BMW GS650 G 2010

I have been researching motorcycles for the countries I will be in, but I must stress this is from talking to people and internet research, so it could be quite flawed when I get into the countries to see for myself.

The Japanese bikes are big in the South-East Asian environment, but there are Soviet "gaps" that result in a high incidence of Soviet Minsk bikes in Vietnam. The culture of riding seems to be much more a commuter rather than a recreational activity, and therefore the size of the bikes is also different with few above the 250cc mark. The Honda Shadow (or Phantom) is one of the larger bikes used in the area and up to 400cc and is common among the long-distance riders of Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos.

The BMW GS650 and adventure-tourer class motorcycles are common for the sorts of treks I am about to make. They are designed for enduring harsh environments, both on and off road (dual road, which is a new term for me). These bikes have been used all over the place and, probably most famously, in Long Way Around/Down (although with larger CC ratings). I only found out about this recently and have gobbled up all the visual information I can. Although these are getting a little old now and often are not quite where I will be, they are extremely useful for getting a handle on the scope and potential glitches along the way.

I had initially considered taking my Honda CBR 250RR (1996) into Singapore and travelling north from there, however the Singaporean laws on motor vehicles are extremely strict and generally will not allow any motor vehicle over 10 years old on the roads. I could see myself pushing my CBR to the Malaysian border before I rode it anywhere. Further, the CBR is a road bike. I have had some experience with it off-road, usually to recover from something on-road, and have found it to be extremely difficult to ride. The bike is just not an off-road bike.

Having taken a look at some of the roads through video footage, satellite images, and talking to people who have been to some of the places I will be visiting, it seems that in general, the main connecting roads across the region are very good. The US military apparently put a lot of effort into getting these built in the region, however, many of the smaller roads are dirt or worse. I even had one guy tell me that he received directions on Pakistan to follow the valley until he found the grass that bent both ways ... indicating the road between the bent grass.

That scared me for a few reasons. I have now added GPS as a potential requirement for some of the later phases. Additionally, the CBR is just not cut out for these sorts of roads. I suspect it would be plain dangerous to even try with a backpack and kit along unfamiliar not-really-roads, even should the weather be perfect. As soon as you added rain or mist, it would make it a real adrenalin rush likely to end in broken bones at least, and that is without any other traffic. So, now that I have painted that wonderful picture for my family, I will continue.

I have been looking around Australia for a BMW GS650 to test drive and found only one at TeamMoto Springwood with photos. This is where I purchased my original CBR so many years ago. There were no others out there for me to take a look at. I upgraded my motorcycle license and undertook defensive driver training at Slacks Creek, but the rider training was just so intense that I didn't even have time on my lunch break to race up to see them. Managing to get a day clear to go and take a look at the bike, I checked the details on the TeamMoto website and found the bike had been moved to TeamMoto Enoggera.

On Thursday, January 10, I strolled in and interrupted Allen May at his lunch, demanding he show me some motorcycles that would do what I needed. We had a look at the Yamaha adventure-tourers, but many of these were too large for me to ride. I am short chap. The only one I felt mildly comfortable sitting on was about three times more than I intended to spend, although it was a very nice and powerful unit.

I raised with Allen that I had seen the BMW GS650 turn up at TeamMoto Enoggera from Springwood online (but had lost all the photos) and he checked for me. Before long, I signed the documents for a test drive and Allen took me for a loop around Enoggera and Everton Hills. It took me a few minutes to get used to the clutch and gears, but once that was sorted, I found the motorcycle was at times more responsive than the CBR and much more gentle in acceleration. It certainly had more grunt than the CBR, but it was not as punchy. I was sure I could kill myself in new and creative ways on this motorcycle, but no longer worry about ploughing myself into the back of a truck by accident or lifting the front wheel taking off at the lights with a heavy load.

Don't get me wrong on the handling here. There is no doubt I could lift the nose of the GS650 if I needed to, but it would be vastly more stable to do so. I even had an instance at the lights where I was able to balance on just two wheels without touching the ground for thirty seconds. Although not put to the test yet, the GS650 seems to have much better handling than the CBR250.

Allen May did me an excellent deal at TeamMoto Enoggera

The guys at TeamMoto Enoggera gave me a great trade in on my CBR250 RR (1996) and helped me sort all the paperwork in order to ride away the next day, including the additional installation of a switch to turn the lights off in some countries where this is considered to be "impersonating an officer". This is certainly something I do NOT want to have happen on my trip. However, although the parking light and headlights are on different power lines, the switch installed only dims the headlights, not the parker. As explained to me, this shouldn't be an issue, because I can simply remove the parker bulb from the front headlight and then the switch will work so there is no front light. After purchase, one of the mechanics came out to explain all the bits and pieces.

On a slightly different, but more exciting note. In some of the countries I will be riding in, the use of lights on a motor vehicle at night is not compulsory.

My new BMW GS650 G 2010

This picture shows the new BMW GS650 G (2010) sitting behind my old Honda CBR 250RR (1996) model. I have to admit I was a little sad to see my old motorcycle go as I have been riding it for about 12 years. My pets and partners got used to the sound and would rush to meet me when I came home... well, the pets, at least.

I also tested my camera for taking quick roving video. I will get better with setup, zoom, focus, and aesthetics over time. Having a good camera makes some of my photos look brilliant, but it is all the tool, not the tool behind the camera. Setting the camera up over the road, I drove off and then came back for it, but it has been snipped to make it look professional. Allen even gives me a wave off.

Now I just need to learn how to ride the motorcycle.