Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

along the way. (Vibration is kept to a minimum, as well.) It also delivers good torque and really doesn't mind at all cruising along at 70 mph for long periods of time. The motor's sweat spot seems to be in the 40006500 rpm range, where you feel a distinctive tug on your arms when you twist the throttle. The rev-limiter kicks in at 7500 rpm, but you don't need to get even close to that in order to get the F650 moving at a good clip. off-roading the F650, but that's already a given by just looking at the "Beemer" - it's no dirt bike. The tires slip and slide on the loose earth, and the back-end bottoms easily, and when you do squeeze out every inch from its six inches of wheel travel for the first time, the bike gets its don'tdo-that-again-or-else message firmly across. Still, with the F650GS, its nice to know that you can leave the pavement for a while without feeling Shifting gears is simple, though the clutch pull is a little stiffer than before, no doubt because of the extra. clutch plate needed to handle the more powerful motor. The front and rear disc brakes are guilty. Perhaps the biggest improvement over the previous F650 is the motor. The now fuel-injected engine issues excellent power without any hesitation SPECIFICATIONS At least with the F650, you won't feel guilty when you take this streetbike off road. debut and market their new machine. Those answers, however, would be easy - the Dakar-Cairo Rally. BMW put Frenchman Richard Sainct and two other riders on highly modified F650s and then kept their fingers crossed for the 5000-mile event. When Sainct crossed the finish line in first place and another F650 in second place, BMW wasted no time introducing to the world the all-new and radically changed 2001 F650GS. Talk about good timing. Recently, BMW held their North American launch of the new F650 in Tucson, Arizona, where we got our first chance to ride the single-cylinder BMW. Since then, we've piled many more miles on the F650, riding the bike on a daily basis. Two of the main original concepts of the F650 were to make the bike extremely' comfortable and easy to ride, which would surely appeal to both first-time motorcycle buyers and women riders. BMW took that concept one step farther by adding many attractive design features and giving it that modern look, so it would also appeal to experienced riders. BMW engineers hit the nail on the head with the original F650 and even more so with the new F650GS. A super-low 31.2-inch seat height, well-positioned handlebars (though a little on the wide side), and a nicely contoured chair combine to make the F650 one of the most comfortable streetbikes on the road, but taller riders might feel just a tad cramped. Those over six-feet in height can rest both feet on the ground and still have bent knees. This bike also feels lighter and narrower than the previous F650, and has nimble road manners - just like the old one. The suspension, however, isn't particularly rousing but doesn't demonstrate any real bad habits, either. (Again, just like the old one.) It's just that the overall ride is a little on the harsh side, and it certainly has its limitations when the tarmac turns to dirt. Smooth, well-maintained dirt roads are about as adventurous as you want to get when it comes to 2001 BMW F650GS ENGINE TYPE: Water-cooled single-cylinder 4-stroke BORE X STROKE: ..................................•.1OOmm x 83mm DISPLACEMENT: 652cc HORSEPOWER: .............•....................•50 bhp@6500rpm TORQUE: .....................................•. .44 Ib·ft@5000rpm COMPRESSION RATIO: .................•........•..........11.5: 1 VALVE GEAR, ..........•.............DOHC. chain-driven w/buckettappets VALVES: .......................................•........•.. .4 CARBURETlON: , , BMS Electronic Engine Management IGNmON: ..•.........................BMS Electronic Engine Management CHARGING SySTEM, .400W@14V STARTING SYSTEM: ...•.....••...................Electric DRIVETRAIN PRIMARY GEAR: _ Straight-cut gear 37/72 (1 :1.946) CLUTCH: Multi-plate in oil bath GEAR RATIOS: 1st • • . . • • . . . . • . . • . . • • . • . . • . . . . . . • . . . . . • . . . • . . . . . . . . • . . . .2.57:1 2nd .•.• . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . • • . . . . . . • . . . • . . . . 1.75:1 3rd 1.31:1 4th •............... ' 1.05:1 5th • • . . • • . . . . • . • . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • • . . • . . . • . . . 0.88:1 DRIVE SYSTEM, ...........................•......O·ring chain (16/47) FINAL DRIVE: .....•......•......................•........2.937: 1 FRAME AND SUSPENSION FRAME: , .Bride-type w/bolted-on rear section FRONT SUSPENSION: .41 mm telescopic for w/stabilizer bridge REAR SUSPENSION, ...............•.Central spring strut. linkage. single-shock WHEEL TRAVEL: FRONT 6.7 Inches REAR _ 6.49 Inches BRAKES FRONT 2-piston. floating, 11 .8-in. disc REAR single-piston, floating, 9.45-in. disc WHEELS AND TIRES FRONT 2.50 x 19-in. MT, wire-spoked wheel REAR 3.00 x 17-in. MT, wire-spoked wheel DIMENSIONS O/A LENGTH, 2157mm O/A WIDTH: .....................................•........g10mm WHEELBASE: ...........................•................1477mm GROUND CLEARANCE, ' 130mm SEAT HEIGHT: 780mm HANDLEBAR WIDTH: ........•...............•.............785mm STEERING ANGLE, 61.9 degrees FRONT WHEEL TRAIL: 113.3mm CLAIMED WEIGHT (WEn: . . . . . • . . . . . . . • . . • • . • . . • . . . • . • . • • . . .425 Ibs. COLORS, : Red, Mandarin, Titan blue STANDARD EQUIPMENT Clock Centerstand One key locks Central ignition/steering lock OPTIONS AND ACCESSORIES Heated grips Saddlebags and mounts Top box Onboard computer Engine guards Accessory socket Hand guards Suspension lowering kit Thick seat padding Taller windscreen Alarm system Anti-Lock Brakes MSRP Standard . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . • . • . . . . • . . . .$8100 W/ ABS $8600 Dakar . . • . • . . . . • . • • • • • . . . • • . . . • • • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8600 cue I e n e _ lIS • APRIL 26.2000 19

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