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I should have done more reseach 2009 G650GS

manmountain

New member
I think I made a big mistake buying this bike 1st I had no idea the engine was assembled in China. Buying Chinese anything is like a sin to me nothing but junk is made their 2nd I cannot find a performance exhaust anywhere and it doesn't seem any and I mean anyone ever made any I've tried Supertrapp, Yoshimura, Two Brother and others nothing. I beleive I made a big mistake buying it although it only ha 6700 miles on it and it looks brand new:dunno
 
Don’t waste your money on a performance exhaust it only makes it louder. Instead, make an investment in upgrading the suspension. It will be easier to go faster that way.

Ian
 
I think I made a big mistake buying this bike 1st I had no idea the engine was assembled in China. Buying Chinese anything is like a sin to me nothing but junk is made their

Nothing junky about that engine. The company I just retired from originally had their appliances made in Alabama. 80% failure/recall rate that first year almost broke them. Moved to China after meeting some of their engineers and realizing that they really had their stuff together. Failure rate now is a tiny fraction of 1%

That's what happens in countries where education isn't a profit center...
 
Nothing junky about that engine. The company I just retired from originally had their appliances made in Alabama. 80% failure/recall rate that first year almost broke them. Moved to China after meeting some of their engineers and realizing that they really had their stuff together. Failure rate now is a tiny fraction of 1%
I have to agree on this. While I'm still a fan of "Made in America", I have found that outsourced manufacturing can be done properly if it's requested to be done properly. Price driven items are a whole different matter. Some of the real fancy (wish I had one) BMW riding suits are made in china and are as good as I've ever seen.
The new BMW 310 series of bikes are made in India. I think the manufacturing in India can do it the way BMW wants it done.

That's what happens in countries where education isn't a profit center...
Well Pete, all I can say about that statement is :clap :clap :clap I thought I was the only one that thought college had become the new high school- for a fee. :whistle
Gary
 
Ain't nothing wrong with the OEM exhaust. These OEM systems are specifically tuned to the engines.

In fact, their's more wrong with an aftermarket exhaust. You'll generally lose power with a poor one, even a well manufactured one would only give a minuscule performance gain and just be a waste of money.
 
So what if G bike engines is made in China?

I think I made a big mistake buying this bike 1st I had no idea the engine was assembled in China. Buying Chinese anything is like a sin to me nothing but junk is made their 2nd I cannot find a performance exhaust anywhere and it doesn't seem any and I mean anyone ever made any I've tried Supertrapp, Yoshimura, Two Brother and others nothing. I beleive I made a big mistake buying it although it only ha 6700 miles on it and it looks brand new:dunno

I've heard a couple different things about where the engines for the G-series bikes are made. Taiwan & South Korea seem to be also be on the list. But in any case, I don't think that just because the engine is made in an Asian nation that it is bound to be "junk". My 2011 G650 us a great bike IMHO, very reliable, & very fuel efficient. I have no complaints about any part of the bike, including the engine. (What I do have a problem with is the difficulty in getting a service manual, but that's a different story.)
 
The sad fact is that the Chinese can build top notch merchandise. The quality of the goods they produce is a function of what the customer (us for example) specifies and pays for. iPhones, John Deere tractors and BMW engines are prime examples of the high quality they are capable of achieving. We underestimate and denegrate their abilities and potential at our own peril. The engine in that 650 is not something to worry about anymore than the earlier versions made in Europe.
 
The engine in that 650 is not something to worry about anymore than the earlier versions made in Europe.

+1

Besides the Loncin G650 engine, there are entire Chinese motorcycles that deserve some attention. The Zongshen RX3, SSR Buccaneer, and CF Moto 650 MT are a few that come to mind and serve to illustrate how far the Chinese moto industry has come in just a few years.

I predict that we’re going to be seeing a lot more like this in the not too distant future.
 
My 03 F650 GS engine came from Europe. My bike would not stay in gear.
My dealer took it apart and discovered a casting void on the idler gear.
Fixed under warranty.
I would trust the China company that makes the 650 engine.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
China is tooling up factories to make everything, the customer paying for those products can spec and pay for any level of quality they want. There are many things coming out of there now with the highest quality in the world, as the previous guy said you ignore that at your own peril.
 
Unless you have an ideological problem with Chinese goods, I don't see the issue. The problem with Chinese goods is not that the Chinese can't produce quality products, but that they usually don't want to. If they can shave off a cheap buck here or there, they'll do so, which is why you can buy both Made In China Harbor Freight Tools as well as quality iPhones. The difference between them is the quality control; since Harbor Freight focuses on cost, they don't do stringent quality control and everyone knows what the game is. Apple, on the other hand, is a luxury producer, and they do have stringent quality control inspections on Chinese goods.

Since your engine is Rotax, by an Austrian firm, and is in a BMW motorcycle, trust that BMW has done the requisite quality control inspections. If you're nervous, get regular maintenance more often than usual.

Some Chinese goods actually exceed Western standards. In the gun world, Norinco 1911s have a reputation for cost-effectiveness; unlike Colts and so on, the Chinese use higher quality steel as, due to their economic conditions, it's actually cheaper to use more labor-intensive steel. Some gunsmiths actually refuse to work on them, not because they're shoddy, but because the steel breaks normal gunsmithing tools. Fit and finish on Norinco 1911s is hit-or-miss, of course, but a quality Norinco 1911, after it's been passed through a gunsmith, is first tier.

(Note: there's a US import ban on Norinco 1911s as Norinco got caught trying to sell automatic firearms and anti-tank guns to Los Angeles street gangs. That's the charm of Chinese capitalism, they'll try literally anything, and sometimes it even works! But there's 1911 Norks floating around Stateside from before the import ban, and the 1911s are still popular in Canada, as are their bullpup Type 97 rifles)

===

There's also Chinese caviar, for a less violent quality product. They operate a pollution-controlled sturgeon farm in a lake reservoir, with climate control and all the works. The stuff is built to the specifications of the international luxury market, and is favored by most Michelin three stars. Even Petrossian in New York sells them. The thing is though, given that it's China, for the domestic market there's also cheaper alternatives with less fine quality control or QC rejects from the luxury stuff. The lesson here, of course, is that while you have to be careful with Chinese-branded Chinese goods, Chinese goods with Western branding of sufficient quality usually are good quality. Basically, if your engine fails for whatever reason, the stuff you want to buy are BMW-branded replacement parts. Using the same exact engine core, you also have the CFMoto 650s, but you have to be careful you don't pick up a CFMoto engine when you're planning to buy a G650 engine. The engine could be up to the exact same quality as a BMW G650 engine, or it might be a QC reject.
 
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Using the same exact engine core, you also have the CFMoto 650s, but you have to be careful you don't pick up a CFMoto engine when you're planning to buy a G650 engine. The engine could be up to the exact same quality as a BMW G650 engine, or it might be a QC reject.

The CF Moto 650 MT uses a twin cylinder engine designed by Kawasaki and by all accounts is well made.

I’ve purchased a few replacement parts for my BMW directly from China (Ebay), like a starter ($60), and a GSA windshield ($120), and have been very satisfied. As BMW shifts production to China and India I expect more and more parts will be available on-line directly from the suppliers at greatly reduced prices.
 
Sorry, My mistake. I thought it was CFMoto that was producing the Rotax engines in China, and when the G650GS was discontinued, they retained the thumpers.

That said, for Chinese-sold parts, I wouldn't want to use them in any situation where there's a catastrophic failure mode. If it's non-critical, as opposed to frames failing at 60 mph, I don't see the problem.

And to be frank, it's not something that's just related to Chinese goods; Japan has had a spate of recalls, such as decapitating airbags (Takata). BMW itself has had issues with forks and frames failing of late. Ultimately, I just don't want to get hospitalized or worse because someone needs to pay for their daughter's new Birthday dress and needs to cut corners to make a little extra profit.
 
Of the exhausts you listed Supertrapp and Two Brothers were the worst exhausts I have ever owned. And the 2 brothers I would rate as a complete piece of crap.

There are several commom European brands that are far better. Remas, akrapovic, staintune(they may be out of business now) that come to mind.
 
Most reliable motor

In a private in person conversation with a retired top BMW Motorrad executive, I was told that the 650 single like the one in my Sertao was among the most reliable engines BMW moto has ever sold. I have carried myself and gear weighing 400 lbs over some pretty rugged unimproved roads for many miles without any engine issues. I downsized from an 1150GS which carried me 50k miles in ten years and have no regrets. You have a great machine in the G650GS.
 
Drop a tooth on the front sprocket and ride it man!

I had a 2009 G650GS for near 20,000 miles and had NO issues. I did drop a tooth on the front sprocket to 15 and it totally changed the bike. Much more grunt down low, got up to speed faster and a higher top end speed. Great bike off road.
 
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