Almost bought a monster...

[gus007]

but just when it was time to pull the trigger I started thinking about a Fs650 Dakar. I'm new to the UK and I live in London. I'm sick of riding the tube to work and I would like something to ride on the weekends. The Dakar sounds like it would be perfect but for its top speed. I don't want to be bouncing off the rev limiter trying to follow my buddies on their sportbikes.

My budget is ~£2500 which gets me a mid 90's M900s Ducati or 2000 to 2002 BMW. Any thoughts? The Dakar would be a better all round bike. The both seem to have the same service intervals. The BMW has a longer range and the option of going to more places.

Has anyone owned both bikes? I'm thinking real hard about the FS650 Dakar. I haven't been able to find one that I can go look and sit on. It sounds like the perfect bike for how I want to ride. If anyone has a bike they are thinking of selling, please let me know.

I've been reading some of the threads in other sections and I can't wait to start riding in Europe. I've been riding for years but I sold my last bike when I moved over here.

Cheers!

_Kris
[email protected]

 

[DavidHale]

If you're ridin mostly in London then a F650 Dakar is (IMHO) almost perfect... it'd certainly be a better bet the my 1150 Adv...!

THe moster would be fine for posing up and down the King Road in the summer, but the rest of the year? The Dakar every time!

 

[gus007]

I think the GS going to work a bit better for me. I'm sold on the Dakar version. I found this one ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150216595159&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:GB:1123


I think it is a Dakar version but I asked about the front wheel size and the lowered suspension. I'm 6ft so I would rather have the full suspension. This was his reply:
"Tyre size is 100/90/1957h Wheel diameter 20"
Suspension is ajustable however not sure if you can remove the kit.Hope this is of some use? "

Can anyone tell me a bit more about this bike? I decided to increase my budget a bit.

_Kris
kk.scoot at gmail dot com

If you're ridin mostly in London then a F650 Dakar is (IMHO) almost perfect... it'd certainly be a better bet the my 1150 Adv...!

THe moster would be fine for posing up and down the King Road in the summer, but the rest of the year? The Dakar every time!

 

[ThorH]

There is no such thing as a "GD", I think it's a standard GS:
1) From the picture it looks like a 19" front (vs 21" on the Dakar.) I doubt that he has gone out of his way to have a 20" custom made.

2) It has the low (standard GS) seat, but it may have been changed.

3) It has a center stand, but many Dakar owners retrofit those.

4) The Dakar has a reservoir for the shock on the right, just below the preload adjuster. I cannot see it here.

5) The general "posture" of the bike says GS, not Dakar.

6) I don't think ABS was available on the 2000 Dakar, just on the GS

The white color could be a Dakar with all the dekals stripped off, but it's more likely that this is an ex police bike. The standard GS never came in white, IIRC.

For everything you ever thought you might want to know about the F650GS, there is only one source: The ChainGang site here . Look for Technical FAQs, there is a "what do I look for" section.

Actually, it may even be the factory lowered version of the GS. It's really hard to tell, without measuring the centre stand or something like that. Don't buy it if you don't need the low, it cannot be un-lowered.

 

[ae1eara]

Commuting in London

Hi, I'm a new member and have just bought an Adventure. I did about 6 years commuting into London from Rochester on a number of different bikes ranging from an MZ 250 to a 1200 Bandit. I also have a Monster 900 which I still ride regularly in London.

I think the Dakar would make a great bike in London but I personally found that trailie based bikes are just a bit too wide in the bars for filtering past van mirrors. This despite what is said by the popular magazines about them being perfect. I just didn't find the same when commuting an DR650 Suzook. Dispatch riders are the best measure so the bikes they ride are a really good indicator.

The monster is actually a great fun bike in London 'cos it is skinny, but ultimately it is a bit heavy on the clutch. It also isn't built to weather the weather (if ya know what I mean). Run one throught the winter at your peril.

My favourite bike for commuting was a Hornet 600. Well built, dead reliable, really light controls, narrow bars, but lousy fuel range. I liked it so much I bought it back off the guy I sold it to and use it to commute here in Aberdeen 5 years on.

Riding in London is great fun by the way (or maybe I'm a bit perverse) and so much better than any alternative.

Wishing you safe riding whatever you choose in the end

Andy

 

[Shaunie]

There is a F650GS GD. The GD is the Dakar version. But this ebay sale doesn't look right. The colour is incorrect, it should be black/white or blue/white but not plain white. It should have a black screen as shown and a 21" front wheel. I wouldn't want a Dakar that had been "lowered". Better to wait for a standard bike than this mismatch.

 

[nunesaf]

I think the GS going to work a bit better for me. I'm sold on the Dakar version. I found this one ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150216595159&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:GB:1123


I think it is a Dakar version but I asked about the front wheel size and the lowered suspension. I'm 6ft so I would rather have the full suspension. This was his reply:
"Tyre size is 100/90/1957h Wheel diameter 20"
Suspension is ajustable however not sure if you can remove the kit.Hope this is of some use? "

Can anyone tell me a bit more about this bike? I decided to increase my budget a bit.

_Kris
kk.scoot at gmail dot com

Hi Kris,

I had already a F650GS and the corresponding Dakar version. The differences are:
- Dakar is much taller
- Gear ration is shorter: pulls better but it revs the engine more
- the suspension is different
- Dakar version is typically a bit more expensive than the normal GS

IMHO, you would be better with a normal F650GS as it is slightly better for long trips: more comfortable, more economic, better autonomy.

At the end, these are great bikes, so you will be equally well served with the Dakar version. It all depends if you really appreciate the off-road capabilities.

Hope it helps

 

[gus007]

I appreciate all the help, everyone. I've found several dakar's that are up for sale. Hopefully I can find one that is in the right price and area for me.

I used to roadrace and then switched to motocross for a little bit. And now that I am older, I want to try something a bit different. The GS should be a good all round bike from what everyone has said.

Again, thanks for all the helpful replies. I am looking forward to getting a bike and doing some riding.

_Kris