BMW F 650 CS reviews

I went into the bike shop with NO intentions of buying a bike, especially anything other than a cruiser. Low and behold, just like women, all it took was a wink and a whisper in my ear and I fell in love. :) There she was, ready for me to ride her home. What a beautifully sculpted body! I completely freaked out when I saw the odometer with only 600 miles on it! The girl that had it before was too short to ride it, I heard. So, I took her to BMW, had the service done, put a couple hundred miles on her this month and now I'm waiting for the rain to stop! I have experienced nothing but joy with this CS. I dream about her and have even woken up talking about her, leaving the person laying next to me wondering who the hell I'm talking about! An amazing ride, to wrap it up. I completely recommend it. The CS comes factory equipped with the touring tires, but they can put on an off-road set that's specifically for the CS. Mine has the touring suspension as well, so as far as I can tell, it's a touring bike! Albeit, a small touring bike, but it's SO comfortable, who cares?! Show less

per industry definition. Great fun and a good value.' Show less

I was looking for a dual sport bike. I needed something that I could use as a commuter vehicle as well as off road jeep trail use. I looked at the other models but they all seemed to look the same. There was no style and or class to them. The BMW was the last one I looked at because of the higher price. However I will say the the higher cost of the bike is well worth it. I was told by the salesman that it would climb anything. I was skeptical because of the weight of the bike. But the first hill I came to it climbed it like it was a flat road. I stopped at the top of the hill and looked back and I swear I heard the bike say to me "It's about time we had some fun!" The power this bike has is phenominal! It does not matter what gear you are in, just roll on the power and make sure you have a good grip on the handles because it will toss you back. The balance of this bike in braking and cornering handles like it was made for the road. Very smoothe!!! Show less

This bike is a lot of fun, and very reliable. It does have some personalities you might find different than other bikes, but I believe they all do. I rode the crap out of the '03 CS, and it came back for more, to be exact it got better as the miles rode on. As you can see the reliabilty is a five The performance on the top end could be better (110mph), but I am a speedy guy ;)Otherwise it accelerates better than some older 600cc sport bikes. The comfort is good on the rump and comfortable all round, but I like the ergonomics better on the higher end BMW's. The quality was good, but I did have a few gripes, but as always the warranty covered it all, so not to worry. I hope this helps you make your decision. Show less

I bought this as my first bike. For a single-cylinder bike, this one is very smooth, with even-power delivery. Its weight makes it a solid ride at freeway speeds. What little maintenance I have done has been straightforward. However, its weight also limits its offroading capabilities to decently level dirt roads - and it's not exactly low COG weight, either. I had to custom-make a seat in order to ride it, and my feet still barely touched the ground. I'm trading it in on a shorter and lighter bike, but I am saving my pennies to buy the lighter and shorter-seat-option current generation F650GS, new. This is a solid bike that I can ride all day without discomfort (I did a 6-hour trip with quick refueling stops). I bought it with 12K and it has given me no problems. If you can handle the weight, it's an excellent bike - although I'd call it more sport touring than dualsport. Show less

I first test rode an F 650 last fall and thought if I could just find a good buy I will get it. In the time it took me to find that good buy I considered a lot of other bikes but just could not get over what BMW offers. Mainly, the 3 year warranty, abs, and the most comfortable ride I have ever had for the cc size. I found my bike with the right price so I dove for it. I rode the bike over five hundred miles in the first two days I owned it. It was all highway miles and most of it 70-75 mph. The bike did great, smooth ride, and I got about 76 miles to the gallon. Now that I have a chance to take it out on the back roads and put around some real fun turns, I will see just how ballanced BMW makes their bikes. This is a great bike for the extra thousand over the Yahama FZ6. It was worth every bit. Show less

After riding cruisers, I have no regrets about changing to this type of bike, I believe it is referred to as a "Standard" bike. Whatever, its still a wonderful ride. The fit is perfect for me and I would assume anyone from 5'3" to 6' however I am aware of riders over 6' loving this bike. The CS is simply outstanding in the twisties commuting and in city traffic. Long trips? My longest so far on this bike is 680 miles. Performed flawless no problems never saddle sore was sorry for the ride to end. I know this bike is not advertised as a touring bike but I would argue that point. Would I buy this bike again if I had a second chance? Yes I would and I say that without hesitation. However I would also consider its older brother the F650GS. I don't really want a bike with a chain but I love the look of the GS so much that I might would consider it and the GS can be ridden off road. This is not a put down on the CS but the all black GS is something to behold. Show less

I traded in an SV650S for a brand new 2003 F650GS with ABS and heated grips. It is so much fun to ride. Compared to the SV, the BMW is more comfortable in most riding situations, it gets you to the speed limit and beyond, but not as quickly. The biggest difference is comfort. For a typical ride that would leave me tired with the SV I want to keep going with the F650. It won't win any races, but its fun to ride and I can ride longer. After all its all about the ride. Show less

Just bought mine a few days ago. I'm a new rider and I think this bike is a hoot! Easy to ride, shift, brake, and handle. Very solid and confidence inspiring for a new rider like myself. The seating position is just right for short riders. Most bikes I looked at had me on my tiptoes, which I'm not comfortable with. I absolutely recommend this bike. BMW build quality same as their cars. Switches and gadgets have a solid look and feel, unlike some other bikes I checked out in the same class. It's different looking, and definitely drew a lot of "looks" and questions. Most questions were of the "I didn't know BMW made bikes!" variety. Every comment so far has been positive. You definitely won't get lost in the Japanese bike crowd. It won't keep up with some of them either, but that's not the reason you buy this bike. The bike is pricey; for the same money I could have had something with twice the displacement. The Bavarian styling and fit clicked with me though. I am not in the least disappointed. BMW service was excellent and I will probably continue to buy BMW's for many years to come. Show less

My F650 is very good for biking but is only way to do it is in the city. On trip to Koln, the legs became cramped up and hands were warm but vibrated badly. Traveling is not recommended if your purpose of biking is a travel goal. This bike is city perfect for my taste due to petrol cost and light weight and close to ground ride. Bike tends to be pushed lateral by wind gusts. Show less