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2001 BMW F650GS
The sophisticated-looking BMW F650GS single is all new for 2001. Check out the
location of the fuel filler cap just below the rear section of the seat.
By
KIT PALMER
PHOTOS BY KYOICHI NAKAMURA
B
MW proved the naysayers wrong
who said there's no market for
single-cylinder streetbikes anymore
when the Germans - with the help of
the Italians - introduced the F650
Funduro back in 1993. Apparently
the 64,000 people worldwide who
bought the F650 never got the word.
But you really can't blame the
cynics. On paper, a single-cylinder
streetbike really doesn't make a
whole lot of sense; after all, blazing
down the highway at 70 mph for long
periods of time or hauling around a
pilot and a passenger is a lot to ask
out of a lone piston, a few valves and
just 650 cubic-centimeters, but it's
not an entirely unreasonable request done right. Still, a single-cylinder
streetbike just doesn't seem all that
desirable (no matter how good the
motor is), unless - that is - you surround it with really cool stuff. Of
course, making it all work well and
hanging a BMW badge on it doesn't
hurt, either.
An exceptionally good motor, a
sturdy and good-handling chassis, .
and distinctive styling - not to mention a more-than-reasonable retail
18 APRIL 26,2000' c u e I
e
price ($7900) - all contributed to the
Funduro's success. Built in Italy by
Aprilia under the watchful eye of
BMW, more than 10,000 Funduros
were pumped out in 1999 alone,
that's nearly double the yearly average during the six years of the ItaloGerman joint venture. Despite the
continuing success of the Funduro,
BMW decided the bike was due for a
change, which immediately raises the
question, why fix something when it's
apparently working just fine?
The year 1999 marked the end of
the six-year contract BMW had with
Aprilia, and with BMW's new upgraded Spandau motorcycle factory (in
Berlin), featuring all of the latest in
production facilities, the company
was ready to produce the F650 on its
own. Besides, Aprilia was ready to
say good-bye to the F650 anyway,
now needing the extra room to
expand its own production line of the
increasingly popular RSVlOOO V-twin
range. With its new production facilities, BMW didn't want to just keep on
manufacturing the same old F650, so
the timing just seemed right to design
an all-new F650. (See sidebar for all
of the technical changes.)
With a new F650 on its way, BMW
thought about how they were going to
noVil'S
Lightweight, a low center of gravity and a low seat height gives the F650 extreme
"fIickability" on the road.
