BMW G650GS (2011 - on) Review

The GS650GS is BMW’s entry-level adventure bike and successor to the old G650 and F650GS single. Because it’s essentially a tweaked version of those, development costs have been low, making it not just the cheapest BMW you can buy but one of the cheapest big bikes. It’s competent on trails, but with a low seat height and exactly 47bhp on tap, it’s also ideal as a first big bike for novices. From 2013, 47bhp is set to replace 33bhp as the power limit for newly qualified riders, so the G650GS should prove tempting to many. New bodywork similar to its bigger brother, the R1200GS, should add appeal. 

Despite the tall suspension and ample ground clearance, the G650GS has a remarkably low seat-height, further positioning it as novice-friendly. There are three options: 750mm, 780mm or 820mm. To put that in perspective, a Kawasaki Ninja 250R’s seat height is 790mm. But don’t let the G650GS’ novice credentials put you off – it’s also a more than capable middle-weight adventure bike. Off-road the new Sachs suspension and 19-inch front wheel soak up rocks. On road it feels deceptively light and balanced, and almost as comfortable as its bigger brother, the R1200GS.   

The G650GS’s single-cylinder lump pulls from virtually no rpm. Off-road, in a low gear, it can be barely turning faster than tick-over and a snap of the throttle will still pull you up hills. On road it offers a good, linear power curve with the slightest of fade in mid-range. It’s a tweaked version of the engine that powered the old G650 and the F650GS before that, and as such is a well-proven. At 47bhp, it makes 3bhp less than its predecessor. BMW says this is down to a bigger alternator needed for optional ABS and heated grips but it’s almost certainly no coincidence that 47bhp is to replace 33bhp as the limit for newly qualified riders from 2013.

Despite a few well-publicised quality control concerns, BMW has retained its reputation for reliability and there’s nothing to indicate the G650GS won’t live up to it. It’s worth noting that six-time Paris Dakar legend Simon Pavey used a single F650 engine – the predecessor to the G650GS’ - in two of the gruelling rallies. Production has switched from Austria’s Rotax to a factory in China to save cost, but BMW is adamant that quality and tolerances have not been compromised.

This is where the G650GS really comes into its own. At £4920, it’s not just the cheapest BMW you can buy – it’s one of the cheapest big bikes you can buy, undercutting even Suzuki’s budget SV650 at £4975. For less you can have a Honda CBR250R, Kawasaki Ninja 250R or KLX250, a Yamaha YBR250 and, unless you want a 125, not much else. None of those makes close to the GS650GS’s power – and try doing the Paris Dakar on one.

You don’t get much as standard – there’s no fuel gauge, for example – but there’s plenty on offer if you don’t mind paying for it. Optional extras include heated grips, ABS, a power socket, centre stand and top box and panniers.