I recently had the opportunity to try out a 2009 BMW F650GS for a week on gravel and dirt roads in the northern part of Sweden. Here are some reflections and pictures.

Fuel consumption was great, during the week I covered 950 km and averaged 4,2 liters per 100 km. Which is impressive considering I mostly used 2nd and 3rd gears. It also means that with a fuel tank of 16 liters you can theoretically go around 380 km without refueling! The ABS and on-board computer were nice additions and did their thing. Seating position and the suspension were ok. Having the fueling tank under the seat was weird but apparently it is supposed to improve balance and weight distribution. Instead of the tank (above the engine) they have fitted the battery and air filter. A thing that bugged me was that I couldn't fit my tank bag to the eh "tank". The covers are all flimsy plastic. Can't they place a couple of magnets underneath? As usual(?), the heated grips, after being on for a while, only warms the right side. Exactly the same as the old GS. I can't say I noticed the increase in cc, hp or Nm to the old single cylinder version. It's still lacking some power and torque.

Although I liked the BMW F650GS and fully enjoyed the week, I still prefer the Honda Transalp XL700VA which is immensely fun on narrow and twisty country roads.

798 cc, parallel-twin, Water Cooled, Four-Stroke, DOHC, 8-valves
6-speed, O-Ring chain
71 hp (53 kW) @ 7,000 rpm
75 N·m (55 lb·ft) @ 4,500 rpm