I left my F800GS in for service today and got a G650 Moto X as a play bike for the day. It’s a tall little beastie for someone of my stature. People who know me will raise an eyebrow because quite a few think the 800 is too tall for me but I’m totally at home on that.
The 650 Moto X is a bare bones bike. I couldn’t help but love the freedom inspiring sensation of riding it. No faring, no fuel gauge, no frills but it was a lot of fun to ride.
The video below encapsulates it’s niche
and of course the obligatory photo that I took at the Imperial War Museum North
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2 responses so far ↓
1 Sam // Mar 10, 2009 at 14:28
A question for you – how did you go about getting on that bike? For that matter what method do you use to get on the GS? I am also short of leg and am yet to find an entirely satisfactory way to get on/off my GS….
2 Jonathan // Mar 10, 2009 at 15:38
The G650 is quite a bit lighter than the F800 so it was easier to lift off the stand. The front portion of the seat is lower than the rear so you get a smidge closer to the ground. I was on my tippy toes and really had to watch where I placed my foot when coming to a stop. The position puts you very far forward. The F800 is sumptuous and luxurious in comparison.
For the F800 I just swing my leg over and then heave it off the side stand. This gets easier with time as you gain strength and become comfortable with the bike and its centre of gravity.
If the bike is fully loaded I just do the high kick and slide my right leg on. When travelling on the continent you need to take extra care with road camber because its often the case where the road is higher where the side stand goes down than on the right side of the bike which is closer to the kerb. It would be easy to lift the bike off its stand and find your right foot fish around for some hard ground and before you know it you are falling towards the kerb.
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