F650GS Dakar Owners Views, offroad and touring please

[Sgt Bilco]

Rocks

I`ve got an immaculate Aprilia Pegaso 650 for sale in the next few weeks. It`s a 1998 with 7000kms and is like new.

Its almost the same as the 650GS but has a 5 valve head and is a bit quicker. They say they are better built as well......

 

[brassmonkey001]

That'll be because I posted it

£62 actually from www.hagon-shocks.co.uk

I was sure it was you but I couldn't remember where. I'm just glad it wasn't in this thread.

 

[jonnywave]

I have a Dakar and its great took it to Mali at Christmas 8000 miles, it was great, handled the trip well all that went wrong was the oil sensor. The bike is good off road too. I would recomend one...

 

[Flipfly]

Depends on what you expect.

My Dak is great and is the reason I sold my 1150GS so quite the opposite to septic.

I do have an 1150RT for touring, but will be taking the Dak to the Alps this year as it handles better and will let me do a few off road excursions.

As for vibration with the 21" wheel, can't say I've noticed it.

Comfort is good (a 300 mile ride from Cornwall in -2 on new years eve was a reasonable test ).

Fuel is good, but the best is the all round ability of the Dak. I would hazzard that a few of the Derbyshire guys have been impressed with the Daks ability when I've been out with them (they know it's the bike and not that I'm a good rider ).

The bike is designed to do all jobs well enough. Obviously a tourer will tour better and a KTM EXE makes a better off road bike, but the Dak does both.

If you think it's heavy off road try laning on an 1150GS Something I used to do and was impressed with it's capability until I got the Dak. It scratches down the b roads faster, off roads better and I don't get all the buffeting on the motorway. It's a ball ache of an engine to sit there at 80 all day as you need to turn your mechanical sympathy gene off, but it will do it and be reliable (unless you are Snoopy ).

Snoops bike had done 55,000 trouble free miles before it had anything go substantially wrong, can't knock that IMHO.

If I had to choose one bike between the RT and the Dak....it'd be the Dak. I asked the same question of the GS and it was sold.

 

[rocks]

Looking..

Flipfly, I take my 1150 off roading, but went and got myself a DRZ for proper off road stuff as the GS is not the same enjoyment. Its fun, but if your on a big bike and your mates are not, then it is tough going, or thats what I found.

The drz is a hooligans dream for me, and I love it.

My mate has aslso looked at the Yamaha, and liked it. Though he was not sure on the comfort factor with it.

Thanks for the all the replies and comments all are welcome, even snoopy's ones though you do seem to suffer with bike there snoopy.

We are hoping to go and look at two potential bikes for him shortly. Oh big thanks on the progressive forks info. Suspect its an option he might look at in the future if he decides to get one.

Cheers folks..

 

[Flipfly]

I was out playing with a few DR350's, a DRZ an XT and a KTM at the weekend (not forgetting another Dakar) on my Dak.

It ain't as easy as the others but it's very capable and just takes a bit of getting used to.

The XT is very capable (more so off road than the Dak). Mick who we were out with at the weekend goes all over the place on his, he has made a screen for it and I think it probably helps alot.

Good luck with which ever way he chooses

 

[rocks]

looking good..

Apparently my mate has located two possibles and seen one today which he road around for abit and was generally impressed.
He has arranged to look at the other tomorrow i think and so I am fairly sure he will take one of them.

Then I might be able to actually get a go on one myself to compare with my 1150 which should be fun at least.

Once again, thanks for the various comments and views, most comfirmed what I believed about the bikes.

Cheers.. john

 

[AxeGrinder]

I was out playing with a few DR350's, a DRZ an XT and a KTM at the weekend (not forgetting another Dakar) on my Dak.

It ain't as easy as the others but it's very capable and just takes a bit of getting used to.

The XT is very capable (more so off road than the Dak). Mick who we were out with at the weekend goes all over the place on his, he has made a screen for it and I think it probably helps alot.

Good luck with which ever way he chooses

I was the other Dakar...My first time out on it off road (I only bought it the weekend before).

I've been well impressed by the bike, which is my first Beemer. Previously I mainly rode sports bikes, although I also have a Honda XR250r.

On th road, the Dak is great fun, and gets from A-B in a fun and timely manner, mostly within the speed limits (which is the reason I changed my ride) although is capable of cruising over 80mph. Handling is excellent, although I find myself going wide at roundabouts when traversing them with any "passion"...I put this down to the Conti Twinduro tires, which I can feel squelching round corners at speed.

Off road the bike is a lot to handle first time out, on the trickier stuff, way heavier than my XR and I did drop it a couple of times, but it suffered no more damage than a broken indicator and the high screen broke in two...I should have taken that off before going off road anyway, as it is too tall for offorading. By the afternoon I was in my element, and the final trail from Sheffield, part way back to SkyGods place was fantastic and a severe test of the bikes suspension, which travelled all the way front and back. The bash plate took a hammering on the rocks, but the bike didn't miss a beat.

The only problem I have with the bike is getting stuck can be a problem. My rear is more than 1/2 worn, and so not too nobbly, and I could not get traction after I had had to stop on a very soft steep uphill section. The bike is very difficult to manhandle unless your Charles Atlas.

Apart from that, I love the bike on and off road, and am looking forward to many years of fun with the Dak