F650 GS Dakar test and review

Tom Eggar and Alexis Cardes review the F650 GS Dakar on the Fosse Way near Bath.

[rmosi]

I have my 2006 Dakar since 2011 and made over 100'000kms. Went from Switzerland to the chinese border and back and only had suspension problems after 80'000kms without any issues! I really love my little beemer! 😍

[joop]

You are a very funny couple! I really laughter my socks off.
It's nice that you, on one hand, really enjoy off-road riding. On the other hand you don't take it to serious. That's exactly the way I look at it.
Keep u the good work😊

[stefify]

I've had mine, the '07 model (best colors) for many years. Can confirm: the Staintune exhaust is really nice. Fuel economy is amazing, even in Africa. It's very capable off road, if a little heavy. Tons of luggage capacity (topbox, side panniers, duffel bag). After all these years there still aren't many alternatives. They're super cheap now second hand. Downsides: the wind blast is awful (probably cause of my ADV helmet and my height being perfect for catching the wind). Had a few electrical problems, mainly due to my own stupid attempts at maintenance. Battery definitely needs a charger when parked. Some basic maintenance tasks are a real pain.

[salihmulayim]

AHAHA great video. I felt like having conversation and sharing experiences with my friends. Thank you guys. Bests from Turkey.

[ftbymikeD]

Holy S**t, that clip of you dragging pegs thru a corner and almost losing it looked scary as hell!..8:44

[atlogicop]

Bought one today, hopefully won't regret it...🙏. A bit of rusty spots on the frame here and there but it is what is. Thanks for your reply, ride safe. Good channel, keep it up!

[InertialExplorer]

Hey, have a 2001 Dakar and it has 121, 000Km on it. Only problem was the right lower front fork tube, which I replaced with a 2005 model + added racetech gold valves . This is my 18th  (!) bike and I still have it ! That thing is just not breaking down !
Sorry for you, might have gotten a lemon :-)

[oranscully]

Nice review, liking all the Ireland stickers. Watching this in Ireland.

[westmonroe-rv]

Just brought a 2001 dakar 42000 ks great video

[meisterraul]

I am planning to buy a biike like this...I can afford newer bike like the Africa Twin but I want to start with something small. I am no pro rider, I have a Sportster 1200 as my first bike and I ride it like an old man. Is this bike good, reliable? some friends of mine said it's very bad

[EnduroAlexis]

IMPORTANT COMMENT FROM TOM:
“One time in Europe the light did not come on until 225 miles”.

This shows the incredible difference in economy that the bike can do, depending on riding and fuel quality.

[Cupat]

Good report guys and seriously thinking about one

[ndAmendmentGlock]

I'm curious, is maintenance and upkeep as difficult and as expensive as other bmw bikes?

[thatscrazy]

I was thinking to get my first bike a Bmw Dakar, but You made me think again and go for a Japanese one. Can you recommend a few please. I use an equally comfortable seat for two people and lighter in weight if possible. Thanks a lot.

[atlogicop]

Hi there, do you still have this bike? What kind of mileage do you have on it? Thinking about getting one from '07 with 50k km and wondering what is the lifespan of those engines. Just afraid that 50k is a bit too much fir a single cylinder motor...

[fa]

Ηello Alexis,
There are some some bikes with problematic batch..
I suppose you're unlucky.. What model exactly was yours and what Tom's? (Year, one or two sparks?!)

[robsteele]

How random! I’ve just typed waterproof socks into eBay to see if they exist. Looked at the Sealskinz socks and thought, hmmm. Interested but not sure. I’ll watch a YouTube clip or two whilst I have a think and there’s you guys with the Sealskinz. How do you rate them? Do they stay waterproof for a decent length of time? Thanks for the videos.

[jasonelliott]

Do these use/burn oil or anything? I just got off a KLR 650 (2003) and am considering buying  a 2003 F650 GS Dakar from a person on craigslist. It had 20k miles though. Anything else i need to watch out for?? Thanks for any advice, and great vid btw!!!

[GeordiLaForgery]

Really useful vid, never heard of the fork protection thing.

[courtneybolton]

I had this model, comfortable but gutless on the road. I had reliability issues with it too. Nice looking though