Thanks a lot Gene. I do have some more learning to do, but definitely Lesotho is on my radar. From you picture it doesn't look "that" bad though - so it's worth a try.
What tires have you used? Looks like Mitas E-07, but I'm not too sure.
PS - Looking for updates on your travel blog. Kind of neglected lately ;).

Haha! That's not the Sani Pass. That's the path between the pub and the cabins at the top!

The Sani Pass is a steep, loose rock and rubble road. The gradient is 1:4 and there are several switchbacks at that pitch.

Good eyes. They are E-07s. We rode on Heidenau K60s for a long time, but after trying the Mitas, we're converts now.

:) Yeah, the blog was up-to-date when we left in 2012. But as time went on, it kept falling more and more behind... Tough to write and travel at the same time.

Seven years later, it's about a year and a half behind. Oh well. It'll get caught up when we finish our trip!

I would say to take your time :)). I had run both Mitas E-07 (only rear) and K60 Scouts, but I liked the K60 Scouts better, at least on pavement. But that's another story.
Again, thanks for sharing. What are you riding now?

I'm currently between bikes. Although, I am eyeing something much lighter. Either a CRF450L or a 500 EXC-F.

PS - I have found this rear shock: https://www.wunderlich.de/shop/en/wu...u/640-0874-00/ that provides an extra raise of 2cm, which sounds just about perfect. Can be coupled with progressive springs: https://www.wunderlich.de/shop/en/wu...u/600-0170-03/ and the Intiminators for a pretty good setup for RTW requirements: rough, not necessarily technical conditions, reasonable to slow speeds. Not yet clear how can I match the 2cm raise on the back to the front, as I'd like to keep the same frame geometry. Still some research to do...

Hi Vulupe,
late Autumn last year I bought a 10 year old F650GS twin and sold my trusty old 2V-Beemer because of the weight issue. Same as you I voted for the 650 instead of the 800GS, since I'm retired, have to keep my dough together and still enjoy travelling.
I rode the 800GS in South Africa for a few days and was very impressed by the good suspension, together with Mitas E07. But the price put me off, so I searched for a 650GS with low mileage. The first ride convinced me: Low weight (lighter than the 800GS) and the easy handling - like a mountain bike ;o)
So for early Spring I planned a off-road tour from north Portugal through the mountains down to the Algarve. The bike performed better than I expected. I travelled with luggage, still it handled well. The main draw-back is the low ground clearance. My bash plate was quite battered after the trip ;o)


Of course you can't really compare the suspension with the 800GS - it is too soft. So the next investment will be in progressive fork springs and later some time in a quality rear shock. The 19" front wheel wasn't really a problem. Just think of the big 1200cc beemers - they also stick to the 19" wheel. What Chris writes is important for me too: tubeless tyes make life much easier. And yes, the engine works with 91 octane, but 95 octane is better, and it does more kms to the gallone.


Finally - the Sani Pass will be no problem for the 650GS. I did it an the old 2V-GS and on a 1150GS. And compared to the pistes I did in Portugal the Sani Pass isn't more difficult.
Hope this helps.

This weekend I had the opportunity to test-drive both F700GS and F800GS, both make year 2014. Same seat (standard), the F700GS had stock suspension and bar risers (but setup to bring the bar closer to the rider, not higher) and the F800GS has Hyper-Pro springs lowered with 30mm.
Yet it is still a very hard choice: overall I liked the F800GS better for my size (as mentioned, it was lowered, but I have ridden it before lowering and I can cope with the standard height and comfort seat).
The F700GS felt... too small. Hard to pinpoint the difference but literally the F700GS felt like a too small bike: too low (I was flat-footing it easily), too short (seat to peg distance as well as seat to bars), too exposed to wind and the suspension way too soft (the fork dive is really nasty). Most of these probably can be fixed: longer shock,, heavier springs, intimininators, bar riser, peg lowering, some adjustable and bigger screen. On the twisties though the bike was a blast, soooo easy to play around the bends. Also I could feel the power differences: it felt closer to the V-Strom (better torque at lower RPMs) than to F800GS. The F800's power was just great, not too much, no too little.
That being said, I'm still undecided if the F800 is really worth the extra 2.000Euros and the extra headaches (for me): USD fork, lower mileage, higher octane gas, tubes, etc. It is really weird to see how different these 2 bikes are, having so much in common actually.

G650gs owner here
 

Ok, I get you don't want t thumper. I was debating between a 2006 r1200gs with 30 000km or a 2013 G650GS with 13 000km as my first bike, same pricepoint.

Got the 650, simply because of the age difference, lower milleage.

I thought I would regret it.

Well I work in Northern Quebec. The roads leading here are vast, often without cops, and I can do tarmac and offroad as much as I want.

At 6 feet, 270 pounds, I'm not light. Neither are my luggages when I am fully loaded with my Touratech, which I need as I come up for 4 weeks stretch of work.

Basically, I can easily climb up to 160km/h have enough torque to overtake when needed, and it handles gravel, mud, sand and tarmac with a smile.


Having the ability to put low octane fuel without an issue is a major plus!

So seriously, I'd go with the twin 650.

Oh and I rode 3 months in north west and south west Mongolia with all my gear, which included camping gear, food, repair tools, and climbing gear from previous destinatiosn such as Pakistan, extra 10l of fuel , extra 10l of water, on a Shineray Mustang 200cc chinese made Mongolian bike last year....going back on the exact same bike in September this year. It handled everything, litterally. That led me to believe that bigger and more expensive, doesn't mean much...I did things and went places those r1200GSA didn't dare venture...I mean I love those big bikes, they look great, handle great, but really....overkill.

Oh and fuel milleage on the 650GS.....SWEET ...

ANyhow, happy choosing...1st world problems, kind of a blessing ....really !

Fundamentally they are very similar bikes for the reasons you have already stated.

Just go for the one that fits your properly. If you're on tip toes on the 800GS then it's an easy selection.

I had a 650. I think they ride better than the 800's which I've ridden hundreds of.

More torque and easier to throw around.

The 800 is obviously the better choice if you're going off piste !!

Yet at the same time so different. I wouldn't have believed it would be such a hard choice.
Thanks again for your replies - I see that this choice problem is quite common :).

Whichever one you choose make sure it’s got the updated stator. It must be the newer BMW one not the older version with a rewind. If it hasn’t you must budget it in to the price of the bike. They all fail if riding in high temperatures so the mileage can differ when they go.
Be wary of a lowered 800, my wife had one and we both felt that there was something not quite right with it. Even though she did 30K miles in 3 1/2 years she never gelled with it. Certainly she much prefers her 1200gc LC on but more so off road.
Good luck with choosing and enjoy your trip bier

I just made this decision for myself - I ended up with a F800GS (not the Adventure model)

From hours of research I concluded that you could easily make the standard GS a better bike (protection, xtra gas, etc.) for about the same money as a GSA. Plus it's lighter and has more load carrying capacity than the GSA.

I opted for a 2013+ model - they had the updated rotor (greatly reduces the risk of burning out a stator/rectifier)


I had a 2009 G650GS and that didn't end well. I thought about a ~2007 F650GS (single) but the aftermarket accessories market is starting to get thin compared to the F800.