BMW F 650 GS DAKAR
by Mick Hodge
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A clean Dakar. Mick doesn't believe in 'em |
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Fuel down low, filler away from tank bags |
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It's built for deserts, so the first think Mick does is try to drown it... |
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...and step two is to break off non-essential bits |
I've owned three BMWs in my time, and they have all been twin cylinders, including the HP2, which to this day I love to bits. The only reason I got rid of it was because of the thirteen litre fuel tank.
So they all were super reliable and well made and very functional but now I have to do the Wrong Way Down ride from Sydney to Philip Island on the dirt and I'm on the Dakar.
The one thing I try and do is a little bit of research before I swing my leg over, just so I have geometry and weights and braking capabilities in mind when I welly it around a set of corners.
The first thing that hit me was it was learner legal, the second thing was that 32% of all those sold went to girls! I was not totally put off as I'd heard through the grape vine that they actually could be taken off road -- a good job with all things considered.
I picked up the mighty steed and it was adorned with a pair of sexy slimline panniers (that could be extended if needed), it was blue/black colouring with twin exhausts and a nice set of Continental knobbies. I'd used these on the HP2 and I knew they worked well whether on the slimy stuff of super smooth bitumen. I went round it and prodded and poked all the necessary buttons: heated grips - snowy mountains - good idea, rear guard gone - throw shit over others - good idea, abs - dark roads at night - good idea, 19 litre tank -6litres/100kms - over 300km range - very good idea, twin plug head - river crossing - very good idea, adjustable preload on a knob - my 'normous carcass + gear - very good idea.
All in all it looked good and the softer seat didn't feel too bad either. I liked the idea of fuel down low and the filler cap half way down the right hand side of the seat. The riding position wasn't too bad, I wasn't too cramped, the bars felt good, almost like a very civilised enduro. It had its bottom end protected with some good old BMW engineering, this worked and I was very grateful.
When I fired up my steed for the next 1370 kms, I was greeted with the muffled whistle of a single 652cc motor trying to force exhaust through a highly catalytic exhaust system. I have since heard good things about after market pipes.
I was a smidge expectant of a fuel injected German crafted single and thought that the bottom end would be 'stompy', alas no it actually needs a good few revs to punch away from the lights. The gearbox was as slick as I'd ever felt on any BMW, but you do need to work it to keep everything hustling along at any pace.
The brakes are great, lots of bite when you need it, loads of control when you don't. The suspension worked really well considering what was on board and what I wanted to do.
I stuffed it really hard into a couple of corners and stroked the back brake mid left hander. It just scrubbed off speed, it didn't react nastily, it just went about its business unfazed.
I stuffed it through a series of corners which had lumps and bumps in, again no dramas, it just got on with business.
It really is a competent all rounder that if you do get into trouble with will try its utmost best to give you as much help as it can to get out of the smelly stuff. The suspension although semi long travel stuff is actually soft and supple and only got to its limits on the dirt when being pushed really hard.
On the dirt not having a super snappy bottom end was not a disadvantage. Once you get rid of the ABS (a three second press of a button) you can gas it out of blind corners and charge up to the next, give it a quick squeeze of both ends and she's in and through and begging for more.
I rode this bike on big heavy rocks, shale, polished flint, red slimy clay, through rivers with water over the front wheel, up hills I couldn't walk up and down hills I wanted to walk down. It was jumped over a million erosion traps up hill and down and it took it all and just handled it. Even the 17km climb to the top of Mt Pinnabar left it unfazed and untroubled.
It really does take the rough with the smooth.
| SPECIFICATIONS Motor: Liquid-cooled four-stroke single.
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