Adventure Bargains 2.1 - BMW G 650 XCountry - Have we gone forwards or backwards?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- I'm trying to widen my coverage of adventure bikes and touch on some of the older stuff around the £2000 mark, of which there's loads of stuff out there.
The first bike I've looked at is the Kawasaki Versys 300, with a ride report on that to follow shortly.
The second is this BMW G 650 Xcountry, a short lived attempt at something different from BMW, but highly revered now for its power and weight.
It begs the question; are new bikes an improvement on their forebearers, or a step backwards?
Ride report on the Xcountry also to follow.
ps. I'm no connection to Bike Social, I just have one of their hoodies.
My bike for the last 2+ years.
A few things about this range of bikes.
The yellow one is from 2009. The wet weight of the bike is 160kg. This thing is so easy to work on as well, with all the basic service components being easily accessible.
Put a screen on it, adv tires and carry an extra fuel can and it can take you most places, as it has for me.
Got to say Nathan, your channel and content is a breadth of fresh air and originality amongst the plethora of motorcycle youtubers.
I have owned both of these, the yellow 2009 bike first, then a dealer principle's black 2007 bike came up for sale in Kent - I went down with a trailer and bought it. Having both side by side at the same time showed me the differences, especially in the quality of components. The yellow bike was just too small for me, a bit cramped, but I used it for getting about the country to do the photoshoots I was still doing for the magazines - 500 miles in a day and a days work was no problem. The black 2007 one I still have, it is now on 58,000 miles and I use it regularly. I went from 1150GSA to the Yellow one, and other than being cramped it did everything the GSA could do, but much cheaper! I disagree about the 'fragile' subframe - it is a myth put out by people who have put huge weight of gear on then gone offroading at pace. I am very happy loading my alloy subframe and going off on camping fishnig trips.
Fuel range I have never struggled with either. Road based tyres give a noticeable improvement in range - Anakee 3s I was getting a regular 130 - 135 miles before the fuel light came on, loaded with my gear. Off road orientated tyres like the TKC80 (bloody horrible tyres, like riding a pneumatic drill, but they gripped) or the current MEFO Explorers reduce fuel range to 120 miles to the light coming on - it isn't terrible. Friends took their X Country bikes, one each, to Mongolia and back, carried a spare 2 litre container with them on each bike but never had to use it and in the end ditched it because they were fed up with carrying it about. Even in those situations there is sufficient fuel range. Another friend whose X Country is now on 138,000 miles, took the head off just to have a look and the honing marks were still in the barrel. It is a gem of an engine.
Great idea for a set of videos , I hadn't ever heard of this bike before .so I am looking forward to discovering other gems, too.
Hi Nathan, looking forward to your review. I own a yellow one as well that has been modified to do its job as a RTW bike with parts from HotRod Welding, Touratech, Hyperpro, Hepco & Becker and Scheffelmeier Metall. Just as this modelrange did with Walter Colebatch (Sibersky Extreme), Blond Dutch Bike Chick (ADVRider), Carl Michael (Defylife), Schneit Woods (Ride Hard & Travel Gentle) en Jennifer Maria en David (Ride Unlimited). Travelled already with it from North Cape to Africa.
The yellow ones were only made in 2008/2009 and were lower, had a rear steel frame (stronger), reinforced clutch bearing (made for Loncin engine and used on earlier models as modification) and adjustable clutch and brake levers. The engine was shipped from China to Italy, where it was assembled by Aprilia on these ones. The black version had the original Austrian Rotax engine as used on the XMoto and XChallenge and were all build as well in Italy. Some parts are hard to get, like rear wheel hub sprocket cushions, brake callipers, protection parts and instrument clusters. Most of them have ABS that can be switched off with a button on the left side steering switches, when driving offroad.
As a solo driver I like the weight and seat height, so I can handle it by my own anywhere and in any situation. Reduced weight further with another muffler, carbon parts and LiOn battery.
With the additional standard X-tank of 6.5 liters, depending on the tarmac and topography I can do approx. 370 kilometer.
You purchased this one for a execellent price as in continental Europe 2nd hand ones are double priced at least.
This model and colour attracts a lot of attention on the road, I tell you from experience.
For me that's the thing that puts people off the most about this bike, the low fuel capacity. The extra fuel is a must on this bike. I use a rotopax that connects to my panniers.
hi! I ve been riding this bieke for 5 years now and I love it! I am 70kg 190cm and when I ride trails alone, I can pick it up, or push it out of gloomy situations. It has lots of power for an amature rider like me, for trail or city that is plenty. I would say its ~155kg, it feels light. Good suspension travel, good seat height, punchy motor, nimble and low maintainance. Perfect for short trips, city or trails. Not great for long tarmac trips in my opinion. A bit too much vibrations and not eniugh wind protection for highway speeds. But for trail riding I can ride all day on this horse.
Over 5 year I did many mods, excluding rear suspension upgrade and changing front wheel to 21'. Maybe I will do it some day. Even as it is its a great bike! I got mine for ~4000eur, with 10000km on odometer. I think it was a great deal, I still love it.
If you have any question about it, I will be happy to share my experience.
Cheers!
Loving your work.
Too many people are riding a particular bike for ego, when they'd be happier with a smaller simpler bike if they could only bring themselvesto try one. I've had alsorts over the years, also raced for a while, and my bike of choice currently is a himalayan 411 (your honest reviews were key in this choice). Had more fun and genuine adventure on that over the last 2 years than on 99% of the other bikes I've had. Still get total strangers remarking how slow they are, but when pushed, have never actually ridden one themselves! Embarrassed many big bike/poor rider combinations on it though, maybe they'd benefit from learning to ride properly and then they might see the virtue of these (so called) smaller bikes?
Lost my thread a bit there, but basically this is another great idea and I'll be following with interest. Thanks!
D@ng, you've had 100 motorcycles.!
D@ng................😮
I think alot of people would sit up and take note of your opinions of what the second hand market has to offer. I would...👍
I really like where your heads at with this new series, curious what else will come along. Perhaps buying back your old Terra 650? ;) Love your work, keep it up Nathan.
Haha. Crikey no. That bike did the merry go round and ended up back at the guy I bought it off, complete with new engine and £4k price tag. I did love that bike but probably wouldn't go for another. Hard to get parts
Theyre a great bike, a friend of mine bought one a few years ago after I mentioned them to him. He ended up buying one near me in Scotland so I held it for him, did some work on it and rode it down to Manchester.
I can confirm they are really light (I would put it in line with my DRZ400E), and it holds it low too, the engine is smooth and has enough punch to it. The seat is comfy and good for doing reasonable miles.
I did find the sitting ergonomics a little odd, somewhere between a sports bike and a more upright adventure bike.
They are easy to work on, well put together and have a fair few aftermarket parts available for them too.
Excellent video!
Exactly the reasons I went away from the crowd of new bikes.
Spec for spec, my xt660r compares well with new offerings. Accept for rider modes, abs etc (which depending on your viewpoint could be seen as a benefit).
It came to the party with bullet proof reliability and ease of parts availability.
Plus, as an older bike I'm not gonna cry if i drop it.
Food for thought!
Yeah, XT660R needs to feature in this series. It was the first bike that came to my mind.
I've made a few comments on your channel about my XT600E and how much better it is than contemporary bikes. I hope you can find one and do a video on it. You really can't beat a big thumper for the kind of stuff you do. Keep up the good work Nathan.
Sorry but XT600E cannot even be better even by itself. Horrible in every single aspect. Only bike i have ridden brand new from the dealer and thought is was a 20y old used. Not a single thing on it that is not abdolutely awful!!!
@@chrro466 He must be some sort of weird troll I think. The last XT was made in 2003 so they are all at least 20 years old now - and much the better for it. Not sure where he got to ride a new one!
I went old skool as well and bought a TT600R Belgarda with some useful mods, it goes very well and is quicker and lighter than all the recent crop of 450 adventure bikes.
@@lozt6032 There's always the new CCM Project X - if you win the lottery!
Have a 2008 X Country ( Rotax Engine).Bought it in 2022 because my bmw f800gs adventure used to fall me several times to the ground....love it.Keep another Moto Guzzi California Vintage for road cruising ( 280 kgs ) and this little and funny bike for trail rides in Spain.Cheers
I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the XCountry Nathan. Bought one for the missus a few years ago (she was coming off trail bikes like XR250 and XT250). She really liked the power delivery, low seat height, weight under 150kg and fuel economy above 25kpl.
Excellent , proving you don’t need a giant adventure bike , making Adventure affordable , Nathan is really going back to his routes of the Honda postie , so glad I met him when I owned a postie
Looking forward to this series Nathan. I am looking for my used Unicorn bike. Mostly Road, bit of light trail, odd trip away. Not too heavy or expensive. 🤞 I will be watching keenly.
Very useful venture. Bang on the money that folks are prepared to spend if they don’t want a garage queen
It looks good Nathan, definitely a forgotten option. I think secondhand is a great way to go for adventure and green lanes. I could be wrong but it think a lot of people fall in love with their bikes, because it's their personal toy that they've saved up for. They buy the new MT450 and it's so pretty they don't want to get it dirty. Then the inevitable they fall off on the slippy ruts and brake one of the lovely plastic panels which gives them stress and anxiety for their next ride. I say all this because that's what I'm like. So the secondhand is probably the best way to go if you really do want some adventure
I have one of these! It has the bullit proof Rotax engine and yes they are light. Usual upgrades are tyres, suspension and after-market exhaust. Got yourself a bargain there too.
I've done a bit of reading and it seems like it was a Rotax designed engine but made in China by Loncin. Seems to be quite a bit of reference to it here:
www.google.com/search?q=bmw+g650+x+country+loncin&sca_esv=fc6c41709a2992ea&sxsrf=ADLYWIKQrh30lJQ6tPwB7tfNnteyc1my1Q%3A1732818411764&source=hp&ei=67VIZ9PFK7qNhbIP3pDS4A0&iflsig=AL9hbdgAAAAAZ0jD-3EPauhABygjnXm6RLQoPTXZzcpT&ved=0ahUKEwiT54_P0_-JAxW6RkEAHV6IFNwQ4dUDCBo&uact=5&oq=bmw+g650+x+country+loncin&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6IhlibXcgZzY1MCB4IGNvdW50cnkgbG9uY2luMgUQIRigAUixQ1AAWIZCcAJ4AJABAJgB0AGgAZwVqgEGMTcuOS4xuAEDyAEA-AEBmAIdoALsFsICEBAuGIAEGMcBGCcYigUYrwHCAgoQIxiABBgnGIoFwgILEAAYgAQYkQIYigXCAgsQLhiABBiRAhiKBcICERAuGIAEGLEDGNEDGIMBGMcBwgIOEC4YgAQYsQMY0QMYxwHCAgQQIxgnwgIKEAAYgAQYQxiKBcICDRAAGIAEGLEDGEMYigXCAhMQLhiABBixAxjRAxhDGMcBGIoFwgIIEAAYgAQYsQPCAg4QABiABBiRAhixAxiKBcICChAAGIAEGBQYhwLCAgsQABiABBiSAxiKBcICCBAAGIAEGMkDwgIFEAAYgATCAgcQABiABBgKwgIGEAAYFhgewgIIEAAYFhgKGB7CAggQABiABBiiBMICBxAhGKABGAqYAwCSBwcxNy4xMS4xoAfzxAE&sclient=gws-wiz
It's a Rotax from Austria or Chinese engine??
@@richtucker857 All the year models have the same engine. The yellow 2009 models were assembled in China by Loncin, but still used Rotax parts. The black 2007-2008 model was assembled in Austria.
Hi Nathan,
Pretty nice bike, there are some differences between the black and the yellow xcountry. All of these are Assembler in italy by aprillia. The models from 2006 to 2007 are equipted with the engines made by Rotax. The yellow ones from 2008 have nearly the same engines made by loncin in China. These engines are a little bit heavier than the engines made by Rotax because of the change of the materials for the covers etc. As well, these yellow ones are equipted with a rear frame made from steel and fixed rear footrests. The older rear frames are made of alloy, footrests are detachable. The main difference of the two versions is given by the suspension. The black ones do have 210mm rear travel , 240mm front travel. The newer ones do have 165mm rear travel, 210mm at the front.
Normaly all xcountrys do have ABS. The dualsport versions xchallenge may be delivered without ABS.
@@paulbester9516l have a black one....faster than the yellow ones 😂
I look forward to seeing a Transalp on your fleet, I’ve been so keen to pull the trigger for some time now. Loving this new series.
They are brilliant. Get one, you wont regret it.
@ hear that a lot! Do you have one? Super keen on a 650!
@@rob.pittaway Yes I have got one - an 88/89. I have quite a few bikes from 350 through to a 1250 GSA. I still choose to ride the old Transalp quite a lot as its one of the nicest and easiest to ride.
23 model TA 750 is a good fast bike on road.
Heavy at 208kg wet , for any serious solo off roading …a bit dicey.
I would prefer a 19 inch front wheel instead of the 21 inch as mostly on road touring doesn’t require a skinny 21 inch .
@@SomewhereInside go for the TA 700 then!
Not seen one of these machines before, it looks nice. Great idea for a series, thanks, I’ll enjoy watching all the episodes. Les
Very good price. It is good that prices are falling and bikes are becoming more affordable and probably down to what they're actually worth. I can't say I've ever seen one in the flesh. Great review as always. I got my 411 Himayalan for £2K and loving it.
The Japanese now have to compete with CF Moto not vice versa. A sign of how far Chinese manufacturers have come in recent years. Good to see Nathan showcasing used bikes & appreciating that not everyone can purchase new. As we all know he gives credible, independent reviews on bikes he owns, not simply after a quick dealer sponsored test ride.
Always fancied one of these. Had 4 650 gs singles over the years. The only thing that lets this bike down is the tank range.
I remember when they came out, and no one could understand what they were for. To me they were ahead of their time, and are great bikes for the money. The Xchallenge was a great looking bike and the air shock was reported to be great. I bought a KTM640Adventure instead and rode the wheels off it. If you can find one then it would be great to hear your thoughts on it.
I owed and do a own a number of older bikes. Functionally, they're totally viable. However, you need to be tapped into the parts market - especially on models that didn't sell well. That's usually the Achilles heel when doing long travel in remote areas & diminishes the initial economy when you're battling to get that hard to find part that is in limited supply.
Excellent machine, I only wish they’d been on the market longer. This seems like the perfect fit today.
Love the look of this bike! Wish they were still being made!
Great purchase. I always liked these X bikes, but, as you say, they were expensive. Nick
I ride a 1999 Suzuki XF650 freewind😎
Possibly One of the ugliest “adventure” bikes ever made.
It cost me $2000 Australian dollars.
I just got back from an 800km round trip on the weekend and it did everything my mate’s Triumph Tiger800 did.
It’s starting to show its age with a couple of electrical issues, but it will go anywhere any other adventure bike can, and more place than some much more expensive bikes.
The low seat height is definitely a bonus when the going gets tough, and I don’t get too worried about dropping it.
Hopefully there’s a few more adventures in the old girl yet.
Hey Nathan my buddy and I rode the Morvan section of the French TET on a £2500 DRZ400 and a sub £1000 Aprilia Pegaso. 17 and 29 year old bikes we bought for the trip. Both worked seamlessly. More or less.
Very nice bike that Nathan
As regards to sale's of bikes
I think the industry is stuck on the roundabout, not knowing which junction to take
We are being pushed down the road of smaller capacity and cheaper bikes but even those are beginning to get out of touch with what people can afford
I've been saying for some time now that secondhand bikes are the way forward
You can check any known faults and parts availability before buying
Challenging times ahead for the brands
I'm a fan of the G650X... Ticks a lot of boxes. I'm still awaiting my ebay search to yield a new one. I hope you're keeping well.
I own an xf 650 freewind, its basically an dr650 with a 19 inch frontwheel. I use it in spain on and offroad, i love it..i own 2 now! It feels so much lighter then the spec sheet says.
Me too😎
Just did 800km on it on the weekend.
Goes great but I had an electrical issue which was the first time it’s let me down.
It goes anywhere a bike worth 10 times as much will go.
I had a 2007 G650X - Challenge back in the day. Fantastic off-road and a hoot in the twisties. I loved the light weight but not so much the high seat height. I ended up trading it for a F800GS as I wanted a little more of a travel bike. BMW might have had better success with the X-Challenge if they had used a stronger subframe able to carry some luggage and a bit more fuel range. In fact Hepco Becker produced just such a replacement subframe with luggage racks - which I seriously considered buying. In the end I traded for the large GS and kept that bike 10 years. I think BMW was too excited about the low claimed dry weight of the X-Challenge and that caused some serious shortcomings with it. When I bought my Honda CRF250 Rally (since lowered) it reminded me very much of the X-Challenge same seating position feel and handling just not the same power. In stock form if you didn't need it for long distance travel is was a great bike.
Cheers for the insight Jay, especailly about the subframe. Just shows that you can make a lighter bike but there'll always be compromises to be made. I can see why a F800 would be a better all rounder
@@nathanthepostman Still on the 250 Rally and a CT125 recently I picked up a RE350 Classic. There are still some leftover 411 Himalayans here in the USA for stupidly low prices - it makes my head swim! Just can not justify having both the Rally and a Himalayan at the same time.
These are the reasons I am likely going to go back to a suzuki dr650 from the modern stuff. You can have a lightweight fun bike for cheap that you have a lot of extra money left over to farkle it up (which you would be doing with a new one too). Oh and all the maintenance you can easily do yourself.
Switchable ABS.
Yours will be heavier as you’ve bought the later (possibly- poorer version.
Original bikes built in Austria, rotax engine and alloy frame. Later ones built in China on licence- steel sub frame and loncin engine. Also poorer rear shock so lots of sag and lower seat height for the Asian market.
My 2008 is the original Austria version. Paid £3700 but it was one owner 2000 mile bike. If those are they are the original Tyres- they are shocking!
Tank range 140 miles when pottering even at the 9L capacity. Will sit at 85 on the motorway, will do all the lanes in the Peak District.
Good bike
Had a couple single cylinder 650 bmw's. Really do like them, including this one. Rare is nice if parts are available.
Cool idea to check it out👍 I.m.o. definitely no ugly bike!
I have a xt660x 2004 with 50/50 tyres on
Home made skidplate and footpegs..a 60l duffelbag and old givi saddlebags
Nice to see you dont have to spend 20000 dollars on an adventurebike and luggage😊
I had this bike for many years until just last month where a driver hit me at a light and totaled the bike. Man this thing was great. Rode it across the US. So light and zippy. Such an underrated bike. Can’t find anything similar to it these daya
What about a Beta Alp 400? That's quite similar.
I saw this bike advertised... was very tempted if it was closer, especially when I saw how little it weighs!
Yeah I was amazed it didn't go straight away. I'd got my eye on it and then 24 hours after listing it he knocked £150 off. Nice chap. Sells a few of Fowlers trade ins. Had a lovely FJR there as well.
Great video. £2k? The original XLV600 Transalp - loads around at mid-low mileage - awesome bike.
I bet there’s a bit of torque there too! Should be fun to ride.
Good looking bike!
You picked up that for a good price. Been looking at these for a few years since a friend has a modified G650X Challenge which has been to Morocco on etc. But recommended one for these for something less extreme.
I brought an excellent well proven cheap to run easy to maintain adventure bike…. Another Himalayan 411. Too low a price not to have it to compliment my 20,000 mile 411 adventure bike. All your fault of course having tweaked my 2020 with cam dna filter exhaust, well you know all the stuff we do to them. Came down to you in April and rode your 411 and realised the stock bike was just right for adventure as is out of the factory… yes there’s a surprise The one I brought had lots of nice extras but no performance (!) bits added or removed. I’d concluded leave them vanilla, service them yourself and spend on adventure. I suspect that’s what is happening more and more, my 1970/80’s biking generation is getting older ( and wiser) and spending on the type of bike you have and are also now buying. A great mini series that I’ll look forward to watching. One request, having seen what a decent Indian rider can do on a classic 350 maybe look to ‘adjust’ one to make it a mucky lanes type of ride ….. I know you took the green on off road but iirc that was stock…. Anyhow thanks again for the content ride safe.
Stop it. There was a great value classic 350 on sale just this morning
@@nathanthepostman Lol, it's not a case of if but when ! Them knobblies are calling
@@nathanthepostman not sure if this will be allowed but this is how the classic 350 can be ridden on gnarly indian roads !! th-cam.com/video/UnejzOGyPzc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=VeBiKVTT0sDQC3X5&t=34
A 350 with a classic trials spec really appeals, something about the easy nature of the engine combined with a stripped back lighter machine to hang it in just ticks my boxes.
Looks a practical workhorse. I wager it'd grow on me, looks-wise.
That’s a great bike. Good chassis and engine.
What a cracking bike, nice find, decent weight as well, simple is good!
I like the cut of your jib. You just bagged yourself a follow.
looks good value , a new rider who want's to go back lane riding may be better off starting with that rather than wobbling around on a 10 grander ;;
Very comfy little bike. Ideal for the ladies as well 😊
I can be Arthur or Martha
@@nathanthepostman😂😂
Great video, very interesting choice. But could you please verify the seat height? Various sources tell about 900+ mm, which would be pretty high.
Worst thing i ever did was to sell mine. Loved it and did france spain and portugal with an add on tank.
2009 yellow bikes have a lower seat hight 2007 / 2008 I believe is 845 but still manageable my 2007 was a great bike some spares difficult to obtain but a great following online.
Be interesting to see what it's like when you test it. I liked the Funduro range having had the Dakar and Strada versions.
Wish I'd known you were in the market for a big single...I'd have sold you my Honda FMX650 'Adventure Bike' for that...new 19" front wheel, XR600R FMF headers,single can conversion, etc!
Had the original f650 funduro , fun comfy bike when the released the newer model my short arse couldn’t touch the ground 😂 as they raised the seat high quite a bit
If it had a rally tower fairing it would still look contemporary.
I would be interested in one of these, due to the weight and height. I have a KTM 390 Adventure and a BMW 650 Dakar, both way too tall for me to take comfortably off road. This bike sounds like my unicorn bike, big enough for travel and tours but also okay to take off road. Look forward to your review of it off road. Am I right in thinking only the 2009 had a lower seat? I'm 5'4" and a lightweight!
Keep an eye out for a Suzuki xf650 freewind.
They have their off-road limitations but will go anywhere if you don’t want to go too fast.
Very low seat height and plenty of power.
Based on the dr650 with many interchangeable parts
I bought the xchallenge new. ABS was optional back then. (£500 option).
The enduro version was intriguing to me, but they were always expensive when they came up for sale. I guess they were very popular on the West Coast in the US. The same of the HP and the KTM Super Enduro. The Super Enduro is just finally getting cheap out here. Now that there are better new options.
OK if you were over six feet tall
I have a x country had it 12 years sorted a few little problems that bmw couldn't be bothered to do and its a great bike as you say small tank but it will do 80-90 mpg engine is strong and punchy shock is awful fitted hyperpro and i couldn't get on with the seat but its a bike i occasionally think of selling but never do shame manufacturers cant do something similar and why has everything got so much heavier than this
Interesting I didn't even know that bike existed! A series on 2nd hand bikes would be great, I have a Aprilia Pegaso 660 atm, same 660 single Minarelli engine as Yam XT660, you can pick them up for £2k upwards. It's a great bike, not without it's "quirks" mind...
Had one of these for a year and enjoyed it greatly. It was difficult getting spare parts though, as most of the GS650 parts wont fit, and they made very few of these, unfortunately.
What sort of parts did you need David?
@nathanthepostman A fuel pump, for example. Very different than the one in the GS650. I'm sure a good mechanic would find a solution, but it was a factor in my decision to eventually sell the bike.
Ahhh this isn't helping me 😂, thinking of getting a small adventure bike next year and I was struggling with a decision as it is, now you are making it worse with more options 🤔Nice work by the way keep it up 👍
Different tyres and thats it, good to go with a roll bag on the vack.
With the growing popularity of mid/small size travel bikes bmw could release this again at a low price point ( all the development is done) abd probably sell quute well.
Probably makes less than 47hp at the back wheel. 53hp sounds as optimistic as the weight claim..
I mean, gs310 or g650x?
Good shout.
Ride safe 👍
I'm looking forward to that going on the scales, we have the X-Moto version and F650 Dakar here and the Dakar feels lighter to push around and ride although I'm sure that it's not.
Yes I saw Chris Scott had one on the scales at about 165kilos fully fuelled but I have to agree, it feels heavier than a KTM 390 or the Versys 300. And they're in the 170s. So I reckon this one might turn into 180 when it's weighed
Reminds me of the Honda Fx650 slightly odd looks but surprisingly good. I own a Fx650 so I’m biased .
great looking bike
these were over £7000 not £5k at the time and the main reason they didn't sell along with most people wanting bigger bikes, pretty good bike with a dedicated following worldwide
I thought the challenge and xmoto were closer to £7k but I kept seeing reference to £4800 for the xCountry when launched.
I doubt it’s anywhere near 143Kg. The GS version was 191Kg wet, albeit with more plastic and a 17L tank. Kind of odd looking but has its own charm. I agree with you, where have the light adventure bikes gone? Most of the “new” middleweights 700-900cc are well over 200Kg and even the Himmie, CF and NX500 are close to 200Kg.
Yeah I think it'll be closer to 170, which with almost ten kilos less of fuel than a new Himi and by one of the comments below, a subframe that needs beefing up to take luggage, there's probably not a lot in it between this bike and modern stuff. It doesn't feel as light as the KTM 390 Adventure. But nice and compact.
@@nathanthepostman on your bike, (yellow one), rear subframe is stronger than the black ones since it is steel not Al. Also passenger pegs no longer bolted but welded, also rear shock has less travel, and overall suspension is crap.
Are you familiar with the Honda SLR650. I think it was the forerunner of the Dominator.
You should be able to get a good one for under £2k. Downsides are they are quite tall and a small tank.
Forward or backwards, depends on perspective.
It will be interesting to here your comparison to the husqvarna tr650.
Kind of the same bike...
Look at the 2004 - 2017 XT660R: 47bhp, 181kg wet weight. I don't get how they can market modern 200kg+ bikes with less power as 'lightweight.'
My 2010 WR250R with 29bhp and 140kg has about the same power to weigh ratio as any in the 'lightweight' adventure bike category. For that particular performance bracket, there is nothing currently out that is a worthy replacement.
Hope you take a look at a ktm 640 adventure ?
Nathan suggestion for future second hand bikes, for those of us living in/near congestion zones, some suggestions/road tests of suitable steeds
Good idea Andrew. Make me some suggestions of the bikes that are compliant that are of interest.
As always, another great video. What price are you wanting for the bike. It's exactly what i want for the TET. I had the Dakar a few years back and loved it. Kind regards.
what do you think of the ktm 390 adventure (current version) compared to this one. There are some good used deals on 390 too and the specs seem very similar. And the Ktm is a newer bike! Tnk
Yeah for the money they're charging they're great bikes. And the KTM feels lighter than this, odd given this is quoted as being lighter.
Having put 46k mies on an X-challenge I know how good these bikes were and could answer a few questions about these bikes. @nathanthepostman I'm pretty sure I was riding my Xchallenge when we first met, it must have been at the HU meet, just after you rode back from Oz. Very tempted to offer you your purchase price - but I would probably want to upgrade the suspension and respoke the wheels to 18 and 21, and it might not be such a bargain after that.
I'd throw in a free tank of fuel!
It has been the same with cars for ages. Lower and lower weights are claimed. Still 60ties and 70ties cars are much lighter then todays equivalents. And nothing against steel, I love to weld around at it myself, but where have all the aluminium frames gone? Hitting the 175 kg 35 kW target can’t be THAT difficult. So pull all the inconsequential stuff out off the newbies and call me again. 😁
Such a shame about the high cost to tax it 😢
Re weight, this is the part I don't get about the new RE 450 Himalayan, wet weight is 196 (and it does not have a low centre of gravity like the old 411) v a Yamaha T7 wet weight of 205 so only 9 kilos between them! How is that possible? Especially as the T7 is a twin? Personally I would rather have a low mileage T7 than a new 450 H especially as the Yamaha will always be a great deal more reliable and that extra 9kg is easily removed by an aftermarket De-Cat exhaust.
Yeah I guess I'd flip that argument on its head and ask why a Tenere costing twice the Himalayan is still 15 kilos heavier or thereabouts taking into account centre stand, racks, rear rack as standard on the Himalayan. The only difference is a cylinder, so surely with a more premium price tag they'd be able to get the weight down. Side by side though I do think these 450 class of bikes 'feel' more manageable than the Tenere/Tuareg etc, although not so much the Himi 450 as as you say, it is quite top heavy. But the CF Moto doesn't feel to have the weight of those bigger bikes, nor the 411 that was also 197 ish.
Interesting exchange here and probably worth a video it its own right to unpack it all? I personally was struck by the price differences on the Triumph stand at the NEC where they had the Trident 660 triple alongside the speedy 1200 twin, which was almost double the price. £ per cc formula at work here perchance?
@@nathanthepostman Yes that is a way of looking at it, and indeed the 450s do feel more wieldy although the World Raid is even more wieldy than the standard T7 which is an exceptionally wieldy bike for its size. Price wise, not double anymore though, a 450 is £6000 and a new discounted T7 World raid is only £3.7k more at £9700 along with £1200 free accessories so centre stand racks etc cost nothing more. No disrespect to the 450 but I know which I would rather ride around the world on. Apart from anything else, valve services at 26K miles apart are a significant factor.
You can get a tubed Himalayan for £5700 and a tubeless for £6.2k. And it's tubeless. Then there's discounts on Himalayans as well. So still a good £4k-£5k difference. Seat height is probably the biggest driver of choice between the two than weight tho I'd say. @@jamesfairmind2247
The single 650 engines was Rotax and Austrian made until 2009. The engine cover tells all.
Interesting. Chris Scott seems to think Austrian components, Chinese assembled, along with the rest of the bike. True?
adventure-motorcycling.com/2014/02/11/bmw-x-country/
Great series, as for the new 450 beemer I can see anyone who's willing to spend 20k plus on a big gs buying the 450 because it will be light in comparison! in reality both are way over priced.
Super cool buy
I’m guessing BMW had to start back at the base of the capacity & cost escalator with their 450GS. The current 1300GS will inevitably become the 1350cc and on and on until it’s the worlds first 2 litre adventure bike (that costs £82,000), and is purchasable by a small pool of buyers.
There is a 2009 GS650 X Challenge available for sale, could any tell me if its a reliable bike and is it easy to maintain myself.
I met riders with X-challenges on 3 occations and 1 rider on a X-country during my RTW trip. So these models are not totally uncommon travel bikes. But a 9,5 liter petrol tank is a big NO from me….
Lots of useful bikes for low money. A friend in Germany has the F650 Dakar, piled loads of cross EU miles on it, and problem free. Why go to Gordon Ramseys when you can have a Fray Bentos?
Hi Nathan, great video. We look forward to working with you. Are you interested?
Wow, it’s not a looker, is it?
Ha. no
At around the 2-2.5 grand price range, am I bovvered😂?
How well could a stock or modified XF650 Freewind compete with what is out there?
I did have a couple of Freewinds. Good bikes, though I had a swine of a time with the twin carbs. Good power though and nice and manageable. Just ugly as sin, like this BMW!
CCM put the Freewind motor in their 644DS (dualsport). Do you feel the CCM is less or more obscure than the BMW. Probably a similar weight (if the Beemer turns out to actually be 160kg!) but maybe more capable on the dirt. Those forks look awfully laid back, is the front wheel the stock size?
My freewind goes anywhere my mate’s ktm790 and tiger800’s go.
Not as fast or as stylish (arguably with the ktm), but it still gets there.
It’s had the carbies sorted out and some top end work so goes prehard, but it drinks fuel so only gets about 250km from a tank if I’m chasing the bigger bikes.
A good low budget option though and really only limited by the ground clearance.
I just take it slowly and still get there😎
@@RealHooksy Great, good to know thanks!
@@RealHooksy Do you think it is worth having the stock suspension serviced on a 2000 model? Sounds like you put your money into the engine.
" Bikes being made heavier and less powerful than they could be " ...Thank You politicians 👏
Swap you for a Derbi Terra Adventure 😉
I rode one of those a while ago, the vibrations over 60mph/100kmph and absolutely pain in the ass oil changes says no thanks.
. .
Why is the oil change difficult?
@@iandennis7836 It's just time consuming, it just doesn't drop like a normal bike, it has to be almost sucked out.
Interesting video, lets be honest these secondhand bargains make new bikes look like crap value. Generally modern stuff is too expensive for what it is, with just a few exceptions cheers.
Always thought they where nice bikes.