Doing my DAS - use of rear brake pls

You know, I don't usually bother with Facebook groups, but just this once
I might try it.

 

Yes indeed, small world...

 

What I wanted to say is: in spite of its name, the (post 2008, I think)
F650GS has an 800 cc engine.

F

 

!!
Well I live in Leeside Cr, if you need some tools just send me an email
f dot raimondi at gmail dot com
(I also have an Haynes manual for the PX)

Is your PX the one with a front disc brake? I may be interested in it if
you decide to sell... (after the summer).

F

 

And what *I* wanted to say was that it doesn't.

But it turns out you're right. How bizarre. I wonder why they did that?

 

BMW has a track record with this kind of thing - my brother has a 323i
which was 2.5L, for example.

 

Sure, and there was both a 318 and a 318i for a while, with the former
being 1.6 and the latter 1.8. But it
s the first time I've seen such a disparity in a bike name.

 

Especially given the existence of the F800GS. Are they the same engine,
now?

 

Yes, it's the same parallel twin Rotax engine, the F650GS is detuned for
less power. I think the cheaper bike also has a smaller front wheel and
more road-orientated suspension, which might actually be a good thing.

 

If I'm not wrong, the F650GS has 70something hp, the F800GS 80something hp,
but they are both 800cc and we probably need a bmwista to explain why this
is the case.

F

 

Same logic as the 3 & 5 series 25, 30 and 35 are all the same capacity,
just different states of tune.

 

It makes a lot of sense in several ways. Using the same engine with
different mapping & maybe different cams reduces both production costs
& the amount of spares you need to hold, & most manufacturers do that
(most notably Triumph).

The only difference with BMW is that they do it within a specific model
range. You wouldn't expect a '650' to have as much power as an 800, in
the same way you wouldn't expect a gixer 750 to have the same power as
the thou. Most people will neither know nor care what the actual cc is,
they'll only care what it's like compared to the competition (although
less so with BMW owners).

 

my "KTM LC4 640" actually has a 625cc engine. Why it says 640 on the
side is beyond me.

 

That level of innacuracy is quite common, although usually when
there's an established size class. I guess there are/were a few other
640s around.

 

AMD used to do this kind of thing with processors when Intel was leading
them on clock speed.

For instance you could buy a Athlon 2100+ which was actually clocked at
1733 MHz - the justification was that it performed about the same as a
Pentium 4 2GHz, or so they said.

 

It's marketing, what else? BMW have a niche market with the F650 brand. It
attracts people to the marque and is popular with commuters and newly
qualified riders. As Krusty says, for economic reasons BMW decided to ditch
the Rotax made single cylinder engine[1] and make their prallel twin the
entry level for most of Europe. The riders attracted to the F650 may be
less attracted to the F800 due to a perception of being bigger than
desired. So, keep the F650 brand and market it towards new riders with
33bhp versions, Versys price levels etc. Also, BMW create a small upgrade
step, costing an extra £1200, for those wishing to change up to a more
powerful bike in the F800GS, by which time they hope the brand infection is
terminal.

[1] although it is still made in China for some markets where they have a
BMW G650 brand

 

Oh, that's going to earn you a smack in the kidneys. Or were you just
taking the piss?

 

If they are anything like the Chinese made Peugeot branded scooters
then I'd avoid them like the plague. Utter fucking crap.

I dont know of one vehicle brand that comes out of China that is worth
buying. Taiwanese scooters like TGB are really good, but the Chinese
stuff is all, without exception, complete and utter shite.

 

Nah, he's right, they market it directly against the Versys in spec and
price, but unfortunately for BMW the Versys always kicks its arse in
every magazine test and review. Bit shit really, when you consider BMW
are meant to be the leaders in this sort of machine and it is a 150cc
bigger engine.

 

*ding*