THE NEW F650GS

[mr moto]

it has the f800 engine, so why call it the F650 ?
http://www.bmw-motorrad.com/com/en/index.html?content=http://www.bmw-motorrad.com/com/en/individual/news/index.html&id=132

[Rincewind]

it has the f800 engine, so why call it the F650 ?

Yeah, it's listed as 798cc...  weird nomenclature to understate by 150cc  

16 liter gas tank listed = 4.2 gallons  (same for the F800GS)

[bubba zanetti]

That is confusing as hell.  

[Rincewind]

It's a nice looker with the alloy wheels.  Too bad they f'ed up the name.

[dzervit]

I guess I can see why they did it.  

Old 650GS = 50hp
New 650GS = 71hp
New 800GS = 85hp

They prolly couldn't get the extra power they wanted out of the one-lung.  Detune the 800 engine and offer more HP at the same price point.  Charge more for the 20% HP increase, call it the F800GS.  Brilliant!

[goodhawk]

Just curious, I'm not in anyway a dirt tracker - whats the pointy upper ' front fender' for ?
are ya supposed to take of the close fitting ( street ?) fender for off road ?  Just style ?

[R Doug]

Bummer... the US site only shows the 800.  

http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/etc/utils.jsp?t=announcements&idx=0

[mr moto]

i may have just found my next bike   790mm low seat height,70 BHP,switchable ABS brakes,tubeless tyres, . and all for about a grand  less than the F800GS !
and before you ask ! according to this document ,,http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/onroad/cert/hmc/2008/bmw_m0060136r1_798_0d4_hn.pdf
it has already been tested and passed it,s emissions check,s by the california environmental protection agency air resources board ,as a 2008 model   so yes it will be sold in america .

[Mr Sunshine]

It's a nice looker with the alloy wheels.  Too bad they f'ed up the name.

You have got to be kidding?  The spoked wheels look he best!

[Rincewind]

You have got to be kidding?  The spoked wheels look he best!

No, I'm not kidding.  For this bike and it's intended 'softer' purpose, the wheels look good.  Granted, the F800GS looks better/meaner/manlier overall, spoked wheels included - I agree with you there.  

so yes it will be sold in america .

We'll see about that.  While it would make sense that they would import it after testing it, it doesn't necessarily mean that they will actually follow through.  Looking at the link that R Doug posted, it does not look likely that the F650GS will be here for next year.

[Nny]

Seems kinda silly to have the only difference be the detuned engine..  What else is different?  Seems a bit silly to have it cost the same to produce and sell it for 1k less...

[Boxerdawg]

Seems kinda silly to have the only difference be the detuned engine..  What else is different?  Seems a bit silly to have it cost the same to produce and sell it for 1k less...

FWIW the F800 has stouter-looking usd fork and double discs up front vs a conventional fork and single front disc.  Is that worth $1K?  Your guess is as good as mine.  Looks like a typical BMW mark-up.

[kevrider]

i may have just found my next bike   790mm low seat height,70 BHP,switchable ABS brakes,tubeless tyres, . and all for about a grand  less than the F800GS !

after you get it home, see what you can do about rounding up those other 14 horsies and let us know how it goes.  

copied from advrider:

As well as the new F800GS, BMW has unveiled the all-new F650GS – but don’t be fooled by the name, as its capacity is also 800cc.

Basically a lower spec version of the new F800GS, the F650GS replaces the old single-cylinder bike of the same name, using a detuned parallel twin engine.

Power is 71bhp – which is a full 20bhp more than the old 650 single – and the use of lower-specifications components means the price is kept down.

Right-way-up forks, a single front disc and different wheels – alloy rather than wire, and with a 19-inch front rather than a 21-inch version – mean the F650GS is a model in its own right. Weight is 171kg dry, or 199kg wet.

More road-oriented than the F800GS, it’s only a little slower, with a claimed 0-62 time of 4.3 seconds and a top whack of 117mph.

lots more data here:
http://www.rubbermag.com/news/0711/071106_06.html

according to that writeup, the "650" has 43mm forks (vs 45mm for the 800), a 60mm lower saddle and it is 8kg lighter than the 800.

[Nny]

*sigh*  I need more money..  

[mr moto]

it look,s better in these video,s than it does in the pictures, i think .  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vqrGGxi_G4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAyZMe_gP98
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVTzhzoh4WA

[Rincewind]

Thanks for the vids, mr. moto.  

It's interesting to see how this bike's 'offroad' video compares to the F800GS 'offroad' video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCeC2K_fBUg .  They definitely pussy-foot the F650GS a lot more, and I think it comes down to the street tires on the F650GS vs the knobbies (and bigger front wheel) in the F800GS.  

However, when you then compare the 'road' videos of these two bikes, the F650GS appears more at home in the twisties - again probably due to the tires.  Kudos to BMW for making these two bikes with different biases.  

If they make a 5th F800 bike, the F800R, we will have a pretty complete line of middleweights, which is unique for today's market.  No one else is doing that.

[Lon]

Seems kinda silly to have the only difference be the detuned engine..  What else is different?  Seems a bit silly to have it cost the same to produce and sell it for 1k less...

F800 = replacement for Dakar
F650 = designed primarily for road use

 

(The Dakar wasn't just a clever graphics package.)

[HexHead]

Perhaps the F650 is just for Europe where they have tiered licenses based on HP?

[motoguy128]

It's a nice looker with the alloy wheels.  Too bad they f'ed up the name.

I think the bike looks better with the cute blond in matching riding gear in the background

I think they should have called the F800GS the F800GSA and call the new F650GS a F800GS.  But that would have made too much sense.

Too bad the didn't design a short stroke varient of the F800 engine with only about 674cc's (could technically still be called a 650) and maybe 10lbs and about $300 lighter.  It could probably share most of the major components like cases, heads, and transmission, it would just need a different crank, rods and shorter cylinder block.  Add a little extra flywheel weight and shorter final drive to make it work as well at low speeds.  The F800 is already a fairly long stroke motor.

Hmmm... are the insurance companies going to be fooled by the name and classify it as having 650cc's or 800cc's?

[kevrider]

Hmmm... are the insurance companies going to be fooled by the name and classify it as having 650cc's or 800cc's?

my insurance company asks me for the displacement, so i can tell them it's 650cc.  i think, in legal terms, that's called fraud.  

definitely a stupid model designation.    

[Nny]

I stopped by my local BMW dealership today and the sales manager hadn't heard about the new F650 but she had heard about the F800GS coming in (in a few weeks most likely) so I'm guessing the new F650 is not coming here.  Not that sales managers are the most well informed people, but I'd imagine they know what's coming in to their shop pretty well.  

[Joey Stalin]

it look,s better in these video,s than it does in the pictures, i think .  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVTzhzoh4WA

I could go faster than that on that trail on my RT! Methinks they're doing something intentionally in these videos and the 800GS videos. One is slow on road/fast off and one is fast on road/slow off.

[Mastros2]

Why did BMW remove the 650 single?  That was a great, reliable engine.  Also, great on gas.  I would'ove thought that BMW would keep it for their "beginner's" bike line.  Love the looks of the f800gs though.  

[Nny]

Well, the engine is still in the x moto, x country, and the x challenge...

[mr moto]

Why did BMW remove the 650 single?  That was a great, reliable engine.  Also, great on gas.  I would'ove thought that BMW would keep it for their "beginner's" bike line.  Love the looks of the f800gs though.  
[/quote
i had a 650 dakar for a while , and it was a great bike but..... i dont know how many times i wished for a little more go from the engine , and a lot less vibes at motorway/freeway speeds .here in the uk the new twin engined 650 will cost only £100.00 more than the old single cylinder engined bike , but it will have around 20 horsepower more than the old single cylinder , and possibly even better fuel economy ! it,s just what i want and need from an all round do it all bike . i think this bike could go on to be even more successful than the old 650 single .
also BMW have said that from now on all it,s 650 single cylinder engines will be built under licence in china .
 with china,s record  of poor quality control in a lot of it,s product,s i do not see myself paying BMW prices for something...made in china .

[Oilhed]

my insurance company asks me for the displacement, so i can tell them it's 650cc.  i think, in legal terms, that's called fraud.  

definitely a stupid model designation.    

I agree.  I think it's a Euro thing.  Under XXXcc or under XXhp and noobs can ride it.  So they call it a 650 and it is detuned enough.  Then you can open it up later.  I do like the trellis frame and mags.  Dumb name.

[jsanford]

My understanding is that it's not coming to the US until 2009, if at all.

I'm rather peeved about it since the X-bikes aren't practical learners (freeway wind blast, anyone?) as the F650GS was.

[Nny]

Eh... the wind screen on the F650 didn't do much anyway..  

I've heard good things about the Xcountry.  I sat on one last year at a motorcycle show and it was pretty comfy.

[Mastros2]

Well, the engine is still in the x moto, x country, and the x challenge...

Yeah, realized this about 2hrs after I posted.  Thanks though.