BMW GS650F (dakar version-longer first gear alledgedly)

[Visitor Q]

My question is....

WHY!?!?!?!?!

My mate just bought one off of autotrader, 2 years old, 30k, tarty spotlight thingy's, very beaten up panniers for...

£2750

And this is private buy. True it has fsh and hasnt been dropped.

But i bought my '96 cbr for £2200 with 30k on clocks, mint, year long £500 dealer warranty and restriction included...

Now i got the joy of riding it home from guildford along the M25 during rush hour (dont even get me started on that little debacle) and it is the shittest bike i've ever ridden.

It doesnt feel like it makes its 51bhp, the throttle response is lazy, steering is vague, barely hits the ton, has an annoying gear lever querk where it ALWAYS has movement in of about an inch (very annoying in top).
Oh, and its a sodding single, so your hand dies very quickly from the vibes, and it sounds like three ducks farting through a wet blanket.

Why the hell would anyone pay so much, for such an abysmal bike?
What is the appeal of a bike with 50cc more then my CBR, that makes around 50bhp less and struggles to even wheelie.

(my mate didnt help though, the guy selling even said he didnt look like he had a clue... he even told me it was a 650 parrallel twin like the 1150 before i agreed to ride it back... i loathe singles)

So anyone care to share its appeal? Horrid unstable slow lazy lump that it is. My mate /still/ reckons it would give the cbr a run 0-60
He also thinks its the best bike for filtering/commuting.
In traffic the bars are RIGHT at mirror hieght, steering is vague, it cost as much as a house deposit so risking dropping/corrosion isnt good, and it REALLY isnt a motorway cruiser, the cbr is infinitely more enjoyable on motorways, just sitting at 80 in top with someone on the back was far more enjoyable.
Ooooh and the brakes... or lack thereof.

Just why!?!
____________________
China traffic/travel bike vid - When I make a sweeping statement, please add the word 'statistically' in to the sentence before you bitch...
From September 2014 to January/February 2015 I will not be using any English, nor reading any. As such, I won't be on here. PM at will, but I won't be checking/posting unless in emergencies. Certainly not for the first couple of months. Please berate me savagely if I break that rule...

[dodsi]

Because your friend is obviously mentally retarded (possibly pysically also)

[daz|n00by]

Everbody to there own.


____________________
"Its Better To Burn Out Than Fade Away!!!!!!" "Lifes a bitch and then you Die"
"I`m a tool, one with just enough intelligence to know it, just enough spirit to resent it...but not enough backbone to do anything about it. " Siggi 2006 pure class.

[McGee]

Some people just have different tastes.
____________________
◙◙► K6 GSXR 600 ◄◙◙◙◙► K5 GSXR 1000 ◄◙◙◙◙► K5 GSXR 600 ◄◙◙◙◙► 96 RF600r ◄◙◙
◄◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙►◄◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙►◄◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙►
Its pronounced Jixxer!

[Visitor Q]

[danclarkie]

i really like the look of the GS650F i have a little maisto model of it

its assumingly a good well built bike with enough power. Of recent more bikes have been steering away form the superbike stereotype, the days of a bike being either a winter hack/commuter or a super bike are gone

not everyone wants to wheelie everywhere at 90mph for me bikings not about arriving, not about how quickly you get where your going, its about the fun you have whilst your travelling.

this is not a flame but just a generalisation, i think a lot of litre sports bike riders need to remove thier blinkers
____________________
Bah Humbug

[McGee]

wait till he wrecks it then laugh
____________________
◙◙► K6 GSXR 600 ◄◙◙◙◙► K5 GSXR 1000 ◄◙◙◙◙► K5 GSXR 600 ◄◙◙◙◙► 96 RF600r ◄◙◙
◄◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙►◄◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙►◄◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙◙►
Its pronounced Jixxer!

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

By the sounds of it your mate has bought a slightly duff bike. Concerning the throttle response and steering I'd get someone who knows what their doing to check it over. However it may well feel vaguer(sp) than your CBR due to the suspension/geomotery of the bike and also the tyres fitted.

Comparing your CBR to the BMW isnt really comparing like for like. THe BMW is certainly alot narrower and will be better than your CBR for London traffic than your CBR, though perhaps negligable. Some people dont want to have the power to go over the ton, their choice. I for one prefer the sound of twins and singles to fours.

Edit:- For what he's doing and what he paid he is obviously mentally retarded.
____________________
Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[Visitor Q]

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

I think your trapped from your perspective a little, although the particular bike in question doesnt seem to be in great nick from what you say. Your a self confessed lunatic willy-waving sports bike rider. You do what most other people do but your actually capable of admitting it.

Bare in mind BMW's command a premium, for no other fact than it's a BMW. Personally I would have gone for an Older Yam XT if I was after a bike of that ilk.

You say there's no need or want to go fast on the VFR. Quite clearly there stil is as even on the BMW you discovered quickly that it couldnt break 100. PErhaps what you really need for your get around bike is one such as the BMW?
____________________
Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[Visitor Q]

Oh a second point, he vaguely considered buying a thunderace...



I told him anything but a single, he assured me it wasnt...

And in the end what was it.

And reuben i didnt say it was a duff bike, it all seemed pretty tickadiboo cept the ABS seems to be fucked (), and i may be comparing it to the cbr. But the CBR does have issues with its handling it shouldnt have. One thing i'll say for the GS is it certainly felt like it had more grip (macadams are shite ill agree with G on that). But it is actually wider and more uncomfortable then the CBR, and i certainly prefered the CBR for filtering, as you can blip your way out of trouble (and into i suppose if your an idiot) and you dont have to watch for clipping bars on mirrors.
Also the CBR has brakes that work. Without stupid pretentious hand guards stopping you getting at them -ive always thought not covering the brakes 24/7 was a safer way, as it stops you panic grabbing thus giving you a moment to think of alternatives and reassess, but trying to grab em suddenly i caught my finger - aswell so much more use on cbr.

I suppose if hes happy fair play, and it should hold its value if he suddenly changes his mind. But he reckons hes keeping it for 2 years. I told him just to buy some scabby divvy to nurse back and forth, but he was having none of it.
____________________
China traffic/travel bike vid - When I make a sweeping statement, please add the word 'statistically' in to the sentence before you bitch...
From September 2014 to January/February 2015 I will not be using any English, nor reading any. As such, I won't be on here. PM at will, but I won't be checking/posting unless in emergencies. Certainly not for the first couple of months. Please berate me savagely if I break that rule...

[Visitor Q]

[colin1]

funnily enuf im interesed in this sort of bike as a commuter, which will stop me speeding and shd be comfy
its a bit different

ive not riddn many bikes and this type is one of the ones im gonna test ride

im also gonna test ride 250 scooter, 400 scooter and hopefully sv650 and thundercat
____________________
colin1 is officially faster than god

[Visitor Q]

[Zen Dog]

[G]

[killa]

How come BMW make nice looking cars and seem to spend 5 minutes desinging their bikes?
____________________
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
Bike:- Yamaha TRX850 | Killas Biking History | Killas Gaming History | Killas autmotive history

[map]

Just done some very quick checks (so can't vouch for their accuracy). That's actually not a bad price for a F650GS, especially as the Dakar version (I gather only available from 2003 anyhow). Mileage is a bit high and depends how much you mean by beaten up. Otherwise ok.

Horses for courses though. Agree your mate needs a slap for not reading up on what different bikes are (parallel twin in a BMW ).

BMW F model - singles.
BMW K model - 4 cylinder.
BMW R model - horizontal opposed (flat) twin, aka boxer.


____________________
...and the whirlwind is in the thorn trees, it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks...
Gibbs, what did Duckie look like when he was younger?

[map]

[killa]

BMW could use gold forks with everlasting tyres and I’d still not get one because Steveie Vonder designed it.

I was just thinking they could of atleast make a sport bike..
____________________
Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
Bike:- Yamaha TRX850 | Killas Biking History | Killas Gaming History | Killas autmotive history

[map]

[Visitor Q]

[stinkwheel]

You are just not used to riding them bonny. A BMW always has required a different riding style to a Japanese bike, they just take a bit of getting used to.

You should be able to outfilter a CBR on an F650 any day of the week. The other thing is that the BMW is a well put together bike, solid. They don't easily go wrong, you just service them and ride them.

It is a very good choice for a first bike (cost notwithstanding) very forgiving handling, unlikely to catch you out in corners, responsive to the throttle in almost any gear. They also have a very comfy seat and will sit all day at normal cruising speeds (as opposed to bonny cruising speeds) in complete comfort. They are also high off the ground which makes it easy to see over the top of hedges and cars for easier overtaking and faster cornering. They crash well too, BMW plastics do not shatter like Japanese ones at the first sign of tarmac.

My mate has one which I have ridden. The steering seems slow and the gearbox seems ungainly until you have been riding it for a couple of hours. Then you reach a point where it all slots into place and you realise that the bike is smoothly thudding you round corners on your favourite B-road at the same speed as your sports bike was but without all the revving and hanging off nonsense.

My only complaint was my mates one could have used a six rather than five gear box.

As I say, they are a very different bike to a Japanese bike and not everyone likes them but I wouldn't write the things off on the basis of a half hour blast on one.

Oh, and I think some of them have a five valve head which means two header pipes for one cylinder which would explain why someone who doesn't know a lot about bikes might think they are a twin.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[map]

[Visitor Q]