Wife gets my FJR a friend

[Happy Rider]

So we finally got my wife a new / used bike. :yahoo: She is a new rider and I think she chose the perfect bike. She took the Basic Rider Course last month and now has her motorcycle license. She has some dirt riding experience but not much road time. She's been having a blast riding around the neighborhood getting use to the bike. The bike is a 2006 BMW F650GS. A single cylinder, 650cc bike with ABS and heated grips. I like that it also puts out something like 400 watts for heated gear and lights. It gets around 55 to 60 miles per gallon and has a 4.5 gallon tank under the seat. It sure does a nice job of sucking up the bumps compared to the FJR. I haven't ridden a small bike in a while and it sure is fun to putt around on. I rode it back from where we bought it in Plumas Lake, CA. On the freeway it is very stable and could go all day long at 75-80. Of course I couldn't take the freeway home and had to take SR 49 south from Sacramento and it is also good in the twisties. The engine, throttle and shifting are very smooth and forgiving. The ergos on the bike are a bit cramped for my 6'1" size but the bike is not for me. It has the low seat and standard suspension. We need to get some engine guards to protect the engine and fairing just in case or when it might get tipped over practicing slow speed turning and riding. The bike is already set up with hard bags but I think that top box is a bit HUGE. Maybe next summer or spring we can take a little trip together, maybe a Death Valley in March or April. :yahoo:

Oh and just to rub it in for all of you winter bike storage guys I had a couple of extra hours yesterday so I had to take the FJR for a qualifying run up to the top of Sonora Pass and back. No traffic, clear roads and no sand. Just pure riding bliss. :bleh: Bad IPhone photo for proof.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Very Nice!! :clapping:

 

[BikerGeek99]

Congrats to your wife for learning to ride, and nice addition to the stable ya got there!

 

[Patriot]

very very nice :clapping:

oh, the bike too

congrats

 

[RaYzerman19]

Nice little ride you (she's) got there. The top and side cases fit, and why not function over form. Betcha can pack a lot of stuff..... you know, like three pairs of shoes....

Congrats.

 

[madmike2]

Waaayyy kewel!

Dave, that top case is just the right size. For the times you guys take a day ride and leave the side cases home, that will carry all she wants and leave space for extra gloves, layers and extra water, etc.

What a fun bike. This is going to be a great riding season for the two of you!

 

[Happy Rider]

Waaayyy kewel!

Dave, that top case is just the right size. For the times you guys take a day ride and leave the side cases home, that will carry all she wants and leave space for extra gloves, layers and extra water, etc.

What a fun bike. This is going to be a great riding season for the two of you!

Your right about the large top case. I took my son down to get a hair cut on the bike yesterday. I had all of the bags on and when we got to the barber that top box swallowed two helmets, and two jackets with room to spare. Much more spacious than by Givi E52. They are very strong and look very water proof. If the bike were mine I'd probably just leave the side cases off and ride with the top box only, scooter style. This bike has a nice low CG and the fuel is under the seat. One nice thing about the side cases is that they do provide some good tip over protection. That rack on the back seems to be fairly strong for slow speed tip overs.

 

[Happy Rider]

very very nice :clapping:

oh, the bike too

congrats

I think she looks hot on the bike as well. She does not want any part of riding on the back of my bike, I can't blame her. Must be my riding style. :huh: I'm just a bit worried about her out there with all of the idiots on the road.

 

[Silver Penguin]

Congratulations to your wife, on an excellent choice of bike. A G650GS shares the garage with my FJR (The F650GS is the twin, which is actually an 800). I've put about 14K miles on mine so far, with nothing nothing major needing doing to it. Had to replace the chain and rear sprocket a while back, but that was because I'd taken the bike off-road, through sand and water then ground that in, with some freeway riding.

The little bike will do 106 flat out, with no head wind but against competition from the weather, the speed drops significantly. It's happy cruising speed correlates nicely with the speed limit, and still leave room to pass the slowpokes cleanly.

My bike has been down twice, and not complained about it. In both instances, the bike was going backwards, and the words 'I bet you can't........' had been uttered. I couldn't, the first time but I did it the second time.

The heated grips are just awesome for chilly, early morning commuting. You don't get the wind protection of a fairing, but your hands get toasty warm.

Although I still love my FJR dearly, this is the bike that I ride every day now.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Looks like she fits the bike really well. Nice to see that she can flat-foot it.

 

[Silver Penguin]

Looks like she fits the bike really well. Nice to see that she can flat-foot it.

The 29" seat height is super friendly for the inseam challenged (hence the reason I know so much about this wonderful little bike). The G650GS carries its weight low, too. The gas filler cap is behind the seat, and the fuel sits low down in the bike rather than perched on top. It's possible to move the bike side to side and still get it back upright, even if one doesn't have superior upper-body strength.

I believe it is an excellent choice for a smaller rider. This lucky girl is set for having a lot of fun.

 

[Roy Epperson]

Great to see your wife get into riding!! Are the Sierra foothill roads safe

 

[krashdragon]

Congrats to your wife!

Hope she has a lot of fun with the bike.

If she thinks the top box is too heavy, just use some sort of dufflebag.

Us ladies never have enuf room for all the stuff we want to take.

Yeah, we do have enuf room for all the stuff we need, it just takes a while to figure out...

Take care and y'all ride safe!

Mary