Come take a ride in the state forest within Vilas County, WI: ruclips.net/video/Nx9F6qKuAT8/видео.html Timecodes 0:00 Intro to Me, My Channel, and My Background With the BMW G650GS 0:45 Stock Mirror Discussion, Why I Kept Them Stock 1:45 Wolfman Expedition Tank Bag 2:31 Cortech Tail Bag 3:49 BMW Travel Side Boxes, Why I Don't Like Them 6:00 HID Headlight 7:24 Windshield, Why I Kept It Stock 8:44 Seat, Why Mine Is Still Stock 9:49 K&N Air Filter, Discussing Challenge Of Servicing Air Filter 10:26 DirtSkins Fork Seal Guards 12:06 Touratech Fairing Crashbars 14:09 LED Taillight, BMW's Lax Wiring At The Taillight 15:54 Amsoil, My Oil Of Choice For Powersports 16:30 Factory Handguards And Heated Grips, What Handguards I Would Use 18:01 Heideneau K60 Tires, What Tires Work On Wisconsin Trails 20:10 Happy Trails Products Skidplate, Why You SHOULD NOT Keep The Factory Skidplate 23:29 Touratech Rallye Sprocket Guard 24:32 Touratech Folding Brake Pedal 25:04 Factory Footpegs, Why I Hate The Factory Footpegs 25:51 Touratech Master Cylinder Guard 26:11 Kildala2000 Center Stand Skidplate 27:09 BMW G650GS Overview, Why I Bought This Bike, F800GS 29:04 What Problems I Have Experienced With The BMW G650GS, My Fuel Choice 31:28 BMW G650GS Suspension, Ohlins Shock, Shout Out To MrDuhfactor 32:26 Servicing Quirks 33:11 Why I Like This Bike, Comparing The BMW G650GS To The Husqvarna TR650 Terra 34:54 Pausing For Frog Chirping, Because Why Not?! 35:17 Power Delivery And Fuel Mileage And Fuel Range 37:52 The Benefits Of A Lower Seat Height On The Road 38:28 Anti Lock Braking On A Motorcycle, Why This Is Nice To Have On A Motorcycle 39:44 Aftermarket Is A Benefit This Bike Enjoys, Discussion on Add-Ons The Husqvarna TR650 Terra Lacked 40:54 Longevity Of The BMW G650GS Lineup And Its Benefits, BMW G650GS Weight 42:12 BMW G650GS 11 Year Closing Thoughts, Share Your Thoughts In The Comment Section 42:56 Thanks For Watching!
Nice to see that real people still exist on the internet. No fancy movies and just having an honest story. Thank you for your informative message, you convinced me to buy one soon.
Pleasantly surprised by the amount of practical info in the video. I'm just getting into ADV bikes. Started with a KLR650 intending to lower it. But it was so tall and top heavy that lowering it sufficiently would have given up too much ground clearance and still been a big heavy bike for me. So I picked up a cheap DR650: lighter weight, lower seat, higher ground clearance, etc. Simply better for me. But then I found out that my '95 lacked the features I thought it had that actually came out in '96: designed to be lowered from the factory, more torque at passing speeds, and more. So I was looking for an F650GS when I came across a non running '05 F650GS DAKAR with 21" front wheel. It's in the shop now. Then today I found out that there was a lesser known G650X Challenger that may be a better fit for me! But as the Three Stooges would say: We shall see, but we shall see where this all ends up. I envy the man that can pick up one bike and ride it for 11 years. You got it right the first time!
The x-challenge is a cool bike. I would have liked to have bought one of those, but they're pretty hard to find. I would say the Husqvarna TR650 Terra is the spiritual successor to the X-challenge. Sadly both suffered from short model runs. Seems like a BMW 650 in that kind of trim is just not possible to keep alive for whatever reason. Thanks a lot for watching and commenting!
Nice to hear your comments on this bike. Especially since you've had it for such a long time. I have a 2004. This summer will be my third year on it. Mine came with a factory low seat and a one inch lowering link so it's just low enough for me. Your right about the fuel range. It's exceptional. Looks like you have beautiful riding where you are. I live in the Okanagan valley in Canada and the riding here is beautiful as well. If you have ever wanted a close reach brake lever for your bike I have a video on my channel that has all the info. Take care
Hey, thanks for your comment and watching the video! They're just a great all-around bike. I'll stop by and check out your video a little later. Thanks for mentioning it.
I have a 2003; the fact that BMW still hadn’t put a gas gauge indicator on this bike 6 years later blows my mind. That’s my biggest issue with the bike, the fact that I don’t know when I’m low on gas until the light comes on.
Yeah the only time you really know how much fuel you have is when you fill it up. That and when the fuel light comes on. Besides that one, there are a surprising number of quirks that were never addressed during all of the years this model was offered. Thanks alot for watching and commenting!
Agree that it would be nice to have but I just use my trip meter as a fairly accurate estimate. Once you've owned the bike for a while, you know what the high and low mileage per tank is and you should have a rough idea of how hard you're riding it.
@sociopathmercenary that's also how I keep track of my mileage. Especially with powersport toys, I seldom find the gauges to be very good at articulating what you have left until basically the last bar. The fuel tanks are always weird shapes. And the light on the BMW gives you plenty of notice I think. Thanks alot for watching and commenting!
Plan on getting a 2009 BMW G650gs in two days. Its $3000 and comes with aux led lights,4 of the extra containers and some other aftermarket parts. Only issue is that it has several cosmetic scratchs from when it was in a minor crash 3 years ago. Current owner says it runs great but I'm still iffy on it.
Congrats! That sounds like an excellent deal. Hopefully it's all good mechanically. Scratches aren't the end of the world. I have a few of them on mine as well. Any plans for additional mods? Thanks for watching and commenting?
Nice review, thks. It helped me decide to buy a 2001 F650GS and program some mods. It does everything reasonably well, including highway and off-road and that is a huge compliment for a motorcycle. Best regards from Portugal.
Never had any issues with my BMW 650 like yours. I put street tires on it and was able to keep up with the 1200GS's on roads with a lot of curves. And I've passed slow moving Harley riders with no problem to get away from their loud pipes or applying their brakes at every curve they came to. And once when I was riding with a friend and his wife who was just learning to ride, I got 70 MPG!!! I only had two complaints, the oil and filter changes are a little more of a hassle than most bikes, and it sounds kind of like a weed eater when you're riding it. But I had no issues with it at all. I only kept it for a couple of years and purchased a R1200 RT. I LOVED THAT BIKE!! Handle like a dream and if you ever got stuck behind a slow poke, or a three-mile line of Harley riders, no problem to get around them. I didn't listen to all this video because I was not interested in the accessories, I just wanted to know if it held up well.
Hi Ron. Yeah the 650 is a nice little bike. And I agree the oil changes are a not as user friendly as it probably should be. And I agree, the exhaust note isn't very impressive either haha. What amazes me is that despite the popularity of the bike, there aren't a lot of exhaust options for it. The aftermarket options I've seen were all around 102 db, which is way above usfs restrictions. The 1200s are a cool engine. I love those things. Thanks a lot for checking out my video and dropping a comment! Happy riding!
Thank you very much! I tried my best to offer someone the info that I wish I'd have had myself, particularly with farkles. Appreciate you taking the time to watch my video, and thank you for commenting!
Great overview Rodney - thank you for sharing! I have had 3 x F650's over the years, and currently own a 2008 Dakar, and I can honestly say that this little bike continues to impress me with it's overall usability! It's just such an awesome all-rounder! I currently own a Honda dirt bike, my Dakar, and an 1150 GS Adventure, and yet I always find myself looking forward to riding this bike! It's fuel efficient, light, and has that old-school charm that a single cylinder thumper offers. Touch wood, I've had zero reliability issues with this bike, and doubt I'll ever get rid of it. With the price of new bikes now, I think I'd be crazy to want to change it. Thanks again for your video, and warm greetings from South Africa!
Hi Neville. That is awesome friend. The bike is just so easy to hop on and go... And keep going. And even when BMW themselves tried to kill it off in the US in 08, it kept going. It just is a solid bike. Thank you very much for watching and commenting friend!
I still have my 2005 BMW F650GS up here in northern WI, purchased used in 2008 on eBay from FL. Plenty of quirks and quibbles, but it has been a joy overall. A bike with character. I have been so many places I never would have imagined exist, it's especially nice to get completely lost in the back country then find a highway and pop back home. And nimble around town. I enjoy looking at the new stuff that comes out, but I'm getting older myself and this one is paid for.
Hey Andrew. Good to hear that you're still out bombing around on the F650. You still hanging around Wausau? I hear ya. It's nice to look around, but it's alot nicer not having to pay for something all over again. After I finished this video last week, I started digging around the net, looking for TR650 Terras, and I found a few. The price isn't bad, and I can get most of the parts I'd want yet, and could probably fabricate what I can't find. The problem is, I don't know that it's different enough from a BMW to justify, so if I were to buy one, it would probably be just to see what it's like, and do like a budget adventure bike buildup series or something. Anyway, glad to see you're still out there riding. Thanks for stopping in and watching my video.
Hahaha... Thanks MrRick. I tried to go over everything I could think of. There's a few questions people have asked about like cost to maintain, but that number is always changing. And the further into the past this video gets, the less relevant those numbers would be. Thank you very much for watching, and your awesome comment!
Hi Adam. Thanks alot for the compliment! Yeah it's a solid bike. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Put a little bit of adventure armor on it and you're good to go throughout the world, haha. Thanks alot for watching, and again for commenting. Have a great ride!
Thank you, I am actually looking at an 2004 right now, from the 1150gsa and 1150rt and a klr650, need something with a lower center of gravity if i am going to keep riding.
Thanks Ron that is exactly what people want a long term review.I live down here in Oz and am looking at one to buy but,never had any long term users thankyou
Hey Rigga. You're welcome. Hope all is well down under. It's a solid bike imo. Hopefully you'll have the same experience with the one you get that I have had with mine. Thanks for watching and happy riding friend!
Wow bud.... that was a thorough review! I didn't realize that you bought that one new! She still looks great, much better than LaFawnduh!! Good to see/hear you my man....
Damon, thank you for stopping by sir! It means allot to me. Yeah, it amazes me how good it still looks. I attribute it to our soft soils around here, and those fairing guards have saved me a ton of scratches and panel damage for sure.
Excellent video. I enjoyed your casual approach, as well as the detail to which you described everything about the bike. Sounds like you've had a very rewarding ownership experience. Felt like a buddy was just telling me about his bike. I subscribed within the first two minutes. Keep it up. Cheers!
Super useful. Thank you. I’d love to hear more about the stalling issue and how you’ve dealt with it. I’m considering an f650 gs but that stalling issue gets mentioned frequently.
Hi Richard. I haven't dealt with it. After I made this video I discovered that the later year G650s did have a recall for something similar to this, but it didn't list my bikes model year as one associated with the recall. I had intended to call a BMW dealer to see if they could discuss this with me, but I have not yet. Thank you very much for watching and commenting!
There might be occasions where the skid plate fails, but it is extremely well built. Its curved survace resists a lot of impact. I wouldn`t from the experiance of some serious crashes with the beemer to change it works well. We got 3 skidplates destroyed in the last years. Two stock KTM (which are really badly designed and integrated in the bike) and one aftermarket from a known manufacterer. The original Skid platedrom bmw got crushed and bend, but still holds and prevented serious damage. But of course, there will be situations where any specific product has some drawbacks and fails. Happy riding and i hope you and your beemer are still enjoing the ride
Hi Raba Iabab. Thanks a lot for the info friend. Like you say, everything has its breaking point. That's interesting that the KTM skid is integrated into the bike. That sounds like a bad idea to me. Thanks a lot for checking out my video and happy trails to you as well!
@@ROCKINRODNEYMy english is quite bad, so i hope i explain it correct. Actually the bolts holding the "adventure" aftermarket skidplate go horizontal in the engine/frame. So any force on them hit the bolts on the weaker, long side. That is a maybe cool lokking, but quite useless design. You easily break the holding points. The 650 Beamer has the bolts which get the full force of the impact vertical installed. They wont fail till the crash is so hard it destroys the bike anyway. We ripped the ktm plate off by just some minor slides over a rock, the beemer plate withstood those without problems.
@rabalabab7505 I understand. It sounds like it's all in the fastening locations of the skid plate. That's pretty interesting! What kind of KTMs were you riding with?
@@ROCKINRODNEY 1190 adventure . The plates itself are metal. No way to destroy them without destroying the bike anyway. Its always the fastening which is the really important feature. Like those crazy dropguards which are fastened to the frame itself. Just to ensure to give all force of the impact to the frame itself . And doing so destroying the frame instead of the 100$ handlebar. We had over the last 10 years at least a dozen bikes from the racetrack totalled that way in the workshop.
I purchased a 2015 G650 for $6,200 in 2019 w 3.5K miles on her. I put about $6K into her since then and currently have 16K miles. She’s been a trooper. Necessities along the way have included: Touratech high seat; Touratech foot pegs; Touratech bash plate; Touratech progressive suspension set (forks/rear); Leo Vince exhaust (OEM exhaust set up was an incomprehensible WTF?!) solid crash bar set up from a Polish company; D.I.D chain; Metzeler Karoo3 tires; 14 tooth front / 45 Tooth rear sprocket set up to give me more 1st gear torque for off road; and blah blah blah, little things like Pelican cases, hard wired Garmin Zumo XT set up. She’s a loyal fraulein for sure. ✌🏼BOAR
Sounds like you have put together an awesome setup! I agree with your assessment with the exhaust. It's kind of a strange setup. I still haven't replaced it, but maybe I'll give the Leo Vince a look? How do you like the tone of it? Is it not too loud? I'd like something, just not too obnoxious. Thanks a lot for watching and commenting! Happy New Year!
Nice review 👍. I’ve had an R 1150RS in the past , and now got the bug for another BMW. The 1200GS is too expensive and way more than I need. I now quite fancy a well kept F650GS so this vid has been very helpful.
Thanks Big John. The big bikes are alot of fun I'm sure. For here, and for my riding skill level, stepping up to something like an F800 doesn't really seem necessary and I don't have the skillset to take advantage of the extra HP Offroad. Since this video, I have searched for and found Husqvarna TR650 Terra bikes out there for sale. I have heavily considered picking up one of those bad boys to put together before all of the aftermarket disappears for it. It's just a little more Offroad oriented version of the f650/g650 with some more HP. I consider it superior to the Dakar/Serteo as well. In my opinion. Good luck hunting for your next ride! Thanks for watching. Stop back and visit me again sometime.
Your G is an F650GS that was built in Brasil after the official end of the original F in 2009. It's got the new beak but everything else is still F650GS. The later G650GS that was built in Berlin has different plastic body parts and for sure some more differences. Not sure about the engine in yours, haven't watched the whole video yet. The original F's engine was built in Austria by Rotax whereas the one in the G came from Loncin in China.
Hello Bjorn. That's a really interesting. I had no idea the initial G bikes were built in Brazil. I have seen that some of the parts still have F650GS stamped on the parts. My engine is built in Loncin. The other day I learned that CF Moto builds motors for KTM. I had no idea. Figured Rotax built all of their motors still. Thanks a lot for teaching me something new, and for watching and commenting friend!
Your video was great. I’m thinking about buying a used BMW 650. And I believe you sold me on one. Just talking about the reliability.Thanks for posting greetings from Nashville
You mentioned that you are shorter and have a 30" inseam. I'd love to have an actual 30" inseam. Don't know how helpful this info will be, but here goes. At 5'4 with an actual inseam of 27" I AM a short rider. And ADV bikes are not a good or natural fit for me. A cruiser bike like my Intruder 800, yes. A standard like my Nighthawk 750 is tippy toe tall for me. A sport bike is too long of a reach to the clip-ons. The best DP fit so far has been my TW200, and I love it, but it's a bike I would trailer to the trails. And reaching the ground is only one challenge, sometimes reaching the side stand is near impossible without modification. I couldn't reach them on my MultiStrada 1000S, or on my KLR650. Never seen that addressed in a review, and I only find out by test riding, or after I bought it. 🙄 Now about that inseam. Most guys think that their inseam is what the label says on their favorite pair of jeans; not likely. You'd have to cram a tape measure up into your inner thigh/leg and measure down to the inner bone "bump" on your foot/ankle. (technically the Medial Malleolus) If you are shorter Rodney, you probably have a less than 30" inseam. As a guy, this is not an interesting discussion, but if you want your GF or wife to get into the sport, and she's 5'5 or less, pay attention. That's where the 650GS series come in. With a factory suspension lowering kit and factory lower seats, coupled with an under seat gas tank, they may be the only/best option for capable ADV riding. I invite you-all to an "actual inseam measurement" challenge! 😁
I have 2000 650GS, hit 35000km today. Modified shock and forks toDakar spec,but still with 19 inch front wheel. Changed water pump 2 times. Found the rootcause of poor engine starting issue -is loosened BMS terminal that moves by itself... Rear shock -Wilbers has been working nice as much as Ohlins. Recommendable for its price at performance. Happy riding.
@@ROCKINRODNEY Also I have been using Ammo can for pannier box for 15 years. Very heavy but sturdy well enough to protect myself when crashed during off road riding. Modified to tubless with 3M 8067 tape and RTV sealant 2years ago. Works just great. Highly recommended.
GM 96537170 is the part number of fuel filter that fits to old models such as Aveo , Spark... And this fits to F650GS fuel hose. Of course you need to tighten it with hose band. Under the seat there's room for this filter. Cut the hose and fit this in then you'll ptotect the BMW filter that is combined with regulator , which is unnecessary expensive. Happy riding.
Agree on the seat. My F650, essentially same bike, I changed to a Corbin seat - much better. I also switched to an iridium spark plug which fixed my idle and helped with off idle acceleration. Additionally I cleaned out the throttle body (factory left a thick layer of clear assembly grease in the bore from sliding into the air cleaner). Lastly replaced battery with a Caltric AGM (direct fit) and charging cables added.
I changed the seat on the G650GS to a Seat Concepts one and fell in love with the bike all over again. Also kitted mine with GIVI brackets and cases, a kappa touring wind screen, and LED headlight assembly, and went on a 2,000 km two up road trip. Great bike.
I didn't even think about changing to an iridium plug, and I'm honestly not sure why. Always had very good luck with them in my snowmobile. Thank you for the tips, and for watching and commenting!
This is true. The thing I've found is that if you expand the boxes for more capacity, it increases the chance that water might get in. I feel like, for what I paid for these boxes at the time, the better value would have been to look at other options. Particularly if it's seeing long distance Offroad trips. Thanks for watching and commenting Matthias!
@@ROCKINRODNEY I see your point. I would have expected the side cases to be waterproof to be honest. I recently bought an f650 GS from 2000, which came with those side cases. I'm surprised to see how similar my bike is to yours.
I did too, haha. Yeah they didn't make a lot of changes to the bike for a long time. Some of the parts on my bike have "F650GS" stamped into yet actually. Made it nice for shopping around for aftermarket parts.
Hey thanks alot for checking it out and commenting! I haven't looked up the givi cases yet to see what they look like, but I have to imagine that they're better than the BMW units in my opinion. I don't really have a reason to yet, but would maybe consider going from the HID headlight to the LED if it's a simpler setup.
@@ROCKINRODNEY It wasn't simple, I would stick with what you have if you're happy with it. GIVI makes a huge variety of different cases. I happened to find some 41 liter cases for dirt cheap about a 40 minute drive out of town so I grabbed them.
Yeah. My HID had a slider built on it to change the light physically block some of the light output for when it's on low beam. It hasn't yet, but I always get worried the it may fail one of these days.
Absolutely awesome video! so refreshing to watch, loved the frogs too. Am an Australian living in SE Asia with a Sertao version, I have an older RM250 and wanted something road legal, fits the bill perfectly. Have followed a lot of your recommendations! Watched this a few months ago when I first got the bike. Have fitted crash bars, skid plate straight away. Even found the LED back light here in Asia direct from China, was around 30 bucks. Installed philips ultinon led headlight bulb which is such an improvement. Hard to get tires here also, ended up with Pirelli MT60(not the RS or corsa version, the 50/50 version). Next thing I am doing is the fork protectors and am trying to find a foldable foot brake,gear shifter just incase and footpegs. Previous owner had dropped the bike offroad, bought it with bent Handlebars and a few scuffs here and there reasonably cheap. Parts relatively easy to find on ebay for example. Have serviced it myself recently. Don't think it had ever been serviced, had 1700klms on the clock, little bit of metal shavings on the magnet drain plug, hence my thinking never had first service. Fitted the K&N also, again per your video. Runs great, ready for some adventures. Just want to thank you for your very down to earth video with such good information. Helped me out tremendously as you can read. Massive thumbs up!!
Hi Tremor. Thank you so much for the kind words friend. It means alot to me! I'm glad you've been able to chase down all the parts you've needed so far. Good luck with the folding pedals. I'm surprised touratech dropped building all of that stuff. Those bikes really haven't been off the market all that long, and tend to have a long service life. I may have to swap out my headlight to the led you suggested. I worry about the old HID sometimes. But it keeps working. Thanks again for everything! Much luv for watching and commenting friend!
Hi Edward. I would look at the Baja Designs lighting options. I use them on my truck and tractor. They are expensive. They are made in the USA and rebuildable. They offer a lot of beam options, colors, and form factors. The smaller models would be perfect for use on bikes. That's who I choose to go with for my needs. Thanks a lot for watching and commenting!
Hi Leonard. It's interesting coming from northern WI and riding around down there. I float around the Bakersville area. The footage I used in my commentary was in the Lake James area. I was down there again this past fall for the first time in a long time, and I was surprised to see that many of those roads down there have reduced their speed limits. Still love it down there. Lots of fun, crazy roads. I'd like to put together a UTV to wander around down there someday. Congrats on your new bike! Are you picking it up from Eurosport of Asheville?
Love my Dakar. Run crap fuel though it, even sitting in the tank for a year no problems. Idle issue, yep shut it off fire it up and good to go. I've done this procedure while driving (to save time). Likes to eat clutch cables if you go off road. Always tuck in a spare routed in. Changing oil sucks. Headlight sucks. Small inconvenience though.
Yeah I would consider the TR650 still. As a matter of fact, I was looking around at some online throughout 2020 to buy and build before the good aftermarket parts dry up for it. Biggest reason why I didn't pull the trigger on one was because there just aren't many out there, and the handful I found for sale were nowhere near the Midwest. Closest one at the time was in Rapid City, SD and I was a bit concerned about it because it has some parts missing from what I saw in the pix. I just couldn't commit to go look at a bike I wasn't sure I'd even buy. And there's the reality that I'd be buying it to have it, as lately I barely have time to hop on the bikes I have now, haha. The TR650 is basically the same bike as my G650, but on a weight loss plan. I don't feel that is a bad thing or any sacrifices were made for weight reduction. Biggest thing i'd research if I were serious about buying a Husky is if there are any dealers whether BMW or Husky who have the equipment to service it. Thanks a lot for watching and commenting. Would enjoy hearing more about what you decide!
@@ROCKINRODNEY thanks for your response. How many bikes do you have? I always wondered in regards to the tr. Both the TR and the Sertao are within comfortable distance of purchasing and dealerships. And the prices are not too far apart. The TR is better looking(although subjective), But then the Sertao is a typical BMW. Someone told me the other day to forget about both and get a twin. What do you think?
I have 2 presently. This BMW, and my 11 Husaberg FE570. I have considered a twin in the past. I originally intended to buy an F800GS instead of the G650GS. I think it depends on what you want the bike for. Up here the speed limits are 55, so a 650 is more than capable of functioning comfortably at that speed. The next thing that has kept me from considering a trade to a twin is that the twin gets considerably worse fuel mileage. At that time the 800 was performing at 48. The R1200GS was getting 42 mpg according to the factory sticker. My 650 is in the high 60s. There is a lot of nothing in northern WI and the UP of MI, so not having to worry about fuel matters to me. I imagine the bikes have the same range, but if they do, you have to carry that much more fuel to do it. So you will have to decide what your intentions are with the bike you choose. If you're hungry for power, you're going to want a twin. But if you're recreationally putting around some 2 track, you're not going wrong choosing a big single. In my opinion.
Hi David. Sorry, for some reason RUclips had placed your message in the "inappropriate messages" section. I have no idea why! Unfortunately, like alot of the stuff for our bikes, specifically from Touratech. It's sad to see. That said, I did some searching, and the only option I see out there these days is this one on Amazon: www.amazon.com/Adjustable-Folding-F650GS-F700GS-Adventure/dp/B073T1BFS2/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=bmw+g650gs+folding+brake+pedal&qid=1610229575&s=automotive&sr=1-3 I can't offer you any info on it, as I have no experience with it in any way. But this seems like the only option now if you want a folding brake pedal. Like the brake pedal, the chain guard looks to be discontinued. I didn't find any alternate resource to point you to for a similar option. My only suggestion is to keep an eye out on Advrider or the F650 sales sections and see if anyone happens to be selling a used one. Alternatively, you could contact Kildala2000 on either of those sites, and see if he can make you one. I didn't see any posts of his showing he has built one, but this item was a very simple design, and he has the skills to make something similar if he's interested in doing so. Sorry for the delay in response again, and I wish I could provide you with less compromising answers. I wish we had as many resources to get our parts from as we did in past years. Hope you have success with whatever you do!
@@davidfernandez5576 you're welcome David. If you go with that brake pedal, swing back by and let me know what you think of it. Other folks may be looking for the same thing someday.
You know Mark, that's a good question. I haven't tried removing it. That said, I'm sure you can. If you look at pictures of the Dakar model, it appears to be removed from the factory on that model. I've just never thought about doing it honestly. I have seen pictures of people replacing the "beak" with a dirt bike fender. I'm not sure how or which fender works best, but imagine with some creative inspiration it can be done, haha.
That's a good question, and I'm not sure about the answer. It would appear that they are different. I'm just not sure how different. You could try and talk to these guys and see if they have any experience with making different assemblies on the 01-03 BMW: www.britanniacomposites.com/us/lynx-r-dual-sport-fairing-bmw-650-x-challengex-country/ I'm not sure that they would have an answer, or a product you could try, but they might have some familiarity with it. They've been in business a long time. Sorry I can't be of more help. Thanks for checking out the video.
OBX! I have been dying to get out there on my bike for me it’s an hour and 45 minute drive. My ‘05 GS was stolen a couple of days ago I’m looking to replace it with a ‘13. Aside from headlights I was curious about any differences. I blacked out my windshield to remove glare on GPS. The mirrors I left stock they are durable.
Hello. OBX is an awesome ride. Coming from WI, going to a place where you can take a ride on the beach next to the ocean is a pretty wild experience. Definitely check it out when you are able. Man, I'm sorry to hear about your bike being stolen. I hope they catch whoever it was that took it. Honestly there's not going to be alot of differences between your '05 and '13 I don't believe. Maybe a slight horsepower improvement, and weirdly access to more exhaust options (no idea why). There was a recall for the way the fuel injection system performed, I believe it relates to my comment on random stalling. If you do a search on G650GS recall it should give more detail. That's probably the biggest thing to ask about from the reseller. Most changes were cosmetic. Blacked out windshield would probably look nice. Makes alot of sense. Never even thought of that. Might hide scratches. Yeah, I've never changed the mirrors. They seem like the first thing to break off if something does. I can't see a reason to buy anything fancier. Thank you for watching and commenting! Good luck with your new bike.
Hi Jason. Now granted this was back in like 2010 when I made this change. I felt like the stock light didn't put out enough light, especially living in a tourist town where people tend to turn off their brain while driving up here on vacation. So I wanted something that would stand out more to make people think twice before (hopefully) pulling out in front of me. Anyway, at the time, LED really wasn't an option. The go-to method for improving light was HID. Now the thing to understand with the F650GS single and early G650GS is that they use one bulb for both the low and the high beam. Like I say, it's a different world now, but at that time, the HID units didn't have a way to have multiple filaments. So how mine works is, it has a mechanical slide built onto the bulb, that blocks some of the light when in the low beam setting. My concern was always that the mechanical functions this light uses could ultimately fail. While this one never has, the first unit I received was dead on arrival. For that time, this was a rather expensive setup. The next issue I had was hiding the ballast for the lights. HIDs always had ballasts. The first unit -- the one that was doa-- actually had a larger ballast. There just is not a lot of room to hide it, but still keep it in a spot that receives some air for cooling. When I talked to the company (they were called 1 off motorsports) about the dead light, and my concerns with the large ballast, they said they would send me out a unit that they were testing, which was a higher output bulb with a slim ballast. With this second unit, I was able to find a spot for the ballast, just under the right hand plastics where there was no rubbing or disturbances to the bike while also being able to cool. The bulb did also function correctly. The bulb is also crazy bright. I believe 55-65 watts is typically standard for a bright halogen bulb. It's been a long time, but I believe this unit is a 110 watt monster. I kid you not, the thing is like the star of David in the middle of the day. Can't believe I haven't been pulled over. But what I'm getting at is, now you wouldn't have alot of these problems with changing your lighting by going to an LED. Most of them have any ballasts/cooling they need built onto the back of the bulb. Since they use a chip, I imagine they can be programmed to have a high and a low beam light simply by turning off LEDs when you switch to low. I could be wrong, but I would be shocked if they had to do something as complicated as a mechanical slide like mine has. The other thing is, the F and early G650GS didn't really have a bad headlight setup, I just wanted more light out to the sides, to see deer along the roadsides and such. Really that can be easily accomplished by coming up with some light mounts either on the crashbars, or somewhere else, and mounting something similar to 2 Baja Designs S2 units. The light you'll get out of a purpose built unit such as those will far exceed what probably any drop in bulb will do performance-wise. That said, theoretically dropping in an LED, you will probably never need to replace your headlight bulb again. If you go that route, and can find one that works with our bikes, just check out reviews to make sure they're legit. I would suggest that you not be afraid to spend money on one, when it comes to lights, I do believe you get what you pay for, which is why I do believe in long-standing names like Baja Designs, KC Hilites, and Rigid Industries. Their products may seem spendy, but there's no comparison once you get them in hand. Anyway dude, I hope this helps you out. If you do find an LED, I'd love to hear which unit you go for, as one of these days I'd like to replace mine to something else less complex. Good luck, and thanks for stopping by and checking out the video!
It absolutely does. This is true. Between those and the various fuel bottles on the market, if you need to carry fuel, there are options. The fuel range on this particular bike makes it pretty unnecessary in this part of the country. Thank you for watching and commenting.
You have the twin brother to my 07 GS, and your from Wisconsin also. Cheers! I’m going to go through your videos because when I look up aftermarket parts for mine I get frustrated for buying the goddam bike coming from a DR650.
Yessir! Some of the parts you can still get a hold of. I'm seeing that alot of the touratech parts have gone off the market, sadly. Alot of made crashbars and skidplates, but not many made folding brake pedals and chain guards. My best advice for finding parts is, keep an eye on the for sale sections on sites like advrider and f650. Occasionally people will sell off their aftermarket parts on there. Thanks for watching!
Yeah I hear that man! While not being the same, the UP has some great terrain. And if you're into snow, usually (haha) they have no shortage of it. Snowbikes and the UP are a perfect combination. That said, I wouldn't mind heading out to UT and visit my buddy eveRide one of these days.
Hi Charlie. I personally don't feel like the maintenance costs are overwhelming. From what I've been accidentally quoted for R1200 maintenance, G650 costs come in around 1/3 less. Whether the prices are unique to that dealer or not, I don't know. I don't really have much to go on for comparing maintenance to other bikes like a KLR, because I don't own any other bikes of this type. In my opinion, I think it might be more expensive than many other bikes. Sorry I can't be of more assistance. Thank you for watching.
@@ROCKINRODNEY Thanks for the reply. Somebody I know wants to get into the Dual Sport/Adv Bike riding, so I'm just checking all the options for him. I have the Yamaha XT1200Z. Also have a few videos 😊 Cheers mate
Yeah I wish I could offer more info. Alot of the maintenance costs on these bikes are relative to whether or not the valves get checked every 6,000 miles. I've been told by some people that they don't worry about the valves unless they're noisy and or the bike isn't running correctly. Because they have to pull quite a bit of stuff off of the bike to do the valves, this is where most of the cost comes from for the regular maintenance from the dealer of this particular bike.
@@ROCKINRODNEY I don't think valve clearances are a big issue, well from my experience with my XT1200. It was checked on 40000km and 60000km and no adjustment was needed. My previous XT660R had over 127000km and the valves were also still fine. I have my work done by my local Yamaha dealer. I guess it varies from brand to brand
Yeah I feel you're correct. Most people I've talked to that do their own valves on their beemers say they haven't seen any change with their valves for many miles. Checking it every 6k is probably more than necessary.
Nice review. I'm thinking about dipping my toe into the adv bike riding i have always done cruisers.. I've sit on the f800 and 1200 but they seem to tall. looking at a used 2010 g650gs nice seat height. a lot of choices out there. I noticed your BKVL sticker on your pannier i own property in that area nice roads to ride.
Hi Ronnie! Nice name also, haha. I really enjoy adventure bikes. I hope your experience is much the same. Before I bought this bike, I had planned to purchase an F800GS. But like you say, for me they are very tall, and unlike a dirt bike, the suspension doesn't squat when you apply your weight to the seat. Ultimately I bought this G bike, and I don't regret it. It does everything I've asked of it. The limitation is my capabilities as a rider. It's amazing that you know of BKVL (Bakersville, NC). I've had comments about my Outer Banks sticker, but you're the first for Bakersville. My family also has a place out there. In fact, my sister is out there hiking and taking pictures (her Instagram is @alladventuresmatter if you're interested). It is a great to just go for a ride. My first video I ever posted was a Shop with a Cop charity ride starting from Spruce Pine 8 years ago. Here's the link if you wanna check it out: ruclips.net/video/U_YJqCaPzk0/видео.html Whatever bike you decide to go with, I hope you enjoy the ride, friend. Thank you very much for watching, and also commenting!
Yeah it is. I especially enjoy winding around double island road. Coming from WI, and comparing our roads and speed limits to their much narrower roads with a 55 mph speed limit, which seems impossible to achieve in anything other than a sports car, it makes here feel like I'm riding in the safety equivalent of a children's wading pool.
Good review. I have the 2006 GS and love it, but it is a little crappy on clearance for off-roading. Thanks for the tip on the Happy Trails engine guard. I think I will get one. I have the BMW plate and cage and, yeah, I'm losing an inch at least. What do you do when you change the oil? I cut a hole in my OEM plate for the socket and to drain so I don't have to remove it each time. I guess you either remove it or have the big clean up afterwards? I've done my valves and checked them a few times. It's really not that difficult if you follow a good service manual. I have the Haynes one. I photograph before removing anything and bag the parts in labelled sandwich bags. I had one or two valves out of spec at 45k but they are still in spec at 110K now. Actually, it's pretty easy to check--a little more involved if they are out and you have to remove the cams, but even then it's quite doable. One of the things I like about the bike is that you can work on it without expensive tools. No rider modes, etc. And I went with Seat Concepts and am very pleased. I've done long days and long tours comfortably. The other thing I would recommend is sticking a 5/16 Golan mini fuel filter in before the OEM one. It will save you some dough. That OEM filter/regulator is expensive and supposed to be changed after 40K. Mine is still going. I clean the little Golan filter once a year. Happy trails, and thanks for the review.
Ah never mind re. my question about oil changes. I've just read the product description and they have thought of that. Amazing product. I hope they ship to Canada or I'll have to wait for the border to reopen.
@@650thumper Hi Kevin, I'm sorry for the delayed response. But yeah, you discovered what I was already going to tell you, haha. I really like the skidplate. Like you say, if you lack ground clearance, then the way to deal with it is to have a barrier that you don't mind taking the impact. The Happy Trails skid will take alot of that. And it also has the best side coverage of any skid I've seen on the market as well. It doesn't even cost that much. It makes for an easy recommendation in my opinion. But as far as any other messy procedures like changing the oil filter or what have you, alot of times I split things like soda bottles in half vertically, or use foil, or cardboard, and make kind of a half funnel just to try and keep things as clean as I can. Cleaning up oil sucks! I've heard the valves don't typically move a whole lot after the first adjustment or two. Idk, maybe someday I'll give it a shot. For whatever reason, I just seem to have the worst luck working on bikes. I may have to get a hold of a seat concepts setup, they sound good. And I'll have to check out your fuel filter tip as well. That sounds like a very good mod! I do like the simplicity of the fasteners on the bike as well. It does make it pretty painless to disassemble. Anyway, thank you for stopping by, watching my video, and commenting. It means alot! And I enjoy gaining knowledge from folks like yourself. We had our first snow this week. So now I'm getting things settled in for winter. Hopefully wherever you're at, you still have plenty of riding season left to enjoy. Have fun!
Hi Rodney. So I ordered the HT and Kildala plates today. Going to get rid of those other ones. Thanks again for the tip. I did a little off roading today but I don't know how many more decent days I can expect before the bike goes into storage. Got to get them in while we can. Take care.
Hey bud. My Heideneau K60s are 100/90-19 front and 130/80-17 rear. I'll be honest, I don't remember what tubes I used. I want to say they were heavy duty Michelins. If I were replacing my tires today, I'd probably look at the Motoz products and see if they have anything for me. Thanks for checking back. Cannot wait for it to warm up some more.
I understand and don't blame you Steve. In retrospect, I have no idea how I failed to edit that out. It wouldn't take much. I've thought about seeing if I can do it within RUclips so that I don't have to reupload it. It feels bad because I have enough subs now that redoing this video would feel bad to repost. Summer time I always end up with allergy issues, and like this day I was on allergy meds. But I still sniffle and stuff all the time, and I must not have picked up on it while editing. It wasn't until someone made a comment that I realized how annoying it is. I'm just not sure what I can do about it now, and this video has so many views that I'd hate to take it down and hope the repost gets the same attention. Anyway, thanks a lot for stopping in and commenting.
Nice review brother! I've always wanted an adv bike, keeping an eye out for a klr or something but I really like the new tenere 700.. Lip stick on a pig 🤣🤣🤣
Thanks Chad! Yeah they're fun bikes. It's funny, all these 650 bikes are gone now, and now Yamaha decides to bring the Tenere 700 to the US. I think it would be a pretty cool bike. They've been around other parts of the world forever, so parts and aftermarket support aren't going to be an issue. I mentioned it in this video, I think I'd still like to get a hold of, and build up, a Husqvarna TR650 Terra. After I finished this video, I spent a few days researching them, and there are a few out there for sale, and the aftermarket is pretty solid for them. I know exactly what I would want to put on it, and 95% is still available for sale. Things like the rallye sprocket guard, which aren't apparently, I can copy from my BMW and can make with my plasma cutter. Anyway, thank you for stopping by and commenting, and thank you for your help and discussions. You're a good dude.
Hi Stephen. Tourance are what came on my bike. I didn't really have any complaints against them other when I encountered mud on the trails out in the woods. I think it is better now than in the past for tire options. I think several options have been picked up by companies and imported into the states. I'll probably try out a set of Motoz Tractionators next. Thank you for checking out my video and commenting!
Hi Tim. I don't believe I did. My bike has around 30,000 miles on it. Our riding season isn't very long up here in northern WI, and if I'm honest, I really haven't ridden much the last few years. Not because of the bike, but moreso changes in my mood and desires. We all go through that stuff I think. Anyway, no real problems with the bike. I have read that there was a recall issued for the newer bikes that matches the same engine stalling complaint I mention in this video. I should contact one of the dealers and see if my bike is included in this action, and what needs to be done. Other than that, it's been a fun bike. At some point over the winter, I may dig into some of my riding footage, which would be mostly trail and forest road riding from in this area. If you're interested in checking that out, subscribe if you'd like (if you haven't), and sometime this winter I'll try to put together something in either a "talking over" format, or maybe just a raw riding video. Happy riding!
@@ROCKINRODNEY Thanks, I was trying to get a feel for how many miles I could expect one of these to last. There is a nice looking example for sale locally that has 25K miles on it, and was trying to get a feel for how many miles might be left.
@@taebert sounds good. There are people that take these all over the world and have well over 100k on them. So it wouldn't be realistic for a well maintained bike with 25k to have lots of life in it before needing a rebuild.
hey there ! great video ! :) i m hesitating between the ''normal'' f650 gs or the Dakar version. Is the normal one high enough for off road or would i be better off with dakar version (dakar is more expensive) thanks cheer
Hi nicolasm. You would probably be better off with the Dakar for a couple reasons, particularly when it comes to Offroad. It has a little bit more ground clearance. I believe there's a little bit more suspension travel, and it's tuned differently. And you get a 21" rim in front instead of the 19" rim that's on the standard 650. Having a 21" rim will open up alot more tire options compared to the 19". I would probably lean more towards the Dakar. Both will probably take you where you want to go, but the Dakar opens up some options you won't have with the standard bike. Thanks for watching my video. Good luck with whichever choice you make.
Hahaha, man those would take a beating. Doesn't NT8 have something like that? It's been a minute, so I don't remember exactly what his setup is. I could have gone alot farther on $600 doing something like you suggest. Thanks for stopping by and commenting sir! I appreciate it very much.
Hi Stephen. Thank you! My current tires are the ones seen in this video. These are Heideneau K60s front and rear. They've been a good tire I feel. I'm not sure what I would go with next. Some of the Motoz tires look good, and have good reviews. Thank you for watching!
Thank you very much! I'm trying to put together good videos. I was kind of gone for a while, but I've found enjoyment in making videos again. It's kind of funny, I have a ton of footage that I haven't gone through and made something out of. I'm not quite certain what I'll make for content throughout this winter, but at least some of my backlog will get made into videos, haha. among those is some video with my Beemer. I didn't really talk much in them. I have considered doing an eveRide style voice over with it. Idk, we shall see. Anyway, thank you for stopping by. Sorry again for the delayed response. And Happy Holidays to you!
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Come take a ride in the state forest within Vilas County, WI: ruclips.net/video/Nx9F6qKuAT8/видео.html
Timecodes
0:00 Intro to Me, My Channel, and My Background With the BMW G650GS
0:45 Stock Mirror Discussion, Why I Kept Them Stock
1:45 Wolfman Expedition Tank Bag
2:31 Cortech Tail Bag
3:49 BMW Travel Side Boxes, Why I Don't Like Them
6:00 HID Headlight
7:24 Windshield, Why I Kept It Stock
8:44 Seat, Why Mine Is Still Stock
9:49 K&N Air Filter, Discussing Challenge Of Servicing Air Filter
10:26 DirtSkins Fork Seal Guards
12:06 Touratech Fairing Crashbars
14:09 LED Taillight, BMW's Lax Wiring At The Taillight
15:54 Amsoil, My Oil Of Choice For Powersports
16:30 Factory Handguards And Heated Grips, What Handguards I Would Use
18:01 Heideneau K60 Tires, What Tires Work On Wisconsin Trails
20:10 Happy Trails Products Skidplate, Why You SHOULD NOT Keep The Factory Skidplate
23:29 Touratech Rallye Sprocket Guard
24:32 Touratech Folding Brake Pedal
25:04 Factory Footpegs, Why I Hate The Factory Footpegs
25:51 Touratech Master Cylinder Guard
26:11 Kildala2000 Center Stand Skidplate
27:09 BMW G650GS Overview, Why I Bought This Bike, F800GS
29:04 What Problems I Have Experienced With The BMW G650GS, My Fuel Choice
31:28 BMW G650GS Suspension, Ohlins Shock, Shout Out To MrDuhfactor
32:26 Servicing Quirks
33:11 Why I Like This Bike, Comparing The BMW G650GS To The Husqvarna TR650 Terra
34:54 Pausing For Frog Chirping, Because Why Not?!
35:17 Power Delivery And Fuel Mileage And Fuel Range
37:52 The Benefits Of A Lower Seat Height On The Road
38:28 Anti Lock Braking On A Motorcycle, Why This Is Nice To Have On A Motorcycle
39:44 Aftermarket Is A Benefit This Bike Enjoys, Discussion on Add-Ons The Husqvarna TR650 Terra Lacked
40:54 Longevity Of The BMW G650GS Lineup And Its Benefits, BMW G650GS Weight
42:12 BMW G650GS 11 Year Closing Thoughts, Share Your Thoughts In The Comment Section
42:56 Thanks For Watching!
Nice to see that real people still exist on the internet. No fancy movies and just having an honest story. Thank you for your informative message, you convinced me to buy one soon.
Thank you for watching and commenting! I think it's a great bike. Hopefully you'll also agree when you get your hands on one.
Pleasantly surprised by the amount of practical info in the video. I'm just getting into ADV bikes. Started with a KLR650 intending to lower it. But it was so tall and top heavy that lowering it sufficiently would have given up too much ground clearance and still been a big heavy bike for me. So I picked up a cheap DR650: lighter weight, lower seat, higher ground clearance, etc. Simply better for me. But then I found out that my '95 lacked the features I thought it had that actually came out in '96: designed to be lowered from the factory, more torque at passing speeds, and more. So I was looking for an F650GS when I came across a non running '05 F650GS DAKAR with 21" front wheel. It's in the shop now. Then today I found out that there was a lesser known G650X Challenger that may be a better fit for me! But as the Three Stooges would say: We shall see, but we shall see where this all ends up. I envy the man that can pick up one bike and ride it for 11 years. You got it right the first time!
The x-challenge is a cool bike. I would have liked to have bought one of those, but they're pretty hard to find. I would say the Husqvarna TR650 Terra is the spiritual successor to the X-challenge. Sadly both suffered from short model runs. Seems like a BMW 650 in that kind of trim is just not possible to keep alive for whatever reason.
Thanks a lot for watching and commenting!
I just put a deposit down on an f650gs…. Excited to ride again for the first time in 17 years!!!
I'm all ears , haha. That's awesome! Congrats on your new ride, and welcome back to the two-wheeled world. Do you have any trips planned yet?
Nice to hear your comments on this bike. Especially since you've had it for such a long time. I have a 2004. This summer will be my third year on it. Mine came with a factory low seat and a one inch lowering link so it's just low enough for me. Your right about the fuel range. It's exceptional.
Looks like you have beautiful riding where you are. I live in the Okanagan valley in Canada and the riding here is beautiful as well.
If you have ever wanted a close reach brake lever for your bike I have a video on my channel that has all the info.
Take care
Hey, thanks for your comment and watching the video! They're just a great all-around bike. I'll stop by and check out your video a little later. Thanks for mentioning it.
I have a 2003; the fact that BMW still hadn’t put a gas gauge indicator on this bike 6 years later blows my mind.
That’s my biggest issue with the bike, the fact that I don’t know when I’m low on gas until the light comes on.
Yeah the only time you really know how much fuel you have is when you fill it up. That and when the fuel light comes on. Besides that one, there are a surprising number of quirks that were never addressed during all of the years this model was offered.
Thanks alot for watching and commenting!
Agree that it would be nice to have but I just use my trip meter as a fairly accurate estimate. Once you've owned the bike for a while, you know what the high and low mileage per tank is and you should have a rough idea of how hard you're riding it.
@sociopathmercenary that's also how I keep track of my mileage. Especially with powersport toys, I seldom find the gauges to be very good at articulating what you have left until basically the last bar. The fuel tanks are always weird shapes. And the light on the BMW gives you plenty of notice I think.
Thanks alot for watching and commenting!
Mine is a 2015 and still doesn't have a gauge 😂
Yeah. When they sip fuel like the 650 does, seems like it doesn't need a fuel gauge, haha.
Plan on getting a 2009 BMW G650gs in two days. Its $3000 and comes with aux led lights,4 of the extra containers and some other aftermarket parts. Only issue is that it has several cosmetic scratchs from when it was in a minor crash 3 years ago. Current owner says it runs great but I'm still iffy on it.
Congrats! That sounds like an excellent deal. Hopefully it's all good mechanically. Scratches aren't the end of the world. I have a few of them on mine as well. Any plans for additional mods?
Thanks for watching and commenting?
Thanks for this. Just bought an '05 and appreciate your insight and informed opinions!
Hi Raymond. That's awesome! Congrats on the new ride. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Nice review, thks. It helped me decide to buy a 2001 F650GS and program some mods. It does everything reasonably well, including highway and off-road and that is a huge compliment for a motorcycle. Best regards from Portugal.
Thanks Pedro. Good luck with your new ride!
Never had any issues with my BMW 650 like yours. I put street tires on it and was able to keep up with the 1200GS's on roads with a lot of curves. And I've passed slow moving Harley riders with no problem to get away from their loud pipes or applying their brakes at every curve they came to. And once when I was riding with a friend and his wife who was just learning to ride, I got 70 MPG!!! I only had two complaints, the oil and filter changes are a little more of a hassle than most bikes, and it sounds kind of like a weed eater when you're riding it. But I had no issues with it at all. I only kept it for a couple of years and purchased a R1200 RT. I LOVED THAT BIKE!! Handle like a dream and if you ever got stuck behind a slow poke, or a three-mile line of Harley riders, no problem to get around them. I didn't listen to all this video because I was not interested in the accessories, I just wanted to know if it held up well.
Hi Ron. Yeah the 650 is a nice little bike. And I agree the oil changes are a not as user friendly as it probably should be. And I agree, the exhaust note isn't very impressive either haha. What amazes me is that despite the popularity of the bike, there aren't a lot of exhaust options for it. The aftermarket options I've seen were all around 102 db, which is way above usfs restrictions.
The 1200s are a cool engine. I love those things.
Thanks a lot for checking out my video and dropping a comment! Happy riding!
This was great! Watching in 2022
Thank you AngelFeatherFairy!
Thank you for the review and your thoughts. Appreciate the fact that you went into the detail that you did. A real review without bias.
Thank you very much! I tried my best to offer someone the info that I wish I'd have had myself, particularly with farkles. Appreciate you taking the time to watch my video, and thank you for commenting!
Great overview Rodney - thank you for sharing! I have had 3 x F650's over the years, and currently own a 2008 Dakar, and I can honestly say that this little bike continues to impress me with it's overall usability! It's just such an awesome all-rounder! I currently own a Honda dirt bike, my Dakar, and an 1150 GS Adventure, and yet I always find myself looking forward to riding this bike! It's fuel efficient, light, and has that old-school charm that a single cylinder thumper offers. Touch wood, I've had zero reliability issues with this bike, and doubt I'll ever get rid of it. With the price of new bikes now, I think I'd be crazy to want to change it. Thanks again for your video, and warm greetings from South Africa!
Hi Neville. That is awesome friend. The bike is just so easy to hop on and go... And keep going. And even when BMW themselves tried to kill it off in the US in 08, it kept going. It just is a solid bike. Thank you very much for watching and commenting friend!
@@ROCKINRODNEY my pleasure my friend! Thanks for your reply and please keep the videos coming!
Will do!
I still have my 2005 BMW F650GS up here in northern WI, purchased used in 2008 on eBay from FL. Plenty of quirks and quibbles, but it has been a joy overall. A bike with character. I have been so many places I never would have imagined exist, it's especially nice to get completely lost in the back country then find a highway and pop back home. And nimble around town. I enjoy looking at the new stuff that comes out, but I'm getting older myself and this one is paid for.
Hey Andrew. Good to hear that you're still out bombing around on the F650. You still hanging around Wausau? I hear ya. It's nice to look around, but it's alot nicer not having to pay for something all over again. After I finished this video last week, I started digging around the net, looking for TR650 Terras, and I found a few. The price isn't bad, and I can get most of the parts I'd want yet, and could probably fabricate what I can't find. The problem is, I don't know that it's different enough from a BMW to justify, so if I were to buy one, it would probably be just to see what it's like, and do like a budget adventure bike buildup series or something.
Anyway, glad to see you're still out there riding. Thanks for stopping in and watching my video.
This guy is effin beautiful! Gets to every point.... thoroughly.
Hahaha... Thanks MrRick. I tried to go over everything I could think of. There's a few questions people have asked about like cost to maintain, but that number is always changing. And the further into the past this video gets, the less relevant those numbers would be.
Thank you very much for watching, and your awesome comment!
I felt like I was talking about bikes with a friend. Very informative video, and you convinced me to buy one. I got an 03 Dakar.
Hi Adam. Thanks alot for the compliment! Yeah it's a solid bike. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Put a little bit of adventure armor on it and you're good to go throughout the world, haha.
Thanks alot for watching, and again for commenting. Have a great ride!
Thank you, I am actually looking at an 2004 right now, from the 1150gsa and 1150rt and a klr650, need something with a lower center of gravity if i am going to keep riding.
Hi Michael. Yeah the F650/G650 could be a good option for you. No complaints here. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Thanks Ron that is exactly what people want a long term review.I live down here in Oz and am looking at one to buy but,never had any long term users thankyou
Hey Rigga. You're welcome. Hope all is well down under. It's a solid bike imo. Hopefully you'll have the same experience with the one you get that I have had with mine. Thanks for watching and happy riding friend!
Wow bud.... that was a thorough review! I didn't realize that you bought that one new! She still looks great, much better than LaFawnduh!! Good to see/hear you my man....
Damon, thank you for stopping by sir! It means allot to me. Yeah, it amazes me how good it still looks. I attribute it to our soft soils around here, and those fairing guards have saved me a ton of scratches and panel damage for sure.
Excellent video. I enjoyed your casual approach, as well as the detail to which you described everything about the bike. Sounds like you've had a very rewarding ownership experience. Felt like a buddy was just telling me about his bike. I subscribed within the first two minutes. Keep it up. Cheers!
Hi Cesar. Thank you very much for the kind words! Much luv for watching, subbing, and commenting friend!
Great review, thanks. I'm looking at buying a used 650 gs, and your knowledge has been invaluable. I feel as though I'm on the right track.
Hey Geoffrey! That's great to hear. Hopefully you have many great adventures on your future ride. Thank you for watching and commenting.
Good news. I picked up an 03 model yesterday. Cheers Rodney.
That's awesome! Happy riding friend!
Super useful. Thank you. I’d love to hear more about the stalling issue and how you’ve dealt with it. I’m considering an f650 gs but that stalling issue gets mentioned frequently.
Hi Richard. I haven't dealt with it. After I made this video I discovered that the later year G650s did have a recall for something similar to this, but it didn't list my bikes model year as one associated with the recall. I had intended to call a BMW dealer to see if they could discuss this with me, but I have not yet.
Thank you very much for watching and commenting!
There might be occasions where the skid plate fails, but it is extremely well built. Its curved survace resists a lot of impact. I wouldn`t from the experiance of some serious crashes with the beemer to change it works well. We got 3 skidplates destroyed in the last years. Two stock KTM (which are really badly designed and integrated in the bike) and one aftermarket from a known manufacterer. The original Skid platedrom bmw got crushed and bend, but still holds and prevented serious damage. But of course, there will be situations where any specific product has some drawbacks and fails. Happy riding and i hope you and your beemer are still enjoing the ride
Hi Raba Iabab. Thanks a lot for the info friend. Like you say, everything has its breaking point. That's interesting that the KTM skid is integrated into the bike. That sounds like a bad idea to me. Thanks a lot for checking out my video and happy trails to you as well!
@@ROCKINRODNEYMy english is quite bad, so i hope i explain it correct. Actually the bolts holding the "adventure" aftermarket skidplate go horizontal in the engine/frame. So any force on them hit the bolts on the weaker, long side.
That is a maybe cool lokking, but quite useless design. You easily break the holding points.
The 650 Beamer has the bolts which get the full force of the impact vertical installed. They wont fail till the crash is so hard it destroys the bike anyway.
We ripped the ktm plate off by just some minor slides over a rock, the beemer plate withstood those without problems.
@rabalabab7505 I understand. It sounds like it's all in the fastening locations of the skid plate. That's pretty interesting! What kind of KTMs were you riding with?
@@ROCKINRODNEY 1190 adventure . The plates itself are metal. No way to destroy them without destroying the bike anyway. Its always the fastening which is the really important feature.
Like those crazy dropguards which are fastened to the frame itself. Just to ensure to give all force of the impact to the frame itself . And doing so destroying the frame instead of the 100$ handlebar. We had over the last 10 years at least a dozen bikes from the racetrack totalled that way in the workshop.
@rabalabab7505 wow I had no idea that was a thing with the handlebars!
I purchased a 2015 G650 for $6,200 in 2019 w 3.5K miles on her. I put about $6K into her since then and currently have 16K miles. She’s been a trooper. Necessities along the way have included: Touratech high seat; Touratech foot pegs; Touratech bash plate; Touratech progressive suspension set (forks/rear); Leo Vince exhaust (OEM exhaust set up was an incomprehensible WTF?!) solid crash bar set up from a Polish company; D.I.D chain; Metzeler Karoo3 tires; 14 tooth front / 45 Tooth rear sprocket set up to give me more 1st gear torque for off road; and blah blah blah, little things like Pelican cases, hard wired Garmin Zumo XT set up. She’s a loyal fraulein for sure. ✌🏼BOAR
Sounds like you have put together an awesome setup! I agree with your assessment with the exhaust. It's kind of a strange setup. I still haven't replaced it, but maybe I'll give the Leo Vince a look? How do you like the tone of it? Is it not too loud? I'd like something, just not too obnoxious.
Thanks a lot for watching and commenting! Happy New Year!
Nice review 👍. I’ve had an R 1150RS in the past , and now got the bug for another BMW. The 1200GS is too expensive and way more than I need. I now quite fancy a well kept F650GS so this vid has been very helpful.
Thanks Big John. The big bikes are alot of fun I'm sure. For here, and for my riding skill level, stepping up to something like an F800 doesn't really seem necessary and I don't have the skillset to take advantage of the extra HP Offroad. Since this video, I have searched for and found Husqvarna TR650 Terra bikes out there for sale. I have heavily considered picking up one of those bad boys to put together before all of the aftermarket disappears for it. It's just a little more Offroad oriented version of the f650/g650 with some more HP. I consider it superior to the Dakar/Serteo as well. In my opinion.
Good luck hunting for your next ride! Thanks for watching. Stop back and visit me again sometime.
Your G is an F650GS that was built in Brasil after the official end of the original F in 2009. It's got the new beak but everything else is still F650GS. The later G650GS that was built in Berlin has different plastic body parts and for sure some more differences. Not sure about the engine in yours, haven't watched the whole video yet. The original F's engine was built in Austria by Rotax whereas the one in the G came from Loncin in China.
Hello Bjorn. That's a really interesting. I had no idea the initial G bikes were built in Brazil. I have seen that some of the parts still have F650GS stamped on the parts. My engine is built in Loncin. The other day I learned that CF Moto builds motors for KTM. I had no idea. Figured Rotax built all of their motors still.
Thanks a lot for teaching me something new, and for watching and commenting friend!
A nice honest guy
Thanks alot for watching and commenting. Happy riding!
Your video was great. I’m thinking about buying a used BMW 650. And I believe you sold me on one. Just talking about the reliability.Thanks for posting greetings from Nashville
Hi Solon! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the video, and found it helpful. I hope you have fun with your new ride. Thank you for watching and commenting.
You mentioned that you are shorter and have a 30" inseam. I'd love to have an actual 30" inseam. Don't know how helpful this info will be, but here goes. At 5'4 with an actual inseam of 27" I AM a short rider. And ADV bikes are not a good or natural fit for me. A cruiser bike like my Intruder 800, yes. A standard like my Nighthawk 750 is tippy toe tall for me. A sport bike is too long of a reach to the clip-ons. The best DP fit so far has been my TW200, and I love it, but it's a bike I would trailer to the trails. And reaching the ground is only one challenge, sometimes reaching the side stand is near impossible without modification. I couldn't reach them on my MultiStrada 1000S, or on my KLR650. Never seen that addressed in a review, and I only find out by test riding, or after I bought it. 🙄 Now about that inseam. Most guys think that their inseam is what the label says on their favorite pair of jeans; not likely. You'd have to cram a tape measure up into your inner thigh/leg and measure down to the inner bone "bump" on your foot/ankle. (technically the Medial Malleolus) If you are shorter Rodney, you probably have a less than 30" inseam. As a guy, this is not an interesting discussion, but if you want your GF or wife to get into the sport, and she's 5'5 or less, pay attention. That's where the 650GS series come in. With a factory suspension lowering kit and factory lower seats, coupled with an under seat gas tank, they may be the only/best option for capable ADV riding. I invite you-all to an "actual inseam measurement" challenge! 😁
Hahaha, well that's interesting. I used my pants size to determine my inseam. So I guess I would be incorrect.
Thanks for watching and commenting.
Appreciate your efforts, very well described, useful information.
Thanks ❤
Thank you Masood. I appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment on my video!
I have 2000 650GS, hit 35000km today.
Modified shock and forks toDakar spec,but still with 19 inch front wheel. Changed water pump 2 times. Found the rootcause of poor engine starting issue -is loosened BMS terminal that moves by itself...
Rear shock -Wilbers has been working nice as much as Ohlins. Recommendable for its price at performance. Happy riding.
Thanks for sharing your setup, and congrats on 35000km HowRR! I'll have to check out that Wilbers shock. Happy riding to you too.
@@ROCKINRODNEY
Also I have been using Ammo can for pannier box for 15 years. Very heavy but sturdy well enough to protect myself when crashed during off road riding. Modified to tubless with 3M 8067 tape and RTV sealant 2years ago. Works just great. Highly recommended.
@@howrrmr.7172 Hey thanks man! That's some awesome info. I've seen people use ammo cans with much success. Much cheaper than those BMW boxes also.
GM 96537170
is the part number of fuel filter that fits to old models such as Aveo , Spark...
And this fits to F650GS fuel hose. Of course you need to tighten it with hose band. Under the seat there's room for this filter. Cut the hose and fit this in then you'll ptotect the BMW filter that is combined with regulator , which is unnecessary expensive.
Happy riding.
@@howrrmr.7172 HowRR, thank you for this great information!
Agree on the seat. My F650, essentially same bike, I changed to a Corbin seat - much better. I also switched to an iridium spark plug which fixed my idle and helped with off idle acceleration.
Additionally I cleaned out the throttle body (factory left a thick layer of clear assembly grease in the bore from sliding into the air cleaner). Lastly replaced battery with a Caltric AGM (direct fit) and charging cables added.
I changed the seat on the G650GS to a Seat Concepts one and fell in love with the bike all over again. Also kitted mine with GIVI brackets and cases, a kappa touring wind screen, and LED headlight assembly, and went on a 2,000 km two up road trip. Great bike.
I didn't even think about changing to an iridium plug, and I'm honestly not sure why. Always had very good luck with them in my snowmobile. Thank you for the tips, and for watching and commenting!
Which LED headlight setup did you go with? Do you recall?
@@ROCKINRODNEY Me? See here: ruclips.net/video/EN77eHQC1V4/видео.html
@@ROCKINRODNEY You could also see if cleaning your injector would help. After cleaning mine had about 3% improved flow.
great collection of information, thanks for taking the time to prepare it all !
You're welcome Michal. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for watching and taking a moment to comment. Happy riding!
what is nice about the side cases, they can extend out and get bigger if you need them to be.
This is true. The thing I've found is that if you expand the boxes for more capacity, it increases the chance that water might get in. I feel like, for what I paid for these boxes at the time, the better value would have been to look at other options. Particularly if it's seeing long distance Offroad trips.
Thanks for watching and commenting Matthias!
@@ROCKINRODNEY I see your point. I would have expected the side cases to be waterproof to be honest. I recently bought an f650 GS from 2000, which came with those side cases. I'm surprised to see how similar my bike is to yours.
I did too, haha. Yeah they didn't make a lot of changes to the bike for a long time. Some of the parts on my bike have "F650GS" stamped into yet actually. Made it nice for shopping around for aftermarket parts.
Great video, thanks Rodney!
Hey thanks alot for checking it out and commenting! I haven't looked up the givi cases yet to see what they look like, but I have to imagine that they're better than the BMW units in my opinion. I don't really have a reason to yet, but would maybe consider going from the HID headlight to the LED if it's a simpler setup.
@@ROCKINRODNEY It wasn't simple, I would stick with what you have if you're happy with it. GIVI makes a huge variety of different cases. I happened to find some 41 liter cases for dirt cheap about a 40 minute drive out of town so I grabbed them.
Oh ok dude. Yeah seems like the way this light is makes it tough for aftermarket kits. My HID is kind of complicated as well.
@@ROCKINRODNEY a lot of LED bulbs will just be plugged in place of what they represent. That's always an easy option
Yeah. My HID had a slider built on it to change the light physically block some of the light output for when it's on low beam. It hasn't yet, but I always get worried the it may fail one of these days.
My 2001 has almost 12500
Miles On her now. Still
Fires right up and moves on out., good
Bike.
Heck yeah John. They are awesome bikes! Thank you very much for watching and commenting!
Absolutely awesome video! so refreshing to watch, loved the frogs too. Am an Australian living in SE Asia with a Sertao version, I have an older RM250 and wanted something road legal, fits the bill perfectly. Have followed a lot of your recommendations! Watched this a few months ago when I first got the bike. Have fitted crash bars, skid plate straight away. Even found the LED back light here in Asia direct from China, was around 30 bucks. Installed philips ultinon led headlight bulb which is such an improvement. Hard to get tires here also, ended up with Pirelli MT60(not the RS or corsa version, the 50/50 version). Next thing I am doing is the fork protectors and am trying to find a foldable foot brake,gear shifter just incase and footpegs. Previous owner had dropped the bike offroad, bought it with bent Handlebars and a few scuffs here and there reasonably cheap. Parts relatively easy to find on ebay for example. Have serviced it myself recently. Don't think it had ever been serviced, had 1700klms on the clock, little bit of metal shavings on the magnet drain plug, hence my thinking never had first service. Fitted the K&N also, again per your video. Runs great, ready for some adventures.
Just want to thank you for your very down to earth video with such good information. Helped me out tremendously as you can read. Massive thumbs up!!
Hi Tremor. Thank you so much for the kind words friend. It means alot to me! I'm glad you've been able to chase down all the parts you've needed so far. Good luck with the folding pedals. I'm surprised touratech dropped building all of that stuff. Those bikes really haven't been off the market all that long, and tend to have a long service life. I may have to swap out my headlight to the led you suggested. I worry about the old HID sometimes. But it keeps working.
Thanks again for everything! Much luv for watching and commenting friend!
Where would u get 2 secondary Lights? Thx
Hi Edward. I would look at the Baja Designs lighting options. I use them on my truck and tractor. They are expensive. They are made in the USA and rebuildable. They offer a lot of beam options, colors, and form factors. The smaller models would be perfect for use on bikes. That's who I choose to go with for my needs.
Thanks a lot for watching and commenting!
Its crazy that ypu would saybthat about western nc roads i live outside of Asheville and am looking to get a 2013 in a few weeks
Hi Leonard. It's interesting coming from northern WI and riding around down there. I float around the Bakersville area. The footage I used in my commentary was in the Lake James area. I was down there again this past fall for the first time in a long time, and I was surprised to see that many of those roads down there have reduced their speed limits. Still love it down there. Lots of fun, crazy roads. I'd like to put together a UTV to wander around down there someday.
Congrats on your new bike! Are you picking it up from Eurosport of Asheville?
Love my Dakar. Run crap fuel though it, even sitting in the tank for a year no problems.
Idle issue, yep shut it off fire it up and good to go. I've done this procedure while driving (to save time).
Likes to eat clutch cables if you go off road. Always tuck in a spare routed in.
Changing oil sucks. Headlight sucks. Small inconvenience though.
That's a good tip for the clutch cable. Never thought of that. Thanks alot for stopping by and checking out the video!
Nice to see a G650
Hi John. I like the 650 machines. Seems like a shame that they're gone now. Thanks for watching my video, and for commenting!
Thanks for your review. Would you still consider buying the tr650? It seems to be a tough choice between both.
Yeah I would consider the TR650 still. As a matter of fact, I was looking around at some online throughout 2020 to buy and build before the good aftermarket parts dry up for it. Biggest reason why I didn't pull the trigger on one was because there just aren't many out there, and the handful I found for sale were nowhere near the Midwest. Closest one at the time was in Rapid City, SD and I was a bit concerned about it because it has some parts missing from what I saw in the pix. I just couldn't commit to go look at a bike I wasn't sure I'd even buy. And there's the reality that I'd be buying it to have it, as lately I barely have time to hop on the bikes I have now, haha.
The TR650 is basically the same bike as my G650, but on a weight loss plan. I don't feel that is a bad thing or any sacrifices were made for weight reduction. Biggest thing i'd research if I were serious about buying a Husky is if there are any dealers whether BMW or Husky who have the equipment to service it.
Thanks a lot for watching and commenting. Would enjoy hearing more about what you decide!
@@ROCKINRODNEY thanks for your response. How many bikes do you have? I always wondered in regards to the tr. Both the TR and the Sertao are within comfortable distance of purchasing and dealerships. And the prices are not too far apart. The TR is better looking(although subjective), But then the Sertao is a typical BMW. Someone told me the other day to forget about both and get a twin. What do you think?
I have 2 presently. This BMW, and my 11 Husaberg FE570. I have considered a twin in the past. I originally intended to buy an F800GS instead of the G650GS. I think it depends on what you want the bike for. Up here the speed limits are 55, so a 650 is more than capable of functioning comfortably at that speed. The next thing that has kept me from considering a trade to a twin is that the twin gets considerably worse fuel mileage. At that time the 800 was performing at 48. The R1200GS was getting 42 mpg according to the factory sticker. My 650 is in the high 60s. There is a lot of nothing in northern WI and the UP of MI, so not having to worry about fuel matters to me. I imagine the bikes have the same range, but if they do, you have to carry that much more fuel to do it.
So you will have to decide what your intentions are with the bike you choose. If you're hungry for power, you're going to want a twin. But if you're recreationally putting around some 2 track, you're not going wrong choosing a big single. In my opinion.
Hi, I have the same bike but I can't find the folding brake lever and neither can the chain guard.
could you help me? thanks
Hi David. Sorry, for some reason RUclips had placed your message in the "inappropriate messages" section. I have no idea why! Unfortunately, like alot of the stuff for our bikes, specifically from Touratech. It's sad to see. That said, I did some searching, and the only option I see out there these days is this one on Amazon:
www.amazon.com/Adjustable-Folding-F650GS-F700GS-Adventure/dp/B073T1BFS2/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=bmw+g650gs+folding+brake+pedal&qid=1610229575&s=automotive&sr=1-3
I can't offer you any info on it, as I have no experience with it in any way. But this seems like the only option now if you want a folding brake pedal.
Like the brake pedal, the chain guard looks to be discontinued. I didn't find any alternate resource to point you to for a similar option. My only suggestion is to keep an eye out on Advrider or the F650 sales sections and see if anyone happens to be selling a used one. Alternatively, you could contact Kildala2000 on either of those sites, and see if he can make you one. I didn't see any posts of his showing he has built one, but this item was a very simple design, and he has the skills to make something similar if he's interested in doing so.
Sorry for the delay in response again, and I wish I could provide you with less compromising answers. I wish we had as many resources to get our parts from as we did in past years. Hope you have success with whatever you do!
@@ROCKINRODNEY thank you so much.
@@davidfernandez5576 you're welcome David. If you go with that brake pedal, swing back by and let me know what you think of it. Other folks may be looking for the same thing someday.
I don’t like front fender being so close to tire, is it adjustable or removable? Or have aftermarket fenders?
You know Mark, that's a good question. I haven't tried removing it. That said, I'm sure you can. If you look at pictures of the Dakar model, it appears to be removed from the factory on that model. I've just never thought about doing it honestly. I have seen pictures of people replacing the "beak" with a dirt bike fender. I'm not sure how or which fender works best, but imagine with some creative inspiration it can be done, haha.
Is it possible to replace complete headlight for newer version? So I have 2001, and I want 2009 style like yours.. Thank you.
That's a good question, and I'm not sure about the answer. It would appear that they are different. I'm just not sure how different.
You could try and talk to these guys and see if they have any experience with making different assemblies on the 01-03 BMW: www.britanniacomposites.com/us/lynx-r-dual-sport-fairing-bmw-650-x-challengex-country/
I'm not sure that they would have an answer, or a product you could try, but they might have some familiarity with it. They've been in business a long time.
Sorry I can't be of more help. Thanks for checking out the video.
@@ROCKINRODNEY thank you for details.
@@urosfri you're welcome. Sorry I couldn't offer you more info. Good luck.
OBX! I have been dying to get out there on my bike for me it’s an hour and 45 minute drive. My ‘05 GS was stolen a couple of days ago I’m looking to replace it with a ‘13. Aside from headlights I was curious about any differences. I blacked out my windshield to remove glare on GPS. The mirrors I left stock they are durable.
Hello. OBX is an awesome ride. Coming from WI, going to a place where you can take a ride on the beach next to the ocean is a pretty wild experience. Definitely check it out when you are able.
Man, I'm sorry to hear about your bike being stolen. I hope they catch whoever it was that took it. Honestly there's not going to be alot of differences between your '05 and '13 I don't believe. Maybe a slight horsepower improvement, and weirdly access to more exhaust options (no idea why). There was a recall for the way the fuel injection system performed, I believe it relates to my comment on random stalling. If you do a search on G650GS recall it should give more detail. That's probably the biggest thing to ask about from the reseller. Most changes were cosmetic. Blacked out windshield would probably look nice. Makes alot of sense. Never even thought of that. Might hide scratches. Yeah, I've never changed the mirrors. They seem like the first thing to break off if something does. I can't see a reason to buy anything fancier.
Thank you for watching and commenting! Good luck with your new bike.
Great honest review. 5 star
Thank you very much. I try my best. Thanks for watching and commenting.
What was wrong with the install of the headlight. I'm looking to replace mine.
Hi Jason. Now granted this was back in like 2010 when I made this change. I felt like the stock light didn't put out enough light, especially living in a tourist town where people tend to turn off their brain while driving up here on vacation. So I wanted something that would stand out more to make people think twice before (hopefully) pulling out in front of me. Anyway, at the time, LED really wasn't an option. The go-to method for improving light was HID. Now the thing to understand with the F650GS single and early G650GS is that they use one bulb for both the low and the high beam. Like I say, it's a different world now, but at that time, the HID units didn't have a way to have multiple filaments. So how mine works is, it has a mechanical slide built onto the bulb, that blocks some of the light when in the low beam setting. My concern was always that the mechanical functions this light uses could ultimately fail. While this one never has, the first unit I received was dead on arrival. For that time, this was a rather expensive setup. The next issue I had was hiding the ballast for the lights. HIDs always had ballasts. The first unit -- the one that was doa-- actually had a larger ballast. There just is not a lot of room to hide it, but still keep it in a spot that receives some air for cooling. When I talked to the company (they were called 1 off motorsports) about the dead light, and my concerns with the large ballast, they said they would send me out a unit that they were testing, which was a higher output bulb with a slim ballast. With this second unit, I was able to find a spot for the ballast, just under the right hand plastics where there was no rubbing or disturbances to the bike while also being able to cool. The bulb did also function correctly. The bulb is also crazy bright. I believe 55-65 watts is typically standard for a bright halogen bulb. It's been a long time, but I believe this unit is a 110 watt monster. I kid you not, the thing is like the star of David in the middle of the day. Can't believe I haven't been pulled over.
But what I'm getting at is, now you wouldn't have alot of these problems with changing your lighting by going to an LED. Most of them have any ballasts/cooling they need built onto the back of the bulb. Since they use a chip, I imagine they can be programmed to have a high and a low beam light simply by turning off LEDs when you switch to low. I could be wrong, but I would be shocked if they had to do something as complicated as a mechanical slide like mine has.
The other thing is, the F and early G650GS didn't really have a bad headlight setup, I just wanted more light out to the sides, to see deer along the roadsides and such. Really that can be easily accomplished by coming up with some light mounts either on the crashbars, or somewhere else, and mounting something similar to 2 Baja Designs S2 units. The light you'll get out of a purpose built unit such as those will far exceed what probably any drop in bulb will do performance-wise. That said, theoretically dropping in an LED, you will probably never need to replace your headlight bulb again. If you go that route, and can find one that works with our bikes, just check out reviews to make sure they're legit. I would suggest that you not be afraid to spend money on one, when it comes to lights, I do believe you get what you pay for, which is why I do believe in long-standing names like Baja Designs, KC Hilites, and Rigid Industries. Their products may seem spendy, but there's no comparison once you get them in hand.
Anyway dude, I hope this helps you out. If you do find an LED, I'd love to hear which unit you go for, as one of these days I'd like to replace mine to something else less complex. Good luck, and thanks for stopping by and checking out the video!
@@ROCKINRODNEY thank you so much! You’re awesome for taking the time to clarify all this ! I’ll let you know how it goes!
@@camdaddymcpimperson you're welcome. Thanks again for watching. Looking forward to hearing what you go with.
great video!
Thank you Kris! Appreciate you watching and commenting.
Thanks
You're most welcome. Hopefully I gave you some ideas on where to start when it comes to mods. Thank you for watching and commenting!
2006 bmw f650 gs 74.000 km-------------engine oil 20w50 or 10w40?
Hi Ercan. I personally run 20w50.
So good sir
Thank you Wutt Model.
Rotopax 2 gallon tank gives you options.
It absolutely does. This is true. Between those and the various fuel bottles on the market, if you need to carry fuel, there are options. The fuel range on this particular bike makes it pretty unnecessary in this part of the country.
Thank you for watching and commenting.
You have the twin brother to my 07 GS, and your from Wisconsin also. Cheers! I’m going to go through your videos because when I look up aftermarket parts for mine I get frustrated for buying the goddam bike coming from a DR650.
Yessir! Some of the parts you can still get a hold of. I'm seeing that alot of the touratech parts have gone off the market, sadly. Alot of made crashbars and skidplates, but not many made folding brake pedals and chain guards. My best advice for finding parts is, keep an eye on the for sale sections on sites like advrider and f650. Occasionally people will sell off their aftermarket parts on there.
Thanks for watching!
Moved from Utah to Marinette love Wisconsin people just need my mountains and I’d have it made.👍🏼
Yeah I hear that man! While not being the same, the UP has some great terrain. And if you're into snow, usually (haha) they have no shortage of it. Snowbikes and the UP are a perfect combination.
That said, I wouldn't mind heading out to UT and visit my buddy eveRide one of these days.
How is the maintenance costs on these bikes? Is it also as pricey the big R1200Gs and BMW in general?
Hi Charlie. I personally don't feel like the maintenance costs are overwhelming. From what I've been accidentally quoted for R1200 maintenance, G650 costs come in around 1/3 less. Whether the prices are unique to that dealer or not, I don't know.
I don't really have much to go on for comparing maintenance to other bikes like a KLR, because I don't own any other bikes of this type. In my opinion, I think it might be more expensive than many other bikes.
Sorry I can't be of more assistance. Thank you for watching.
@@ROCKINRODNEY Thanks for the reply. Somebody I know wants to get into the Dual Sport/Adv Bike riding, so I'm just checking all the options for him. I have the Yamaha XT1200Z. Also have a few videos 😊 Cheers mate
Yeah I wish I could offer more info. Alot of the maintenance costs on these bikes are relative to whether or not the valves get checked every 6,000 miles. I've been told by some people that they don't worry about the valves unless they're noisy and or the bike isn't running correctly. Because they have to pull quite a bit of stuff off of the bike to do the valves, this is where most of the cost comes from for the regular maintenance from the dealer of this particular bike.
@@ROCKINRODNEY I don't think valve clearances are a big issue, well from my experience with my XT1200. It was checked on 40000km and 60000km and no adjustment was needed. My previous XT660R had over 127000km and the valves were also still fine. I have my work done by my local Yamaha dealer. I guess it varies from brand to brand
Yeah I feel you're correct. Most people I've talked to that do their own valves on their beemers say they haven't seen any change with their valves for many miles. Checking it every 6k is probably more than necessary.
Nice review. I'm thinking about dipping my toe into the adv bike riding i have always done cruisers.. I've sit on the f800 and 1200 but they seem to tall. looking at a used 2010 g650gs nice seat height. a lot of choices out there. I noticed your BKVL sticker on your pannier i own property in that area nice roads to ride.
Hi Ronnie! Nice name also, haha. I really enjoy adventure bikes. I hope your experience is much the same. Before I bought this bike, I had planned to purchase an F800GS. But like you say, for me they are very tall, and unlike a dirt bike, the suspension doesn't squat when you apply your weight to the seat. Ultimately I bought this G bike, and I don't regret it. It does everything I've asked of it. The limitation is my capabilities as a rider.
It's amazing that you know of BKVL (Bakersville, NC). I've had comments about my Outer Banks sticker, but you're the first for Bakersville. My family also has a place out there. In fact, my sister is out there hiking and taking pictures (her Instagram is @alladventuresmatter if you're interested). It is a great to just go for a ride. My first video I ever posted was a Shop with a Cop charity ride starting from Spruce Pine 8 years ago. Here's the link if you wanna check it out: ruclips.net/video/U_YJqCaPzk0/видео.html
Whatever bike you decide to go with, I hope you enjoy the ride, friend. Thank you very much for watching, and also commenting!
@@ROCKINRODNEY it's a beautiful place l will get both sites.
Yeah it is. I especially enjoy winding around double island road. Coming from WI, and comparing our roads and speed limits to their much narrower roads with a 55 mph speed limit, which seems impossible to achieve in anything other than a sports car, it makes here feel like I'm riding in the safety equivalent of a children's wading pool.
Excellent review
Thank you Mark. Appreciate you checking out my video.
Good review. I have the 2006 GS and love it, but it is a little crappy on clearance for off-roading. Thanks for the tip on the Happy Trails engine guard. I think I will get one. I have the BMW plate and cage and, yeah, I'm losing an inch at least. What do you do when you change the oil? I cut a hole in my OEM plate for the socket and to drain so I don't have to remove it each time. I guess you either remove it or have the big clean up afterwards?
I've done my valves and checked them a few times. It's really not that difficult if you follow a good service manual. I have the Haynes one. I photograph before removing anything and bag the parts in labelled sandwich bags. I had one or two valves out of spec at 45k but they are still in spec at 110K now. Actually, it's pretty easy to check--a little more involved if they are out and you have to remove the cams, but even then it's quite doable. One of the things I like about the bike is that you can work on it without expensive tools. No rider modes, etc.
And I went with Seat Concepts and am very pleased. I've done long days and long tours comfortably. The other thing I would recommend is sticking a 5/16 Golan mini fuel filter in before the OEM one. It will save you some dough. That OEM filter/regulator is expensive and supposed to be changed after 40K. Mine is still going. I clean the little Golan filter once a year.
Happy trails, and thanks for the review.
Ah never mind re. my question about oil changes. I've just read the product description and they have thought of that. Amazing product. I hope they ship to Canada or I'll have to wait for the border to reopen.
@@650thumper Hi Kevin, I'm sorry for the delayed response. But yeah, you discovered what I was already going to tell you, haha.
I really like the skidplate. Like you say, if you lack ground clearance, then the way to deal with it is to have a barrier that you don't mind taking the impact. The Happy Trails skid will take alot of that. And it also has the best side coverage of any skid I've seen on the market as well. It doesn't even cost that much. It makes for an easy recommendation in my opinion.
But as far as any other messy procedures like changing the oil filter or what have you, alot of times I split things like soda bottles in half vertically, or use foil, or cardboard, and make kind of a half funnel just to try and keep things as clean as I can. Cleaning up oil sucks!
I've heard the valves don't typically move a whole lot after the first adjustment or two. Idk, maybe someday I'll give it a shot. For whatever reason, I just seem to have the worst luck working on bikes. I may have to get a hold of a seat concepts setup, they sound good. And I'll have to check out your fuel filter tip as well. That sounds like a very good mod! I do like the simplicity of the fasteners on the bike as well. It does make it pretty painless to disassemble.
Anyway, thank you for stopping by, watching my video, and commenting. It means alot! And I enjoy gaining knowledge from folks like yourself. We had our first snow this week. So now I'm getting things settled in for winter. Hopefully wherever you're at, you still have plenty of riding season left to enjoy. Have fun!
Hi Rodney. So I ordered the HT and Kildala plates today. Going to get rid of those other ones. Thanks again for the tip.
I did a little off roading today but I don't know how many more decent days I can expect before the bike goes into storage. Got to get them in while we can. Take care.
@@650thumper that's cool. I wasn't sure if kildala made his plates anymore. When I went looking for his store page, it was gone.
I messaged him at ADVRider.
What size tires are you running? The total number, tubes?
Hey bud. My Heideneau K60s are 100/90-19 front and 130/80-17 rear. I'll be honest, I don't remember what tubes I used. I want to say they were heavy duty Michelins. If I were replacing my tires today, I'd probably look at the Motoz products and see if they have anything for me. Thanks for checking back. Cannot wait for it to warm up some more.
Thank you, been in the cold garage looking at my 650gs can’t wait till spring.
@@utahbones3094 yeah I hear you there. It's been a rough couple of weeks for sure.
I was getting into it but then the snot and the sniffing the snot back up started and that stopped me watching
I understand and don't blame you Steve. In retrospect, I have no idea how I failed to edit that out. It wouldn't take much. I've thought about seeing if I can do it within RUclips so that I don't have to reupload it. It feels bad because I have enough subs now that redoing this video would feel bad to repost. Summer time I always end up with allergy issues, and like this day I was on allergy meds. But I still sniffle and stuff all the time, and I must not have picked up on it while editing. It wasn't until someone made a comment that I realized how annoying it is. I'm just not sure what I can do about it now, and this video has so many views that I'd hate to take it down and hope the repost gets the same attention.
Anyway, thanks a lot for stopping in and commenting.
Nice review brother! I've always wanted an adv bike, keeping an eye out for a klr or something but I really like the new tenere 700.. Lip stick on a pig 🤣🤣🤣
Thanks Chad! Yeah they're fun bikes. It's funny, all these 650 bikes are gone now, and now Yamaha decides to bring the Tenere 700 to the US. I think it would be a pretty cool bike. They've been around other parts of the world forever, so parts and aftermarket support aren't going to be an issue.
I mentioned it in this video, I think I'd still like to get a hold of, and build up, a Husqvarna TR650 Terra. After I finished this video, I spent a few days researching them, and there are a few out there for sale, and the aftermarket is pretty solid for them. I know exactly what I would want to put on it, and 95% is still available for sale. Things like the rallye sprocket guard, which aren't apparently, I can copy from my BMW and can make with my plasma cutter.
Anyway, thank you for stopping by and commenting, and thank you for your help and discussions. You're a good dude.
in the uk tyres are easy to get , i run on metzler tourance but others are easy to get in the uk .
Hi Stephen. Tourance are what came on my bike. I didn't really have any complaints against them other when I encountered mud on the trails out in the woods. I think it is better now than in the past for tire options. I think several options have been picked up by companies and imported into the states. I'll probably try out a set of Motoz Tractionators next.
Thank you for checking out my video and commenting!
Did you mention how many miles you have put on it?
Hi Tim. I don't believe I did. My bike has around 30,000 miles on it. Our riding season isn't very long up here in northern WI, and if I'm honest, I really haven't ridden much the last few years. Not because of the bike, but moreso changes in my mood and desires. We all go through that stuff I think. Anyway, no real problems with the bike. I have read that there was a recall issued for the newer bikes that matches the same engine stalling complaint I mention in this video. I should contact one of the dealers and see if my bike is included in this action, and what needs to be done. Other than that, it's been a fun bike.
At some point over the winter, I may dig into some of my riding footage, which would be mostly trail and forest road riding from in this area. If you're interested in checking that out, subscribe if you'd like (if you haven't), and sometime this winter I'll try to put together something in either a "talking over" format, or maybe just a raw riding video. Happy riding!
@@ROCKINRODNEY Thanks, I was trying to get a feel for how many miles I could expect one of these to last. There is a nice looking example for sale locally that has 25K miles on it, and was trying to get a feel for how many miles might be left.
@@taebert sounds good. There are people that take these all over the world and have well over 100k on them. So it wouldn't be realistic for a well maintained bike with 25k to have lots of life in it before needing a rebuild.
hey there ! great video ! :)
i m hesitating between the ''normal'' f650 gs or the Dakar version. Is the normal one high enough for off road or would i be better off with dakar version (dakar is more expensive)
thanks
cheer
Hi nicolasm. You would probably be better off with the Dakar for a couple reasons, particularly when it comes to Offroad. It has a little bit more ground clearance. I believe there's a little bit more suspension travel, and it's tuned differently. And you get a 21" rim in front instead of the 19" rim that's on the standard 650. Having a 21" rim will open up alot more tire options compared to the 19". I would probably lean more towards the Dakar. Both will probably take you where you want to go, but the Dakar opens up some options you won't have with the standard bike.
Thanks for watching my video. Good luck with whichever choice you make.
@@ROCKINRODNEY thanks :)) i think I’ll go for the Dakar then !:)
@@nicolasm9732 I think you're going to be happy with it. Happy riding friend!
defo take the Dakar, if you're keen on off roading. stiffer suspension, longer travel, bigger ground clearance.
So nice sir
Thanks for watching!
Need some of those big heavy assed ammo cans welded up on there with genuine accessory tire holders. :)
Hahaha, man those would take a beating. Doesn't NT8 have something like that? It's been a minute, so I don't remember exactly what his setup is. I could have gone alot farther on $600 doing something like you suggest. Thanks for stopping by and commenting sir! I appreciate it very much.
hi good review !! what tyresare you running on ???
Hi Stephen. Thank you! My current tires are the ones seen in this video. These are Heideneau K60s front and rear. They've been a good tire I feel. I'm not sure what I would go with next. Some of the Motoz tires look good, and have good reviews. Thank you for watching!
Great thanks.
You're welcome Alan. Thanks for watching.
Same issue with the stalling at stop lights.🤣👍🏼
Yeah. Back in the day I complained about it to the dealer several times. You'd think it wasn't a bit of a safety hazzard or something.
Digging your channel
Thank you very much! I'm trying to put together good videos. I was kind of gone for a while, but I've found enjoyment in making videos again. It's kind of funny, I have a ton of footage that I haven't gone through and made something out of. I'm not quite certain what I'll make for content throughout this winter, but at least some of my backlog will get made into videos, haha. among those is some video with my Beemer. I didn't really talk much in them. I have considered doing an eveRide style voice over with it. Idk, we shall see. Anyway, thank you for stopping by. Sorry again for the delayed response. And Happy Holidays to you!
The best Bike for low Price what you can by !!!
Absolutely agree. It's hard to make a compelling argument against something that simply does what is asked of it. Thanks for watching Giuseppe.
Hey Ron!
Hello sir! sorry for the delayed response. I guess RUclips is very selective in what messages it lets me know I received.
👍👍👍👍👍🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗............
Thanks!
did U notice what kind of bike U own for 11 years???? g650gs ???
That's what it is.