Compare your GS to other bikes for people considering something new

[Twisted]

Next winter I think to buy an older Monster. They are really good looking and fun. Impractical so they cant be the only bike.
   

I thought the same too when I bought my Monster. I kept my GS as my "practical" bike but you will be pretty surprised how versatile they are. 

[slipperymongoose]

Today I rode the Honda's new naked commuter the NC700. The riding position feel very nice you feel very much in control of the bike. Seat is very comfortable to sit on and you feel very relaxed on the bike. Hand controls take some getting used to the indicator swtich is where the horn is located on the GS so I needed to look a few times to make sure I was cancelling my indicators. The instruments are digital and easy to read and keep track of. Moving onto braking now and the front brake is very good and ispires confidence which I liked. Now onto the ride. I have to say the the ride of the bike is very comfortable, its a bike you can jump straight onto and ride no worries I will say though that to get it to lean over in a corner took some effort but once it is leant over it eagerly eats up any corner you throw at it with ease. Riding over sharp bumps and whatnot the bike absorbed it with ease and did not give me an ounce of curry. Now we move onto the elephant in the room, the engine. First the positive, I can say wow very tourquey I quite liked how well you are thrust foward with a good twist of the wrist. The negative the power and rev range. You need to ride this thing like you drive a car. Within 50m of taking of I was on the rev limiter at 6.5k, this bike needs to be short shifted to get the best out of the torque curve to make it move the way you are used to. Power wise feels the same as the GS but with alot more torque. The engine noise is nothing to write home about either sounds like a big scooter/sewing machine, worse than the GS. In summing up this bike has alot of positive notes about it: ABS, the storage infront, fuel injected, the tourque, the ergonomics of the bike itself, fuel economy, the great feel in the brakes. The negatives: Limited power and rev range, that is what I fear will limit the sales of this bike. As a daily commuter bike if that was to be its only purpose this bike is perfect, but I think that this bike needs to be re aimed at the learner market and only then will it really shine. In Australia there are 2 classes of licence where the classes are seperated by the capacity and power of the bikes that riders can have. When you first get your bike licence you are only allowed bike under 650cc and 150kw/tonne. When a year has elapsed you can progress onto your unrestriced licence and graduate into the world of the R6, R1, and so on. The NC700 is in this catagory of unrestriced bikes, I would say that if the capacity was reduced to 650cc and re designated into the first catagory of bikes (where the GS also sits) than this bike would be a big hit for its price, fuel economy, and versitility. But as it sits now the only people I can see buying it are those who have at least 2 bikes and want this bike as a pure runnabout and cant bear to purchase a scooter.

[00sanchez]

Because my GS500E was in the shop for 3 weeks, then needing to be worked on again to redo the shop's mistakes, and then being dropped and having oil pressure issues, I went and bought a 2002 Honda 919 (CB900F/Hornet) for 3,300 (naked bikes are super rare here).



There's obviously a huge difference in power. Being fuel injected, it as much better throttle response and less finicky. It's another one of those engines that will last forever even if you flog it after it warms up, so they are pretty much the same there.

The main differences are as follows:

The GS has a much better seat. The stock 919 seat is horrible after about 1hr of riding (I usually put about 150 miles on the bike 4/week per day)

The GS is quite a bit lighter. There is about a 100lb difference, and that is a huge difference when backing out of my driveway, a slight incline, or on gravel.

The GS corners better. This may be due to the weight difference and my being used to the GS more; however, the GS begs to be cornered and does it smoothly while the 919 will corner, but feels like it has to be coerced into doing so.

The GS shifts smoother. The 919 likes to clunk down into 1st and up into second, sometimes missing second and going back into neutral. This may not be by design.

The 919 feels more "solid". I feel a lot more comfortable on the 919 at speeds as the GS's front end starts feeling a bit twitchy at 70+mph on the freeway. I always feel like the GS needs a damper while the 919 never feels like that.

The braking on the 919 is much better. The dual front discs make all the difference (the '98 GS has a single front disc).

The 919 is liquid cooled. This is just one less thing to worry about on very hot days (already hitting the 90's) in heavy traffic.

The GS looks better imo. The tank on the Honda protects the thighs from the wind better, but for looks, the GS takes it.

The GS is better for shorter people as the seating position, at least on mine, allows me to be flat foot and raised up off the bike about an inch or two while the 919 allows flat foot only after the suspension has my weight on it with legs spread.

The 919 is much quieter than the GS. I like a quiet bike as I have neighbors that work in the morning (I own my own store, so I am up and riding whenever I feel the desire). I'd always have to roll the GS to the end of the driveway and turn it on there so the noise was only around for a few moments. The only time the 919 makes noise is in 3rd and up at 3-3.8k rpm at 1/2-WOT.

The gas mileage between the two is almost the same. The GS with rejet/lunchbox/victory exhaust gets about 45-55mpg while the 919 will get about 45-50mpg. At twice the engine, there is something to be said about the 919 here.

Overall, I feel a lot more confident on the 919, but I do miss the practicality of the GS's ergonomics and size/weight. The weight, I will eventually get used to. If I weren't a smaller, out of shape guy (5'8" @ 160lbs), I think I would handle the 919 better. The increased power and torque at the bottom end allow for a much more "fun" ride, but I'm positive this will get me into trouble with speeding tickets in the 35mph, small town highway stretches. The 0-60 in ~3.2 seconds over the GS's ~7ish seconds makes me forget to take it easy in the lower speed limit areas. My maturity will kick in, though, once the novelty has worn off (hoping it will anyway ). I'm glad I relearned on the GS, and Ill recommend the hell out of it for anyone wanting to start biking. It is the absolute perfect beginners bike. It is beautiful. It is easy to work on. However, I couldn't see myself riding it even for commuting anymore because of the 919's almost equal mpg. I'm putting of selling it because I want my wife to learn, and my son is 15, who wants to learn as well. The 500 is the perfect beginners bike, but the 919 is a perfect second bike. There is no way I'd have learned anything on the 919 without dropping it or possibly getting hurt. It's just too much power if you're just learning.

The best thing about the GS500, though, is this community. It makes the GS500 a "no worries" ownership, and there is a bounty of experience, information, and walk-throughs. Watching BaltimoreGS's videos on youtube gave me a lot of confidence to take this puppy apart and do my own work, which I am carrying over to the 919 (stripped the rear tire off, and changing brakes when the package gets here).

Edit: My original love.

[slipperymongoose]

Mister along with a few others run 919's or hornets, he likens them to a more powerful GS. But it's probable a case of horses for courses in comparison here but far as I can tell he loves it.

[mister]

Excellent review Slips! I know a Lot of people are curious about that Honda with it's "where am I in the market place" position. I personally feel it is a little like the Honda DN01 - no real proper place in the market.

If you have some time I'd like to see your thoughts on the Z750 - I think we all know the seat is like a piece of plywood with a tissue on it - but other than that, what you thought of the power, handling, suspension, etc., would be good to read.

Nice 919 Review Sanchez. My review of the 919 is on the previous page - or here http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=52805.msg620464#msg620464

The thing with gear changing is, smoothness can be dependent on the type of oil used. Not to get into a discussion about oil here - cause this thread is about bike reviews not oils - the oil used can make a difference to clunkiness and false neutrals.

Note also, the figures with seat height, are different on the older models. The older models like yours had lower seat heights. And the 919 has so much more torque you could easily put a +1 cog on the front and get better fuel economy without negatively effecting city riding.

Strange you find the GS more comfy than the 919. But it is an example of why I say you MUST be comfortable on the bike. What I find comfy because of my biomechanics is different to someone else. So try them all until you find the one that is most comfy for you.

I've recently ridden a Versys1000 and a Vstrom650 and that review/comparison will be posted here soon.

Michael

[mister]

Versys 1000 vs VStrom 650

These two bikes were ridden back to back for a roughly 25 minute ride each, along a nice road known and enjoyed for its sweepers. Not only does it give you a pretty good idea how the bike handles from one sweeper to the next, there are a couple of steep hills that really test the bike's torque. Basically, it's a route that I feel enables you to make a good buying decision about the bikes.

What I'll do here is, give my impressions of each bike as I rode them - then - summarize my conclusion about which bike *I* would choose.

Versys1000



Hopping on the bike the first thing you notice is the seat height. This bike is NOT for people with short legs. While me and my 6'2" frame with 34" inseam had no issues with sitting on the bike in a parked (waiting at the lights) mode, other people with shorter legs would struggle. Sure the bike has ABS and other Cool stuff, but this isn't about those gadgets, this is about the Ride and how it felt.

Like all faired bikes the fairing stays straight and the wheel turns. But what makes this Feel a little odd at first is that there is a rather prominent screen in the way. And this kind of disassociates you from the road somewhat. Even though the screen is too thin to do any proper job, it is just enough to remove that usual "I'm on a motorcycle" feeling.

Breaking was good. Acceleration was also good - with a 1000cc engine supposedly retuned from a Z1000 to be more everyday friendly, that is to be expected. Nonetheless, I still felt the need to drop down to 5th to do any kind of overtaking. I also felt that the engine was revving a little high for the speed we were doing. Eg. While my 919 will rev at a smidgeon under 4000rpm at 62mph (100kph) and the GS500 will sit on around 5000 for the same speed, the 1000cc Versys will sit somewhere in the middle, around 4,500. So whatever Kawasaki has done to the cams, gear ratios, compression ratios, fuel injection or whatever, the bike revs higher but without the added Oomph from doing so, while still having good torque. It's an interesting combination.

As soon as we got going I noticed the wind noise coming around the screen. And while it kind of semi protected the rider from wind I found myself wishing the screen just wasn't there so I could feel the wind uninterrupted so I would only have the wind/helmet noise instead of helmet noise As Well As the turbulence around the screen noise - the air going around the screen was noisier than the wind on my helmet.

Handling was quite good. And something newer riders need to be aware of when going to such a bike is, the Height your head is off the road while cornering is greater compared to a GS500. As such, you might Think, "I can lean over more" - until your head is around the same height as it would be while on the GS. But if you did so you would be at a greater lean angle and in danger of lowsiding. And this is what happens - people moving into these bikes often lowside and this is the reason why. But having said that, this bike corners pretty well. I did feel like I didn't quite have as much Feeling/Feedback while cornering what with my semi-isolated impression, and had to make cornering adjustments slightly different, but otherwise the bike performed well and you would get used to this. I could see it doing two up down some long road to a nice country pub with ease.

And while it did have more pull than the GS500, it lacked roll on compared to my 919. Even though the Versys has more hp than the 919, in top gear the feeling of pull just wasn't there.

VStrom 650



Unfortunately they did not have a 1000cc model to ride, nor a 650 Versys, so this comparison will have to suffice.

Hopping on this I notice the screen is more substantial and has a more robust feel about it. It'll be harder for the tank to take a tank bag And camera, but that's not a riding issue. I felt more at home as soon as I sat on this bike too. Whether that is because I already own a Suzuki and this is a Suzuki I do not know. Just that it Felt More Right.

As you accelerate you never feel like you are revving the guts out of the V twin. And the bike quickly gets up to 62mph (100kph) without much fuss about it. You don't get that same feeling of acceleration as the Versys1000, nor anywhere near my 919, but the bike is deceptively quick. And the rev limiter kicks in good, cutting back your power signaling it is time to change Up gears. And while roll on power is not as much as the Versys it is more than adequate to pass/overtake long trucks when needed - the bike never feels like it struggles to get a move on. Nor did I feel the need to change down gears to accomplish any passing or steep hill climbing. In fact, on the steep hill the bike was surprisingly adept at going up it, maintaining speed in 6th gear without any hint of lugging - something to GS500 cannot do in 6th on those particular hills. Oddly, it also revved at around 4,500 for the same speed as the Versys.

Handling is superb. Again, a higher position will see new riders possibly over lean so they Feel their head is the same height off the ground and thus lowside. So if you are considering either bike from a GS500, keep that in mind and instead, take the corners as the same speeds you normally do (that is, if you don't normally scrape pegs) and you'll be fine.

Maneuvering on this bike is a pleasure. It feels way more agile than the Versys did and feels more eager to corner as well. It took less effort to corner the Vstrom than the Versys.

Engine breaking on the Vstrom was far superior to the Versys1000 - which would be fantastic for Pace Riding. And the bike felt more seated and stable in the corners. Whether this was real or because I didn't have that disassociated feeling on the VStrom I do not know. But suffice to say, a bike that makes you Feel is cornering better, is one that you have confidence in, and that is a good thing.

And while the screen did send the wind up to my helmet a small duck down and all was silent. So I'd imagine adjusting the screen height using the provided adjustment spots would help those taller people like myself to avoid the wind noise all together.

Summary

Of the two bikes I preferred the less powerful Vstrom. It felt more comfortable to me, handled better, maneuvered better, had better wind protection without the negative wind noise at the screen, had better engine breaking and felt more responsive on the road as well. I could easily see myself riding this to work as well as on the weekend through the twists or sweepers. And the vibes from the VTwin were nothing to write about. The only thing the Versys did better was quicker acceleration. But that's isn't everything and certainly not enough for me to pick it.

For an Upgrade from the GS500, I feel the 650 Vstrom is the better choice while the Versys1000 is really for the more experienced rider. The VStrom's lighter weight and better handling make it more familiar to GS500 riders and so it is easier to go from one to the other. Provided you can get your head around the extra height issue when cornering you'll have a blast on the unusual looking VStrom.

[SAFE-T]

If I get a lower bike I will lean less because I can sense my head is closer to the ground and reduce my risk of lowsides ~ got it.

[mister]

If I get a lower bike I will lean less because I can sense my head is closer to the ground and reduce my risk of lowsides ~ got it.

Once you are Used to a bike all bets are off. Things like this are only in the Initial.

Michael

[speedfreek]

the GS couldn't be more different than my other bikes..

1997 CBR 1100XX (Blackbird)
1998 VTR 1000F (Superhawk 996)
1989 CR250R
..All bought used, restored and modified..

The GS is a much better 'starter bike' for my wife than my
other rides.  I'll probably move her to the superhawk
eventually.

The GS is comfortable and easy to control, but the
maintenance schedule and the unpredictability of
mechanical failures really drives me nuts.

I did get it free though, so all I have to do is get it running
a bit better and I'm good to go! 

TJ

[Affschnozel]

Got me a mint '02 FZS1000 with 52k kms

Find the differences 


I'm a compact rider  167cm and about 63kgs and this thing is tall and heavy, seat height 820mm wet weight 231 kgs,
30 mm higher and 40 kgs heavier than GS, taking in account wider seat I'm just about touching the ground with both my feet or can place one firm leg down. On the go weight disappears and this thing maneuvers just as well as GS (it's got wider bars)
but it can't ( or I can't ) zigzag in heavy traffic as briskly. You seat higher so the visibility is much better.
Suspension fully adjustable both ends but is plush for everyday riding thus comfy.
Engine seems and sounds electric and smooth (stock pipe), acceleration is instant and I only use 1/8 of throttle in lower revs,
unlike WOT on GS from stop light to stop light ,which is less fun in the city where GS thrives. Out of town this thing is a rocket and I haven't yet got within minimum of it's capability.
It is more stable in straights and in corners with fattier tires ,wheelbase 60mms longer but steering angle same as GS.
Gearbox is clunkier than GS's smooth box and scary at first but got used to it quick.
Some say that FZ's engine has a lot of mechanical noise but coming from GS it's quiet.
I'm yet getting to know the bike and riding GS faster in some areas cause it feels so light and flickable
but cannot keep them both sadly, so GS is for sale after more than 10 years of proud ownership, a great little bike!
And I'm not saying goodbye 

[Kijona]

I know it's highly subjective but my opinion is that the SV650"S" (at least pre '03 "curvy" model), is a great bike. Perhaps my body was destined for the crunched position, but at 6'0" and about 180lbs, I found the stock setup on my SVS to be the most comfortable bike I've ever ridden. And by comfort I mean both body and mind. Both of the GS's I've owned have always felt "unsure" in corners - maybe it's just me, and I'm sure it probably is.

As far as bodily comfort, I didn't care much for the stock seat on either my 97 or my 07 GS. Obviously it was miles ahead of the seat on my '88 KLR650, but still became painful after about 50 miles or so. I'm sure it says something about my particular body that I found the stock seat on my DL1000 V-Strom to be highly uncomfortable as well - despite the fact that people rant and rave about its comfort. I found my hips began to hurt quite a lot after around 80 miles. Handling was okay but I could barely touch the ground on it. Also, all of the weight was very high on the bike which scarcely inspired confidence.

Now, comparing the GS to the other bikes I've owned, I have to say it was somewhere in the middle. If I had it all to do over again I would've kept the KLR650 and had the SV650S as well. Maybe it was just the fact that it was my first street legal bike, but I have a soft spot in my heart for it. There is beauty in simplicity and that's exactly what the KLR650 was: simple. Sure, it wobbled like crazy at anything above 70mph, and sure you'd be better off with a 2x4 for a seat, but it really was a joy to commute on.

Comparing the GS to the SV650S...if you've never ridden anything else, or have owned your GS for a really long time, the first thing you'll notice is how much bigger the bike seems. Even though it weighs about the same, some of that weight does sit higher. It will feel heavier than the GS but you'll quickly get used to it. People complain about the suspension, brakes, and other things about the SV650N/S, however, they've obviously never ridden a first generation GS - it's miles and heaps better. Cornering is a breeze and, especially the older SV's, it never makes you feel like it's going anywhere it shouldn't be - not to dispute another opinion here - it's simply my impression.

I think the best advice you could give anyone is "ride a few and find one you like." I often find myself saying "bikes are like women - some are for you, some are not" and every person is different. Something I find to be pleasing and comfortable another may find to be deplorable.

One last thing to mention: it is my impression that the SV650 would be far too much bike for a "beginner" even though it's often suggested as a "beginner bike." It would be very easy for someone to lose control of the bike if they're not familiar with bikes. Sure, for somebody that's spent their childhood riding dirtbikes it would be no problem - for someone just getting into riding that doesn't have so much as straight-shift vehicle experience? Forget it.

[VerdonD952]

anyone want a 40K bike??  Check out the EBR 1190RS
http://www.erikbuellracing.com/motorcycles/1190rs/

[mister]

Bike: BMW F800R http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_F800R
It was introduced in 2009 as part of a series of bikes which include the F800S, the dual-sport F800GS & F650GS, and the sport touring F800ST.

Details:

      GS                                     800R
Wt    174.0 kg (383.6 lbs)               199.0 kg (437.8 lbs) (dry weight)
Wlb   1,405 mm (55.3")                   1,520 mm (59.8")
Tnk   20.00 litres (5.28 gallons)        16 litres (4.00 gallons) - this is Usable volume with 4 liters (1 gallon) in reserve
Sth   790 mm (31.1")                     800 mm (31.5")
Pwr                                      87hp (claimed by BMW)
Top                                      Over 200kph (125 mph)

Size: While the bike shows a longer wheel base and taller seat (the seat can be raised to 825mm or lowered to 775mm as a dealer-fit accessory) the bike doesn't physically feel that much bigger to the GS500.

One quite noticeable thing for Me was the handlebars. Which is to say, how my upper body was positioned to grab the handlebars correctly. That is, the handlebars have little upward bend in them from the clamp. Which means a more downward lean for Me to grab them properly. This resulted in an uncomfortable position for my back, which I will cover further on. Apart from that, the bike felt quite manageable despite its heavier weight. A weight which is not noticed at rest or on the go - which tells me the center of gravity must be lower.

Power: With nearly double the power of the GS, yes this bike can get a move on. But the great thing about it is, you never feel the bike is going to take off from under you. The power comes on steady without lurching. This makes it easy to get used to as the GS is a little like this already. So jumping from a GS to this will almost feel right at home.

Sitting at 100kph (63mph) in 6th gear the bike is sitting around 4,000rpm and a twist of the throttle quickly sees you up at 120kph (75) without too much effort at all. The thing with accelerating through the gears though, is that you need to do it quick. No point trying to wind out the gears to 8000 before changing, change at around 5,000 and you'll quickly get to whatever speed you want. And even if you leave the bike in a lower gear (such as sitting in 4th at 100kph (63mph) instead of top) the bike doesn't feel like it is screaming for you to change up.

And leaving it in 3rd for the twisties was no problem. Even when we hit the slow switchbacks I left it in 3rd and the bike's torque pulled it out and up to speed at a satisfactory rate.

In short, the power on this bike is deceptive. It doesn't alert you to its abilities by launching from under you, but it can get you up to speed quite damn fast, without it sounding or feeling like it is doing so.

Suspension: It has adjustable front forks and the rear has adjustable preload and damping. I don't know what the settings were on this bike but the suspension was adequate - it soaked up the bumps good enough and felt solid in the turns and under brakes.

Handling: If you can ride a GS500 you can ride this. While the GS almost corners itself, the BMW F800R takes a little - but not much - effort to get it into a corner. And after a few minutes you won't really notice it and the bike will feel nice and responsive under you. Which is just what you want to instill confidence. Handling is good and the bike does not feel as heavy as it is. My only beef here was with the indicator button. On the GS500 it feels like a click to let you know you have pushed far enough either way, and a click when you turn off the indicator. With the BMW there was nothing to notice. Nothing different pushing left or right to let you know it has reached a turn-on-point, and nothing to let you know it had Clicked off.

Comfort: I find the GS500 comfortable, even though I am 6'2" with a 34" inseam. With the BMW F800R I found the seating itself to be comfortable and my legs did not feel cramped either. - BUT I experienced a lot of discomfort in my back. The handlebars were in such a position that if I sat in my normal posture I would be straight armed, but leaning forward would put the bars Under me. So I was kind of forced to push my lower back towards the rear and hunch, to be able to grab the bars correctly. This was done subconsciously and I only noticed it after my back started aching after a few minutes. After another 45 minutes my back ache was still there but a little less and it made me wish the ride would end so I could get off the darn thing.

For me, the handlebars would need to be rotated up, bar risers put on, or a set of bars like on the GS500 or Honda 919 (which has a greater distance in height between the part of the bar with the clamp and the part with the grips). I also felt the grips were turned in just a little bit too much for Me. To have my entire hand on the grip both wrists would need to be turned out. Otherwise a normal grip approach saw the most grip being done by the outside of the hand. In the cold this meant my braking fingers were not on the heated grips and became numb, which is not good if I needed to use them.

Overall: I think someone looking to upgrade from a GS500 to a BMW F800R would have no problems doing so. The vibrations from the BMW engine were nothing to write home about and were more extreme around 5000rpm but still fine. But for me, I would not get this bike as an alternative to a GS500 due to my level of discomfort. Don't get me wrong, the bike was comfy in the seat and legs area and handled well. It was the posture needed to grab the bars that didn't gel with the way my biomechanics are. Someone else with a shorter torso would probably have no problems. Take one out for a ride and test this yourself.

With ABS and heated grips, the friendliness of the acceleration, smooth gear changes, plenty of torque and good handling, this is definitely a bike worth considering when you feel you want to upgrade.

[slipperymongoose]

I completely agree with everything said above this bike is my top 2, features such as the tyre pressure sensors, abs, heated grips are nice touches that complete the package. And in terms of rider comfort because I'm slightly shorter than mister my seating position is near perfect for me.

[mister]

Bikes: BMW F800GS vs F650GS

What I'll do here is, give my impressions of each bike as I rode them - then - summarize my conclusion about which bike I think is the winner. The route the bikes were ridden on can be seen in this video of another ride I did - http://youtu.be/6xQR8pJfsVQ


BMW F800GS




While sitting on this bike waiting to depart for the test ride, I could not help but notice how the seat was digging into my inner thighs. Not to the point of cutting off blood flow or anything, but enough to notice and be a tad uncomfortable.

So we take off and I get to see how the bike accelerates onto the highway. It never felt like it wanted to run away from under you, but the acceleration was adequate. And the bike never seemed to be struggling to sit at 120kph (75mph) in top gear and accelerated from there good enough as well.

As we left the highway and headed into the back roads, I felt the front was somehow vague or drifty. I'm not sure if this is due to the feel of spoked wheels, underinflated rear tyre or because the trail is a massive 117mm - a large trail means less responsive steering. I know it wasn't due to being used to the bike I ride then hopping onto this, cause this light drifty feeling lasted the entire time I was on it and I was never able to get fully used to it. It made me a little extra cautious on the bends.

Even though it felt a tad vague, the bike still took the bends well. And the torque meant even a slack gear change and wrong gear for the corner, saw the bike pull its way out with ease.

Comfort wise, I had no negative issues. My butt was comfy, my back did not ache, legs were not cramped, the handlebars were in a good position and all was well there in this very upright riding position. Gear shifts were precise. Engine vibration through the handlebars or pegs was there but not detrimental. And I really enjoyed my time on the bike.

The main negatives I have for it are the blinkers. Unlike almost every bike out there with a single left/right/off switch on the left grip, this has a left button on the left grip and the off and right button on the right grip. I am sure you would get used to it - but - I thought it kind of dumb to be asking the throttle hand to be pushing buttons as well as controlling the throttle. And I never truly got used to this - not that we took a lot of corners which needed to be indicated though.

Also, the wind screen. I'm not sure what BMW are thinking with this thing, but it effectively does nothing. Even ducking down the wind was still hitting me. So... I don't know... partly protect the instrument cluster and then break up the wind so it feel less solid to ride through?


BMW F650GS




This bike is a bit of a sleeper because it has the same engine as the 800GS but it has been computer restricted to be a 650 (the compliance stamp shows it is an F800 engine, while the rear stickers say "650" - see pic below). Unrestrict it and you basically have an 800 for the price of a 650. Of course, there are other differences between the two such as the 800 having upside down forks while the 650 doesn't, 800 having twin brake rotors up front while the 650 has one, and some other things to help justify the price difference. But aside from that, how does it ride?

As soon as we rode out of BMW (leaving the driveway and then turning left and getting onto the highway) I knew this bike was different to the 800. In just those two corners the bike felt more settled on the corners, almost as if it wanted to corner itself. And it felt that way the entire time I was on the bike through the Twists and Goat Track as seen on the video above.

The suspension handled the bumps with ease. And the seat was quite comfortable as I never felt once that I wanted to get off to give the butt a rest.

Acceleration was adequate as well. For a LAM (Learner Approved Motorcycle) it did 80kph (50mph) in 1st gear without sounding like it was going to explode. Even sitting on 100kph (63mph) in 3rd the bike sounded effortless. Accelerating to pass cars/trucks was not as quick as a more powerful bike, but it was more than up to the task. And if you owned one you would soon learn which was the ideal gear to be in for best roll on at a certain speed. But I had no issues as it was.

The throttle wasn't twitchy. And the engine breaking was quite good. Maybe not as good as the VStrom but right up there. And the torque was very Good. Even a gear too high in tight bends didn't bother it. It just powered out and carried on like nothing was wrong. Nice. It was a pleasure to ride this bike. And it sat at roughly 3,500rpm at 100kph (63mph) whereas the GS500 will sit at around 5,000rpm. Very low revving signifying its torque.

Summary

The F650GS is supposed to be the smaller brother / commuter version of the F800GS, whereas the F800GS is the smaller version, and more offroad capable than the 650, of the larger 1200GS. But frankly I doubt people who buy the 800 will ever take it off road. No different than all those four wheel drives that never leave the bitumen.

Handling of the two goes to the 650 hands down. With its 110 front tire and 140 rear it matches the tires of the GS500 (GS500 comes stock with 130 rear but many of us have a 140 rear). When I rode the 650 another fellow was on the 800. And watching him he was hesitant on the bends and he waved me through after I caught him. And it reminded me of my time on the 800. How the cornering was vague and caused hesitation.

Both the 800 and 650 have the same size tanks - 16 liters with 4 in reserve (4 gallon with 1 gallon reserve). BMW suggests a fuel economy of 4.14 liters per 100kms for the 650. If you ride to within 2 liters (half a gallon) of empty you'll have a range of 338km (211 miles). Which is around what I fill up on my GS500 anyway. Meaning, fuel economy is close to the GS500.

Both have adjustable seat heights but in the stock formation the 800's seat is higher than the 650's. Besides the seat, the 650 is also lower to the ground anyway as it is figured it doesn't need the height to clear obstacles cause it's the urban version. I think this lower height helps the bike be more stable and more maneuverable.

Of the two, the 650 was the better handling and more easily ridden by a person upgrading from a Suzuki GS500. It's not a bike to scare you as the throttle was very forgiving. It doesn't have the "launch from under you" feel when it accelerates. But it's still a quick bike nonetheless. And probably one of the easiest bikes to transition into from the GS500. I would never swap my 919 for one, but for a more subtle and still capable upgrade the BMW F650GS is a great choice! (the pic below shows the 650 sticker on the rear plastic while the compliance on the stem shows it's the F800 engine. Unrestrict it and you have the 800cc engine's power without the extra money to acquire it - if you can get it unrestricted for free or very little cost.




Since writing this review I have since found out next year's models in this range will be the F700GS and F800GS. They will still both have the 800 engine but BMW is remapping the ECU to give the performance of a 700 instead of the 650 and giving the smaller bike twin brake rotors up front. In my opinion this is more a marketing gimmick than anything as the 650 is a quite capable bike and would be a welcome addition to my garage.

Michael

[deets]

Looking at Husqvarna Nuda 900, or should say reading about. what you guy's think.... test ride's... comparisons ?

Lynn

[slipperymongoose]

Looking at Husqvarna Nuda 900, or should say reading about. what you guy's think.... test ride's... comparisons ?

Lynn

I tried to get a test ride and the bloke was completely up himself, but I can tell you the engine is the same as the BMW f8 series of bikes with 100cc more, simple reliable engine with 10000km service interval.