in NH, Tourances work just fine and I run slow enough to hardly ever need my bash plate or crash bars. I see way more moose that way They are there simply for "insurance" for me. Sure, if I was gonna do Alaksa or Labrador, I'd use different tires, but the Tourances or the Anakees would go back on when I got home. For general use, they work just fine for me. Plus, given the "road maintenance" (or lack of it) that Vt and NH are doing these days, you need one of these "adventure bikes" just to get around on the back roads up here.

I guess it all depends on how you define "Adventure Riding".

Another point is that I'm grateful for these people. Although they may not use the bike in the way you would like in order to define them as true "Adventure Riders", if they were not buying them, no one would be making them for you "knarly dirt riders" to use. Sales are sales to BMW and it is what drives these bikes into and out of the market place. I would hope that many of these so called "posers" keep buying them so the bikes continually get improved and are around for everyone to use. The 658 is a great bike even if you never take it off road.

[epicxcrider]

It just looks like a girly bike

Flame on!

[river-rider]

"I check out the skid pans for scratches, dings, big dents. If they are pristine its give a clear measure of how that bike is ridden, if the rider is a profiler or real. A quick look at the tires tellls a lot."

1. no scatches, dings or dents could mean I ride in rockless areas, that I just replaced the bash plate or am so skilled I don't hit the things you do.
2. Would your observation skill set, looking at my GS, give you a full understanding of the bikes I own, I beat a Yamaha 250 to death when I need to.
3. Some folks may not have to beg, borrow and steal to own these bikes but I had to do 2 out of 3. My first and only NEW bike/vehicle and I'm on my 9th bike and in my 50's. Beat the crap out of my pride and joy? no thanks
4. If you pulled up next to me as we start into the twisties sporting those big lug knobbies and the 21" gyroscope front wheel, , don't worry I'll wait for you at the next stop LOL
5. By your own measure you appear to be a noob everytime you buy new tires

[Maxacceleration]

Which brings up the 650/700's biggest drawback.




But IMO the 658/700 is a good road tourer with dirt road capability.
To each their own on how they decide to use it.

[vtbob]

Originally Posted by SDDinNH

Although I agree with most of what you say, and I don't know exactly why Bob, that paragraph strikes me as very "elitist". It may be just the way I read it, but it seems to me that you are saying that just because you don't run knobbies and don't do a lot of "mud" and single track to bash your bike up makes you a "wannabe".

I know that for the fire roads and National Forest roads that I run in NH, Tourances work just fine and I run slow enough to hardly ever need my bash plate or crash bars. I see way more moose that way They are there simply for "insurance" for me. Sure, if I was gonna do Alaksa or Labrador, I'd use different tires, but the Tourances or the Anakees would go back on when I got home. For general use, they work just fine for me. Plus, given the "road maintenance" (or lack of it) that Vt and NH are doing these days, you need one of these "adventure bikes" just to get around on the back roads up here.

I guess it all depends on how you define "Adventure Riding".

Another point is that I'm grateful for these people. Although they may not use the bike in the way you would like in order to define them as true "Adventure Riders", if they were not buying them, no one would be making them for you "knarly dirt riders" to use. Sales are sales to BMW and it is what drives these bikes into and out of the market place. I would hope that many of these so called "posers" keep buying them so the bikes continually get improved and are around for everyone to use. The 658 is a great bike even if you never take it off road.

I don't think I'm being an elitist. There are many better off road riders than I...certainly now I very seldom get on a jeep trail or single track. There are many road riders better than I too.

I like to wander around...back roads, dirt roads...the far north...

I'm too old and too weak to mussle a 500lb bike around in the dirt....let along pull it out of a mud bog...so I don't go close to any of that stuff any more!

Re tires. I've settled on Tourance EXP for most of my riding. When I went to Alaska and thought about riding the Dempster and Dalton in the very likely wet weather, I put a set of Hideneaus on my bike. I highly recommend them for long distance dirt road riding. They wear forever!
Now that i'm home, they are off the bike, sitting in my barn waiting for my next long dirt road trip.

I agree about the poor back roads....that is one of the reasons I have the F650GS. and not my old R1100RT. The 19 front wheel is clearly better...especially on dirt roads.

I do look at things critically....seperate real motorcycle needs from eye candy or the "current" look. Just my nerd showing thru.
Two point I was trying to make. 1 Motorcycle are meant to be fun, bring joy to their owners. 2 Many owner find that joy of ownership by have the motorcycle represent a lifestyle or image,,, how it looks, how one looks on the motor cycle as much if not more than how the motorcycle actually performs or how much of the motorcycle performance they actually use.

Everyone, please enjoy your ride!

[CanadaBiker]

Originally Posted by Maxacceleration

The 658 is a capable bike. Stock its a little funky, with way to long a wheelbase IMO at roughly 62" for its low height.
For those that understand low rpm torque, you can drive the 658 off the bottom.
It is deceivingly fast. Faster than my Triumph Scrambler and faster than my friends 1200 Guzzi Coppa Italia. The Guzzi whoops on my Scrambler.
I bought mine because its the lightest twin cylinder street motorcycle available (originally stated at 377 lbs dry, although they bumped up the weight spec).
The 658 is a good candidate to build up.
Put an 800 aftermarket shock on and work the front to an equal height (various ways) and you have a tall-ish, light-ish adv touring steed with 19/17 tubeless wheels.
A nice combo.
I just did a 3000 mile + trip on mine. I carved the twisties, ran dirt and got up to 62 mpg. A great adv tourer for me.

I think the 700 is a good looking, classy upgrade to the 650. Wish I had one.

Hey Max,

Love your Scrambler. How do you like it compared to the 658? I just picked up a 2009 658 and absolutely love it, but I kind of miss my old '74 CB550. (although I don't miss wrenching) The more 'open' back-roads touring feel. (Probably just nostalgia, since it's hard to quantify that sense.) My 550 was a bit underpowered for 2500 mile trips, and maintaining 4 carbs, etc was not exactly a joy. I'm considering buying a Scrambler although I know my 658 far exceeds it in technology, handling, and everything else. I'd keep the 658 and see how I felt after a season or two.

I know you really dig your 658... but there must be a reason you have the Scrambler kicking around?

Thanks.

[Maxacceleration]

Originally Posted by CanadaBiker

Hey Max,

Love your Scrambler. How do you like it compared to the 658? I just picked up a 2009 658 and absolutely love it, but I kind of miss my old '74 CB550. (although I don't miss wrenching) The more 'open' back-roads touring feel. (Probably just nostalgia, since it's hard to quantify that sense.) My 550 was a bit underpowered for 2500 mile trips, and maintaining 4 carbs, etc was not exactly a joy. I'm considering buying a Scrambler although I know my 658 far exceeds it in technology, handling, and everything else. I'd keep the 658 and see how I felt after a season or two.

I know you really dig your 658... but there must be a reason you have the Scrambler kicking around?

Thanks.

Yes quite the pair CB, thanks. I bought the Scrambler first, sort of as a hooligan throwback, and a slower bike than all the sportbikes I've owned in the past.
I then tried using the Scrambler for adv use, only being semi-successful.
Lack of suspension and a proper, secure way to hold gear being its drawbacks. I've slid it, jumped it and have not yet gone down on it since sept '09 when purchased.
Still I race it all over the place, but I limit its off pavement use now.
I do weekend trips on it with a single pack on my solo seat rack.
It sounds good, looks good and has good appeal when parked in between a bunch of Harleys out on the road.
The Scrambler has character and many will ask about it from young to old timers.
My Scrambler is fun to ride.

The 658 is superior in most every way, except character. No one asks about my beemer, unless they are the adv types.
The 658 is plusher, has more power and carries a load well.

Funny thing... The fly screen of the Scrambler is superior to the beemer screen in every way - quieter air and smoother air, go figure...

Both great fun bikes, and at least for the short term will keep both for a while.

The parallel twin is a good simple design...