Best BMW G650GS Modifications

[@toddwmac]

My wife loves her G650 GS so it is great to see people still creating content on this bike. Would love to see more/any maintenance related vids. The BMW tech can be brilliant and it can be a bit frustrating if you don't have a lot of history with it and taking it to the a dealer is almost a joke. Thanks for your content.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Thank you. I'm putting out a bunch of content on it but it's mostly centered around the 2,000 km ride I did on it!

[@edgarbleikur1929]

Cheers for this. Returning to my 2011 g650gs nearly 10 years after crashing it and looking for upgrade options.

[@kimnicholas345]

I fitted a Airhawk inflatable seat pad on mine, can sit all day in the saddle also the Givi touring screen, a real game changer in a cold climate love the bike.

[@YouMotorcycle]

How tall are you? I don't know if I could sit on top of a seat pad on this bike. My little feet would be kicking in the air like a short person on a bar stool.

[@donatospoony]

I’ve lost 70lbs , and my mirror extenders are still my favourite mod. Nice video.

[@YouMotorcycle]

That's awesome, congrats, and thank you. Tons of G650GS content and more to come, subscribe if you'd like :)

[@daegueric]

I've got the old Dakar, an '05 with almost 70,000 km. It is VERSATILE. I love the thing! +1 on emulators. If you ride with pillion or pack for long trips, it really reduces fork dive on hard braking. There are handling benefits, as well, and they're not just off-road. My bike feels a lot more planted on corners, for one. Mine are Ricor, and they're a drop-in solution.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Hey Eric. Would you recommend them as worthwhile even for someone who is 90% riding paved roads?

[@daegueric]

@@YouMotorcycle Unquestionably. Feedback from road is vastly improved. Cornering is better.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Good to know, thank you!

[@edgarbleikur1929]

@@daegueric Cheers. I'm returning to my 2011 g650gs after crashing it in 2012. It always had some quirky tip-in issue on long sweeping bends that no one could put their finger on. This upgrade might help. And new tyres. I often thought it was the under seat fuel tank sloshing over a baffle at that angle...

[@cocoscabana]

Hey Eric...so the miles are still solid? There's one near me, that has every upgrade imaginable with 30k miles, Dakar, and you wouldn't hesitate for me to take on my RTW trip solo? With high miles? That's one of the reasons I was looking at a new (er) 310gs rally?

[@jimpannell2035]

Thanks for the video! Love seeing new G650GS related content. Keep it coming!

[@YouMotorcycle]

Hey Jim. Thanks! Will do!

[@ralfdiehl4677]

I'm quite tall, my legs are long. I changed to let the seat be modified by professional, lower foot pegs, new mirrors, an oiler for the chain, crash guards for the tank to install the front bags, an oil thermometer, and an appliance holding the navigation device.

[@mikemack3243]

What kind of oil thermometer you got? One that screws instead of the oil cap? Thanks

[@r.foshee1578]

Thank you for confirming my stock seat hurts something terrible!

[@r.foshee1578]

I have to sit on the passenger seat to get comfort

[@YouMotorcycle]

😆 yeah, it's, definitely not you. The stock seat is a pain unfortunately

[@Fjord_Driver]

It's not two mufflers. One is apparently a catalytic converter for emission requirements.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Yup I have a video coming up where I show how to uninstall it

[@baurmr.6660]

Front fork spring to progressive HD Rear shock to Wilbers It changes your ride a lot...

[@YouMotorcycle]

Are you using it off road a lot?

[@howrrmr.7172]

@@YouMotorcycle Sorry for late check. This was my old device YT account. Heavy duty progressive fork spring does relieve nose dive stress and bumping down to bottom. Wilbers rear shock is much more robust than OEM parts or Ohlins at considerable price. On and off road, it reads road condition great. I modified fronk fork - 19 inch wheel and fork tube travel to Dakar spec. With spring and inner road spacer for Dakar spec. It is hybridized setting for more off roading and easier on roading with 19 wheel. Spring change was a good decision for tougher absorption. Eventually, it is old bike with old parts.F650gs. Changing some parts make big improvement...

[@peterfettig8666]

I have been thinking about upgrading the seat for a couple years now. I've been using a generic Air Hawk and that helps quite a bit, but I had no idea you could put an old F seat on G bike. They'll all fit for sure?

[@YouMotorcycle]

Not All!! Only the seats from the F650GS single (650cc). Not the new F650GS twin (800cc). Hope that clarifies it. If you can't find a used stock seat for cheap I would definitely spend a little extra on the Seat Concepts option. They also have two different sizes available which is handy. Hope this helps!

[@ffejkk37]

I tried a few brands but seat concepts was the better option for dual sport. It's thinner toward the front for comfortable standing.

[@cocoscabana]

Yes I will be looking as well. I was dead set ready for the gs310rally for my rtw tour solo, but now I'm considering the 650, since it is still light weight. I'm strong for my short self, but thinking the 650 would be better? No way am I going with a "dirt" style and seat dual sport..I want comfort...but I will be decking her out (which ever one) for off road backroads as well.

[@sierrafoxtrotgolf3638]

I asked this on another of your videos a few minutes ago, but I do Iron Butt rides; will 650GS do highway speeds all day, like 75-80 (120-130KPH) across North Dakota and Montana or Winnipeg to Calgary?

[@YouMotorcycle]

Hey, just answered you're other comment, but now that I know that the context is iron butt rides I'm going to add to it here for anybody who might come reading the comments in the future (see the bottom for the part I'm adding here for you): It'll do 75 mph all day long comfortably in my opinion. In 5th gear, 75 mph is right around 4900 rpm, and 85 mph is 5500 rpm. After 85 mph, you've still got a bit more power to get you all the way up to a theoretical 106 mph top speed, but being totally honest here, I've never gotten it past 100 mph and it was noticeably slower to accelerate after the 80 mph. Great machine. Can't say enough good things about it. I have a more detailed review of it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXW9nZihfteDqLs I have a playlist of me taking it on a 2,000 km (1,200 mile) road trip here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4GuYZxqrsl3pK8 (you can probably skip the announcement video and go straight to day 1, i'm on a 18 lane highway, no problems. NEW PART I'M ADDING TO THIS: However if you're asking in the context of doing Iron Butt rides, would I recommend this bike... I'd say, if for a few hundred, or a thousand dollars more, you can get the F650GS twin (800cc parallel twin), or an F700GS, get that for the extra money. It has a 6th gear, it only weighs about 40 lbs more. You'll be doing 75 around 4,500 rpm (not 4,900 on the G650GS), you'll do 85 around 5k rpm (not 5.5k rpm), and you'll just overall have a lot less vibration and a lot more pulling power. On my long touring days I was only doing about 200-300 miles per day so the buzziness didn't bother me. If you're doing 1000 miles in 24 hours, you'll just be happier with a second cylinder. For touring at those speeds, no problem, but ironbutt rides are next level. Although... there's a girl with a G650GS who did an Iron Butt on hers, with her bf or husband on an F700GS, and both completed it!

[@YouMotorcycle]

How do you find first gear now? Did you have to change or modify the chain?

[@YouMotorcycle]

@@brandonravenscroft5538 thanks very much. I'm looking for some way of making first gear a little taller without slowing the bike down too much. Might be a happy compromise

[@Spaccheesr]

So the old seat fits on this model? I have the 2005 model (so the better seat) but its ripped and can get the 2012 seat for cheap. I am assuming that it would fit?

[@YouMotorcycle]

@@Spaccheesr is the 2012 a G650GS single cylinder 650cc or an F650GS twin cylinder 800cc? The G650GS seat is what you want. I have a seat cover I can also mail you for the cost of postage if you want to try to staple on a new cover yourself. If you watch my video on my touring setup there's a part all about the seat including how to take it apart: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKvUZWCom8aegNU

[@Spaccheesr]

@@YouMotorcycle thanks for the reply, I live in Australia, so it would be easier to buy the 2012 seat. THank you for the offer though, if I were in the US or CA I would take you up on the offer

[@happyEmpath]

Hello can one charge the battery of the F650 CS also while the battery is in the bike or should one charge it indoor where it is more dry and with warm temperature?

[@YouMotorcycle]

@@happyEmpath if it's the very first charge of a brand new battery you might want to do it outside of the bike. If this is an old battery you can just charge it right inside of the motorcycle

[@happyEmpath]

@@YouMotorcycle thanks a lot!

[@alexvalentine1063]

Hi. Curious of your thought on sprocket and chain replacement. What brand and vendor do you recommend?

[@YouMotorcycle]

Typically DID chain and JT sprockets. Vortex sprockets seem good too. If it's a bike I plan on keeping, or riding far from home, I don't mind spending a little bit more money for better peace of mind.

[@dustinsilvey930]

How tall are you? Just curious b/c of the handle bar risers. Great vid.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Hey, thanks, damn, that's a great question that I should have thought to include the answer to, oops! To be super precise, I'm 5 ft. 10.5" but it was the previous owner that put the risers on there. I don't whether or not they make a huge difference or not as I've never taken them off, but I find the whole bike comfortable enough (now that the seat has been swapped out) not to mess with it. Now, if I were ever going to do serious cross-country touring on this bike, I would probably still opt for the Seat Concepts seat (due to good value for the price), but for now, switching to the F650GS (650single) seat has been a nice enough improvement.

[@dustinsilvey930]

Thanks! Sent you a DM on fb with another question. Don’t want to go nuts in your vid.

[@YouMotorcycle]

@@dustinsilvey930 No worries, I don't check FB too much so feel free to leave all of the questions here haha. Let me know if you end up solving the issue we talked about!

[@edgarbleikur1929]

@@dustinsilvey930 we need to see those questions and answers!

[@dustinsilvey930]

@@edgarbleikur1929 nothing exciting was more asking about the handle bar angle as mine are really dumb and was trying to determine if they were stock or not. hope that helps!

[@squigl3z78]

Is there a way to lower the pedals? The bike sits pretty high so I would assume there would be a way to put more comfortable pegs

[@YouMotorcycle]

Do you find the pegs too high because you're tall?

[@anamargaretlowery2046]

I love my g650gs but would love a gas gage. Has anyone done this?

[@YouMotorcycle]

No, sorry. I haven't added one. I just reset my trip meter ever time I fill up, and know that once I hit 230 km to 270 km since my last refill, it's time to start paying attention to where I will or won't find gas stations.

[@robsonlima3529]

Out of curiosity, are you from Brazil? I ask because the first two photos of your video are definitely from Brazil :) Also out of curiosity: "Sertão" is a Brazilian word that defines a region that mixes desert and forest (very similar to what there is in part of Africa)

[@YouMotorcycle]

No I spoke to a bunch of people who's pictures I liked and asked them if I could use them for the this video. The photographers instagram accounts are all in the corners of the pictures if you want to check out more of their work :)

[@pakarucustoms1228]

Were did you buy risers from brother

[@YouMotorcycle]

Came with the bike but there are plenty of universal options out there.

[@jamiedamaral4011]

What model leo vince exhaust do you have?

[@YouMotorcycle]

I don't see it mentioned on Leo Vince's website so I wonder if they no longer offer it anymore.

[@blackbirdpie217]

Weight and CG more lower? Tha'ts like saying higher bottom or more weak.

[@YouMotorcycle]

I understand what both higher bottom and more weak mean. Don't you?

[@mxxkxxg]

I'm the only one who noticed that yellow 2nd gen MR2?

[@YouMotorcycle]

Probably. Bikes > Cars :)

[@Sertao2013]

I have the g650gs sertao . Does it have the thinner seat or the F thickness ?

[@YouMotorcycle]

Sertao should be thicker I believe. Do you feel like you slide forward whenever you brake?

[@Sertao2013]

@@YouMotorcycle No Its a pretty grippy seat its a 2013 year .

[@YouMotorcycle]

@@Sertao2013 sounds like you got the better of the two stock seats (not the low one)

[@Sertao2013]

@@YouMotorcycle Okay thanks I'll look more into it .

[@amessiah_]

Phone holder and cases are not mods, even... 😊

[@evolvnyc]

Wow crazy HAARP waves that day!

[@YouMotorcycle]

🤔