Folks; I've been doing a spot of reading tonight after finding a couple of rather nice local-ish deals on BMW F650 Xcountries. We'd originally planned on getting a F700GS for my other half but they are awful expensive, she's new to riding and they're heavy compared to the single cylinder versions.

So, a few things come to mind. I've read various nuggets of wisdom around the net but sometimes it's worth asking the questions as well.

• I've no experience with single cylinder bikes, I was always under the impression there were a bit vibey. Any truth in this? Are they very much worse than the newer two cylinder versions for munching up on-road miles?
• The single is markedly lighter. For a new, fairly short rider with less strength to throw around than us blokes that's got to be a great thing, right?
• To me the X-Country looks markedly better as a travel bike than the standard 650 single; spokes and a slightly bigger front wheel. Thoughts?
• I understand that the later (2009) models were a bit crap compared to the earlier ones, any truth in this?
• How long could one reasonably expect the engine to last? I understand the Rotax ones are pretty bulletproof.
• If anyone happens to have had one and a newer F700 - how do they compare in seat height? On paper the X is 2cm taller. I ask because the F700 has, so far, been the only bike my good lady has got on with in terms of height.
• The X-Challenge looks rather more expensive. Worth the pennies?

Any other comments/feedback or suggestions would be appreciated!

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[ Tim | History - NW Italy/French Rivera, Swiss Alps, Morocco | 2016 - Greece > Albania > Macedonia > Kosovo > Montenegro > Bosnia > Slovenia > Austria ]

The X-Country is, IMO, the best of the X models for a travel bike ... and best for a novice female rider. It's lower than the X and lower than some other dual sport bikes as well.

Engines are ALL Rotax designed units and ALL made by Loncin in China, none in Germany. But no worries, they are GOOD, made to a high spec. Research Loncin's history and evolution of F650, X bike BMW's and BMW's relationship with Loncin.

The biggest problem with this bike is that BMW did not stay with it long. Did not upgrade it or improve it in it's very short 3 year production run. (sold only 2 years in USA). Eventually factory parts may run out. ???

There are a few weak areas on the bike you need to be aware of. They are expensive here in USA, maybe less in Germany?

Bring a X Country back to the UK and you won't lose much money on it, if any.
They are rarely available nowadays in the UK: folks seem to be keeping them so they don't come up for sale too often here.

The engine is the same as that in the current G650GS so spares will be around for some time yet.
The engine is the smoothest of single cylinders - I've done 580 miles in one ride, keeping up with 1200GS etc (via smoke/refuelling stops) on the earlier F650GS single cyl.
With "proper" maintenance e.g. the water pump "issue" then high mileages should be achieved.

There are stories about the later ones being "worse" but I have seen no justification for this view other than the pillion foot pegs were removable on the earlier versions (bolt ons) compared with welded attachments for the 2009 model.

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Dave

They do come up for sale on the Gsuser site there's one on now for £3300 with about 11000 miles on it,
I do think you could do a lot worse then this bike for touring, nice bike I would have another but I'm into xt600 at the moment.
I've seen one for about £2600 that was snapped up but I would say about £3000 is the going rate.

Well, what I am seeing at the moment are two of interest.

One is 3900 Euros, 2009 model with 13,000Km on the clock - which seems to be an excellent price. Private seller and according to the seller it's barely been used since 2010 and not had any service since 2010 either. I'd be wanting to check the service paperwork to confirm that and I must admit to being a little concerned about a bike which has, apparently, done 200Km in the past 5 and a half years. I accept that servicing is more about distance than it is time but that is a long time to be virtually idle. I'm thinking an oil and filter change on collection and another 500Km down the line to catch any crap that's built up in the engine and been worked loose with the increased use. Also - it was originally yellow and has been plastic-coated to white for aesthetic reasons. I can't decide if this is bike a great deal or if the alarm bells should be ringing.

The second one I am looking at is 4200 Euros, 2007 with 23,000Km. Full main dealer service history. Being sold by a BMW dealership with generally good reviews. Comes with a year's warranty. It looks like it's got good tyres - where the other one needs new; so that almost covers the price difference. The first one will need a service; no doubt about that - this one I would be trying to make sure the dealer does whatever it's next service is before collection.

I lean somewhat towards the second; despite the age and mileage. Who knows what's wrong with en engine that has sat for so long?

Thoughts from the weathered and the wise?

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[ Tim | History - NW Italy/French Rivera, Swiss Alps, Morocco | 2016 - Greece > Albania > Macedonia > Kosovo > Montenegro > Bosnia > Slovenia > Austria ]

That is a very tough call. You've got it right about doing two oil changes ... bikes don't like to sit that long. But with luck and a careful full service, it could be a good deal. Such low km can't be bad.

The other bike sounds good too and the warranty makes it tempting.

I would go test ride both bikes and give them a careful look. Follow your instincts ... from what I can tell ... yours are very good.
Good luck!

From what I read it'll do over 200km to a tank, which is adequate, I can't see her riding longer distances without wanting to stretch her legs anyway. Plus we've got my Tiger, can decant fuel from it if needed - plus I'll have a bottle or two for cooking.

If we decide to take the bikes to deepest darkest Whereveristan there is a very neat auxiliary fuel tank available which fits in behind the pannier frames I'm looking at.

I'm hoping she likes this bike, I'm a bit excited at having one in the stable!

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[ Tim | History - NW Italy/French Rivera, Swiss Alps, Morocco | 2016 - Greece > Albania > Macedonia > Kosovo > Montenegro > Bosnia > Slovenia > Austria ]

One on gumtree £1800 with about 23000 miles

It's an X Challenge; very different from the X Country, apart from the engine which is the common factor to all of those single cylinder models from BMW.

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Dave

That teach me to read the post correctly,,,lol,,

So, thanks for all the feedback on this folks. We went to look at the first one in our "interested" list yesterday and ended up driving away with it. It fitted my good lady like a glove, it's not had a service in 5 years but hasn't been used for more than 3000km in the past 5 years - a 2009 with 13,000 on the clock. The oil which was in there came out clean; it started nicely, it ran like a treat. It came with a huge great Hepco and Becker topbox, windscreen and heated grips which some moron installed the controller for on the RIGHT hand side of the handlebars... that's getting changed for sure. All for a very, very reasonable price after some haggling.

I've got a service kit on the way; I'll run it with dino oil for 500Km and switch out to fully synth after that. That should shake the engine down. It desperately needs new rubber; so a set of K60s is on the way.

The kit it came with saves us some cash which is critical at the moment; it's cost her enough to get the license and the bike. The topbox and a rollbag on the pillion seat will have to do for this year - some frames and panniers are on the shopping list for next year. Maybe an additional fuel tank as well, but we can make do for now with some bottles.

It's clearly not a great motorway cruiser but even without the windscreen fitted (it was in the box) I was able to ride fairly comfortably at 130Kmph. The windscreen makes that more tolerable.

What I can't get over are the weight and the torque; compared with my Tiger. It feels like a toy and even with luggage weighs less than my Tiger totally naked. I've never ridden a single before and the engine is surprisingly fun, certainly enough oomph to get in trouble and utterly un-stallable. All this should combine to give her the confidence to go anywhere I go on the Tiger; even as a novice - which is the plan. In fact - I forsee her charging off down tracks and me sitting procrastinating as to the wisdom of going there! At motorway speeds the engine is labored; no doubt - but we do avoid motorways. At 120-130 the vibrations seem to level out and it's actually ok. So I forsee good things.

So a little bit of farkling to do and we'll have a mean little machine on the go. The other perk with this one is that the 2009 yellow has been covered up with white plastic wrap - it looks great. Two very happy people, again, thanks for all the advice!

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[ Tim | History - NW Italy/French Rivera, Swiss Alps, Morocco | 2016 - Greece > Albania > Macedonia > Kosovo > Montenegro > Bosnia > Slovenia > Austria ]

I came upon this site by accident and noticed this XCountry thread. Seems there's interest in the bikes but a lot of misinformation. I know I am only a far-off voice in the colonies but I've been with the X bikes for several years now.

These bikes were introduced in '07 as a trio - the X Country, the X Challenge and the X Moto. The XCo is a dual-sport scrambler-type bike. The XCh is a dirt bike with lights and the XMoto is a motard bike.

I have an 09 XCo version, the yellow one. I won't go into a lot of detail but-

The 650 single engines were designed by BMW and Rotax and built by Rotax until the '09 model year whereupon production was shifted to a new and freshly tooled plant of Loncin in China. The Chinese motors are fine and, in fact, don't suffer some of the little issues of the previous versions- water pumps, fueling and the like.

BMW's 650 singles, including the X series were actually made by Aprilia! In fact, if you remove some of your plastic panels on these bikes and look on the backside, you will likely see "Aprilia" molded into the plastic.

When the arrangement first started in the late '90s, Aprilia was granted the privilege of using the same motor in their own bike, the Pegaso. However, being Italian, they sauced the big single up with a unique-to-them 5-valve head and different tuning. The Aprilia models also had twin carburetors on the big single as well as twin exhaust headers feeding functional twin mufflers. They ran like a bat out of he##. I had one.

Back to BMW, the '09 X bikes were the last of the X bikes. When BMW went to the facelift G650GS, they moved production of those bikes back to Germany but continued to source the engines from China. Of course, the 650 singles, all of them, have now been discontinued by BMW.

Yes, the XCountry is the most versatile of the X series that was sold in the US from 07-09. The XChallenge, offered here only in 07 was much more a tall, skinny dirt bike that did not sell well and the X Moto, with the small super motard wheels, never caught on either.

All of these bikes were youthful in appeal but very much adult in price. They were expensive and the youth market stayed with cheaper Asian brands.

The 09 XCountry was the last surviving spouse of the X trio and came with a slightly lower suspension than the previous bikes. This was apparently an effort to appeal to women riders or first-time buyers who like their feet firmly on the ground at stops.

The 09 did come with an improved and stronger rear subframe produced from steel rather than aluminum as did its predecessors.

Problems with these bikes (09) were minor in comparison to other BMW's. There were one or two recalls. One was for a attachment bracket for a brake line splitter on the ABS versions and the other was for a faulty compression relief lever on one of the cams to help with easier starts.

Currently, the crisis is over rear hub cush drive rubbers that BMW no longer supplies. An enterprising Englishman has taken the liberty to have new ones made for those in need.

We have a very comprehensive thread on Adventure Rider to which I am a regular contributor.

I purchased my XCo new and presently have a little over 30,000 miles on it. I use it for everything.

The limited range of the stock bike's 2.5 gallon tank can be fixed with more than one available auxiliary gas tank. Mine has a total capacity of about 4 gallons now. Another mandatory upgrade is the #@*&!X stock seat. I'm using a Corbin with great results. I have also upgraded my rear shock spring and front forks. I am 6'2" and can barely flatfoot the bike now!

These are fine bikes that are light, fast and nimble.

If you want more information than you probably want, check our thread here-


So we've all heard/seen the 650 xchallenge...let's see your XCOUNTRY! | Adventure Rider


Here's mine during a little 1000 mile trip last weekend:





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Arma the BMW X Country is a fun bike in the right place, mile munching on big roads is not the right place. When touring with your Tiger the X Country will go way further off tarmac up tiny tracks and tricky terrain reaching remote mountain tops with ease.
I am 5ft 3ins. I have a 2007 X Country which was greatly lowered by a previous owner. I have done about 17,000 miles mostly touring in continental Europe on mine.
Wind resistance is awful on motorways in headwinds (I don't go there on this bike). Very twisty tiny roads are a delight with the added ability to get well off the beaten track. I have done a few hundred miles off tarmac and never dropped it despite some interesting places. The power to weight ratio is impressive. When I get back on it after a fly ride trip aboard a heavier bike it feels like a 250 dirt bike. Very different from the other single cylinder BMW's. When I get back on it after a sportier ride it feels terribly sluggish.
Seat is less comfortable than most BMW's.
Luggage carrying is not great. I use a top box plus tail pack with added anchor points for the bungees, plus lightweight bits (map or tablet) elastic strapped & tied to "not the fuel tank"
Fuel tank capacity about 130 miles. I carry a plastic siphon tube taped to the underside of the seat. The fuel tank is low so a siphon might work. Fuel warning light packed up on mine and the costly replacement of sensor unit was soon done after I ran out of fuel.
Before I bought mine I rode an original X Country for an hour or so on tiny roads on a Greek Island. It was great fun but pretty tall for me, I would not have been capable of stopping on steeply sloping ground.
My X Country has probably been my least reliable bike, with poor, slow service from my local BMW dealership. I think they put their least able mechanics on the simple bikes and after several disappointments will not be using them again. Problems include upper chain guide falling off (known model issue subject to a later recall) and low battery (but still functioning) causing failure of engine management system. Having said this the build quality is good, but when something goes wrong it is a pain to work on with access to everything awkward. The 53 horsepower 650cc engine is Austrian Rotax, not German or Chinese. Antilock brake can be switched off.
My advice is buy one, go off and have some wonderful adventures together then sell it before it becomes too troublesome.
Perhaps you would like mine!

HA! Well, there's a vote of confidence!
Electra's review is kind of all over the map. I wonder how much actual work Electra has done on the bike?

53 HP? Really? On what Dyno was that? True rear wheel HP is typically measured at around 42 to 45 HP at best on several tests I've read.

It's well known that the Rotax engine was designed by ... Austrian ROTAX of course. Early on Rotax supplied motors for BMW and other companies like Aprilia. Rotax also designed the F800 twin for BMW, ALL 800's are built in Berlin, NOT Austria.

Early F650's were built in Berlin at the Spandau factory. Sometime in early 2000's BMW transferred F650 production to Loncin in China. The Rotax design is unchanged and BMW's machine tools are in China. Engines and bikes have been built there ever since.

BMW and Loncin have had a successful partnership for over a decade. Basic engines are very good but like many Euro designs (KTM) the owner needs to be more proactive regards maintenance and best do some service work himself if possible. Learn the bike, know it's foibles and deal with them before they cause problems. These bikes ARE a bit awkward to work on, simple things not so easy to access. Not very home mechanic friendly, IMO.

You are probably aware that the UK dealerships have clearly defined areas, in many cases corresponding to the boundaries of the counties.
Independant servicing mechanics have established themselves in fairly recent years; often these are time-served BMW technicians who were fully trained back in the days when such apprenticeships were organised properly - they saw a business opportunity and formed their own business.

Right enough, garages nowadays will put the "car valeting trainee" onto the task of servicing your bike and charge you the same hourly labour rate as a fully trained mechanic.

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Dave