I can't believe she did this!!!

[Bullfrog]

Well, last saturday, my lovely wife and I stopped by the local dealer just to browse around and check on the stall availablility for steering head work on her R75/6. The next thing I know, she's filling out the papers for a 2007 F650GS-L!! I'm proud of her for doing something like this. I like the modern brakes and she can more easily follow me on crummy surfaces now.

What odd things should she be watching for? I've really heard mostly very good things about the 650 and we met a couple going from Tierra del Fuego to Prudo(sp) Bay, each on a bright yellow F650GS and they said they had no unsual events, bike-wise.

I hope she'll enjoy this new beast.:thumb

We're keeping the R75/6 also....too much fun with that'un.

[PacWestGS]

:clap

She and you are going to be so much happier. :D

You know about the ChainGang (f650.com)

Watch the chain keep it between spec and lubed, not much else to worry about.

Ride and have fun.

[Newstar]

:clap :clap :clap :clap

Good for her! The same thing happened to us! Hubby was at the dealer looking for some specific thing and I got bored. Next think he knew, I had picked out my own two wheels - also a 650 GS. I've been bitten by the bug!

She will love it!

Tracy

[Voni]

Sweet!!

Voni
sMiling

[PacWestGS]

The FI coughs and chokes when cold - takes about five minutes of riding to warm up. And, the engine is very happy when everything happens over 3000 RPM up to redline.

[kreinke]

Fixed.
Yeah,

Don't be afraid to wring the crap out of a Rotax. That's part of what makes them so much fun. Ride it like you stole it.

[cjack]

Well, last saturday, my lovely wife and I stopped by the local dealer just to browse around and check on the stall availablility for steering head work on her R75/6. The next thing I know, she's filling out the papers for a 2007 F650GS-L!! I'm proud of her for doing something like this. I like the modern brakes and she can more easily follow me on crummy surfaces now.

What odd things should she be watching for? I've really heard mostly very good things about the 650 and we met a couple going from Tierra del Fuego to Prudo(sp) Bay, each on a bright yellow F650GS and they said they had no unsual events, bike-wise.

I hope she'll enjoy this new beast.:thumb

We're keeping the R75/6 also....too much fun with that'un.

My wife did that too. She rides a K1200S mostly, but sat on a black 650GS-L in the showroom last year and bought it as a second bike for the fact that her feet reached the ground. It's yet to have it's 600 mile service...soon though...we're so busy while retired.

[Bullfrog]

I've mentioned the over 4000 rpm deal to her and she basically said that all BMW's should be ridden at over 4000 rpm. She is a smartie pants.:)

It has been so-o-o-o-o-o long since I've had a chain but she remembers the weekly checks on those bikes of the past and has declared that since she hepled me clean and polish all those spokes and adjust/lube the chain,I can darn well do the same for her. :p

We bring it home tomorrow!!!! And Sunday's supposed to be pretty nice. Saturday is so-so and she's doing that quilt shop thing with the girls. Mmmmm maybe I can take it for a spin:nyah

[PacWestGS]

Fixed.

That's funny :laugh

But my '06 is plenty happy to leave a stop at 3000 and climb from there.

I ride it over 4500 - does that count. LOL :blah :laugh

[AZ-J]

Yeah,

Don't be afraid to wring the crap out of a Rotax. That's part of what makes them so much fun. Ride it like you stole it.

Does this apply to the F800 engine as well? So far that's what I am trying to do.

[greer]

"It has been so-o-o-o-o-o long since I've had a chain but she remembers the weekly checks on those bikes of the past and has declared that since she hepled me clean and polish all those spokes and adjust/lube the chain,I can darn well do the same for her. :p"


I was dreading fooling with a chain until I learned about this stuff:

http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/motorcycle-chain-lube/dupont-teflon-chain-lube.htm

No mess, no fling, no gunk. Get it at Lowe's.

Be sure to check out www.f650.com Technical FAQs

Congrats on the bike!

Sarah

[merkinmuffley]

Congrats on the new bike. For her birthday/anniversary (whatever comes first) sign her up with the Chain Gang. She'll have a cool orange tee shirt you'll want and it's for various good causes. $50 is nothing for the amount of info you can get over there on the 650's.

ATF works good on a chain too - just put some one every time you fill up, I find that schedule easier to keep track of than a weekly something or other. $1.87 a qt. at Wally World - and a quart will last a long time. I use one of Wally World fancy cat hair paint brushes to apply ATF - cost me $.50 and they told me the cat willingly donated it's hair.

[henzilla]

My wife did that too. She rides a K1200S mostly, but sat on a black 650GS-L in the showroom last year and bought it as a second bike for the fact that her feet reached the ground. It's yet to have it's 600 mile service...soon though...we're so busy while retired.

must be something in the air...GF sat on a lowered F650 Saturday...is working out details as I write this...picking it up Wednesday!!! Now, I get to ride it?????? her R1100 is on the table getting a clutch and she is riding one of the 1150s...sounds fair to me! Had to move things around in garage again to fit #8 in there!

Chrissie Hynde comes to mind...Back on the chain gang!:brad

[PMonk]

We're keeping the R75/6 also....too much fun with that'un.[/QUOTE]

You really need to sell the R75/6. 3 Motorcycles in your garage will cause conflict. You know like 3 girls can never get along. My poor RT needs a companion and since your bride's old R75 is going to cause discord in the family and it is an exact twin to my first BMW, you really need to give me a call, or email

[mkohls]

Don't feel bad. I have 9 bikes in the garage. I picked up a 07 650 Dakar last Jan. I had 600 miles on it in 2 days. It is a blast to ride around town. Much better then the DRZ I now have up for sale. For the long hauls I still prefer my LT. I will admit though I was at the dealer today looking at the GS1200 ADV, not sure why but I think I need one. :bikes Good thing my wife rides so she kind of understands my disease.

[henzilla]

GF closed deal yesterday,AND, I got to ride it home!!!

took me 100 miles to find home though!:lol she wanted me to scuff the tires in for her so she can ride later today ( I rode it to work!)since it was in front of my commuter

What a fun/awesome bike...I wanted to "wring it out" but kept it under break in RPM's...for now!...it is the lowered model and my 6-1 frame and size 11 feet felt scrunched a bit, but overlooked that for the fun I was having!
DANG! now I will have to find one!

[greer]

henzilla,

Get a Dakar and come join us. You might as well, since you're helping research and farkle your GF's GS, you can outfit your Dakar at the same time. Once you're hooked up with an F650, I'll be you leave those big bikes at home. I know, I've BTDT. Don't forget to check out www.f650.com.

Sarah

[PMonk]

when you gonna post a picture?

[lkchris]

I've mentioned the over 4000 rpm deal to her and she basically said that all BMW's should be ridden at over 4000 rpm.

Never in the history of the world has there ever been an internal combustion engine that must be run at high rpms.

There are some, of course, that have no power otherwise, but these are mostly racing engines or extremely small engines unfortunately intalled in extremely heavy vehicles.

The F650 engine is neither and no one would love this bike if it were.

Yet another misinformed example of testosterone out of control.

[henzilla]

Never in the history of the world has there ever been an internal combustion engine that must be run at high rpms.

There are some, of course, that have no power otherwise, but these are mostly racing engines or extremely small engines unfortunately intalled in extremely heavy vehicles.

The F650 engine is neither and no one would love this bike if it were.

Yet another misinformed example of testosterone out of control.

C'mon...the newer boxers and the 650 love the higher RPM's! NOT redlining, just in the "zone"...the F650 produces it's peak HP at 6500. Its redline is 7000. The Rotax is a different animal from a boxer

just another opinion! can't take the newbie over 5000 until another 150 miles:nyah

Ms Helen was not happy when these two Wings zipped by her yesterday...that would NOt have happened on the 1150, or if this bike was broken in!

[henzilla]

We bring it home tomorrow!!!! And Sunday's supposed to be pretty nice. Saturday is so-so and she's doing that quilt shop thing with the girls. Mmmmm maybe I can take it for a spin:nyah

WELL Bullfrog???? Didn't see another paper plate this weekend while we were putting break-in miles on Helen's all around the Hill Country. Hope you two had a big time with the newbie:thumb

did you get to ride it Saturday??...:stick :dunno

...I went for a second Saturday ride when H went to Wally World for supplies, we had already gotten home from a 140 mile spin...She had just got back to my house as I wheeled in the second time and was eyeballing me:brow "where have YOU been?"..I explained I was just helping put on those first 600!:rofl
The low version cramped me a little, but I adapt well and had a BLAST!!

[Bullfrog]

OK OK I'll try to post the picture:) tonight.

She does let me ride around on it but I have to beg:hug and be extra nice. I rode it to work awhile ago and I have back roads most of the way. GAWD that thing is FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She'll get her 600 next week as the shop is full-up. I get teh 6K on the Adventure this week.

We're trying to find a good set of bags (soft) with frame for it but so far, I've only found Touratech and geesh are they pricey but much more reasonable than BMW, for sure.

I keep getting sent to New Mexico sans bike so ............I don't know exactly where my chain gang went last week but she said something about a bunch of pretty flowers and cattle.:thumb

[greer]

Bullfrog,

Take a look at these:

http://www.moto-sportpanniers.com/soft.htm

I lucked up and found a set used, I like them very much. The racks alone work great as crashbars for the rear (tested, dang it) and you can swap over to hard bags if you like.

Sarah

[dlearl476]

Never in the history of the world has there ever been an internal combustion engine that must be run at high rpms.

There are some, of course, that have no power otherwise, but these are mostly racing engines or extremely small engines unfortunately installed in extremely heavy vehicles.

The F650 engine is neither and no one would love this bike if it were.

Yet another misinformed example of testosterone out of control.

Much experience with F650s?

In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they're not.
Due to gearing, final drive, ignition mapping, carburetion or fuel injection mapping, they are slugs between 2500 and 3200 rpm and lethargic between 3200 and 4K. At 4K they come into their own.

I have also heard that running a single cylinder engine at < optimum RPM causes undue wear and stress on the crankshaft and main bearings, although I have no personal experience with that. (It sounds feasible, though)

FWIW, changing the final drive on my carbureted F650 from the OEM 16/47 to 15/47 helped immeasurably, but having ridden a thousand miles on my much lighter VUN with well mapped fuel injection (IE not leaned-out for emissions purposes) I agree with part of what you say, in theory.

In practice, there's not much to a stock F650 below 4000 rpm.

[Bullfrog]

Thanks, Sarah! Those are just what we're looking for!:dance I hope that my wife doesn't have to check out thecrash worthiness of the rack system. I'll certainly take your word for it.:wave

I've already tested the mounts on the Adventure and by golly, they work, too.:thumb

What is a VUN, David?:dunno

Thanks again, Sarah.

[dlearl476]

What is a VUN, David?:dunno



http://www.crs-motorcycles.com/imgs/gallery/03.jpg

http://www.crs-motorcycles.com/gallery.htm

[dlearl476]

Yet another misinformed example of testosterone out of control.


A picture is worth a thousand words:

http://faq.f650.com/GSFAQs/Photos/EnginePhotos/f650ps1.gif

I'm not quite certain where 5,000 rpm is on this chart and I've been busting spreadsheets too long this morning to care, but I'll take a WAG based on my seat-of-the-pants Dyno and says it's in the 80-90 kph range.

[greer]

Anytime, Bullfrog. I'm glad you two are enjoying the bike. You gone to Lowe's and bought that Dupont lube yet?

Sarah

[Bullfrog]

Nah, I got some PJ1, though.Didn't know about the DuPont stuff.:dunno

Those panniers look great on the DAKAR, for sure. Now all I need to do is convince her that it'd be just perfect for her when we're heading to AZ next month.:p