Why do you hate BMW 650s?

[warewolf]

8/9?

As in, the one after Seven of Nine, who also escaped assimilation.

[merv]

BTW, was out with John F the other weekend, he's gone and got himself a KTM

See ya

Was talking to 4skins at lunch today - where have you been these days Garry not making the lunches?

[merv]

I must add after reading this thread and the earlier ones like this http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=55311 and this http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=56846 and the comments the guys that have had the BMWs have made, I should never ever complain how poorly Suzuki dirt bikes are designed and made compared to Hondas again because the BMWs make Suzukis sound like works of art.

There was me thinking BMW was meant to be a great company and its products should at least be kind of fit for purpose, but by the sound of it no match for Japanese attention to detail and quality (and if I believe the KTM owners no match for KTM either).

Me, I'd never buy a BMW anyway they are too frigging heavy when I've shrunk like Poos said - so I like my bikes light, small and sensual.

[Skinny_Birdman]

There was me thinking BMW was meant to be a great company and its products should at least be kind of fit for purpose, but by the sound of it no match for Japanese attention to detail and quality (and if I believe the KTM owners no match for KTM either).

M

Hear hear!! Of course, the Funduro and Strada F650s were license built in Italy, so ze Germans can't really be blamed for their many shortcomings. The engines were still made in Austria, but I never had any engine dramas with mine.....

[Garry.W]

Was talking to 4skins at lunch today - where have you been these days Garry not making the lunches?

Sorry Merv - in the last 3 months I've been in many places other than Wellington on Thursday/Friday. Auckland mostly but also Sydney, Invercargill, New Plymouth, Melbourne, Launceston - not bad for someone who switched roles so he wouldn't have to travel so much

Will catch up with you guys at some stage.

Cheers,
Garry

[Garry.W]

He's a lost cause, maybe we should call him 'Eight of Nine'??

[mazz1972]

Hubby has an 04 BMW Dakar which he loves. Intended use is for road touring and the occasional gravel jaunt, not full on off road riding - he's got a DRZ400 for that which is what he was riding on the road prior to the Dakar.

I guess it's all about your riding style, what weight and height bike you are comfortable riding with and just how offroad you want to go.

Good luck.

[_Shrek_]

Me, I'd never buy a BMW anyway they are too frigging heavy when I've shrunk like Poos said - so I like my bikes light, small and sensual.

well merv i've had a great run outa my Gs it suits me & what i use it for will proberly get the 800 Gs/Daker when it comes out or the 1200 will see when the time comes

the way i see it if you what you ride then thats great & your mates about what they ride is even more fun so keep shinny side up &

cheers k

[merv]

the way i see it if you what you ride then thats great & your mates about what they ride is even more fun so keep shinny side up &

cheers k

Yeah aint that the truth the point being we buy what we like and so does everyone else we hope so they don't complain too much about what they bought.

Really I was just a bit surprised to read about the issues with the BMWs I expected better of them than that.

[_Shrek_]

Really I was just a bit surprised to read about the issues with the BMWs I expected better of them than that.

ditto merv but in saying that have had no probs with mine other than normal wear & tear must have got 1 made in the middle of the week & not friday arvo or the monday morning after

[Ruralman]

AT the start of this thread the thing requested was a bike with more road manners than the XT - well theres been a lot of talk about the BMW 650's here which are really good adventure bikes but if you want a bike that can handle all the rough roads, you're not asking it to be a trail bike as well, then the best road manners in terms of weather protection as well as all round comfort and performance is probably from a 650 Transalp.
We did a bit of bike swapping on last years Passes ride and the first thing I noticed when getting onto the Dakar was "this feels like a dirt bike" (which is fine 'cos I like dirt bikes) - but as soon as I got it up to 100k's I was getting slammed by wind that I just wouldn't have noticed on the Transalp. On bigger road trips this would get tiring.
I'm wanting to move up to a bigger bike so my T/A is for sale if you're interested in a second hand one, but if you're in the market for a new one then the new fuel injected 700 Transalp is due in Jan or Feb apparently - it will be even better than the 650 which is bloody good and way underrated.

[Jantar]

I love my GS 650 as a road machine, it's perfectly suited for touring the great south island roads, especially gravel but it's a bit of a handfull for me off road (in the mud)....

AT the start of this thread the thing requested was a bike with more road manners than the XT - well theres been a lot of talk about the BMW 650's here which are really good adventure bikes but if you want a bike that can handle all the rough roads, you're not asking it to be a trail bike as well,.

And herein lies the difference. The GS650 is an adventure bike with good manners in the gravel, and able to handle long distances on the seal as well. It is not a trail bike.

Like most adventure bikes, it is a compromise. If you want something more road oriented than a GS650 then look at the GS1200 or a VStrom, if you want more dirt oriented then try the TransAlp, XT, or KTM. It all depends on where in the spectrum your riding is most likely to be done. I do know that there is a tendancy to call trail rides as adventure rides, but real adventure riding doesn't involve off road riding at all, its just ALL road riding, irrespective of the condition of the road, lack of bridges, etc.

There was a thread on this site some time ago that went through the spectrum of rides from pure dirt through trail, adventure, touring to pure road/sport. I can't seem to find it at the moment, but when I do find it maybe it deserves to be a sticky so that different bikes can be properly placed in the spectrum. I believe the GS650 will be right in the middle of the Adventure bikes.

[Ruralman]

I'm wanting to move up to a bigger bike so my T/A is for sale if you're interested in a second hand one, but if you're in the market for a new one then the new fuel injected 700 Transalp is due in Jan or Feb apparently - it will be even better than the 650 which is bloody good and way underrated.

For what its worth my T/A is now sold - now I've got to find its replacement

[Jantar]

That T/A has served you well. I'll be interested in seeing what you choose as a replacement.

[NordieBoy]

For what its worth my T/A is now sold - now I've got to find its replacement

You've got the KDX.
Whack a Givi on the back.


Always wanted to pull up to the Maitai Valley Rally thingy on my non road legal '79 XR250 with a sleeping bag bungied to the rear guard.
Could be dropped off at Pelorus and ride through the Maungatapu and...