African Twin, BMW 650 dakar or BMW r1200gsa

[FijIan WarriOR]

:bouncefire: hey guys yr views and comments abt dese bikes n wat u;ll think abt it.

 

i personally luvvvv d R1200GSA. like i said 'i personally' no1 has to agree k ...eheheh

 

once agian yr views guys!

[biking nomad]

All 3 bikes are Enduro bikes so that makes them similar but they are of a very different power range and price points.

 

Performance wise I suppose the GSa is the best. Of course this is subjective.

The 650 can probably be got second hand around the same price range for a second hand AT. But its probably severly underpowered with its single cylinder but pretty hardy n lighther then the rest.

 

If you're going on a world tour go for the dakar. If for commuting n touring I;d suggest the AT or GSa. If you don;t want to shell too much the AT is a better bet then the GSa. But i firmly believe, that every rider who likes touring shld ride a GS or GSa some time in their life.

 

Or u can also look around for a Vstrom 650/1000. Awesome bikes as well! But not many of the 650s here. Pity!

[ulysses_sc]

Really depends on your intended purposes. Personally, I feel that less is more when it comes to adventure touring bikes.

 

The GS is loaded with too much electronics and gizzmos. Good when it's working, but sucks when a sensor fails in the middle of nowhere. Besides, I'm not a fan of the servo assisted brake, which has been known to fail.

 

AT is a very good backroads touring bike. Simple, rugged, reliable (pay attention to the fuel pump). But rather porky though.

 

Dakar is well, IMHO, an overly complicated and heavy thumper. I'd personally prefer minimal electronics and a normal carb vs fuel injection while on a long distance tour. DR650 and XR650L can be had for less than half the cost of a Dakar, and are much more suitable as real adventure bikes.

 

I'm sure there will be many who disagree. But that's just my 2 cents.

[boofeng]

+1 on what ulysses says.

 

all three bikes mentioned here are a bit too heavy and complex for going really far from civilization. even the A-twin engine is quite a bit more complex than a thumper like the DR or XRL.

 

but then, these bikes are quite nice if you're staying on the roads and not expecting to be far from technical help (or willing to deal with being stranded out there). quite comfy bikes which can bounce around a bit.

 

really depends on what you do with them. for me, the GS and GSA is definitely out... too pricey and heavy. the AT is similar for much less money. the F650 is lighter than the AT, has a simple engine but complex electronics. hard choice between the AT and F650, for me.

[THE BEAST]

Ultimately..

It's the rider that has to feel comfortable..

in maintaining and handling..

Bike and rider must function as ONE unit.

 

my 2.5cents