whats anyone's thoughts on this,they look like a poor mans 650.i intend going to morrocco at some point,they appear to be going for good money second hand

If you intend offroading, I suggest you to avoid Pegaso. This
is nice road bike, but I have not seen one without problems in
offroad. Thirsty engine likes vibration, riding position is unproper
for cornering, altogether good bike for street but not good for
offroad use.

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AnteK

I've done about 20,000 kms around the Middle East on a '97 Peg with no troubles whatsoever. I scooted around for days off-road around Rum Wadi in Jordan, did rock deserts in Iran, and did some mountain off-roading in Turkey. All this with about 150kg on the bike.

The bike is virtually identical to the F650 of the same year (most parts are interchangeable) and is fairly simple to maintain. If anything, the Aprilia has more attractive styling and (not surprisingly, being Italian) is a better looker.

The main criticisms of the bike are: some chronic faults such as head gasket (a fault it shares with the F650); appalling after-sales service (BMW to the rescue on engine and running gear but fairing parts are hard to get); slightly over-engineered in areas (especially electrical); a a dearth of them on the road (although a keen following means several good website forums).

The difference in cost between the Peg and the F650 has always been a mystery to me as they (apart from some styling) are (were) essentially the same (and I've ridden both extensively, including a '97, 2000 and 2003 Peg, and a '98 and 2002 BMW).

They are thirsty and, like F650s, need to be kept in tune to keep the petrol costs down. They ride well on- and off-road and are extremely comfortable over long distances with a great riding position .

My personal opinion: if you were presented with a Peg and an F650 in similar condition for similar price you should select the Peg for its looks or the BMW for the security of its popularity and abundance. If the Peg is much cheaper it really is a no-brainer.

All this goes out the window with the newest models as I haven't ridden them.

hope that helps.
Brett

Be careful with the temperature though. Make sure coolant is topped up. Like the Ferrari; (read:italian) its' engine will get REALLY hot even for a minute when stationary. So try not to idle alot. Otherwise, it's a fun bike.

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"courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death"

cheers lads ,it's given me a bit more insight

Aprilia Pegaso and BMW F650 are VERY similar bikes with different styling. iirc they share the same frame and engine (for the most part, aprilia did use a unique 5 valve version for awhile but are back to the more common 4 valve version of the engine. with different forks, seats, tanks etc. the bmw adds anti-lock brakes and heated grips to the mix. they used to be made on the same assembly line in Italy and I think they still may be.