BMW F650GS: Best Motorcycle Ever?!

[@KartmanWolf]

So... A few years ago, I saw an ad for a '03 650 GS that wasn't running. I couldn't pass up the opportunity, being somewhat of a gearhead, so I drove a few hundred miles and picked it up. Turns out it was a fairly simple issue, but I couldn't be happier with my GS. I'm in my 50's. So the 650 has about the power of the VW bug I learned to drive in, only it doesn't weigh 1800 pounds. So don't tell me it doesn't have enough power. I grew up riding offroad, so I enjoy being able to ride to a destination, taking the dirt path, and then riding home. Jack of all trades, master of none maybe, but at least I don't have to change seats. My GS has about 65K on the odo. Unless you're riding a Goldwing, that's past rebuild time for a Japanese ride. My issue was the wear products of the sprag starter clutch collecting on the sensor of the crank position. Once I replaced the clutch, I was in rider heaven again. And furthermore, a comparable bike, the Kawasaki KLR650, just got ABS and fuel injection last year. Mine has had that in 2003. So, 20 years later, I'm riding my GS on pretty much a daily basis when weather permits (I live in Erie, PA) and I am still impressed by this machine.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Love this bike. Pretty sure the KLR won't have factory heated grips either. Always nice to have for those of us who aren't just fairweather riders.

[@neighborsgoat]

2001 F650 GS my first and only bike. Purchased it 16 years ago, with 28 k kilometers; now it has 172 k kilometers and took me through 39 European countries. Will never sell it.

[@YouMotorcycle]

@@neighborsgoat Holy cow! That's phenomenal! Way to go

[@RiP_FoKuS]

Got an 01 Dakar with 102k miles. It mainly sees desert off-road. Love the 650. Great 2nd bike

[@YouMotorcycle]

That's awesome. What's the main bike these days?

[@RiP_FoKuS]

@@YouMotorcycle it's still the second bike. Looking to upgrade to an older 900. Very interested in a cagiva gran canyon. I think that has alot of potential for offroad as well.

[@crypticreality8484]

​@@RiP_FoKuSwhat's your main bike?

[@RiP_FoKuS]

@@crypticreality8484 the 650 is now the main bike. Only one that's stayed running. That rotax has never left me stranded. Was a 250 Enduro til the swingarm and rims bent

[@Shawn_the_Protogen]

I've never riden one but from people's descriptions I would say it is the best jack-of-all-trades bike.

[@YouMotorcycle]

As long as you aren't in need of raw power and top speed, it's a fantastic all-rounder.

[@ScooterwolfsMotovlog]

A jack of all trades and a master of none? Best of all time for any bike style or brand would probably be an endless debate among all riders. Times change and so does technology. If one has a bike they're happy with I'd say they're in good shape moving forward.

[@YouMotorcycle]

The full quote is, a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.

[@ScooterwolfsMotovlog]

@@YouMotorcycle that tracks. The quote was interference to the BMW F650GS.

[@gedrognomad7429]

Best all-rounder, Most reliable thumper, Do the YZ450F fork upgrade and quality TFX shock and you will improve its off-road creds a 1000 times

[@mrsimpleesarcastik3494]

Ive owned and ridden 4 HD Sportsters 77, 03, 01,and a 99 , a Honda CB 500x 2016, a 2009 Yamaha TW 200, 2020 Yamaha XSR900, a 2003 Suzuki marauder 800, a 2007 Suzuki C50, 1967 Triumph 500 Daytona,2014 CT700 Honda,2014 Honda CB 1100,and a few others that have slipped my mind,,,I bought a 2002 BMW F650GS last week with 12 k on the odometer and I firmly believe I have found a truly Swiss Army Knife bike!! Its will go wherever I want although I gotta say,, I still love the way my 2003 883 sounds!

[@YouMotorcycle]

I think the 1200 Sportster, 2006 or earlier, is probably one of the best sounding motorcycle s ever made, so I feel you, but yeah, when it comes to usability, they can't touch the F650GS.

[@hanestshirtsarecool]

883 Worst bike ever! The vibrations at high speeds….😵‍💫

[@YouMotorcycle]

I don't know about worst ever, but it definitely has a lot of shortcomings.

[@mrsimpleesarcastik3494]

@@hanestshirtsarecool if the vibes from a 883 affect you,please go buy a minivan

[@windmilljohn]

I’ve had too many bikes, need to see a doctor! But last year I bought a 2004 F650GS and I’m finding that I could be saying that it’s the best all rounder I’ve ridden. Can’t put my finger on it and I could nit pick, but what I can say it is the easiest bike I’ve ever ridden. To clarify, I am in total control of the bike. I’ve had bikes where the bike could out perform me, but with Tweety, my GS, I’m in control. Psst, don’t tell him, I’m about to go to work on him!

[@YouMotorcycle]

Lol what are you about to do to poor Tweety?

[@windmilljohn]

No I’m meant ride him to work, not…. You know…. 😏😁

[@crypticreality8484]

May I ask: How reliable has it been? My neighbors friend is selling a 2006 F650GS with under 20k miles. Is it worth snagging?

[@stevewzorn]

In my 62yrs of riding motorcycles, I'm 75 now, owned 322 motorcycles. I've owned 3 KLRs and 2 BMW 650s. Loved them all, but would say, throwing my leg over the KLR is more difficult and the KLR is in need of eng work right out of the crate, Thermo Bob, and engine cam chain tensioner (Doohicky). To my knowledge the BMW is OK right out of the crate. You cannot go wrong with either. Presently own the KLR but looking at a used 2007 BMW GS. I know I have a problem. I am looking at more small displacement and simple bikes. I have seen BMWs with monster miles with little or no breakages.

[@YouMotorcycle]

We're kindred spirits, I currently have seven. Not a problem, just a passion! Congrats on the 322 motorcycles over the years, that's amazing! Something for me to aspire to! haha

[@DontuseGoogleorWiki]

322 / 62 = 5 bikes per year

[@raoultheowl3140]

To add context... I've been riding for 45 years. Started honda xlr250, then 500, then xt550, then xr 600r, the Honda gl 550 (road bike), then xt500 for 20 years, then f650gs 2004. Why? I wanted a more reliable bike to travel the 1200km to visit my mother & sister. The xt500 although reliable was not a comfortable long distance bike. It took me a year to actually truly connect with it. At first I found it heavy, and then I wanted the Dakar, but then decided it was better to be able to handle the extra weight with a flat foot and not tips of feet. I wasn't too impressed with the front shocks as I live on a farm and traveled pitted sand roads. But I found it super comfy on the road. It purrs at 130km/hour. Fuel consumption is excellent at lower speeds. Road handling excellent. Air deflection also really good. I sorted out a few glitches. I'm used to it now (had it about 4 years now, gotvit with 25k on the clock. Ja, it could go faster but it's OK. I will keep it until I die, then my boy can have it. The styling of the 2004 is great. It would have been a perfect bike if they kept it a shaft drive - I know this doesn't suit an adventure bike , but I still think the extremely low maintenance of a shaft drive compared to the 2k I would have to pay for o-ring chain and sprockets. I live near a coastal town and use the bike for more than half of all my town trips. I wouldn't say it's the best bike but it rocks, it's a practical solution to two wheeled transport in many ways.

[@YouMotorcycle]

The fuel injected models are all that and also very fuel efficient at high speeds too! PS thanks for the detailed comment. Come back any time! :)

[@shaundisch2020]

Try a 15t front sprocket, much more spunky. I run 15t/49t.

[@coletrain6000]

mines a "01 and its hardly broke in at 38K miles.

[@okanaganrider4332]

I have 2004. Done lots of back road riding One of the few bikes that can fit shorter riders with a lowering link and the optional low seat. Lot’s of torque. An easy 400 kilometre range. Does 120 km/hr at only 5000 rpm. With decent tires it’s great off road. Plus there’s a web site that’s as good as a factory maintenance manual. Better even. Be sure it has dual spark plugs. I heard the earlier ones didn’t run as well.

[@FlatBrokeAdventures]

Ive just found a F650GS that I'm thinking about making an offer on. What should I be looking for or asking the current owner?

[@YouMotorcycle]

How many km does it have on it? I've heard of fuel pumps failing on these eventually. Other than that I'd ask what the maintenance is like, what he's doing, how often, any proof of his statements. If he's saying a dealer or shop does the work ask for receipts. If he's saying he does the work himself ask if he can talk you through it well enough that you get the sense he could do it with his eyes closed.

[@richardwestmoreland4796]

A Swiss Army knife type of bike is what I would want if I could only have one bike to ride. Then.I would want that Swiss Army bike to be reliable and made with quality parts. And finally I would want the bike to have decent performance numbers. It doesn’t have to be the fastest in its category as long as it does most things reasonably well. I believe that BMW is a brand that has proven over a good number of years that it can provide all of those things and even though I have never ridden one it sounds from all the reviews that I’ve read that the f650GS has pretty much nailed it for what I would want if I could have but one motorcycle.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Well said

[@Nookster707]

I have an 02 Dakar with 46K. It'll do dirt and run at 70mph all day on the rode. Is it the best ever? I don't know but it's damn close.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Good enough to be on my consideration list!

[@paulikxp]

In fact you own a G650GS, not an F, but in the end they're not very different. The G's engine is very closely related (but not identical) to the F's Austrian Rotax engine, but was made by Loncin in China, which isn't a bad thing. The design of the two machines is similar but also completely different when you go into detail. Both bikes were built in Berlin.

[@YouMotorcycle]

In fact I've owned both as well as an f700gs and have multiple videos on all three;)

[@baldandbiking]

It's like saying "A hammer is the best tool of them all". But what if you need to take out a screw? Or cut wood? With that said, the way I have analyzed the best "all round" bike is by watching old guys who have rode motorcycles their entire life. They have had dozens of bikes over the years from small dirtbikes, to big Harley cruisers, at some point there is always a Goldwing, to full sized adventure bikes, and what do most end up with? A mid sized adventure bike, almost every time. My last bike was a BMW C650GT. Same engine capacity as the GS but it was a scooter. I now have an Africa Twin, but I really, really miss the scooter, and they are no longer available in Canada as a 650 so no going back.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Agree with everything you said up til the "no going back" - there's always going back! Check this out: On Kijiji you can set your search criteria, and then make an alert, and have kiijiji email you. So you create a search for that bike, with a filter set to 5,000 kilometers. Kijiji will email you if one ever comes available. We picked up the G650GS, about 10 years old, but with less than 2,000 km! Unscratched, basically brand new. Owner was the wife of a sidecar racer so he maintained the bike every year for the few times she came out with him. Brand new usedmotorcycles are out there, just gotta be ready to pounce when they come up! I drove 6 hours for those and about 8 hours for a Bonneville with a few thousand km that was like 1/2 the price of a new one. Basically got two essentially new modern motorcycles for the price of one.

[@baldandbiking]

@@YouMotorcycle Yes I suppose if I was aggressively seeking that bike I could find a used one somewhere, even in Quebec if I had to. Instead I've got my eye on something else which I think will be more suited to how and where I like to ride. The NT1100. Unfortunately it's also not available in Canada or the States yet. Hoping that will change in the next year or so! Cheers.

[@YouMotorcycle]

​@@baldandbiking Find out what the rev limiter is on that before you buy. Honda lent me an NC700 or 750, can't remember, to review. I hated it. Kept bouncing off the rev limiter which I thought was wayyyy too low. Didn't even bother making the review just returned it to them like *waves vaguely at the bike* wtf? lol

[@baldandbiking]

@@YouMotorcycle Never heard of that, but the NT1100 I would buy is a DCT so I don't think I would ever need to rev it up high. It's like trying to rev the engine in an automatic transmission car lol. It just doesn't work! My Twin is also a DCT. You would have to put it in neutral to rev it and it really doesn't like it when you treat it like a Yamaha Ninja. It gets a bit offended really, and can even give you attitude for doing so lol.

[@baldandbiking]

@@YouMotorcycle I test drove an NC750 and loved it. It handled like a small dirtbike. Not like the big heavy thing I ride today. I never had any rev problems, what exactly were you trying to do with it? lol. Then again the 750 was also a DCT

[@TheCanadianBubba]

The beloved Enduro's, another thing greatly improved by German engineering.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Did you know at one point they were made by (and based around the design of) Aprilia? There's your random fact for moto trivia night lol

[@TheCanadianBubba]

@@YouMotorcycle- and look at them now !

[@quantumrobingaming6667]

I miss my f650gs. Not ridden every bike ever, out of all the bikes I've owned it was a favourite so far. I miss the single thumper, I've had twins, triples & fours and miss the big single feel. Getting that fizzy feeling most bikes give you at 100+mph at 60mph was always a nice feeling. Going of for a weekend ride and my fellow riders would complain about the traffic, about the road conditions, about their wrists etc. etc. I'd get off feeling excited and refreshed at the same time. I'm looking at a single thumper again and am torn between a old school 650gs or a new, but cheaper, dual sport like the RE Himalayan. Just have a feel that a 20 year old bmw will feel better than a brand new RE?

[@YouMotorcycle]

We got lucky and found a 10 year old BMW with only 2,000 km. Best of both worlds!

[@iamaparanoidandroid1]

I am in the same boat. I have a WR250 for real gnarly off road and want something more 'long legged' for a bit of road work and occasional touring. The F650/G650 Single is old, but the Himalayan is cheap and (some say) underpowered. Don't know what to chose for about £2,500-3,000...?

[@shaundisch2020]

F650GS is my first bike. 15t/49t for more torque and speed as my road bike. G650GS is my adventure bike, 15t/47t works great off road and revs lower on the freeway getting me to dirt. Want an MT-09 instead of the F650GS for street/commuting, but I'm being patient.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Thanks for sharing! Any recommendations on what sprockets to make road touring more comfortable on the G650GS? THe first gear is really short, especially in mountainous areas.

[@shaundisch2020]

@YouMotorcycle Some go to a 16 or 17 for the highways and swap back for the destination offroad. I'm too lazy.

[@ChopperFett]

Ha very nice man. I never rode one myself but ya, I have the Vrod when I wanna go fast and my other bikes are more practical. One for commuting and the other is my Dyna which is what I love to go cornering with.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Well said! V-Rod really is the firery tempered hot redhead of the Harley-Davidson family. A lot of fun but that girl is crazy lol.

[@peterday9054]

Yes THE TWIN, Had mine ten years now , it does all i need without any fuss. Exceptional machine , and i,m a Honda / Japanese bike guy. John 3:16

[@YouMotorcycle]

It's hard to find a flaw with this motorcycle, other than it isn't a speed demon. Great bike.

[@PS-ef4yg]

I will definitely never sell my DR650 precisely because like the 650GS and KLR650 it's an awesome jack of all trades and therefore master of none! You just can't beat the fun/reliable/affordable/unkillable mix these bikes offer in an age of overpriced 'look what cool tech I've got but will hardly ever use' bikes.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Well said!

[@ababbit7461]

I would probably go more in the line of a naked standard for my only bike. Growing up in the 60s and 70s, a Honda 750 Four and a Kawasaki KZ900 were my first big bikes. I started on a Honda 305 Superhawk. I have owned over 40 motorcycles in my riding career (started Feb 1974). None of those bikes were dirt bikes, but some were dual purpose bikes. Being 6', 220 lbs and not being fat, I would have to say that a Suzuki Bandit 1200 air cooled bike or a HD Dyna with an 80 cu in Evo motor would be my choice of forever bikes. No water cooled bikes since they have pumps, water connections, radiators and all of those fail over time. Why add that to your maintenance list. BTW, you can only go as fast as the next cop around the corner allows, so high speed is not an option on the street. I have ridden Goldwing 1500s on gravel roads and I have owned and ridden a 1991 FXR-P and ridden it on a mile long gravel road that went from the 1500 foot level to 2700 foot level with a few switch back in it.... I have done this with 2 up, loaded down.... If you can't do that on the bike you are on and need a "special marketing propaganda bike" that fits your dual purpose riding, then you need to learn how to ride.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Naked standard would be a great choice for anyone who's already done, or not that interested, in a lot of touring

[@YouMotorcycle]

Might be terrific running to the store wherever you are. Would be terrible running to the store where I am 😂

[@Trial212]

Everybody's a badass rider behind their keyboard..... "special marketing propaganda bike" I need a shovel for this manure......

[@Trial212]

I've been riding a long time at 53 years. I can remember when we called them "Enduros" or "Street Trail" bikes and the were ALL from Japan. And, they were basically all shit bikes in the 70's. They all had problems!!! Last summer (2023) I had to stop vintage hare scrambles and Trials because I had a blown out cervical spine in need of a 3rd surgery. I was a miserable bastard. Well, my wife said "You can still ride easy dirt stuff, like fire roads??' I said "Yeah, I can and after this third surgery I might be able to do some easy single track." She said "well what about these Adventure Bikes??? Ding ding ding!!! I bought a 2001 F650GS Beemer with 36K on the odometer. It runs great, handles very well and it truly is a Jack Of All Trades, Master Of Nothing all around awesome motorcycle!!! IF that Rotax motor had a 6th gear, BMW would have never needed to make the F700GS which of course is a 800cc twin even though BMW confuses the heck out of the issue by calling it a 700. (That move I'll never figure out Lol). I'll be 65 this May and I'm still having a helluva lot of fun playing in the dirt. Thanks BMW!! Bryan

[@YouMotorcycle]

Hey Bryan great to hear you're still enjoying riding on the 650GS. There's a reason I picked that bike as the one to ship across the ocean for my ride across Italy! (New series coming soon :)

[@Trial212]

@@YouMotorcycle Thanks! Have fun on your trip!!

[@gorantenja]

He mentioned Swiss army knife and I took that personally. :D

[@YouMotorcycle]

hahaha, are you Swiss?

[@gorantenja]

@@YouMotorcycle nope, but I have collectors mania, swiss army knives mania

[@YouMotorcycle]

Ah, got it. They're great. I have one that was a gift from my father when I was 9 years old. It's probably my most prized possession though it's probably only worth $20 :)

[@sierrafoxtrotgolf3638]

Will the Baby Beemer handle highway speeds (75-80) for hows at a time?

[@YouMotorcycle]

Hey there Sierra! The G650GS / 650 single? I regularly ride it at 75 mph indicated. It'll do that speed all day long. 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.

[@sierrafoxtrotgolf3638]

@@YouMotorcycle thanks so much for the great answer! I had a 2012 F650GS (twin) which I got rid of but I miss it. I've never owned an G but they intrigue me. I watched your road trip last night and was fascinated by the tunnel.

[@YouMotorcycle]

@@sierrafoxtrotgolf3638 no problem but check out the other comment you left on the other video. I replied there too. Now that I know you're looking to do routine iron butt days you may want to consider the twin instead of the single.

[@sierrafoxtrotgolf3638]

@@YouMotorcycle I only want to do one more, that's all 48 lower states in 10 days, it would be about 800 miles a day. Sierra Foxtrot Golf of the proper phonetics for SFG- in my case, sort fat guy. :)

[@catdaddy3302]

I love my 2001. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@YouMotorcycle]

Great machines!

[@BigPezza]

I think I agree if I was forced to only have 1 bike it would be the BMW 👍

[@YouMotorcycle]

Just read that you took yours to 25 countries?! That's amazing. How many of them would you go back to? lol From Toronto, Canada, I would have to ride minimum 3,000 kilometers in one trip just to cross TWO borders haha.

[@BigPezza]

@@YouMotorcycle i will go back to italy, austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Albania and any other countries in betweet but i think i will skip Ukraine, the cops are too crooked

[@YouMotorcycle]

Good to know! The plan with this one is actually to ship it to Europe. When I'm ready to pull the trigger maybe I can bribe you with some beer in exchange for a quick chat to get your insight on riding there!

[@BigPezza]

@@YouMotorcycle yeah well i want to go USA & canada at some point so a exhange of info would be good

[@YouMotorcycle]

Just remember the right side's the right side, the left side's suicide! 🥁😂

[@lbsebb73]

Best bike ever for my hands down

[@YouMotorcycle]

Such a great does-it-all machine

[@grahamharris4941]

Agree not the best (???). However I've owned 3 and my last one f650gs I have had from new in 2007.Oh it's not a slow bike either.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Great machines! Ride safe, but have fun :)

[@Elbribon1]

They knock like a broken road.

[@YouMotorcycle]

Ours is good so far. What year was the one you rode?

[@EricstonNathaniel]

BMW f650Gs cam chain can fix

[@YouMotorcycle]

What?

[@scaverwainaina9135]

Kindly my name is scaver can I get cracking sharf

[@YouMotorcycle]

What?

[@marekcerny4082]

Too much talk...

[@YouMotorcycle]

@@marekcerny4082 yes, a whole 2 minutes and 18 seconds. You will never recover from this 😂

[@12gaug-gaming66]

Why does it look like you wanting to cry bro?

[@YouMotorcycle]

Lol when?

[@12gaug-gaming66]

@@YouMotorcycle u got hang lip like a puppy brag

[@YouMotorcycle]

@@12gaug-gaming66 what does that even mean? 😂

[@gizzyguzzi]

Buy the twin, not the single.

[@YouMotorcycle]

I have both. The twin is better bike, but the single is way more fun. I like it better. Definitely keeping both.

[@gizzyguzzi]

@@YouMotorcycle I assume you like the single once you get there. But not on slab, getting there, with a load.

[@YouMotorcycle]

@@gizzyguzzi you must be new to my channel haha :) I did a 2,000 km (1,200) with all of the hard cases on the single, and for half of it had my girl and her stuff on the bike as well. Superslabbed it for almost all of it.

[@gizzyguzzi]

@@YouMotorcycle just because it can be done doesn't mean you should! Haha. Yes. A buddy rode completely across the US on a DR650. But why? Maybe on the TAT, but not if I'm doing pavement work.

[@YouMotorcycle]

lmao, that's fair, though I have to admit, the bike never bothered me. I have a touring wind screen, aftermarket seat, it was nice. I preferred that it had character, even though it was, you know, slower lol