MotoBrief

BMW dealers now have the new F 800 GS in stock — no, wait, it’s the F 650 GS, but it’s using a new twin-cylinder engine based on the F 800 GS engine, and it displaces 798 cc. But it only puts out 71 hp versus the F 800 GS’s 85 hp.

Confused yet? Me, too. I’m not certain why BMW has chosen to keep the “650″ moniker while significantly increasing displacement (I guess F 800 GS Lite sounds lame), but there’s no question that the specs are a welcome upgrade from the previous single-cylinder model. I can’t wait to try one of these out.

BMW Press Release:

The 2009 F 650 GS Arrives At U.S. BMW Motorrad Dealers

BMW’s All-New Entry Level Model Makes its Debut with a Twin-Cylinder Engine

Tame the urban jungle or take the road less traveled! After much anticipation, BMW’s sophisticated new addition to its entry level model lineup — the 2009 BMW F 650 GS — has arrived at U.S. BMW Motorrad dealers.

With its 71 hp, torquey twin-cylinder engine, the all-new 2009 F 650 GS offers more power and sophistication than its single-cylinder predecessor. Ideal for on- or off-road riding, urban commuting and any rider looking for a fun, efficient and reliable motorcycle, the middleweight twin tackles anything the ambitious motorcyclist could throw at it. Its rigid steel tube trellis frame, double-sided swing arm and chain drive offer reliability. A low seat height and narrow design make navigation through the worst traffic a breeze. Cast aluminum wheels and telescopic forks keep the ride smooth and precise at all times.

The 2009 F 650 GS has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $8,255 (excluding freight). The Standard Package, offered at a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $9,760, (excluding freight) includes heated hand grips, Anti-Lock Brakes, an on-board computer, and white turn signals. The 2009 F 650 GS is available in three colors — Flame Red, Iceberg Silver Metallic, and Azur Blue Metallic.

The F 650 GS is the newest addition to BMW’s dual-sport line up. It follows in the footsteps of the highly acclaimed R 1200 GS - which traces its roots back to the early 1980s when BMW won the grueling Paris-Dakar rally four times with its trailblazing dual-purpose R 80 GS. Since their debut in 2004, the versatile R 1200 GS and its rugged companion, the R 1200 GS Adventure, have earned praise from motorcycle enthusiasts and the press for their exceptional performance both on and off the road.

The R 1200 GS has earned award after award, including Cycle World’s Best Open Class Street Bike and the International Journalist’s Panel “Best Bike in the World.” The R 1200 GS Adventure was named “Best Adventure Bike” three years in a row by editors of Motorcyclist Magazine.

The 4th Mods vs. Rockers vintage motorcycle and scooter show happened yesterday. Eric Robinson has already posted a great flickr set from the event.

The photos include bikes, scooters and even a couple classic cars seen at this year’s MvR. Be sure to check them out. Nice job, Eric.

The Think! Take Longer to Look for Bikes campaign from the UK has landed in the US with an Americanized version of the public service announcement.

You can see the original UK version here. Be forewarned, the UK version is a bit more graphic.

Back in February, the Cool Hunting blog featured Blonde Redhead drummer Simone Pace. In addition to talking about his music and the band, Pace spends some time showing off his vintage Moto Guzzi and talks about his passion for motorcycles.

I see GlobeRiders has another DVD on adventure touring and on-the-road maintenance, this time for the R1200GS and R1200GS Adventure. GlobeRiders has done a great job with these videos — I have the F650GS video myself — and think that they’re a good introduction to gear and basic maintenance.

There’s more than 4 hours of info here. As usual, it’s hosted by Helge Pedersen, GlobeRiders founder, photographer and world traveler.

If you’re not familiar with the guy, you should probably check out his awesome book, 10 Years on 2 Wheels [affiliate link] if you can find it. It’s out of print and the copies on Amazon can get pricey. You might also try eBay, where it shows up occasionally. GlobeRiders has said they hope to reprint the book sometime this year.

The local newspaper has a good article on the Ural sidecar rig.

Author Arv Voss took delivery of a Ural Gear-Up and talks about the experience.

I’ve always been fascinated by Urals, although I’ve never had the opportunity to ride one. When they first arrived in the U.S. in the early nineties, I loved the idea of a clone of a vintage BMW, sidecar included, for less than you might pay to add a sidecar to a Harley or BMW. If memory serves, the first Urals started around $7,000. Reliability problems were thrown in for free.

Today they’re more reliable, I’m told, but improving build quality hasn’t come cheap. Throw in a weak dollar and a new base model clocks in at just under $12,000, and the two-wheel drive Gear-Up is priced at $13,600.

I’m not sure I’m as eager to own one at those prices, but Voss’ article is a good read. Now if someone could get the Oregonian to understand how irritating inline ads are.

BMW Motorcycles of America is offering a promotion through the end of 2008 to active members of the U.S. armed forces. The deal applies to all branches — Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, National Guard, and Navy — and anyone who is active or was active within the last six months.

The promotion allows $500 off on K-bikes, $400 on R-bikes, and $250 on G and F bikes and appears to apply only to new motorcycles.

Ah, the Transalp. It’s another one of those motorcycles that, as an American, I can only daydream about buying. For whatever reason, these awesome dual sports don’t make it to the United States. Today I was googling for the Transalp (masochism, maybe?) and found an MCN video from last fall that I really liked.

UK site DO THE TEST has a short video that will test your visual perception. It’s a must for every motorcyclist who wants to understand more about how the mind processes what we see.

I believe that video is derived from some of the excellent work done at the University of Illinois Visual Cognition Lab. You’ll find a lot more examples of similar work there. (And a surprisingly stern and crappy copyright notice on that page; so much for the spirit of collaboration and knowledge sharing in academic research.)

Discovery Turbo has launched Twist the Throttle. It’s awesome stuff. There’s more than four hours of video here as father/son team Milt and Dylan Weiss explore eight famous motorcycle brands.

The show looks inside each marque, covering its history, looking at how the bikes are designed and built, and then taking them for rides in some awe-inspiring locations. The high-definition video looks gorgeous and the Weiss’ commentary is spot on. I love this show.