I'm guessing the TE also reads speed off the front brake bobbins? Just remember that when reporting miles if you plan to sell it, or when you end up servicing the bike twice as often as actually recommended :P
I was told the only difference between the TE and Sm are the rims/tires and front brake...if that's the case with the front disc being bigger is there a difference in the cable length/mount? Sag since it doesn't have to extend as far down to the smaller disc.....
Final drive ratios on the counter shaft are different. Single rotor should be fine unless you're going to track-day the bike. The single will overheat easier with aggressive riding. Suspension is shorter on the SM and damping specs different. Everybody says they're a mild rider on the street 'till they get a few thousand miles under their belt and get into open road twisties. Then they're draggin' pegs just like everybody else.
True enough! Although...I thought I was getting pretty good. I figured I'd go on group ride with the NorCal BMW club (I have a R1200R). Gotta be an easy-going group, right? No! Guys were riding F800GS's and K1200GT's faster than I would do on a bet. It was all I could do to hang on. They were riding much faster than I ever woulda been riding alone. Maybe I'll be faster on a lightweight SM single...
On my local backroads there is always a fresh crop of young, cocky riders on their new gixxers or R6's that learn very quickly that it's the old guys on BMWs that have been riding for 30 years that own the roads...
2009 Kawasaki Versys. Just regular gear. Here it is setup for touring...well, actually motorcycle camping. Did a thousand mile trip through the sequoia's late June. Way fun. Sorry for the thread-jack. I can't resist when we start talking about carving corners. This is quite a contrast from my new TE.
I'd lay an SM against just about anything else on 2 wheels (that's street legal) in the tight mountain twisties with big elevation changes around here. That extra bit of droop travel makes a huge difference when the asphault isn't perfectly smooth and clean...
BMW has three 650's, the Xchallenge thumper and the 650GS "Lite" with a 650 version (sleeved?) of the 800 twin. Then there is the venerable 650 Dakar thumper that is still sold in Europe, or did they bring it back here last year? At any rate the Xchallenge mill the most likely, being the most efficient and designed for a "light" dual sport.
The current F650GS is the same motor (same bore and stroke = 798cc) as the F800GS, just choked down for lower revs and lower peak HP. It's bizarre that they call a 798cc a 650, but what do I know. The venerable 650 Rotax single is currently used only in the G650GS (which is the old F650GS, including the Dakar). However, the lack of inventory of the G650GS leads me to think they've stopped making it. They blew out all the 2009 and 2010 inventory at low prices a year ago. Haven't seen one since. That is a very nice motor. Underappreciated...might it appear in a Husky? Time will tell...
