Ah that was fun and very informative... never seen a chain oiler before... I'm about to get a f650gs here from 2002 in Kenya to help me get around better than my 183 CC chinese bike was doing , this really helped give me more ideas
Glad you got something out of it. Unfortunately many of the modifications and accessories have been discontinued for the single-cylinder 650 BMWs. Good luck and have fun!
Great video! Not many G650GS videos on RU-vid, but I love mine! I snagged one of the last ones before they discontinued it here in the US. I'm looking forward to doing some motocamping this year, so your gear video was super helpful.
Great information video since start to end. I have g650gs and got very powerful ideas from your video. My favorite part is small bell present from your Mom. Thanks and bless you.
Wonderful introduction to your GS bikes. Love the Heidenau K60 tires. They were the same ones my BMW shop recommended, and I will choose those on my next tire change. Crash bars are cool. I've dropped my bike in Canada and was surprised that with the crash bars, there was no damage to the bike! Lights: Nice! I also have Denali auxiliary LED lights on my Gs. They totally light up the roads at night! :) WOW on the lockable GPS mount. I've learned to make it a habit when I leave the GS to gas up to 1) REMOVE THE KEY! (LOL!) 2) Remove the GPS and stuff into my motorcycle jacket. Will look for a lockable bracket sometime soon. Glad you shared that info. Cool saddle bags sewn by Chantil. On my next journey, I will also have "front" saddle bags to put non-breakable gear (extra clothing, spare engine oil, coolant). Already purchased them and tried them on bike. My goal is to balance out the weight distribution. Glad you like the Touratech shocks. They are very pricey! Glad that they are "much better than the stock." Thanks once again for going over your bike and the changes you made. Hope you and Chantil are safe and can continue on your journey and long-distance adventures!
James, thanks for the comments. Lockable GPSr mount: It is a bit pricey (like a lot of Touratech stuff) but it’s made well. Even with the lock, I will sometimes remove the GPSr and lock it up in my tank bag. Front saddle bags: Before we added RotopaX, we used some tank panniers that we modified to clip to the crash bars. Rear shock: Also consider the OHLINS. I did not notice a huge difference on-road. Off-road was where this upgrade showed its true colors. The bike just felt more planted, with better control, giving me more confidence to ride faster. We too hope that we can ride again in the next few weeks!
Great video. Thank you. I'm at an age where a big heavy H-D Cruiser is a bit much anymore. I saw a video of a BMW G650gs and was immediately impressed! Time to start shopping around! Keep up the great work!
Hi. Nice video, I'm not a motorcycle man, because I'm afraid to fall, but this video serves to see your enthusiasm for them. It gives me a little envy because it allows you to access places that by car would be impossible. Soon you can travel within the same province, I hope you can discovery the province of Murcia, near Cartagena there are very beautiful areas of wild coast
I don't think BMW have made a better Adv bike than G650GS. well thanks for this very nice and informative video, wish u very safe and fun ride with ur bike 👍
@@viajarMOTO If NOT a BMW, what would it be... Thanks very much for this video. I'm looking at potentially purchasing a 2012 Sertao. the one I test drove seems to have a significant knocking sound when accelerating. Have you by any chance ran into that issue?
@@cliffsmith1305 Thanks for the question. I like our G650GS. It’s been a great bike with a few quirks - the biggest being the weak splines on the main drive shaft where the front sprocket mounts. The front sprocket is, for the second time, currently welded to the main drive shaft - not good. The only way to fix this is to pull the engine and replace the main drive shaft - expensive and time consuming. For this reason, I’ve lost confidence in the BMW G650GS for traveling long remote distances.
@@cliffsmith1305 The 2022 KLR seems to be a nice replacement to the BMW G650GS. Fuel injection, ABS, a strong frame to carry our stuff, offroadability, and relative inexpensive cost are benefits we currently enjoy with the BMWs. The KLR improves upon the 650GS with better range - but at the cost of a bit of weight.
Hi, Travis and Chantil. Apologies. I have watched this “build” video so many times that I didn’t think I needed a full view again. But, of course, you address the windscreen updates, to include the Touratech adjustable mount. I’ll have to see if it is still out there. My experience has been that much of the previously available accessories are drying up for the G650GS. Best, John
Great video and useful information, thanks. Liked and subbed. Please consider leaving out the music on future videos, a few of us are half deaf from riding without earplugs,and the music makes it hard to hear the content.
The additional lights look fairly nice and the fact that they turn is really cool but Jesus Christ 500€? Yeah no. Also with the amount of luggage and 2 people, are you sure you're not going over the weight limit? With so much I'd probably have opted for a big 1250GS.
Thanks for the comments. Not sure where you assumed we are riding two up. We have two G650GSs. A 1200/1250GS is a heavy bike without luggage and it costs 3-4 times more than our 650s. We chose to ride what we already owned and the G650GS has served us well as our pack-mules over the past 26 months of full-time travel.
Gracias por el comentario. El tomacorriente de 12v/adaptador usb vino con el cableado y el fusible para conectarlo a la batería. Cortamos los cables y agregamos un enchufe de 2 clavijas para poder quitar la bolsa del tanque si fuera necesario.
One of the most informative videos on a great Adventure bike - well done. May I ask how much the extras were ? We are just about to buy 2 x BMW G650GS Sertao's and start our first Adventure rides, so look forward to following your around the world trip...safe and great travels
Thanks for the comments! I’ll see about adding the costs in the details section. Unfortunately, since the G650GS is now discontinued, some of the items are no longer available. Thanks for following us and our journey! Cheers.
@@viajarMOTO thank you - really enjoyed watching your French tour - I can see that making the bike too heavy with gear you obviously need or want to make it more comfortable comes at a cost. I also liked how you spike about the different fragrances you smell that most people in cars would never experience….. safe travels and I have already subscribed to follow your journey…
I know this is an old video, but I’ll ask any way. I’m looking at a 2009 g650gs and it’s a standard 19” ft/17” rr wheel type. The Sertao models from a few years earlier were the same as the Dakar models (longer travel suspension and 21” ft wheel). Question: is you Sertao the Dakar type spec or the std spec? I ask because I didn’t think bmw offered the Dakar spec on the g650gs. What year is your bike? Thank you and I appreciated the video.
@@user-hh9cu2px9g The G650GS Sertao is very similar to the F650GS Dakar. As you said, it’s just a G650GS with a 21’ front tire, more suspension travel, and some extra body panels (skid plate, and fender note cover, and taller windscreen). Our Sertao was a 2012 with red body panels from a 2011 G650GS.
I goosed the throttle before the bike was upright after the turn on low traction terrain. Rear end got away from me really quick and sent me to the ground. It knocked the wind out of me and I bruised a couple ribs.
I would say they are adequate - not ideal. Anything over 115 kmh (70 mph) is pretty noisy and buzzy. The 650GS seems more happy on remote two-lane roads, and dirt or gravel roads.
Happy Easter from Colorado, USA. I wonder if you could share your experiences - you’ve two differing heights - with windshield changes / adjustments to lessen highway buffeting? I was able to find NOS (new old stock) “high” (Sertao) BMW windscreens, but haven’t yet tried them with my height / seating position / seat mods. (Stock G650GSs.) Did I see, on another vid, that you have manual adjustment for your screens? Thanks for reading. John
Hi John! Happy Easter from southern Italy. Getting the screen height dialed is has been a problem for me. I never did find a perfect solution. Some stats: I am 5’10” on s Sertao with a lowered seat. I had the Touratech windscreen adjuster at the highest setting but found it caused wind buffeting on my helmet with the sun visor. I lowered it and the buffeting went away, but I still get hit with bugs and such. I ended up just taking off the Touratech adjuster and leaving it a MotoCamp Bulgaria. Perhaps a bigger windscreen would be the best option, but it’s a compromise between wind protection and clear visibility. Chantil is 5’3” on a standard G650GS with the Sertao widescreen and Touratech adjuster in the medium setting. She’s happy with this. Cheers, Travis and Chantil
Well… I am glad that I asked! I have two G650GSs - standards, so 19” front - and we’re close in height, you and I. …though I’m certainly gaining no vertical stature, at this point in my life! As you’re from Colorado, perhaps you’ll appreciate that I found bike number two, with the original owner, in a home closest to Steamboat Lake, with a genuine 180-miles. I rode it back to the Front Range and tripled the mileage! Thanks for the videos. J
The rear pads do go quickly. We haven’t had a problem with the brake pressure except for one time on the rear. I was able to bleed the rear and it was fixed.
I realize this video is a year or so old nearly. Just picked up a used 2013 G650GS and am slowly going to be modding it so it works better for me. Do you have a tutorial, or know of a tutorial for the side stand? I ride a Versys as well and have gotten use to how far it leans so whenever I hop on the G650GS, I feel like the bike is tipping over it leans so dang far. Thanks for the great and very informative video. Gonna see if I can't find that counter sprocket cover too since revzilla, and touratech don't seem to carry it anymore.
Thanks for the comment and questions. Sorry, I don’t have a tutorial for the side stand. The bracket broke on the original side sand support so we just had the welder install a slightly longer and thicker bracket in the same spot. Very happy with the results. Enjoy the “new” G650GS.
Thanks...my wife loves her G650 GS and I'm always trying to improve it. I could not find any mention of the sprocket cover at Touratech or others....any chance it is from a different model or mfgr? Thanks!
The sprocket cover was designed by Touratech for the single-cylinder G650GS. I did a quick search as well and it seems Touratech stopped manufacturing this part for this model.
Hi Steve. We had neoprene socks on the forks for a year before we decided to get rid of them. We felt they tended to collect dirt and mud. Perhaps we should have taken them off more and cleaned them? We also noticed that they where quite prone to sun damage. I do agree that the forks do need some protection, we just haven’t had much luck with the neoprene ones.
I was able to find, through Amazon Canada, fork protectors… forward facing plastic that, theoretically (haven’t used the bike in question yet) prevent the worst kind of rick dings.
Really nice gear on this bike! Actually I am considering getting this bike. Does the newer G 650 engine suffer from the same water pump leak issue as the older F 650 version?
Doable. I think the G650GS would be fine for a passenger for short trips without luggage. For an extended trip I feel you would be close to the recommended loading capacity of the bike. Folks in Asia seems to load families on 125/250 scooters so anything is possible - just not ideal.
