BMW G 650 GS: enduro with a bold, sporty character

It all started with the Bavarian concern launching an active advertising campaign to promote, as the video stated then, “a new enduro for millions.” Blurred silhouettes did not give a clear understanding of what kind of model it was. Only when the first photographs appeared did it become clear that the new was again the well-forgotten old. BMW decided to throw a slightly modified old F 650 GS model, which was produced from 2000 to 2007, onto the European market. “Cosmetologists” have redesigned the design in the spirit of modern large GS.

Heated grips appeared as stock, and steering wheel switches were carried over from the G450 series. The Germans wanted to shake up the market with an attractive price. How did you manage to reduce the cost? Simple: part of the production was moved to China! The hard workers there, who work for the whole world seven days a week, also had to master the power unit of the G 650 GS.

Yes, the “Bavarian” Rotax is made in China – with all that it implies. And some other knots, judging by their appearance, are also from the Middle Kingdom. Of course, the manufacturer gives a full guarantee for everything, but somehow this does not fit with the premium image of the brand...

So, we pack our belongings into the side cases and hit the road. Already in the first meters it is clear that nothing has changed in the motorcycle. Well, except that the seat has become a little tighter, and the windshield of increased height allows you to maintain a higher cruising speed. The engine still has an inexpressive low end, not noisy and quiet.

However, there are fewer vibrations - the designers managed to balance the unit. A sharp turn of the throttle does not give a kick in the ass. Yes, the acceleration is confident, but by the standards of modern enduros of this class it is still calm. When overtaking, you have to squeeze all the juice out of the engine, and yet I was driving practically light - only 5 kg in the panniers. I had complaints about ergonomics almost immediately.

Everything is fine with the landing, but the left steering switch immediately tormented me: the turn signal switch is located below a convenient position, and it is easy to confuse it with the horn. In thick autumn gloves it is almost impossible to get your finger on the switch. Unless you stare straight at the steering wheel.

But the GS pleased me with its amazing efficiency: I had to refuel after only 200 km. We averaged 110-120 km/h, and at this pace the consumption was only 4 liters per hundred! But the Chinese trace remains in the operation of the gearbox - the gears are engaged more roughly than on the F 650 GS, and five steps are clearly not enough for long-range driving on the highway. At the highest level, driving even 130 km/h is uncomfortable. Sixth gear - overdrive - is simply necessary here!

BRAKES

It's a sin to complain! 300 mm disc front, 240 mm rear, ABS

However, you get used to everything: by the evening neither the engine nor the gearbox bothered me anymore. But the tidy began to irritate. What genius came up with the idea to make a tachometer in the form of a rising/falling bar with small numbers? And why does such a “consumptionist” need a tachometer at all? A fuel level indicator is more appropriate here.

Second day: we drove off the asphalt onto a grader. But if on the highway the standard Metzeler Tourance tires behaved perfectly even at temperatures slightly above zero, then on wet clay and mud the motorcycle began to resemble a cow on ice. When the road dried out, life got better. A “holder” appeared and the pace increased. However, we still drove most of the way in second gear, sometimes switching to third.

"Frisky horse" BMW G650GS Sertao

Skipping the story about the agony of choosing a motorcycle, I bought myself a BMW G650 GS Sertao for the 2021 season. I wanted something enduristic that could take me around the city, in the mud and on long-distance trails. Actually, this is the device I received; it absorbed a little bit of everything. But the full-fledged edge is, of course, enduro.

This model is the heir to the legendary BMW F650 GS Dakar, which was discontinued not so long ago. On board the Sertao we have an impressive set of enduro goodies. There are spoked aluminum wheels, which already hints at expanded capabilities, and switchable ABS for confident braking on sticky surfaces. The function of disabling ABS, by the way, remained a mystery to me for a long time, they say, why disable ABS if it helps with braking? But no, you’ll drive into sand or mud, pick up a decent speed, and when you start braking with ABS on, you’ll feel all the viscosity of the coating under your feet, but if you turn it off, the wheel will quickly sink into the mud and stop. There is one enviable option on older GS models: turning off ABS only for the rear wheel, which is certainly delicious.

The Sertao has increased suspension travel, which you can feel - in the city it easily jumps onto the highest curbs, but on the off-road I had to overcome fallen trees with a diameter of about 20-30 cm. The crankcase protection is standard installed here, so you can try without fear of breaking your belly . Moreover, the moto is relatively light; if an attempt fails, you can pull it away like a moped and put it “on your feet”…. yes, this has happened . It is also worth noting that the package includes heated handles and wind protection for the hands. All these goodies seem to hint that you have nothing to do in the city on this motorcycle. In principle, motorcycles of this class are ideal for driving around our vast homeland.

Having driven far enough from the city and finding yourself surrounded by a green ribbon along the road, you admire the surrounding views. Personally, I always have a desire to embrace the immensity. On Sertao, you can easily go “into the fields” and touch these views.

Off-road it feels like a heavy cross-country race, I even had one attempt to ride a cross-country track, but this, of course, was already a perversion, well, it doesn’t open from the ground! Let's leave such entertainment to suitable bikes. But on the road it behaves like a road worker, and it steers luxuriously, no complaints. Of course, “handling” depends on driving skill, which is what I improved by doing laps at MotoGymkhana. In general, a very useful thing, I recommend it to everyone to improve their motorcycle riding skills.

The adjustable stiffness of the rear suspension makes it easy to change the working setup of the motorcycle from city to highway, from highway to dirt. Proper use of the suspension stiffness adjuster and you have a real 3 in 1 under your feet. If I know that I have to travel more than one hundred kilometers, then I tighten the suspension tighter, and in the opposite direction if there are primers and other joys ahead.

A motorcycle in its natural habitat quickly climbs a steep sandy hill, confidently drives along a dirt road - it can go almost anywhere! ABS works like a charm. High seating position - you feel like you are in an SUV, in a motorcycle version, in fact, that’s how it is!

The driving formula from BMW is to drive 90 km/h and you will be happy. As an experiment, during my next business trip to Yaroslavl, I set up such an experiment, kept the speed at 90 km/h and I managed to drive 325 kilometers from refueling to refueling for 10 liters of fuel, and also about 40 km of reserve in reserve (perhaps there was more left, but The instructions say that you must not run out of gas at all, otherwise some of the injectors will burn out). This is such magic, it’s like you’ll drive more quietly as you continue. There are many factors here, firstly, for long distances, stopping at a gas station means at least 20 minutes; in these 20 minutes, at a speed of 90 km/h, you will travel 30 kilometers, and at a meager expense. Well, secondly, no matter how you look at it, you get mentally tired of the speed, and 90 km/h is a very comfortable speed in this sense.

A reasonable question arises: can there be more? Maybe! Just like that - the 650 cc single-cylinder engine confidently accelerates the motorcycle to 140 km/h with a slight movement of the hand. Here, however, a drawback emerges, which many will consider a trifle: vibrations occur at speeds above 110 km/h, this is nothing if you need to get to Tula, but what if to Magadan? Experienced people unanimously say: “This is a single-cylinder, what did you want?”

That same memorable moment when the light came on, the readings of ROSAVTODOR and my odometer converge:

Well, what I bought this universal motorcycle for was truism. I equipped it to the fullest, firstly, navigation, a USB port with a maximum load of 3 A, which comes in a bag on the tank, a splitter is already installed there, much cheaper than the option from GIVI. The first thing I was puzzled by after buying the motorcycle was the panniers. All branded products cost a pretty penny, but I found them for half the price! I put it in zig-case cases, two side cases with 34 liters each and a central one with 36 liters.

I drove around the city only with the central one and it’s so good that I managed to put all my equipment in it, although I had to take the protection out of the jacket and carefully put everything away, I couldn’t crumple it

Over the course of the summer, Sertao worked his entire outfit to the fullest: numerous trips for work, tourist trips to festivals, and just “checking out the dacha near Uglich.” Both together and alone - no problems.

What can I say, this is BMW and that says it all, the smallest “wild” GS. By the way, Sertao means stallion. It is obvious.

All photos and videos in the post were taken by me.

Review of the BMW G 650 GS motorcycle

Manufacturers position the G 650 GS as a premium motorcycle. The design and engine capacity of the motorcycle, 652 cc, allow bikers to successfully and comfortably overcome any off-road conditions. This SUV also looks quite decent on busy city streets, standing out among others with its light, modern silhouette. Well, now let’s do a short review of the BMW G 650 GS motorcycle, let’s see what kind of unit it is.

BMW marketers, having assessed the constantly increasing demand for Chinese-made motorcycles, decided to transfer the production of some G 650 series motorcycles to China. Accurate information from BMW regarding the location of production of the G 650 GS and its engines has not yet been received.

The SUV has a successful, very economical and quite powerful engine developed by the Bavarian motorcycle company BMW Motorrad. The great advantage of the engine is the motorcycle’s gasoline consumption: only 3.2 liters at a speed of 100 km/h and 4.3 liters at a speed of 120 km/h.

Stable operation of the motor is ensured by a reliable power supply delivering 35 kW at 6500 rpm. Torque 60Nm at 5000rpm. The motorcycle's acceleration time is 5.7 seconds to 100 km.

Advantages of the motorcycle that allow it to be classified as a premium class:

— excellent handling, — light multi-level clutch, — balanced chassis and reliable suspension, — great road stability, — switchable ABS, — wide steering wheel, giving good lever force, — reliable and comfortable hand position on the steering wheel, — heated grips, — large plastic fuel tank, - lockable luggage compartment, - seat height adjustment.

Manufacturers offer to additionally equip the motorcycle with devices manufactured according to BMW standards. For example, install an anti-theft alarm, socket, central support.

For many bikers, the latest modification of the motorcycle with the GS Sert?o index is attractive.

If the G650GS belongs to the station wagon class, then the GS Sert?o is a typical SUV.

The bike is mainly aimed at harsh off-road conditions - the suspension has increased travel and rigid settings.

Technical data of G650GS:

Today in Russia the cost of new G 650 GS motorcycles is 340-360 thousand rubles.

In the maximum configuration and with additional accessories, the estimated cost is 420 thousand rubles. Until recently, the Sertao modification was supplied to order and at a price higher than the cost of the GS.

Advantages of the model

1. Cost-effective, high maneuverability and ease of operation.
2. The suspension is designed for different surfaces. The suspension can be adjusted.
3. The ABS system does not lock the wheels when braking.
4. There is a heated steering wheel system, which makes driving more comfortable.
5. The stability of the motorcycle is increased by the central support.
6. Even at maximum speed, handling and control are not reduced.
7. A full tank will last for an average of 350 km, even with an aggressive driving style.
8. Comfortable fit for a person of at least average height.
9. It is possible to install additional protection and a higher windshield, which will allow you to test the bike through the forest and not be afraid of small branches.