Bike review: BMW F650GS

Alright, so I had the chance to ride a 2007 BMW F659GS today. A friend of mine left it in town to sell and told me to look after it. Then he said there is a nice loop near the storage unit.... Put two and two together...

Here it is:

Here are the basics: 652 cc single, 50 hp, chain drive, 5 speed, and all is 386 pounds.

This is a taller bike than I have ridden before, so a slight worry about getting my feet down. But, I could get my toes down once I put weight on the bike, so a little more comfortable. The seating position is pure standard. Feet almost half way between being under my knees and under my hips; arms slightly extended out to the wide bars. I know the mirrors look pretty small in the picture, but keep in mind that those hand guards are plenty over-sized and the mirrors are almost as large.

On to the ride: the power delivery is smooth and predictable, coming with a light clutch pull and wide friction zone. Goose the throttle and you get a strong pull from the big thumper, but not so much as to be intimidating.

The rake felt more relax than the bikes I'm used to, so less twitchy than a sportbike. Accordingly, the steering was heavier than I expected, but once it leaned over, it stayed planted.

Lastly, the brakes: I didn't try to do any full braking (borrowed bike, remember?) but they were also predictable and gave pretty good feedback. I don't know if the bike had ABS, but I wasn't about to find out.

Overall, it is a fantastic ride, and a relatively new rider should be able to handle it pretty well. Assuming they are tall enough to feel comfortable with the height. Also, it reminded me I need a bike of my own.

Quality Time

I think I may be about to say something a little more off-kilter than usual: spending some quality time in the parking lot with your bike can sometimes be more fun than hitting the twisties.

I know, I know, you're just going in circles and not getting anywhere. But, you are getting in some valuable practice and honing those skills in an environment you are less likely to run into anything unpleasant. Though we did see a few deer running around the lot. Obviously, the first order of business is to find an empty lot to play in. One the local wildlife (deer or neighbors) won't bother you in. My wife and I chose the Law School parking lot. She got her Buell out while I played with my camera. Here is the fruit of our labor (and my unsolicited tips).

On a hot day, take a break and relax a little, just like you would on a distance ride.

Just because you're in an empty lot doesn't mean you should skimp on your gear. Besides, you needed to ride it there, right?

Remember, when turning: look where you want to go.

And I do mean Look.

Finally, throw in a few quick stops. Especially if you're headed at your photographer.

I think that's it for now. Get out and ride. Have fun, in a parking lot or on the road, just stay smart about it.

A Long Sunday Ride

Last Sunday, my wife and I decided to meet up with some of the other members of Beginnerbikers.org for a ride through north Georgia and a little bit of east Tennessee. Most of the group met at a gas station off of Ga-400 north of Atlanta and rode from there to our "official" starting point of Rider's Hill in Dahlonega. After warming up for a little bit (the start of the day was about 40 degrees,) we hit the rode. It became immediately apparent that I need to practice riding winding roads more. Not only was I riding well below the speed limit, the rest of the group was far enough ahead that I took a wrong turn at the first chance I got. Fortunately, I realized my mistake and turned around before too much time was lost. After that, the group split into two groups: the fast riders and my wife and me, bracketed by the ride organizer and another rider who was perfectly happy to follow us at whatever speed we chose.

After almost 90 miles of mountain roads, we stopped for gas and lunch in Tellico Plains, TN. at a place named Prospector's. Good food and good prices and a place to relax after some very technical roads.

Following lunch, we made our way back to the Ocoee Scenic Byway and made a small detour off the main road to one of the overlooks along the Ocoee River. The overlook was at the top of a steep, winding road that may have been two lanes. I couldn't tell since it wasn't painted and I didn't have enough concentration to spare from trying to negotiate the turns. While two of us hadn't wanted to go to the overlook, it was well worth the ride up for its breathtaking view.

By that time it was getting late enough in the day that we all needed to high-tail it back to Atlanta. Overall, we put another 360 miles on our bikes from 7:00 am to 9:30 pm. A few of my pictures are below.

The initial gathering started early in the morning.

All the bikes parked outside of Prospector's.

The view from the overlook.

Never leave home without your traveling Gnome.

As a point of interest, the motorcycles along for the ride were as follows: Suzuki Hyabusa, Yamaha FJR, Yamaha FZ-1, BMW R-1150GS, Kawasaki Versys, Buell Blast, and Kawasaki EX250.