Tippmann A-5 with TAC-CAP Q-loader MOD »BMW F650GS Dakar (Off-roading with a shaft drive?)
I recently sent in my BMW R1100S for service and borrowed a loaner F650GS Dakar from SJ BMW. The guys at SJ BMW are great, even if it costs me more than $500 every time I visit. :-)
The F650GS is another story.
The Dakar is a single cylinder 4 cycle offroad styled motorcycle. I'm sure this bike has a legion of fans, and fits a good niche somewhere too. But I wasn't impressed.
The bike is too heavy for offroad use, and too underpowered for on-road use. The engine has a nice throaty single cylinder sound, but at highway speeds you're at 5k RPMs and it's just screaming. And bloody hot too.
I'm 6'2" and I couldn't get comfortable riding this bike. When seated normally it's like having ape-hangers in front of your face. I ended up sitting on the back of the seat and streching my legs, this was slightly more comfortable but made for crappy balance around turns.
If you havn't already guessed, I ride a nice solid touring bike (R1100S) and yes, it's spoiled me rotten. But other than aggressive looks, this bike doesn't have much going for it. I wouldn't use it for around town and I prefer a full touring bike for touring.
Well, that's my $0.02 worth. Makes me appreciate my R1100s all that much more...
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