yamaha xt66o or bmw gs 650??
 

hi people ...general question ..probably an old favourite....what is the consensus of opinion of choice between these two bikes for a silk route trip ...
1. yamaha xt660....what would be the best year of manufacture?
2. bmw gs 650....what would be the best year of manufacture?
3.if we wanted to resell these machines in Mongolia /siberia again which would be the better bike.

Allways use Japanese bikes before BMW. Japanese are way more reliable for real traveling BMW are "cooler" to ride to Starbucks and back...

Do you mean the Yamaha XT660Z Tenere or the XT660R? If you mean the Tenere I can tell that Im trying to take such a bike around the world for the moment but most likely I will not be able to endure it because of an endless stream of problems. Despite several rebuilds of engine it wont run as it should.
Its the second heaviest single cylinder bike ever made (after the Suzuki Dr800 mk2) and the engine is known for being prone to surging etc due to lean set up. Not the qualities you would want for a overlanding bike.
A BMW GS650 is lighter, uses less fuel and the 650 engine has been around for ages so it must be pretty solid.

if you're talking about xt660z tenere get a after 2012 year model (better suspension), definitely avoid 2009 year (gearbox problems). Generally very reliable and capable bike if taken care of.

Which BMW?
 

As per the general discourse of the past couple of postings, your question is less than defined.
Do you mean the F650GS single cyl model (often referenced as the bike with the rotax engine; a brand of engine used to power various micro-light aircraft because of the reliablity factor)?

Somewhat later came the G650GS with the same engine along with the twin cylinder F650GS based on the F800GS model i.e. using a 800cc engine in both of those bikes.

Then there are the G650X, G650 X Challenge and G650X Country that pretty much round off the range of these bikes fitted with the rotax engine; manufactured for only a short period of time.
Oh, yes, there are the Dakar and Sertao versions of the F650GS and G650GS respectively.

Youre absolutely correct. The one I was referring to in my answer above her is the single cylinder GS650 with the Rotax engine which I believe is a well proved engine.

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Thenks for the info so far
The yamaha is a xt660r 2006 or 2008
The bmw is a gs650 f 1 cil 2002

In that case you are considering the earlier version of the 650GS single that has the single spark firing (I run the twin spark version engine that came along about 2004/05).

There's nothing wrong with that as such; it may be slightly less fuel efficient than the twin spark but not by a lot, probably.

I forgot to give an honourable mention of the BMW funduro which was the forerunner of all of this range of Beemers - that was the bike with the "original" rotax engine. :innocent:
Tough as an old pair of boots, arguably.

Apart from well recorded issues with the water pump of the rotax design, which requires an eye to be kept on the purpose designed "weep hole", there are few or no issues with the engine aspect of the bike, all IMO.

After that, it depends on how miles each bike has run, what the maintenance history is of each bike, how they have been used and/or abused, the asking prices and such factors.

Also, which one do you actually like!!

Hey Snakeboy,

What problems have you had with your Tenere XT660Z?
Mine's been pretty good, but I think probably has a lot less miles than yours....

The list is too long to be mentioned here but but a sudden increase in fuel consumption by 25 % that despite a lot of investigation and check ups havwent been solved and including two top end rebuilds it havent gone back to normal. Its really annoying that a 48 HP 650 cc bike on + 200 kilos weight uses more fuel than my dads car who weighs 1400 kilos and has a 1,6 liter engine of 125 HP - and that while Im riding constantly in fuel saving modus which is max 80-90 km/h and no hard axelrations.
The ECU ans thus the bike died in the australian outback.
The gearbox and the clutch melted together down in Patagonia, a total split of the engine neccesary.
Two top end rebuilds and the bike still consume oil like a two stroker.
Sometimes it doesnt start in rainy conditions.
It eat chain and rear sprockets, rear sprocket wears out twice as fast as front sprocket. Its supposed to be the opposite, isnt it?
In general - a huge lumpy piece of utter shit...

Sounds like a dud bike to me.

Who did the rebuilds? Did they do the valve guides as well? Valve guide seals?

No excuse for an ECU dying, though....

Sorry to hear that, mate. I wouldn't have persisted that long with it...

First rebuild was probably not great performed but the last one was done by a very skilled mech who own a Tenere himself and all parts were new, cylinder, piston, rings etc.

Im about to give it up myself now. 5000 kms after the last rebuild I still need to top up 0,5 liter oil every 1000 kms. And last fuel milage was 19,5 kms/l riding 80-90 kms/h max.

A bit difficult to get rid of a not decent working bike half way around the world. I heard of an aussie guy who had his Tenere rebuild and massively repaired in Salta northern Argentina just so it broke down again after a few hundred kms and he had to get it trucked to Buenos Aires and shipped back home to Australia. Im not there yet, but probably not far away...

I'd check the receipt for parts for valves, guides and seals; if they were not done and it is still using oil, they are the likely culprit and an easy fix; be a shame to dump the bike for oil use on that basis; mpg is 55 - about average for these bikes. Just my two cents; there's probably a lot more that has happened which makes you sick of that bike......