Christophe Noel
Expedition Leader
It's with a great deal of excitement that I announce the arrival of the Expedition Portal BMW F650 GS Dakar Project Bike. Within the "light and fast" category, few motorbikes are as proven and storied as the F650 Dakar. In just a few days of searching, I came across this beautiful bike. A 2003 with just under 5,000 miles, this motorcycle was just begging to be ridden.
On Wednesday, I flew to Denver to pick it up and have spent the past few days riding it back to ExPo HQ in Prescott. It's been an absolute pleasure to ride this bike. I wont' lie, I was a little apprehensive, and even dubious that it would be road worthy and comfortable. How wrong I was
As a buy and fly project, I needed a convenient luggage solution. The Giant Loop Coyote bag, Fandango Tank bag, and Rogue Dry Bag served as a perfect solution. I simply checked the Coyote bag for my air travel leg to Denver. It was super easy to carry and worked great as my checked bag. To ensure waterproofness, the Coyote bag was fitted with three internal form fitted dry bags.
Initial Ride Impressions:
Ergonimics on this bike are surprisingly well defined. The factory bars and seat are at comfortable levels for my very average frame. I needed to make some minor adjustments to the rear brake lever to put it in reach of my toe, but that was easy. The previous owner had installed a tall windscreen and that has been a most critical addition, especially at speeds tipping the mile per minute range. This particular bike was fitted with heated grips, and I won't lie, that's been a great feature on a trip with 500 miles of rain.
The Engine is pretty incredible. I'm thumper-phobic as my hands and feet tend to go numb with relative ease. If not for the distinctive thumper exhaust note, it would be difficult to pin this as a single cylinder power plant. Power transfer is smooth and torquey through the range, and at the upper revs is remarkably smooth. Even at 80-85 mph, the engine seems at ease. Other singles need a solid flogging to maintain those speeds. Not this bike.
Off Road the Dakar really shines. I rolled over Weston Pass near Buena Vista with just two hours in the seat and felt perfectly at peace. The predictable manners and relative low weight were confidence inspiring. I played with the ABS to assess the limits, and that too gave ample confidence. The fork may not be the stiffest thing out there, but it's a far bit better than most in this genre. I look forward to more time in the dirt on this bike.
The Highway Proficiency of this motorcycle is really a stunner to me. I'm knocking down miles at high speeds with maximum comfort. Having logged 500 miles recently on the new 1200 GSW, I dare say it's a darn close replica to that rider experience....sorta. At one fourth the price of a GSW, it's pretty close in many ways, once up to steaming speed, anyway.
So far, I'm unbelievably impressed. I really expected a degree of disappointment with the overall riding experience, but I've been proven wholly wrong. It's an impressive machine. I knocked down 500 miles in what I would say is truly awful weather and it's been great.
Stay tuned for more. Tomorrow is another true test. 400 miles of slab. Lots, and lots of slab.
On Wednesday, I flew to Denver to pick it up and have spent the past few days riding it back to ExPo HQ in Prescott. It's been an absolute pleasure to ride this bike. I wont' lie, I was a little apprehensive, and even dubious that it would be road worthy and comfortable. How wrong I was
As a buy and fly project, I needed a convenient luggage solution. The Giant Loop Coyote bag, Fandango Tank bag, and Rogue Dry Bag served as a perfect solution. I simply checked the Coyote bag for my air travel leg to Denver. It was super easy to carry and worked great as my checked bag. To ensure waterproofness, the Coyote bag was fitted with three internal form fitted dry bags.
Initial Ride Impressions:
Ergonimics on this bike are surprisingly well defined. The factory bars and seat are at comfortable levels for my very average frame. I needed to make some minor adjustments to the rear brake lever to put it in reach of my toe, but that was easy. The previous owner had installed a tall windscreen and that has been a most critical addition, especially at speeds tipping the mile per minute range. This particular bike was fitted with heated grips, and I won't lie, that's been a great feature on a trip with 500 miles of rain.
The Engine is pretty incredible. I'm thumper-phobic as my hands and feet tend to go numb with relative ease. If not for the distinctive thumper exhaust note, it would be difficult to pin this as a single cylinder power plant. Power transfer is smooth and torquey through the range, and at the upper revs is remarkably smooth. Even at 80-85 mph, the engine seems at ease. Other singles need a solid flogging to maintain those speeds. Not this bike.
Off Road the Dakar really shines. I rolled over Weston Pass near Buena Vista with just two hours in the seat and felt perfectly at peace. The predictable manners and relative low weight were confidence inspiring. I played with the ABS to assess the limits, and that too gave ample confidence. The fork may not be the stiffest thing out there, but it's a far bit better than most in this genre. I look forward to more time in the dirt on this bike.
The Highway Proficiency of this motorcycle is really a stunner to me. I'm knocking down miles at high speeds with maximum comfort. Having logged 500 miles recently on the new 1200 GSW, I dare say it's a darn close replica to that rider experience....sorta. At one fourth the price of a GSW, it's pretty close in many ways, once up to steaming speed, anyway.
So far, I'm unbelievably impressed. I really expected a degree of disappointment with the overall riding experience, but I've been proven wholly wrong. It's an impressive machine. I knocked down 500 miles in what I would say is truly awful weather and it's been great.
Stay tuned for more. Tomorrow is another true test. 400 miles of slab. Lots, and lots of slab.
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I had a drz400sm and sold it to get the dakars replacement. The Sertao.