Rode an X Moto the other day. Yipes.

[Cliffy777]

Took my bike in for a warranty problem (clock not working) and it was supposed to be a quick fix and I had some errands to run, so I asked for something to test drive to my errands.
They had an X-Moto on the floor and since I am 6'3" and my feet could touch the ground (it is a tall bike) I asked to take it for a spin. It was interesting, but not to my liking. I really felt that I was sitting ON the bike, not IN the bike like when I am on the Rockster. I felt disconnected from it if you know what I mean.
Speaking of sitting - ouch - the seat busted my butt for sure. (It is worth noting that I ride on a stock seat and have for 28k, so it is not like I am used to some uber luxury seat-wise.) I probably put on 40-50 miles or so, but I was happy to get off that saddle.
All in all, the bike is cool looking and kind of a fun ride, but I prolly would not buy one anytime soon. There was plenty of power to be had and the view was great (the seat is something like 35 inches or more in the air.) It would be good as an urban street warrior - real narrow so you could split lanes and all.
Anyone else ridden one of these?

[PAULBACH]

I have seen them on the floor but ...


Seems like a very expensive dirt bike
Doesn't look very comfortable
Would rather wait the new models to be released new months.

An F800 RT would get an immediate deposit.

Maybe the new models will be availabe at the

Big Gig in Gotham II 12/28/2007

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g264/PaulBach/Smilies/santa1.gif

[John Brase]

Uh, Cliffy, you're not supposed to sit on that seat. You ride that bike either standing on the pegs or hanging off one side of the seat or the other. It is only there in order to define the center line of the motorcycle.

John

[kbasa]

I spent some time with one.

I want one.

Bad.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214526&highlight=kbasa

[ian408]

Hahaha!

I tried one out under exactly the same circumstance. Three hours was a great ride.
I think it'd be a real hoot but as you know, an X-moto isn't for everyone.

It took a bit to get used to the bike but once I got the hang of it, I really liked it.
I could see myself owning a motard.

Ian

[Cliffy777]

I spent some time with one.

I want one.

Bad.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214526&highlight=kbasa

Read your review and agree with you on the price issue. Funny thing is, so do the guys at my dealership. They also let me take a used Suzuki SV650 for a little spin. It was a bit tough to fold my legs into position the first time (felt like I dislocated a hip!), but once I got the hang of the riding position it was great fun.
They are selling the SV650 for $4500. They told me the owner of the place rode it and came back and said, "No wonder we aren't selling the 800's."

[ian408]

Take a look at the Husky or KTM. Both are priced pretty high as is the Suzuki--it's only
a 450 and it's over five grand. The BMW is high but it comes with a 3-year warranty
while others are a year. As for maintenance, the BMW, KTM and Husky are all similar
with respect to interval. The Suzuki is fourteen thousand miles--probably not going to
break down either.

Not trying to defend the price just point out that it's in the same range as the competitors.

[PGlaves]

BMW makes three of these G650s. The Xchallenge is the dirt bike. The Xcountry a sorta dual-sport. The Xmoto is BMW's interpretation of an urban motard bike.

I could be completely wrong but I think these bikes were designed specifically for the European (not U.S.) market. They will sell some in some places in the U.S. where a light, quick, urban street fighter bike works. They won't sell very many in West Texas or Wyoming.

[dlearl476]

One of the mechanics at CR&S has one and I borrowed it for an hour or so one afternoon during the preps for our Isle of Man trip.
I thought it was a lot of fun, and if I were in the market for a small, light urban motard, it would be on the short list, but only because of my experience with Rotax mill.
For style, I prefer the HyperMotard.
One little complaint that surfaced. It's always hard to REALLY assess a bike riding around the factory in Settimo Milanese. On top of the "experience" of riding in Milan, I don't know the roads very well and my top priority, after not getting run over, is not getting lost.
But one thing was really evident riding the X Moto and that was that the engine is much less insulated from the frame and by the bodywork than my Funduro is, and it seemed loud and buzzy. Which is weird because the Vun is even more so, yet the Model 654 Rotax in that bike is smooth as glass above 4K. It might have something to do with the pea-shooter OEM exhaust vs, the typical Italian throatiness of the Vun silencer, but the perception it left me with was "is this $4K more of a bike than a DRZ450SM?" Or whatever that Suzi SM is.

Still a fun bike, nevertheless.