2011 BMW G650GS Review [Video]

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Original Article:
2011 BMW G650GS Review [Video]

Please discuss the Motorcycle.com article 2011 BMW G650GS Review [Video] in our Motorcycle Forums below. Use the reply button to let others know your comments or feedback on the article. Constructive criticism is always appreciated, along with your thoughts and personal opinions on the bikes and products we have tested.

[jmdonald]

Is there a machine on the planet you can't wheelie on? Well done.

[desertbilly]

I'm glad to see this review. I've been trying to decide on a light adventure tourer, and was considering the Sertao. The G650 reviews have been negative for not being light like a KTM or big like an R1200. But for just a basic, light-enough, powerful-enough, dirty-enough, highway-capable, reliable all-arounder, the Sertao with TKC 80s and maybe some Wolfman Expedition bags might be a great solution.

[Duken4evr]

A DR650 or KLR 650 would do it all a lot better for a lot less. I prefer the DR of those two, still highway worthy, better off road and simply indestructible. A Husky TE610 or 630 would do dirt a lot better, be passable on the highway, and be way way cooler.

Have to admit, I have not ridden one of these, but have ridden an F650 and hated it. I guess I am hard to please. I expect my bikes to have personality.

Nice wheelie though. Kevin can wheelie on anything, as evidenced by the legendary K1600 incident

[Kevin_Duke]

Originally Posted by jmdonald

Is there a machine on the planet you can't wheelie on? Well done.

I'm still looking....

[The Spaceman]

Nice review, Mr. Duke. The music at the start of the video with the bike buzzing around was funny as hell. Maybe it's just the microphone on the video camera, but that sure sounds like a LOUD bike! Does it seem particularly loud in person? You can really tell its a thumper.

Where does the engine come from these days? IIRC, they were first built in Austria, then in China, and I think I heard they're now built in Deutschland. Ist wirklich?

[Kevin_Duke]

Originally Posted by The Spaceman

Nice review, Mr. Duke. The music at the start of the video with the bike buzzing around was funny as hell. Maybe it's just the microphone on the video camera, but that sure sounds like a LOUD bike! Does it seem particularly loud in person? You can really tell its a thumper.

Where does the engine come from these days? IIRC, they were first built in Austria, then in China, and I think I heard they're now built in Deutschland. Ist wirklich?

Nah, it's not particularly loud, only when it's being caned. As mentioned in the article, the engine is built in China.

[The Spaceman]

Originally Posted by Kevin_Duke

As mentioned in the article, the engine is built in China.

"The single-lung motor is built in China under BMW supervision then shipped to Germany where the rest of the G650 is built."

I guess I'm getting a "D" on the quiz.

[Kevin_Duke]

Originally Posted by The Spaceman

"The single-lung motor is built in China under BMW supervision then shipped to Germany where the rest of the G650 is built."

I guess I'm getting a "D" on the quiz.

I'll give ya a C-.

From BMW: "The single cylinder G 650 GS and Sertao engine is assembled by Loncin in Chongqing, China. This engine has been produced in this facility since we launched the G 650 X Country several years back. The G 650 GS single cylinder has proven to be excellent, offering a very high degree of quality and reliability, reasons why we decided to keep this engine in the new G 650 GS / Sertao. The production of the engine by Loncin is strictly based on BMW quality criteria according to state-of-the-art standards. Loncin is also a very experienced engine manufacturer, producing over 2 million units of a variety of engines per year."

[The Spaceman]

There's little doubt the Chinese are producing increasingly high-quality goods. Now the questions are:

1. Can they continue doing so without wrecking their environment? (Google "China pollution" sometime. It's horrendous).

2. Can they continue doing so without treating their workers like robot-slaves?

3. Will their industrial revolution bring the same freedoms in their society (ie: more than 1 political party) that the Industrial Revolution brought to Western societies?