I am really not sure on this one ! My wife and I are going to take 3 months off each year and progressively do a rtw. I have 2 bikes an F650gs single 2005 model with 35000km on the clock, and a 2009 F650gs twin that now has 10000km on the clock. We start the trip in Cairo in Aug. Which Bike will I ride I like them both, heart tells me the twin, head argues that the single will do.
We are not 2up my wife is riding a XT 250 on the trip to Capetown and then will change to F650gs for Sth America and onwards.
Opinions Please !

Thanks
Paul

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I'd suggested the lighter of the two. If it happens to be the model that you know better, riding- and maintenance-wise all the better...

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hey check my link from an hour ago...

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...n-africa-50768

i'm stuck in jungle junction right now... contemplating sending the f650 twin home and buying a klr650 or one of chris's dakars...

if you are sticking to the tarmac 100% then you'll be right maybe... but moyale to 120km south or marsabit is hard to avoid (i went east of lake turkana).

G'day Paul,
Little confusing! Are you two planning on shipping your bikes from Capetown to S. America? If your wife is switching to your F650GS single, then what are YOU riding? If it were me, I'd not ship either bike. Better to buy two bikes in S. America. Either from other travelers or local 250's or 400's enduro bikes that are available for sale locally.

We see bikes for sale in S. America advertised here on HUBB quite often. Mostly KLR's and DR650's. Most are prepped for travel. This would be my choice.

I don't know much about the F650 Twin, as aside from Dajg, we don't see many RTW reports on this bike. I've ridden the 800GS and liked it A LOT!
But I would not take one into nasty conditions. For rough going it would not be my 1st choice. And why risk a $10,000 USD bike when a $3000 USD bike will do?

The F650 Dakar singles have mixed reviews. Some riders have had great luck with them and put on high miles in rough going. Others (about 50% around here) have constant problems from duff charging systems, repeated bad batteries, broken shocks/shock linkage, bad bearings, broken sub frames and more. I've ridden the Dakar singles and liked them, but off road there are pretty heavy. About 60 lbs. heavier than Japanese dual sports (DR, KLR, XR-L, XR, XT).


We had to navigate about 10 miles of this. Luckily my DR650 was up to the challenge (knobbys a must!) and I made it right behind the KTM dirt bikes .... but I worked a HELL of a lot harder. NO twins made this route. It only takes a few days of rain to turn many roads in S. America like this one.

Best of luck! Let us know how you end up!

There's only about 10kg between the two if BMW's claimed figures are accurate.

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The reason we are shipping our bikes around, is that we have set them up here in OZ so they are perfect, mine for example has a corbin seat and highway pegs etc. and is super comfortable. I know it is a little large for Africa, but what about the huge distances of Sth. America, the America itself and the Canada and also over tp Europe. We are not really heavy offroaders, but we do not hesitate to go somewhere off the beaten track should the desire be there. As for my wife swapping bikes and riding her 650gs in Sth. America well I am not sure either (women) I know I get a different answer each time I ask. But I think it is a confidence thing as she is new to riding she feels the XT 250 for Africa is the go. I actually don't care what she rides... I am just happy she is coming as being 47 and new at riding its a guts effort !!!
Now does anybody know what Air Filter that I should be taking is ?
I have read reports K&N filters are no good unless your on tarmac.
Thanks
Paul

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Whoops I notice I did not say which bike I chose its the Twin. Yeh I do know the trouble that my fellow countryman has had. But I look at it this way Dave put the bike thru alot and has done alot of miles and in the end the issue was a minor one ! It was the diagnosing that was the pain. And at the end of the day 90% of what happens to your bike is how you treat it. I know a few people here in OZ have them and have really flogged them on occasions and really love them. So I guess my Blog will tell the story on how mine Goes !!!!

Cheers
Paul

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....rather Die Living.....than Live Dying !
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I rode an airhead BMW R80GS along the Moyale and Marsabit road - two up. Yes, it's a bit tough and I dropped the bike a lot, but I believe you can get most bikes along that stretch.
And if you're starting in Cape Town, you will have built up the skills to get through on either of those bikes you've got. Though I have to admit that I don't actually know much about bikes just that Thelma is pretty heavy compared to others!

Good luck.

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airfilter - i use the unifilter. forget how much it cost. maybe 100 bucks or something. say this is 4 times the price of a paper filter, it seems expensive. however... the prefilters on the snorkels / intakes are great and carrying (or buying) paper filters along the way is pretty much not smart. on adv i asked how long the foam filters last - basically, as long as you clean them correctly (or soapy water...) they last forever.

there is a post on hubb somewhere that a guy drove a porche down moyale road, and i met a german guy who rode a way overloaded enfield bullet (350) here. i'm sure you can do it on anything. personally, i didn't do moyale-marsabit but took turkhana instead. that was probably a bad idea.

i have trashed my bike. but, it still runs. i bought another fuel pump as a spare in tanga north tanzania yesterday for about 70 bucks. made in PRC. suitable pumps are very common - the hyundai i installed in khartoum jammed probably due to kero in the fuel, about a week ago see adv - [url=http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=607105]

paul, re the 250. there are huge stretches in egypt and sudan where the 650 single will be a boon. also you could go 2-up on it if the twin fails and still carry water & expensive stuff in the panniers...