2011 BMW F650GS - COOL WALL VOTE: COOL

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totalmotorcycle
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2011 BMW F650GS - COOL WALL VOTE: COOL

#1 Unread post by totalmotorcycle »

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2011 BMW F650GS

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2 ... F650GS.htm

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2011 BMW F650GS

How would you like to ride a bike which allows you to do virtually anything? A bike that takes you from your motorcycling lessons to your first tour, from winding mountain passes to stretches of motorway and gravel tracks? A bike that is as economical as you would expect of a modern machine but always provides pure riding fun? And one which makes you look good whether you are five feet or six feet tall? If so, we proudly present the new entry-level bike for the BMW Motorrad premium class. Welcome to one of the most state-of-the-art 2-cylinder machines, with 71 bhp and full torque across the entire engine speed range. With a torsionally stiff space frame which not only looks good but also allows plenty of space for the many extra highlights such as the large airbox and the fuel tank under the seat. The cast iron wheels with moderate dimensions are ideal both for city cruising and for covering lengthy straights at speed. State-of-the-art ABS is of course available as an optional extra. And with bright, elegant colours you will be an eye-catcher at every break – weather on the mountain pass or in front of the ice cream parlour. It gets you everywhere - simply unstoppable! How about a quick ride?

The 2011 F 650 GS offers more power and more thrills per mile than ever before in the form of a 71 hp, torque-filled, twin cylinder engine. From touring, to off-road exploring, to sporty handling on the tarmac, this middleweight machine, based on the much anticipated F 800 GS, does anything and everything the ambitious motorcyclist could ever want. With a rigid steel tube trellis frame, it's sturdy. With a double-sided swing arm and chain drive, it's reliable. And with a low seat height and narrow design, it's ideal for darting through trees or traffic. Cast aluminum wheels and telescopic forks keep the ride smooth and precise at all times. Throw in disengageable ABS and even Tire Pressure Monitoring as options, and you get a road-hungry, enduro-styled motorcycle that can tackle anything in its path and beg for more.



Colors:

white aluminium matte metallic

lava orange metallic

biarritz blue metallic




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2011 BMW F650GS - Specifications
USA MSRP: $9,195.00 - Standard Package: $10,700.00 USD
Canada MSRP: See Dealer for Current Pricing


Engine

Type Water-cooled, 2-cylinder, 4-stroke, four valves per cylinder, two overhead camshafts, dry sump lubrication

Bore x stroke 82 mm x 75.6 mm

Capacity 798 cc

Rated output 71 hp (52 kW) at 7,000 rpm

Max. torque 55 lb/ft (75 Nm) at 4,500 rpm

Compression ratio 12.0 : 1

Mixture control / engine management Electronic intake pipe injection / digital engine management (BMS-K)

Emission control Closed-loop 3-way catalytic converter, emission standard EU-3



Performance / fuel consumption

Maximum speed Approx. 115 mph (185 km/h)

Fuel consumption per 100 km at constant 90 km/h 3.7 l

Fuel consumption per 100 km at constant 120 km/h 5.2 l

Fuel type Unleaded Regular


Electrical system

Alternator three-phase alternator 400 W

Battery 12 V / 14 Ah, maintenance-free


Power transmission

Clutch Multiple-disc clutch in oil bath, mechanically operated

Gearbox Constant mesh 6-speed gearbox integrated into crankcase

Drive Endless O-ring chain with shock damping in rear wheel hub



Chassis / brakes

Frame Tubular steel space frame, load-bearing engine

Front wheel location / suspension Telescopic fork, Ø 41 mm

Rear wheel location / suspension Cast aluminium dual swing arm, central spring strut, spring pre-load hydraulically adjustable (continuously variable) at handwheel, rebound damping adjustable

Suspension travel front / rear 7.1 inches (180 mm) / 6.7 inches (170 mm)

Wheelbase 62.0 inches (1575 mm)

Castor 3.6 inches (92 mm)

Steering head angle 64°

Wheels Cast aluminium

Rim, front 2.50 x 19"

Rim, rear 3.50 x 17"

Tyres, front 110/80 - 19 tubeless

Tyres, rear 140/80 - 17 tubeless

Brake, front Single disc, diameter 11.8 inches (300 mm), double-piston floating caliper

Brake, rear Single disc, diameter 10.4 inches (265 mm), single-piston floating caliper

ABS Optional extra: BMW Motorrad ABS (can be switched off)



Dimensions / weights

Length 89.7 inches (2280 mm)

Width (incl. mirrors) 33.2 inches (890 mm)

Height (excl. mirrors) 48.8 inches (1240 mm)

Seat height, unladen weight 32.3 inches (820 mm) (low seat: 31.3 inches [790 mm]; lowered suspension: 30.1 inches [765 mm])

Inner leg curve, unladen weight 71.7 inches (1820 mm) (low seat: 70.1 inches [1780 mm]; lowered suspension: 67.3 inches [1,710 mm])

Unladen weight, road ready, fully fuelled 1) 439 lbs (199 kg)

Dry weight 2) 377 lbs (171 kg)

Permitted total weight 952 lbs (432 kg) (with lowered suspension 769 lbs [349 kg])

Payload (with standard equipment) 522 lbs (237 kg) (with lowered suspension 331 lbs [150 kg])

Usable tank volume 4.2 U.S. gallons

Reserve approx. 1 U.S. gallon


Technical data relate to the unladen weight (DIN)


1) According to guideline 93/93/EWG with all fluids, fuelled with at least 90% of usable tank volume
2) Unladen weight without fluids


http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2 ... F650GS.htm
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Re: 2011 BMW F650GS - COOL WALL VOTE: VOTE NOW!

#2 Unread post by Grey Thumper »

I was seriously considering getting one of these, and I think it's still one of the most practical bikes in BMWs line up (great fuel economy, and if we're being honest, enough off-pavement capability for maybe 90% of the riders who end up buying either the F800 or R1200 GSes).

It just lacks the "gotta have it" factor for the cool wall though. I still voted it cool, but if I was shopping around for a middleweight, mostly-pavement adventure bike these days, I'd either spend less and get a used Versys, or wait for the Triumph Tiger 800.
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Re: 2011 BMW F650GS - COOL WALL VOTE: VOTE NOW!

#3 Unread post by totalmotorcycle »

What I do not understand in the naming of the bike by BMW, F650GS tells me it's a 650cc (or so) bike, but the bike has a 798cc engine. Shouldn't it have been called an 800 really? OR was this a sneaky way of getting around insurance premiums or (hate to think this) tricking new riders into thinking it was a smaller 650cc bike?
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Re: 2011 BMW F650GS - COOL WALL VOTE: VOTE NOW!

#4 Unread post by Grey Thumper »

totalmotorcycle wrote:OR was this a sneaky way of getting around insurance premiums or (hate to think this) tricking new riders into thinking it was a smaller 650cc bike?
I suspect you're pretty close to the truth with the latter, actually.

IIRC, marketing dudes wanted to imply that this was the direct successor to the single cylinder F650 (which actually was quite beginner friendly), which of course made no sense to anyone. The previous gen bike had F650GS and F650GS Dakar (higher spec) versions, and it would've been perfectly logical to call the new bikes F800GS and F800GS Dakar.


Aha, found a review which noted, "BMW allegedly felt it necessary to continue the outgoing F650GS’s nomenclature to carry on its lineage but also to increase the accessibility of a brand known for being somewhat exclusive."
2009 BMW F650GS Review
The little adventurer on a big mission
By Dustin Woods, Nov. 10, 2008

During the journey to pick up any press bike, expectations and preconceived judgments swirl around the brain – they cannot be helped. How will the latest incarnation differ from the old version? Will the brakes really be as good as they say? Will the color clash with my riding gear? And so on, and so forth.
Upon picking up the new BMW F650GS, I was overwhelmingly curious about how it would compare or differ from the F800GS. After reading that the 650 and 800 both utilize the same 798cc parallel-Twin powerplant, I wondered if perhaps there would be some redundancy within the Beemer line-up. So if it has the same engine as the 800, why call it a 650? BMW allegedly felt it necessary to continue the outgoing F650GS’s nomenclature to carry on its lineage but also to increase the accessibility of a brand known for being somewhat exclusive.

Perhaps my favorite element was the heated hand grips..

Those who choose the F650GS may do so not only for the smaller proportions, but also the smaller impact on the pocketbook. For all the cost savings gained by purchasing the 650 over the 800, the differences between the two are fairly minimal. Though the street-oriented F650GS hasn’t as much spring in its step, there wasn’t any need to give its cylinders any different positioning, so it shares the same basic engine as the F800GS with a few subtle differences. Although the engine is essentially the same, the 650 has lower horsepower and torque. After switching the cams and de-tuning the electronics, the F650GS pumps out 71 hp and 55.3 ft-lbs of torque where its 800 sibling offers 85 hp and 59.7 ft-lbs of torque. So what other differences exist besides 14 hp and 4.4 ft-lbs of torque? The 650 also has a slimmer radiator, lower seat height, low wind-screen, conventional telescope fork, cast wheels, 19-inch front wheel, single front disc brake and a lower spec mono shock.

BMW’s vision for the F650GS was that it would be the introduction model into the larger adventure motorcycles. This is smart marketing on BMW’s part. Not everyone is ready to tackle the power and size of the 1200, but they now have various options available to them to get into a smaller, more manageable platform with the intention of one day graduating to a larger model. If BMW manages to steal a few potential Suzuki DL650 customers in the process then that wouldn’t hurt its cause either. The fact that I stand six feet tall, I wondered about how I would fit on the mini GS. But with the lower seat swapped in favor of the original standard seat, it proved to be more than adequate. In fact, a number of my vertically challenged friends couldn’t touch their feet to the ground while in the saddle. It appears this mini GS isn’t so mini after all.

Although the 650 is the entry-level version of the family, it by no means feels cheap or inadequate. The digital display, rear-mounted locking gas cap, controls and the Twin powerplant all exude quality in the fit and finish. Knowing full well that the turnsignals switchgear of Beemers are a significant point of contention, I must say that I came to enjoy the placement of the switches. I do, however, feel that they should be cancelled like Harley-Davidsons instead of having that third signal kill switch. Much like my brother-in-law, the signal cancel switch is pretty much a waste of space that could be better used by something, anything really. The switchgear on the 2009 BMW K1300s eschew this long-derided system in favor of a traditional single-button control.

While I did find myself hitting the horn instead of the turnsignal switch a number of times initially, I found the brake fluid reservoir to be much more of an oddity. The relatively large plastic container sat precariously on the handlebar above the windscreen so that it would bounce around like a bobble-head doll at high speeds. It almost seemed like an afterthought like the Scooby Doo horn my Dad zip-tied to the handlebars of my first two-wheeler. I digress.

Enough with the gripes, I truly did enjoy riding this bike. Perhaps my favorite element was the heated hand grips. They may seem pointless or insignificant to those who enjoy favorable temperatures year round, but testing the 650 amid autumn conditions in Ontario meant that the toasty grips were a welcome addition. Not only did they allow me to ride longer, they allowed me to ride safer as my hands stayed dexterous and able to shift and brake quickly.

The seat was fairly comfortable and allowed for various positions for the rider as well as space for a passenger or gear if you wish. The only time I felt that the 650 was rather anemic was while I was riding up a steep, winding road with a lady ‘friend’ on the back. She wasn’t a heavy gal by any means, but I found myself dropping gears from fourth, to third, to second in order to not get bogged down. Other than that, it felt more than capable and had no problems leading a pack of my buddies riding CBR600s on a weekend tour through the country.

Perhaps the biggest surprise for me was how the F650GS handled. Given the suspension travel and height of the bike, I expected it to be bouncy or timid in the corners, but it was nimble enough to toss into turns with reckless abandon. My knees weren’t touching tarmac, but in relative terms to adventure riding I was notably impressed. The handlebars are positioned comfortably while the light steering linkage, relatively steep rake and suspension setup results in very light steering. The wide, sturdy footpegs and controls allow the rider to stay surefooted and in control even with boots on, as well as the ability to stand comfortably while venturing off-road. My press bike had the street tires on it so I didn’t venture into the wilderness, but I did tackle some narrow dirt roads riddled with potholes to see how it would fare. It passed with flying colors.

Although the F650GS is more street-oriented than its F800GS sibling, it did take some time to get accustomed to the relatively long suspension travel. With most of my experience being with bikes made specifically for the trail or street and not meant to tackle both, I found that the nose of the littlest GS had a tendency to jump and dive under acceleration and braking, although the rear suspension damping can be adjusted quickly and easily by hand.

The F650GS is a fabulous little bike that exceeded my expectations. My hope is that it doesn’t become overshadowed by the hullabaloo surrounding the launch of the new 800. While the term “little” may be accurate regarding the name and relation in size to the rest of its family, it certainly doesn’t describe the value it offers.
So tricking people (or at the very least, misleading them) was pretty much on the agenda.
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Re: 2011 BMW F650GS - COOL WALL VOTE: VOTE NOW!

#5 Unread post by totalmotorcycle »

Thanks for the review post, it was very helpful in understanding the differences between the F800GS and F650GS and to the F650GS naming. I would have preferred BMW to do either though:

1. Rename the F650GS to F800GSL (or something like that to donate a entry level version)
2. Re-make the 800cc into a 650cc to keep the name "legit".

I'm thinking BMW might be setting an example of confusing names here. After all, if they started naming their motorbikes with numbers that didn't mean engine size then what is the point of the number really, they could just pick any old number.
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Re: 2011 BMW F650GS - COOL WALL VOTE: VOTE NOW!

#6 Unread post by rayian »

Wow, I didn't realize the F650GS was actually an 800. That's totally confusing. Still, I think it's a great bike and fits right in there with my latest craze - the dual sport adventure bike style. I'd say it's definitely more off road capable than the Versys which isn't really anymore off road capable than my SV.
Anyway, as far as looks goes it doesn't really blow me away but technically it's built to handle the rigors of off roading (it should have spoked wheels though) as well as being a great road bike. I'll give it a cool vote.

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Re: 2011 BMW F650GS - COOL WALL VOTE: VOTE NOW!

#7 Unread post by Thumper »

I love this bike...test rode one last year and developed a major case of I Want, but the price turned me off. If it had been just a couple thousand less, I'd be on one instead of the Bonneville I recently bought (which I totally love, so there are no regrets there...)

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Re: 2011 BMW F650GS - COOL WALL VOTE: VOTE NOW!

#8 Unread post by ceemes »

I voted uncool. I am sure its a great all round performer and built to the exact standards one associates with the BMW brand....but that front end nose cowling, IMHO it ruins a potentially great looking bike by making it look like a reject from the 1980's Transformers cartoon. I think I would be very embarassed to be seen on it, no matter how great a machine it is.
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#9 Unread post by HYPERR »

Uncool. I don't see the purpose of this bike when there's the real F650 thumper and the "real" parallel twin the F800GS.
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Re: 2011 BMW F650GS - COOL WALL VOTE: VOTE NOW!

#10 Unread post by totalmotorcycle »

HYPERR wrote: I don't see the purpose of this bike when there's the real F650 thumper and the "real" parallel twin the F800GS.
Yes and no. There is no "650cc F650" new anymore, this IS the F650 (it just happens to be 800cc), the closest new is the G650GS, which is 650cc single-cylinder. How confusing is that?

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2 ... G650GS.htm

I can see the sales guy:

"Oh, you want a 650cc bike have you seen the new F650GS? Right you are sir, that's not a 650cc but a 800cc called a F650... if you want the G650GS is a 650cc... F650GS, G650GS but different sized engines... argh.."

:laughing:
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