Considering trading R1150GS for F650GS

[deanzat]

I like my bike a lot, but I don't love it. For the money and time involved, I want to love my motorcycle.

My primary use is daily commuting and weekend romps. Once or twice a year I'll take a long trip. On occasion, I carry a passenger, but not often. Money's tight right now, too.

Want to help me build the list of pros and cons?

Thanks, DZ

[PacWestGS]

Sure I'll bite, short list:

1150GS:
Big husky PIG, Not as well off the beaten path as I'd hoped, but everything a MC should be for long commutes and longer trips. Back to back 1000 mile days, no problem.

42-45 MPG

Superior Comfort and Stability

Can carry alot, plus a full sized passenger

Traffic - Not to good (if I could) share lanes (Split)

Hidden secrets lay under the Shaft and Final Drive

Better brakes

Much harder to maintain and cost are higher


F650GSD:
Light, flickable 'Piglet', works well off the beaten path, but not a MX/Dirt bike, either at 420lbs, engine is slow to build power.

Capable of solo 600+ mile days in the saddle at 60-70 mph, anything over that gets tiring.

57-65 MPG

Comfortable enough for all day travel, but one-two hours anything is possible.

If panniers added, can carry everything it's big brother can, minus a passenger.

Definately a California Lane-Splitter, no doubt.

Can ride better wheelies.

Chain maintenance is easy

Great brakes for a 650 Dual/Sport, with substancial 'Brake-Dive' ABS standard.

Very easy to maintain, lower cost and time intervals between services.


Same relative fuel range 200-miles per tank
Grip Heaters
ABS
Four-Way Flashers
Dual Sport Tires or Street tires available for both

Stock seats suck for any longer distance travel


End:

Two up adventure travel with two-weeks worth of stuff = R1150/1200GS
One up adventure travel with a months worth of stuff = Any and all of the above.

I love my little F650GSD, if was the only bike I had or could have, it would do everything I want (except maybe take the Mrs. on long journeys).

HTH, Dean


Doc

[BradfordBenn]

How much speed and acceleration do you need? The F650 can handle its own but it is not the fastest thing on the road. It is a fun nimble bike but I had a hard time dealing with it compared to my R1150RT.

[deanzat]

Good points, gentlemen, and I have to admit that one of the things I don't like about my 1150 is that it's not particularly quick or fast. Sounds like the F650 can be quick, but not fast.

But I LOVE sitting up so high in traffic. There's something about seeing SUV drivers eye-to-eye that I loathe to give up. I'd just like sportbike handling, LT smoothness, and GS height.

Maybe I need a K1200GS!!!! DZ

PS: I've done my share of lane-splitting on the GS - with bags - and it's okay, as long as you like your adrenaline straight up. Even in completely stopped traffic (of which we have plenty), the problem is that other vehicles are SO gigantic now. A strange bike for a slalom course...

[PacWestGS]

[QUOTE=deanzat] Sounds like the F650 can be quick, but not fast.

But I LOVE sitting up so high in traffic. There's something about seeing SUV drivers eye-to-eye that I loathe to give up. I'd just like sportbike handling, LT smoothness, and GS height.

QUOTE]

Dean the 650 will get up and move in the right gear and above 5000 rpm to red-line. It starts to die off around 85 and tops out annnn around 100 (96 stated) It cruises along at 70 well and with a better Cee Bailey or AeroFlow windscreen would take the wind off your chest better. But I'm not going to go bigger than the stock Dakar shield.

On the Dakar (which is only about 4" higher than the standard) you are still up in the air and looking over stuff.

But your last comment, sounds like you should be looking at an R-RT or K-GT. Just give up the dirt roads and you may be very happy, go find a used DR350 for about $2000 or less and take that out on the solo dirt trails.

There is no bike that does everything great, but IMO the GS does a lot of things very well.


Doc


P.S. I'm also sorry to hear and have stayed up with your troubles on the GS you have. Sounds like it was just a bad apple.

[deanzat]

Thanks Doc, but I'm still not willing to call the bike a bad apple; on some days I really enjoy it. I dreamed of owning one for so long, it's been hard for me to accept that it might be a bad fit overall.

I had to play hundreds of guitars before I found MY telecaster.
I had to fire dozens of pistols before I found MY Glock 30.
I had to take thousands of photos before I found lenses to suit MY style.

So, I may just have to try a few more bikes over the next few years.

Looking at the state of the world, these are not bad problems to have. DZ

[PacWestGS]

:thumb

[soffiler]

... But I LOVE sitting up so high in traffic. There's something about seeing SUV drivers eye-to-eye that I loathe to give up. I'd just like sportbike handling, LT smoothness, and GS height.

Ah-ha. I know the topic here is F650, but, you just described the R1200GS!!

[sgborgstrom]

My primary use is daily commuting and weekend romps. Once or twice a year I'll take a long trip. On occasion, I carry a passenger, but not often. Money's tight right now, too.

Thanks, DZ

An F650 could well be the bike for you. I have one and I only notice it's not the fastest bike on the road when I ride with somebody else (which isn't very often). Since buying the Dakar last year my trusty K100RS has more or less sat in the garage, coming out mostly to keep all the fluids circulating- the 650 is the presumptive bike of choice these days.

Steve

[Kutcher]

If there is an award for the newest noobie here, I think I would win. I've been riding off road for decades and only about a seasons worth of road riding ~20 years ago...As of today 5/3/06, I've got 4 days of commuting under my belt and a grand total of ~500 miles since I bought the bike. One of those days spent in pelting rain..."Welcome back to biking"! I thought to myself riding home yesterday...
I bought the 650 mainly for commuting ~80 miles per day and weekend trail riding with some friends.
To be able to compare this bike to a RM125 or the bike used at the MSF training would be a joke. All I can say is that so far this bike fills the reasons I bought it wonderfully.

Up high for good visibility, GREAT MPG, shadetree mechanic friendly, reliable, many after market parts, GREAT "specific" support group -f650.com-, off roadable -and when you compare the "buy in" to any other bike that can do EVERYTHING it can do as WELL as it can do it...Its just an awsome; commuter, winter beater, trail rider, tourer, mile muncher...type of bike.

Can you tell I really like my F...?


-Kutch

[deanzat]

This is all very enticing information. Now here's something: I'm very sensitive to vibration; it's one of the things I actually hate about my 1150, because at 4k it sends a vibe through the seat that really stings my "riding partner." And yes, I've got a custom seat PLUS an Alaska sheepskin pad!

If I'm sensitive to vibration, is that a deal-breaker? Thanks, DZ

[PUDGYPAINTGUY]

It seems as though most bikes have a vibration at some speed or other, the 650 is no exception unless it is just ours. It sounds as though your 1150 has a doozie though, sorry to hear that. Did you track it down from where it eminates?

[deanzat]

No, I don't think I've figured it out. I thought it might be the transmission, because it's definitely worse when I have all bags and a passenger on board.

On the other hand, it's almost always at its worst right at 4k, which, based on this forum and others, tells me that it's normal engine vibration and I'm just not liking it very much. Perhaps I idealize the past, but I remember my Triumph Sprint (which I sold in 1998 or 1999) being smooth as butter at all speeds.

Naturally, the guys who tune it say, "You're over-sensitive; this is one of the smoothest 1150GSs we've ever ridden." And they may be right, at anywhere other than 4k, it is pretty smooth. Unfortunately, 4k in 6th gear is freeway cruising speed around here, regardless of what the speedometer says (and I don't know, because I rarely look at the speedometer.).

Thanks all; my inclination is to keep working with what I've got, so next tune-up I'll try a different shop and get a second opinion. In the meantime, I'm learning to ride around it. Thanks again, DZ

[PUDGYPAINTGUY]

did you witch to synthetic in the tranny and rear drive yet? Just curious.

[deanzat]

did you witch to synthetic in the tranny and rear drive yet? Just curious.

Yup. I don't want to overstate the vibration case. I'm riding every day and enjoying my motorcycle, but I'm considering other possibilities. Even back when I sold my Triumph, I remember thinking that if I ever got another motorcycle, I'd get something smaller and lighter. So of course when I did get back into motorcycling, I got something bigger and heavier.

Perhaps I'll just wait for a windfall and then ADD a smaller, lighter bike to the garage... DZ

[PUDGYPAINTGUY]

You know what? Maybe your dealer service dept has 650 loaners that you could try out and answer the questions for your own peace of mind? If not the dealer then one of the rental companies in CA should have one in the fleet, they seem to be standard fixtures these days. Much cheaper than the regrets after you buy one and figure out it has the same concerns eh?

[deanzat]

Yes, that's a good idea. In the past I've had more money than patience. Alas, they've now exchanged places, so I can be more deliberative and try before I buy. Thanks, DZ

[Polarbear]

Many have had both bigger GS and F650 in garage at the same time I'm sure. I'm one. I initially bought F650 for wife to enjoy, but she rarely rode it and after getting the F650, I found out what a huge difference the two bikes represent. Just looking at the two would tell most a huge story. I toured several states with the F650, all jazzed up with Jesse Bags,etcetc..and thoroughly enjoyed it as a comfy ride, without ever feeling underpowered. Yes, the BIG GS has quite a bit more, but the bikes are so different, you don't seem to notice the HP thing, switching to F bike, imo. Get technical on me and of course the HP thing is noticable. It is just the F650 has plenty and is clearly 150+lbs. lighter. Go figure! I've ridden both extensively off road, too. The bigger GS is a pig or elephant for sure and with patience and trials, gets better with experience. It takes a good offroader to accomplish higher degree of ability on the big GS. The F650 is supreme in comparison for the dirt. All the above comparisons are legit, too. These two are like comparing apples to oranges,imo. They are too different. I surely had tons of fun on both. Smiles are all that matters in the long run! Both deliver this.

[jgbass]

My wife has the 650, and I have the 1200. We live in New York. I would pick the 650 for general commuting and city driving. It's a lot more fun in heavy traffic. While I would miss the power for extended trips, my wife has no complaints on weekend trips, and cruises at 65 to 75. The other bonus is that the tires, wire wheels and weight are a lot better for softer dirt roads if you encounter any. The R1200GS as set up with mag wheels and street tires isn't really good for anything except hard packed dirt roads. The windsreen on the 650 is to low for me on the highway, but you can remedy that pretty quickly. Also, with gas prices heading up, the extra 15 to 20 miles a gallon will start to add up pretty quickly!

[username]

I had to play hundreds of guitars before I found MY telecaster.
I had to fire dozens of pistols before I found MY Glock 30.
I had to take thousands of photos before I found lenses to suit MY style.


ooh, i want to be there when you start saying this type of thing around your wife, or kids. :D

deanzat: I had to play hundreds of guitars before I found MY telecaster.

deanzat jr: but i'm your favorite kid, right?

deanzat: well, yeah, you are NOW.

deanzat jr: so have there been others?

deanzat: oh yeah, dozens.

deanzat jr: what happened to them?

deanzat: oh you know...they just sort of disappear. kind of like the old guns, and bikes, and cars, and wives...

deanzat jr: daddy?

deanzat: yes?

deanzat jr: that police car has driven by the house three times!

deanzat: good eyes, that's why you're my favorite kid! grab your backpack, it's time to move to a new town.

deanzat jr: when will we stop moving?

deanzat: when we find the perfect town.

deanzat jr: ok.

[curtain]

:D

[PAULBACH]

Just got back from two weeks down under; New Zealand. I put a crazy number of miles on bike (dealer lifted an eyebrow) and it handed everything from New Zeland super highways to beach sand and gravel roads.

One great all around bike.

I rarely had to go over 4500 rpm to keep up with any traffic.

[rreynold6]

Since 1976 I have owned 9 BMWs: '61 R60, '76 R90/6 (2), 82'R100, '83 R80ST, '85 K100RS, '97 F650 Funduro, '99 R1100RT, '02 F650GSA. My riding needs sound very similar to yours as far as commuting, pleasure and touring.
My favorite bikes of them all are my current F650GS and the R80ST, FOR MY RIDING NEEDS! The F650GS is a much improved, higher tech, more economical incarnation of the R80ST. The F650 has 50 hp versus the R80s 48hp. Both machines are highly "flickable" but the 650 more so. I missed my R80 until I got the F650. I miss it no more!
Performance wise, those that state 95-96 mph top end need to get their machines to a mechanic. Mine will indicate 115 pretty much any time I ask it to and has been clocked reliably at 105 (by a police officer (;-<). I'm 6'0" and 225 and usually haul the factory bags and have a Dakar windshield. For cold weather I mount a Parabellum shield that works very well although fuel mileage drops from the usual 65-69 to around 58-60 pushing the bigger shield. I DID change gearing slightly, making it taller with a 45 tooth rear sprocket instead of the factory 47. It is quite smooth at 80-85 and handles long stints at 95 much better than it should. Top gear roll-ons at highway speeds make my cruiser riding friends shake their heads. The power band is different and much like the time I considered trading my KRS for a Ducati but thought it seemed underpowered (the Duc), you have to get used to it and change your shift patterns. Vibration is less than my '85 KRS and about on par with the bigger airheads.
Hope this helps!

[JCBR1150R]

I like my bike a lot, but I don't love it. For the money and time involved, I want to love my motorcycle.

My primary use is daily commuting and weekend romps. Once or twice a year I'll take a long trip. On occasion, I carry a passenger, but not often. Money's tight right now, too.

Want to help me build the list of pros and cons?

Thanks, DZ

Gentlemen, at great risk of casting yet another dispersion upon the forthright and BMW faithful among you, let me present:

http://www.suzukicycles.com/images/ProductImages/logo/500/DL1000K6.jpg

[PUDGYPAINTGUY]

Gentlemen, at great risk of casting yet another dispersion upon the forthright and BMW faithful among you, let me present:

http://www.suzukicycles.com/images/ProductImages/logo/500/DL1000K6.jpg


Nothing wrong with the V-Strom at all...an outstanding bike and tours well too, even 2-up w/pillion and luggage. Recommend the DL1000 if the touring was a goal though.