BMW F 650 GS reviews

My riding is 90% on the highway to remote places where the road turns into twisting shale rock, most of which is up hills. The engine guard allows for log jumping on trails and the occasional rock mishap without any damage. The factory tires work well in most conditions, if you plan on doing much in the mud replace them though. This bike has plenty of power for on and offroad use. The only complaint I have had is on long trips ( 2+ hours )the seat becomes uncomfortable. Show less

I recently test drove and purchased my first BMW, the F800ST. I hopped on up on the excellent looking graphite grey colored F800ST and first thing I noticed was how great the bike looks from behind and how awesome the weight distribution was on this bike. Keep in mind, that this is my highest compliment I can most humbly offer as I am a huge Italian bike fan and the Italians absolutely own Sexy. The temp was in the upper 30s F and I had just had a pretty cold 18 mile into town. Now is the time to see what these Beemers are made of and try to understand how these guys put 30,40 and even 50+ thousand miles a year on these machines. Will I be comfy? Will I be warm? What will the wind resistance be like at speed? Off we go. First thing I notice is that although the HP rating of my Ducati S2R1K and the F800ST are similar and p/w ratios are in the same area, the F800ST does not have anywhere near the snap of the Monster, not even close. It is more confident and mature in it's manners. I am not sure how to process that as it hits me and then I take my first city corner...wow that was smooth...lets get on the superslab and head to the tightest technical corners I know my Duc can eat that provides a big jolt. Will I get a jolt? The bike does everything I ask. As I lean it though the clover of the onramp, I quickly notice that the bike is one of the smoothest and most stable cornering I have ever felt. Period. On the Highway, the ride is totally sublime, I wind it smoothly up through the gears and look at the speedo and I am at 80-85 MPH. Is that right? This is the smoothest and most comfortable 80+ I have ever had on any bike..Period. A Few miles up the road and off the ramp onto my intended highway. A local favorite of mine (and my Duc friends) it starts off with some nice wide sweepers,50-60 MPH. A few Rail road tracks and wow those are some nice smooooth...brakes. I am familiar with the likes of Brembos, but the chasis does not dive like an Italian. I think to myself those hot grips are real nice and toasty as the dash tells me it is 38.6F. I am feeling great, it is chilly, but I am ready to ride for hours. Can this really be? It is on up to the tight stuff and I gently nudge her over and she falls perfectly in...and I mean perfectly into my chosen line. As I hit the corner apex. I am powering it through and rolling on strong, the bike sticks like GLUE. Me thinks, Glorious. This German beauty is stunning! One word comes to mind...S-O-L-D. Let me run that set of corners again. Was it really pulling through there that freakin smoothly?!! On back through in reverse and yes..it is for real. S-O-L-D. I drove her home last night and I must say that this bike is nothing short of fantastic. I took a spin on a K1200GT before I closed the deal on the F800ST and came back after about 15 minutes, for me and my riding desires..the F800ST is the Beemer for me. The bike is beautiful and in 24 hours it has charmed the pants off of me. This Beemer is a real world CLASS middleweight! Wind Resistance 9 Ride feel 10 Ride Performance 10 Power 10 (Fast feels slower than it is, which for a sport tourer is a sign of perfection) Ergos/Comfort 10 Build Quality 10 Dealer Experience 10 Show less

Just picked up my Dakar, I have to give BMW a compliment, the Bike is so much fun and so comfortable and great to ride. I am from Europe and drove the Honda Africa Twin and other bigger Enduros, but the Dakar is by far the best Enduro I drove yet! It is also a big eye catcher, lots of people ask me at red lights what kind of Bike it is? Only issue, my Bike only has 82 miles on so far and I have a problem finding neutral, according to the service technician at the dealership the Dakar has a de-tuned racing motor and that the motor likes higher RPM,s but the problem should go away after the drive in period!?! Also, make sure that you are close to 6 feet tall, otherwise you have to stand on your tippy toes! Coming from big enduros to big heavy cruisers back to enduros, the BMW is by far the best and funnest Bike I have ever ridden! Go out and get one, you will love it!!! Show less

I had been out of riding for about 12 years and decided New Years Eve to get back into it. I wanted a high mileage medium cc bike that I could ride anywhere I wanted to go, on road, off road, but I didn't want a bike that looked or rode like an Enduro. Then web surfing I saw it. The F650GS from BMW. It looks more road bike then dirt, it rides more road bike then dirt, and that works great for me since 95% of my riding is on the asphalt. I've taken it offroading and found it works just fine, not as well as it would if it had true off road tires, but well enough for the 5% of the time I drive it off road. The 4 gallon gas tank is great, and at 58 mpg it's got quite the range. The bike has no problem maintaining 80 mph and still has more power for passing trucks or other slow vehicles. I've taken it on several 400+ mile trips and found it very comfortable for solo riding. My wife on the other hand said it could use a back rest and she would be fine. I mostly use it for my daily commute to and from work. What used to cost me $6.50 a day in gas is now $8.00 a week. Am I happy? You bet. Half the cost of the bike is being offset by my savings in gas. And this bike makes doing your part to save energy a blast. Show less

Finally got back on a motorcycle! Interstates are off my scope for bikes - crazy drivers and not all that much fun. After much research, I settled on a 10 month old 2006 F650GS. It is perfect for me and what I want from a mid-size bike. Looks fantanstic, plenty of power, great mileage. With both a side and center stand, it is easy to keep clean and maintain. The single point aircraft type fuel port makes refueling a breeze and never a drop spilled. I like the fact the tires have tubes - additional safety as far as I am concerned. The stock windcreen is low - more for off road applications so I will purchase a tall version. Add a top case and overnight trips will be all set. I love this machine. Show less

After an 83 R65, an 89 K100RSA, and a 98 K1200RS Taxi, I'm finally on the right bike! The bike handles almost as good as the Ducati ST3 I test rode. Think it and it's done! There is no need to spend the money on 95 fuel, the bike will run on 87(the gas cap says 89). Tank two and 43.6 miles per gallon! I loved the rocketship K1200RS, but it would never get more than 35 miles per gallon. Bike has loads of comfort to boot! (Put an Aeroflow on it and it will almost rival an RT!) If you have been thinking about getting one of these bikes, QUIT THINKING AND GET IT! Show less

I've onwned a Harley Sportster 1200, a Yamaha and a Suziki racing bike and all of them are nothing compared to this bike, the BMW 1200GS. This is really something special because it's a tourer and a sportsbike all in one. When you drive, it is like you are driving it in confidence and with it. This is something really special. I think it is the best all around bike on the globe. It has everthing. I am happy with it and I think it's my last bike to own, or it must be a new BMW 1200 GS. Buy this one and you won't regret it or take a test drive on it at your BMW dealer at least. Show less

This bike is an engineering masterpiece. Every once in a while in life, someone puts something together that is just right, that is Zen, and that is the 1200 GS. I had an 05 RT before this and I drove like an old man. With this bike I am hammering it. It begs to be driven and hard. It handles like nothing I have ridden. It instills rider confidence and will do whatever you want it too. I tell you the truth with my wife on the bike, I feel her less then the top heavy RT. For her the ride is the same. Of course it doesn't have the wind protection for me, but who cares. All you need is the proper clothing and this issue is gone. The windshield having said that, works amazingly well and with the proper gear, you are just as well off with a better handling motorcycle. I am getting about 43 miles per gallon on my third tank of gas and ride only city stop and go, I am not unhappy with that. Can not recommend this bike enough. Fit and finish is all BMW best, nothing can touch it...Whatever you want to do, this bike will do it. Ride safe. Show less

This bike was purchased in April 2003 and is the 44th motorcycle I own. Obviously, serious trail riding isn't something that can be done with a machine this size, but then that wasn't the intention. It does very well on an occasional dirt road but this bike is one of the best all around touring motorcycles avaiable. It is nimble in the curves and handles an interstate with no sweat. The more you load it with luggage and gear, the better it handles and the smoother the ride. I am 5'7 and I have no trouble at all with the GS. It's great for an afternoon ride or a 4,000 mile vacation. Heated grips are wonderful and the mileage range is good too. The only alteration that is a must is the stock seat! Much too soft and it is literally a pain in the butt. Overall, the R1150GS is a fantastic machine. Show less

The 04 Adventure has been a great bike. I like it's adaptibility. It is a decent off road bike and can take you on the those long distance rides in fairly good comfort. For those looking to off road more, you might want to consider that the bike feels extremely top heavy, is hard to handle in deep sand or gravel without maintaining a dangerous speed, and the lowest gear is not low enough to engine brake on trails where you need to lower your speed to 25 MPH or slower. So, going down steep dirt hills with no engine braking and nothing but your brakes on a 500+ lb bike equals difficulty. This may be different for some but I found the bars to be too low to stand for extended periods of time. I also found the footpegs too narrow and uncomfortable while standing. For touring the bike is great, it keeps a straight line on the highway and can handle high wind and gusts with its weight and power. You can load a lot of gear onto the bike with room to spare. The windshield is a little shorter than I needed (I'm 6'4). The seat is incredibly uncomfortable... way too soft and limitis long distance riding without an aftermarket seat or seat pad of some kind. Dispite a few short comings, I still love the bike over others and can easily fine tune the bike to fit me just right with a few aftermarket products. Show less