G650GS Sertao - long distance enduro?

[mrsroynie]

Roynie and I are now committed to a new charity ride in 2014. I know that's a long way in the future, but we've been looking at our options for suitable bikes.

The idea is to ride from Dublin (or West of Ireland) to Shanghai and then either ship home or ship to US and come home via New York ... Big trip and a lot of unmade roads along the way. Would love to do this sort of trip on GSA's but, realistically, they're just too expensive and too heavy for two semi-retired middle-aged bods like us ...

Has anyone had any experience of long distance on the G650GS Sertao? I used to have one of the original F650GS singles and loved it. Seems a few nods towards off-road capability and a decent set of luggage might make the G650GS Sertao the ideal bike for us.

Any thoughts?

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Roynie and I are now committed to a new charity ride in 2014. I know that's a long way in the future, but we've been looking at our options for suitable bikes.

The idea is to ride from Dublin (or West of Ireland) to Shanghai and then either ship home or ship to US and come home via New York ... Big trip and a lot of unmade roads along the way. Would love to do this sort of trip on GSA's but, realistically, they're just too expensive and too heavy for two semi-retired middle-aged bods like us ...

Has anyone had any experience of long distance on the G650GS Sertao? I used to have one of the original F650GS singles and loved it. Seems a few nods towards off-road capability and a decent set of luggage might make the G650GS Sertao the ideal bike for us.

Any thoughts?

PM Micky

He and his girlfriend, did 19000 miles to Mongolia and the Stans on a Dakar and F650GS, through the Gobi

19000 miles on same C&S, no punctures(IIRC) and only a set of front wheel bearings on the F650GS and a oil pressure switch on the Dakar (fixed in Germany under warranty)

That was it, they had a ball

Also consider the F650GS Twin, which is 71bhp and 180kg fuelled - just read an article by Chris Scott who took one solo to Mauritania and loved it, just with soft luggage

Don't be put off by cast wheels either, they will be fine

 

[mrsroynie]

PM Micky

He and his girlfriend, did 19000 miles to Mongolia and the Stans on a Dakar and F650GS, through the Gobi

19000 miles on same C&S, no punctures(IIRC) and only a set of front wheel bearings on the F650GS and a oil pressure switch on the Dakar (fixed in Germany under warranty)

That was it, they had a ball

YES!!!

Just the response I had hoped for. I did 15,000 miles around the US in 2001 on my F650GS, but had never ridden off road at the time.

Not so convinced about the twin version. Roynie used one on the ORS course in 2009, while I had the X-Country. He was fine with it until he broke it on the second morning . Then he switched onto an X-Country and fell in love. Such an easy bike to ride. I'm hoping that the new G650GS Sertao will provide a similar experience.

 

[mediamark]

I've recently had a Sertao as a loan bike & imagine it would be hard work. I found you have to ride it hard to get anything out of it, which would become quite tiring over a long distance.
Just my two penneth.

Sent using Tapatalk 2

 

[mrsroynie]

I've recently had a Sertao as a loan bike & imagine it would be hard work. I found you have to ride it hard to get anything out of it, which would become quite tiring over a long distance.
Just my two penneth.

Thanks.

Did you ever have any experience of the F650GS single? I wonder how it compares? My recollection was that the engine sounded embarrassingly like a lawnmower below about 60mph, but once you wound up the rubber band it could hum along happily at 100, if needs be

I'd be disappointed if the G650GS engine did not perform similarly.

 

[qcridgerunner]

Lawnmower ? Nah. It's a stumper. So it thumps, that's what it does! I personnaly love the sound of my Sertao, esp. when it goes from 3000 to 5000 in 5th gear, when it just torques itself to speed. Then it sings, kinda silently. That motor is king.

 

[Micky]

PM Micky

Cheers JB

PM received ta

Yeah ... I'd use the F(G) 650GS singles without hesitation. Totally bullet proof for sure.

I don't fully agree with Mark when he says that you have to ride one hard to get anything out of it .... how fast do you want to be crossing continents? A trip like this is to be enjoyed, savoured, taking time to smell the flowers

We carried too much on our trip, far too much. We were both nudging 60 at the time ... the bikes were too heavy with all the gear we carried. For the second 'Long Way Home' Sue rode her beloved TTR 250 and we carried much less .... the trip was far more enjoyable for it

Plan by all means but don't make too many plans ... it restricts your itinerary

What you might expect to give problems won't arise, it'll be something totally out of the blue that will tax all your reserves in ingenuity and endurance

There is nothing that can't be fixed out there on the road

Go for it

 

[mrsroynie]

Lawnmower ? Nah. It's a stumper. So it thumps, that's what it does! I personnaly love the sound of my Sertao, esp. when it goes from 3000 to 5000 in 5th gear, when it just torques itself to speed. Then it sings, kinda silently. That motor is king.

 

[mrsroynie]

I don't fully agree with Mark when he says that you have to ride one hard to get anything out of it .... how fast do you want to be crossing continents? A trip like this is to be enjoyed, savoured, taking time to smell the flowers

I imagine it would depend what bike you had exchanged for the loaner as to how a 650 single would feel, if you weren't used to it. I think the characteristic engine tone might tend to give a misleading impression at lower speeds.

I loved mine. In fact, we shipped it home after our US trip and used it as a commuter for a few years before I bought the 1200. I remember the guy I sold it to in 2005 asking me if I had ever done any touring on it Can't remember his name. May be he still has it ... may be he traded up to a bigger GS ... may be he's here ...

Appreciate your words of advice and look forward to taking a look at your website (which is down at the moment, as you warned it might be).

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

I've recently had a Sertao as a loan bike & imagine it would be hard work. I found you have to ride it hard to get anything out of it, which would become quite tiring over a long distance.
Just my two penneth.

Sent using Tapatalk 2

Go slower

Coming off a big bike, you have to re-adjust

 

[Micky]

Go slower

........ you have to re-adjust

You were never 'adjusted' in the first place

 

[rce]

The G is a great bike in the plain version so should think the Sertao would be as good.

Only thing is depends on your height... the Sertao uses the same seat (and frame) as the plain G and I find the standard seat a bit cramped on the G. I use a seat off the Dakar on the wife's G, with this seat on the plain G my feet aren't flat on the floor so with the same solution on the Sertao it would be really tall.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

You were never 'adjusted' in the first place

I know

 

[(RIP) andrewgsadv]

Julie has run her F650GS single for 11 years, been excellent. Has givi side boxes and luggage for trips abroad. Will set up an alarming weave above 85 when loaded. Take less stuff . We travel at 80 on Mway for that reason it does 60mpg at that speed. I have ridden it on Big Trail Bike Club coast to coast doing a bit of off road. As its the lowered version side stand decks out easy but I`m 6ft 1 and top side of twenty stone. They are brilliant. They have a sweet acceleration spot ,stay in it and you will keep up with and suprise other bikers on the twisties.

 

[mrsroynie]

The G is a great bike in the plain version so should think the Sertao would be as good.

Only thing is depends on your height... the Sertao uses the same seat (and frame) as the plain G and I find the standard seat a bit cramped on the G. I use a seat off the Dakar on the wife's G, with this seat on the plain G my feet aren't flat on the floor so with the same solution on the Sertao it would be really tall.

Thanks for the tip. Seat height was the only real issue we had with the X-Country. I'm 5'9" with a 34" in-seam, and I do remember feeling exceptionally tall and gangly when riding to and from the off-road arena in Wales. (In fact, the only bike I couldn't flat-foot comfortably was the X-Challenge.) Roynie is taller with a 31" in-seam but equally felt very cramped.

 

[mrsroynie]

Julie has run her F650GS single for 11 years, been excellent. Has givi side boxes and luggage for trips abroad. Will set up an alarming weave above 85 when loaded.

We didn't have any side luggage at all in 2001. I'm not actually sure BMW made panniers for the F650GS at that time. If they did, the dealers in Brockton, Massachusetts, didn't suggest them ... but then they didn't tell us about the US$1000 rebate that BMW were offering on the F650GS at the time either . I look back on that trip now and wonder how we ever survived

Here I am, somewhere in the middle of Utah with a 50ltr rucksack and a tank bag strapped to the bike and very little room for me LOL.

 

[Dansin]

The 650 doesn't have the cachet of the bigger GS bikes but it's probably the most versatile, easy to ride, easy to repair modern gs. I reckon off road the standard f/g will take on 90% of what the Dakar/sertao can do.

 

[john_aero]

why not look at the xchalleneg also?

stick a bigger tank on it and you have the f650 mpg reliability and more off road suited suspension

also lot lighter too yet same bike essentially

 

[mrsroynie]

why not look at the xchalleneg also?

stick a bigger tank on it and you have the f650 mpg reliability and more off road suited suspension

also lot lighter too yet same bike essentially

Very interested in all these bikes. Thanks everyone.

I did a quick circuit on the X-Challenge on the ORS course in 2009. I notice that neither the X-Country or X-Challenge appear in BMW's current range - presumably replaced by the Sertao. But, from what I'm hearing, I doubt it will matter. We'll probably be buying second-hand for the trip in the latter half of next year - giving us plenty of time to get to know and equip them, while allowing us to hang on to our existing bikes.

On a related subject, got the following email this morniing from a Chinese friend in Shanghai re traffic conditions in China. Made me smile

Chinese people are very friendly to foreigners , but very rude to Chinese.
Traffic lights/rules are only strong suggestion in China.
Most people do not obey them in rural area or small cities. In bigger city the situation is much better.
Sometimes no rule is the best rule. Anyway the system runs efficiently. Just be careful on the roads.

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Very interested in all these bikes. Thanks everyone.

I did a quick circuit on the X-Challenge on the ORS course in 2009. I notice that neither the X-Country or X-Challenge appear in BMW's current range - presumably replaced by the Sertao. But, from what I'm hearing, I doubt it will matter. We'll probably be buying second-hand for the trip in the latter half of next year - giving us plenty of time to get to know and equip them, while allowing us to hang on to our existing bikes.

No longer sold, but spares supply will be available for at least 20 years from BMW

Good choices, fuel capacity can be sourced cheap enough, plus screen and a seat re-upholster makes it a better bike

I like this set up

HB Frames, Wolfman Explorer Panniers (<£400)and Acerbis fuel tank (<£100)