Just got a quick ride on the new F650GS... but only for about 20 minutes, so need to get a longer ride to really see how it works. But I am positively impressed with the engine and handling (on the road), this bike will surely be a close match to the Vstrom.
The fairing is smaller and isnt as protective as the Suzuki´s, but its got nice wide torque (even if its sounds more than a bit weird!!), so you dont need to worry about having the right gear all the time, and the bike steers very well in curves. Gearbox seemed to work ok, not clunky, though not as slick as the Suzuki. Even the one disc front brake seems to do the job quite alright. It didnt feel very stable at +100kmh speeds, in fact the front felt surprisingly light, almost like an enduro bike. But it was a bit windy, so cant really tell.
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