New Rider

[westlake]

Hi All,
My Son is a young rider and wants to get a F650GS as his first bike can anybody give him some advice on what to look for and the best model etc I ride a r1150 gs so have no idea what to look for.

 

[v8legend]

The 650 (single or twin) is a great first bike. Not too much to look for. Any problems (chain, top hose, etc) are well documented on here. So go for the best spec he can afford. It's worth knowing, like other BM's there are various seat and suspension specs for the vertically challenged.

 

[Dean]

Hi All,
My Son is a young rider and wants to get a F650GS as his first bike can anybody give him some advice on what to look for and the best model etc I ride a r1150 gs so have no idea what to look for.

The 650 (single or twin) is a great first bike. Not too much to look for. Any problems (chain, top hose, etc) are well documented on here. So go for the best spec he can afford. It's worth knowing, like other BM's there are various seat and suspension specs for the vertically challenged.

I have the F650Gs twin and I,m also a young rider at 49 great bike

the bike is transformed so much by screen,seat, suspension, cans etc etc etc as v8legend: (2816364) says lots of threads to read about these bits and bobs all personal different opinions with pictures. http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=195475

there is a red mint one five hundred odd miles on the clock in the for sale by the'G'man (but not sure its sold or not) looks mintier than a minty thing

but I dont think you can pm or look in for sale when not subscribed shares most bits and problems with F800 gs as detailed in the threads...


good luck in your search :

 

[Tim Cullis]

Both the F650GS single and the F650GS twin are ideal bikes for new riders. Easy to control with smooth throttle, easy seating position and both have great fuel economy. The F650GS single will obviously be cheaper, another alternative to look at would be the new G650GS single which is around £5000 new.

The problem with getting a first-timer bike is that often the rider quickly gets a lot of riding experience and then finds the bike not fulfilling enough. This is where the F650GS twin comes in. For many people the F650/800GS has been a popular downsizing choice from the 1150/1200GS and the 800cc engine is great for long distance touring. So it's a keeper, not just an interim first-timer bike.

 

[Smythson]

The 650 (twin) is my first bike. I ride it most days and every day that i do it brings a smile to my face.

As mentioned before it has many great features economy for instance - i'm only mini so if i'm not going anywhere in a hurry i get around 80mpg

It's easy to handle both in terms of cornering and picking it up after minor spills.

I have the lowered seat - the benefits of which are twofold as it is not only lower but it is shaped differently making for a greater comfort on longer rides (I can do a 500 mile day without ache) Depending on your son's height this may well be worth looking out for.

In terms of spec when shopping around must's are ABS, heated grips and centre stand (combined i think this is called the comfort pack)

There is a full on board computer version - the additions of this are a fuel gauge (the accuracy of which is subject to some debate, i don't have it so shan't comment) It also has a temperature gauge (some say the most useful feature) and a gear indicator (what can i say...)

There is also a factory lowered version out there - free when buying new i think. I'm only 5'7 and can flat foot it with just the lowered seat and not lowered suspension. Of note - the lowered suspension version reduces the pillion / load capacity by quite a bit. Can't recall figures of the top of my head.

It comes with a CZ chain that isn't great but i'm a believer in looking after your kit and it'll look after you so i've had no real worries with it. Also comes with the infamous Battlewing tyres. As i said it's my first bike, i'm not a knees down rider and have nothing to compare it with to so won't comment.

Screens are a massive topic. The stock screen is fairly useless (the stock 800 on the 650 is the same in terms of usefulness) I've found riding with no screen fitted better than these two so my search continues... People round here seem to speak most kindly of the MRA, Deserto or Britannia models. On ADV there are some followers of the mahooosive CalSci or CeeBaileys. ADV also features the Madstad screen which is similar to Deserto/Brittania. After some months of trial and error (lots of this!) I know screens are highly personal and there is no rhyme nor reason (nor science) behind riders choices.

I haven't done too much farkling otherwise - beak from the 800 (get from BMW as half the price of post market ones), crash bars (Wunderlich Adventure), LED indicators (BMW OEM), Renthal soft grips over the existing (IMO) skinny grips, Barkbusters (drop it just once and these will have paid for themselves) and all those screens!

Best of luck,

S

 

[mrsroynie]

You don't say what your son's budget is. A friend of mine just got himself a 2000 single-cylinder F650GS as a first bike for around £2k, and is delighted with it. I had a 2001 model that I imported to the UK after a 15,000-mile US tour. It was reasonably comfortable, fun to ride and served me well as a London commuter for a couple of years. The only major mechanical issue was water damage to the instrument electrics, which required a clock replacement - done under warranty.