Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

" RIDING "IMPRESSION 1997 BMW F650 "Funduro" (Left) Want a BMW but don't want to spend 10 grand? The new F650 "Funduro" might be the answer. The company's first slngle-cyllnder motorcycle in 30 years, the F650 Is designed for the entry-level rider who wants a fun, BMW street bike with some dirt riding capabilities - all for under $7500. Aprllla, Bombardier-Rotax and BMW combined efforts to produce the Funduro. (Below) The BMW F650 Is pure fun, especially on the twlstles. It comers really well. (Bottom) The F650 has a look ell Its own, but what else Is new from BMW? Built and assembled In Aprllla's plant In Italy, the F650 Is BMW's top-selllng motorcycle In Germany. By Kit Palmer - f there has been one class of motorcycle lacking in BMW's lineup lately it's an honest-to-goodness affordable entry-level motorcycle. Anyone who was toying with the idea of purchasing a BMW but didn't want to pay the price for " state-of-the art hasn't had much to chose from. If you wanted a BMW you would have to plan on spending no less than $9,OOO-plus for one, and that's a lot of money to pay for your first motorcycle. As a result, BMW has not been the first choice for many first-time buyers. When you think of entry-leveL you think of something simple, easy to ride and inexpensive and preferably something that can go both on- ~d off-road. A good starting point for something like this is a motorcycle powered by a singlecylinder engine, something BMW has not made in 30 years. The last BMW single was the 18 horsepower R27, a 2S0cc machine that met its demise in 1966. Since then, as you probably already know, BMW has focused on multi-cylinder bikes, most costing more than $12,000, the most expensive being the KllOOLT with ABS at $16,890. BMW has offered entry-level bikes in the past, but recently has spent so much of its time concentrating on the "newgeneration" line of Boxers and K series BMWs, that they have ignored the entrylevel-class rider. Sure, BMW introduced the R8S0R as a so-called entry-level model last year, but with this bike featuring many of the same cutting-edge features - such as Telelever front suspension, the new-generation Boxer motor and BMW's Paralever rear suspension system wi.th shaft drive - found on the other BMW models, the R8SOR wasn't cheap by any means. At $9,390, the R850R basically priced itself right out of the entry-level category. Now what? Knowing that a single-cylinder motor was the key, BMW went looking for help and found it at Aprilia, an Italian motorcycle manufacturer, and Rotax, an already well-established company that builds, among other things, single-cylinder, four-stroke motorcycle engines. BMW, Aprilia and Rolax got together in a joint project and developed the ultimate entry-level motorcycle for BMW, a motorcycle called the F650 "Funduro," a singlecylinder, on/ off-road bike that sells for less than $7,500 and fits in the entry-level category. Built by Aprilia and Rotax to BMW specifications, the F6S0 was originally intended to be offered only in Europe, which perhaps explains the F65O's somewhat bizarre, concept-bike styling, a look that is very popular abroad. But many such motorcycles in the past have failed in the United States. But in Europe, the F650 was an instant success and quickly became the company's top-selling motorcycle. And it was because of this success that BMW decided to import the F650 into the United States. "On paper, one might wonder why we would want to bring this motorcycle into America," said a BMW spokesman. "It's just not the type of motorcycle that has proven to be successful in the United States, but once you ride the F650, you'll know why we did it." BMW recently invited us to Santa Barbara, California, to ride the new F650, and we now understand why BMW brought the F650 overseas - it's an absolute blast to ride. Have you ever taken a dual sport bike on a twisty, paved road and said to your friends that you could flick the bike through the turns quicker on it than you could on any full-on sportbike? Many people have, and if you're one of them, then you'll know exactly what it's like to ride the F650. It's as if BMW designed the F650 to perform specifically in this manner. TlUs bike comers like no other. Much of this has to do with the bike's very-neutral riding position. When you first throw a leg over the F6S0, it feels si.milar to many other dual sport bikes on the road with its straight, up-and-down seating position, but the small windscreen, funky gas-tank shape and touring-looking instrument panel tells you that this isn't your average, everyday ·dual sport bike. In fact, you'll never hear the words "dual sport" out of BMW's mouth when discussing the F6S0; they simply don't regard this motorcycle as a dual sport bike at all, but, then again, neither do they their GS models, but how many GSs did you see at the last dual sport ride you attended? Probably at least five or six, and the F650 is far more dual sport worthy than the GS. But more on that later. TlUs bike is designed to be comfortable. The frame itself is constructed out of square-section steel "tubing" with the upper frame section acting as the oil tank for the dry-sump eJ:lgine, which also acts as a stressed member. The frame's design has the rider sitting "in" the motorcycle rather than "on" it, like a Honda XR650L and many others. ". At both ends are rather- simple and more-standard suspension designs - for BMW. The F6S0 is the only BMW that does not feature BMW's Telelever front suspension system or .the Paralever rear suspension design found on other BMW models. Instead, BMW went the more traditional route with the F6S0. Up front, you'll find a Showa-made, conventional telescopic fork, with 41mmdiameter tubes; in the back, you'll find a single Showa shock, attached to linkages on the steel swingarm. As on BMW's street-touring models, the rear shock features an easy-to-reach dial that quickly adjusts preload settings, something you'll want to do as soon as you turn off the pavement and onto the dirt. In stock condition, the F650 is set up

• Cover