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Photo by Carl Parker,
Always curious Tibetans,
Tibet, China



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Old 4 Feb 2010
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2up on a F650GS single
Hello All,

I currently ride a 2009 G650GS single. I titled this thread F650, since there is always some confusion over the name. G650 = F650 with a black engine.

Anyways, my question is regarding 2up long distance riding. I ride 2up currently and have done around 300 mile days with my girlfriend on back. However, this is without the cases on and only a single backpack for the both of us.

I was reading the specs on the bike and the specs on Grant/Susan Johnson's R80G/S and see that the bikes are relatively equal in power. Both with 50hp, and 41-44 lbs of torque. Is there any reason to believe that my bike would be just as good as Grant's? Or is there more than just engine performance to consider?

Does anyone have much experience with long extending traveling 2up on a F650 single?
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Old 4 Feb 2010
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If you guys are comfortable, then that is all that matters!
Your bike will be a lot easier to handle on rough roads, mud, sand than Grant's big and H E A V Y BMW.

If you're doing 300 mile days then your GF is a tough Cookie. Damn tough!
Now be prepared to do that every day, for months, in bad weather and in dangerous traffic. But the G650 is about the best choice you could make.
Easy to ride, nimble, relatively light, reliable (mostly!) and most of all ....
FUN!

I would study up on what to expect from your bike on a long ride maintenance wise ... but whatever you do .... don't read anything from Smelly Biker or Maria and Guy. If you do, you'll never take that bike out of Oregon. Yours is the newer "G" model Chinese version, but reports are pretty good. Watch wheel bearings and broken shock mountings.

You may want to beef up the suspension to handle the luggage weight. I would. Careful of the wheels too ... they dent pretty if you hit something really hard.

Read up on Colebatch's thread over on ADV about the BAM road. His buddy rode a F650 single, similar to yours. One of the toughest rides in the world.
A fun thread for BMW fans.

The BAM Road - ultimate test of man and machine - ADVrider
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Old 4 Feb 2010
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I reckon if you have patience you can do it on a postie bike. As said, it's all about comfort. It's got plenty of power but it won't win any races.

If you load it up (which you will) I'd swap the bottom subframe bolt for a longer one and take 2 nuts and spare bolts. That way if it cracks you can put both nuts on the end without the head so you can remove it road side.

I've loaded it up to 280kg and rode Ruta 40, Carretera Austral and the Bolivian altiplano on mine without cracking it. But it can happen, so preparing is key.
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