BMW F650GS

Having just had the first service on my new F650GS, I would say that its great as a steady work commute bike. Its rather dull to ride but returns great consumption and I hope it will last through many a winter. There is no grin factor with this bike. It looks good, but lacks the power to put the smile on your face. The front suspension is way to ridged and sends every bump right through to the handle bars. The gear ratio is set for motorways only, which creates issues when trying to ride in town. Try and ride at 30mph and you will find the need to keep changing from 2nd to 1st if the traffic drops by only 5mph. I would been keen to here from anyone that has changed the ratio.

Having enjoyed more than 60000 miles on the old type F650, I was a little nervous as I threw my leg over the gleaming demonstrator at Clarkes BMW in Birmingham. First impressions count a lot, and the overall design and more dirt bike inspired bolted together look appealed instantly. The seat is much lower, the springing firmer, the mass carried lower (because of the under the seat petrol tank)and the engine sounded like a well damped wet fart. But, and its a big but, it went like the proverbial shit of a shovel. No longer the hesitation to let the engine slog at low revs, or the need to short shift through the gears when giving it some head, ...  Read the complete review