F650 GS newby question

[dougfollett]

I have been looking for a decent second bike to my R1100RT. Right now I have a Yamaha XT225 but I wanted to bump it up a bit for longer distances. I think the F650GS is it but I'm completely new to them. I'm going to look at a 2003 F650 GS that has 21K on it that has been dealer maintained. They are asking $4,600 for it and it comes with side and top luggage containers and seems to be in overall decent, road ready condition. Does the price sound about right? It has ABS, is that standard? Anything in particular to look for? Thanks for helping a guy out. I'll be checking it out Sunday. You can see the bike on the Seattle Craigslist. It's red.

 

[sumwon]

Before I bought my 650 a couple of years ago, I did a lot of research. I luckily ran across the Chain Gang pretty early in the process. They have a great forum as well as a technical section that includes buying tips. I ended up with a 2nd hand 2007 and have been very happy with it. Good luck!

 

[kentuvman]

Mine is an '03 - I just love that Rotax engine - it's really reliable and smooth. The ABS is great. I did a lot of accessories: heated grips, Pellican bags, tank bag, Cee Baileys windshield, Stebel Air Horn, Tailblazer stop light.

Been all over with it too - on road, off road, freeways, secondary roads. This fall took her to the Smokey Mountains and rode Tail of Dragon and lots of paved roads. The big fun was taking it off road and riding several hundred miles on dirt roads - the bike is amazing.

It's light and very manageable. Since this one, I have a K75 and now am restoring an R65LS.

If the bike's been maintained, it's pretty hard to go wrong. Find out when the chain & sprockets were changed - that's something you'll need to do in lieu of the driveshaft maintenance.

A good bike.

 

[gfountain]

I have a 2006 F650GS Dakar and really enjoy the bike. Dittos on doing some research at the Chain Gang (f650.com). One thing you might want to learn more about is the change from a single plug to the dual spark engine. I think that change was made in 2004 to cure some problems. I know there are a lot of single plug engines out there that people like but it would probably be worth the time to understand the issue before you buy. '04 may have also been the year when they switched from a carburetor to fuel injection. All this can be found at the Chin Gang.

 

[dougfollett]

I'm liking the bike more and more. What I saw today was a 1998 F650 (no GS after it) with 11,000 miles in good running and physical condition for $3500. I like the price but what is an F650? is that an early GS model?

 

[pglaves]

I'm liking the bike more and more. What I saw today was a 1998 F650 (no GS after it) with 11,000 miles in good running and physical condition for $3500. I like the price but what is an F650? is that an early GS model?

An F650 is a single cylinder 650cc, chain driven, tube tired motorcycle. It came to the US as the Funduro in 1997, and except for the CS model has been styled as a dual purpose - 90% highway, 10% decent unpaved road - ever since. Really good off road riders can do more off-road than that but the other 99% of us can't.

They are light, nimble, fun to ride, and more motorcycle than 97.2% of all motorcycles manufactured since Otto introduced the four stroke cycle reciprocating gasoline engine.

And best of all there are no splines that need periodic lubrication which almost almost makes up for the dreadful chain and stupid tube type tires.

 

[dougfollett]

Sorry to be such a dunder head but is the early (1998) F650 the same as what was later called the F650GS? The reason I ask is because I specifically want a GS but this bike is just called an F650 with no GS after it. Is its intended use the same?

 

[pglaves]

Sorry to be such a dunder head but is the early (1998) F650 the same as what was later called the F650GS? The reason I ask is because I specifically want a GS but this bike is just called an F650 with no GS after it. Is its intended use the same?

Do you want a bike that has the name "GS" or a middleweight dual sport bike regardless of whether they called it GS or something else?

The later F650s, starting around 2001 were named: F650GS and F650GS Dakar with the Dakar being a bit more GS than the GS.

Prior to that the carbureted F650 was called the Funduro - certainly not as manly and adventurous a name as GS but a dual sport bike nonetheless.

The Funbduro had carburetors, a real gas tank where the gas tank appeared to be, etc.

The restyled GS and GS Dakar had the fuel tank under the seat and fuel injection, and a totally different layout of most of the under-the skin systems. A 650cc single engine however remained the heart of the bike.

Today the "F650GS" is an 800 cc two cylinder motorcycle, and the G650GS is about the same as the old F650GS. It really is quite confusing unless you watched the sequence from year to year.

 

[dougfollett]

I could give a rip what the heck they call it, as long as it is a capable off road bike. I was just confused by the re designation to GS in later models. I remember having a similar problem with the RT, RS, CL, GS, etc when I first started looking at the BMW road bikes. I drove 350 miles one way to look at R100S. I stepped over the bike, reached for the handle bars and found myself with my chest on the tank and having to lift my chin to see forward. Not good for this old geezer. Thanks for the information. I think I have a handle on it now. I can always get some GS decals for it.

 

[ted]

I looked at a bunch of F650s before finally buying a K75 ;-) I really liked the layout, seating position and ruggedness, but I got an amazing deal on the K75 so I pulled the trigger.

Here is a rough sketch of things I learned...

'97 to '00 F650 Funduro and ST - were carburated, not really my cup of tea. I found them to feel a bit underpowered plus they weren't available with ABS Brakes, another deal breaker for me. Prices for these in the mid-Atlantic for excellent condition with maintenance records were between $2,500 and $4,000.
'01 - '03 F650 GS and GS Dakar were a huge leap forward, all fuel injected and most (all?) coming with ABS and heated grips. I found the engines to be more punchy, more comfortable on the highway, and less buzzy. Of note, the early versions of this bike had more than coincidental reports of catastrophic front fork failure at the front axle, especially for bikes ridden hard offroad or crashed at some point. Look here and on ADVRider for threads, you'll be able to find pictures that will help you identify between the older and newer design. Prices in condition above were around $3,000 to $5,500.
'04 - '07 F650GS and GS Dakar, another leap forward with dual plugging to help eliminate some surging issues in the '00 to '03, and cut down even more on the buzz in the bars. I think almost all came with the standard package of ABS, heated grips and a center stand. I found these a real joy to ride, much less buzz. Prices were generally $4,000 to $6,500.

If you can, make sure you get hard cases with the bike, they are expensive and you'll want them.

They are great bikes with a truly loyal following - pop over to ADVRider and look into the trip report section and you'll find more than a few folks making it the bike of choice for around-the-world rides (WorldRider's report is awesome.) Another bonus is the aftermarket availability of parts and farkles is HUGE.

 

[dougfollett]

Thanks Ted, that was very informative. I think I know what I want now. Sounds like it's and '04 to '07 GS.

 

[kwb210]

Thanks Ted, that was very informative. I think I know what I want now. Sounds like it's and '04 to '07 GS.

What do you plan on using it for? Or like me, I bought one because it was a good deal and I "think" I will use it for communting and who knows what else. Its usage will become known the longer I own it. The bike is a 1997 and had been sitting for a few years. I have a 1977 R100R and I really love riding the bike, I tend to keep it out of the rain so the f650 will be more of an all weather bike. Probably. Its a little rough, sat outside a bit and is weathered. Also, the PO changed the forks to a Yamaha WR upside down fork, looks really cool, but for me, in my 50's, I just want stock. So I will probably be posting a note about trading the forks or something.
So, back to you...

 

[dougfollett]

I'm not a hard core rider but I like to take a few trips every year and explore the local areas which include extensive logging roads. For now it would be a second bike to my R1100RT and would be the bike that my brother would ride when he comes out to visit. We take a motorcycle trip every few years together. He has an 1986 R65SL and I think the F650GS would be a good match for him as he is 5'10 and 175 lbs. He rode my R100RT (which I no longer have) the last time and found it a bit large. I love my Yamaha XT225 dual sport but it's a bit small for long trips and I am thinking that the F650 GS might be the best of both worlds.

 

[kwb210]

Good luck bike hunting! I agree with all your comments, really a good all around bike, basically the same reasons I picked one up.
kurt

 

[rmarkr]

Stock Forks

Kurt - if you are still looking for stock forks - I've got the complete front end. I also did the Yamaha fork swap.

 

[kwb210]

Kurt - if you are still looking for stock forks - I've got the complete front end. I also did the Yamaha fork swap.

Yes, I am looking for the complete setup. Tell me what you mean by "complete" make sure we are on the same track...I have found that sometimes, okay, many times, that with my wife we seem to have differing views...well, you get the idea. Is the brake disk and caliper included? front wheel? The forks I got have a 21 inch wheel, and I think the stock one is a 17, quite a difference. Also, any idea what the WR upside down forks are worth? I probably need to narrow down just what forks they really are. What did you swap in and did you need to use new triple clamps? etc?
Let me know and I'll make an apology for both of us if we highjacked this thread...opps.
Kurt

 

[dougfollett]

I hate to pay too much for things. Can anyone tell me if this is a good price assuming it is as nice as it appears to be? It's a 2007 F650GS with ABS, heated grips and a few other extras. No side cases. 2400 K Asking price is $6,400

http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/mcy/1613215892.html

 

[kwb210]

I hate to pay too much for things. Can anyone tell me if this is a good price assuming it is as nice as it appears to be? It's a 2007 F650GS with ABS, heated grips and a few other extras. No side cases. 2400 K Asking price is $6,400

http://seattle.craigslist.org/sno/mcy/1613215892.html

The bike is brand new! 2,400 miles, I wish! I'd sure say it was a fair deal. I'd try and get a bit lower just because...make an offer, how many buyers are out there w/ cash in this economy? It is almost easier to buy a new one, small down payment and off you go. A friend of mine just bought brand new, he has good credit, nothing to write home about, but good. The dealer had a finance option that was simply to easy. Yeah, I'd say it was fair.
kurt

 

[dougfollett]

The dealer said that base value on it was $4,800 and that they just sold a 2009 with ABS and side bags for $6,900 and 4,000 miles on the odometer. This fellow is asking $6,700 for an '07 with 2,400 K with some extras including the side cases, hand warmers, ABS, windshield, motor guards. It seems to me like it should be a little lower but I really don't know these bikes well enough to be certain. I guess it's what the two of us can work out. Thanks for everyone's input. I'm going to look at it Sunday.

 

[dougfollett]

My brain is starting to go around in circles on this one. I spoke with the local dealer and he said that he just sold a 2009 with 3,800 miles on it for $6,800 that had everything this one does. Kelly Blue book is $6,800 and NADA is $5,200. It has ABS and side bags. I want the bike but I also don't want to pay too much just because I'm not familiar with them. I know that ultimately it's what a buyer and seller can agree on but being a thrifty person I don't like finding out a week later that I should have paid a lot less. Can anyone give me some perspective on pricing on this bike? I haven't seen it yet because it is out of town but let's just assume for the sake of discussion that the bike is in excellent condition overall. It only has 2,400 miles on it. I will of course be offering less for it but I'd like to have a little more information to bolster my position. Is Kelly Blue book a realistic price?