http://f650.com/forum/showthread.php?32715-Bad-news-for-the-Chain-Gang From a Chain-Gang guru, no more BMW G650's. I guess BMW finally figured out their 'entry' motorcycle is all people want and not $30k dinosaurs. I think Chain Gang, and the engine brand will live on: F650/ GS/ G650/ DS650/ and now TR650. The TR650 could have bankrupted BMW all together if it were supported by replacing their WHOLE line of bikes. BMW (or Aprilia rather) created a monster. The TR650 was the first BMW 650 bike I liked after the Aprilia made Rotax F650. $hit happened real quick after the introduction of the TR650 (RED ALERT!) NOW is a good time for a class action lawsuit (Note that my offer is still open for a good running Strada 650 w/good mag wheels in SO CA (not Canada) for $3K)
WTF??? The Terra/Strada was the best selling of all Husqvarna bikes in 2013. You don't have a clue what your talking about. If you have nothing "nice" to say about our Husqvarna bikes, you should say nothing at all.
You missed Shawn's point. The TR650 was inexpensive and just as good as far more expensive BMWs. They would have far outsold the $30K unicorns and bankrupt BMW. Can you imagine a 2015 TR650 with appropriate changes made to correct the bike's early problems? If Husky could have kept the price down? And the vast aftermarket that would have sprung up? Could have made a serious run at killing off the DR650, or at least forcing Suzi to bring the machine into the 21st Century. Just glad I have a good one!
rride likes to come on here make a fuss about how bad things are with our bikes. Then he throws an offer out to buy one cheap. This was from one of his last trys: Bad form before....still bad form.
They've still got new Stradas in Tucson for $4999. If I had the money, I'd like to get one to go with my Terra. The Terra would get some nobbies and become strickly offroad. The strada would be for commuting to work.
I just thought it was news you guys should be aware of. If it was good enough to scare BMW and KTM stupid, it's good enough for me. BOTH of their product lines faced immediate extinction, and they acted accordingly! I'm just a starving student, so that is all I can afford right now. If I could afford 3 bikes now, I would. I'm sorry for any misunderstanding from any offers. I see bid/offers all over the place, especially on discontinued vehicles with one of a kind blueprinted top ends. One of these days I'll get one (maybe, it will be hard in CA - not Canada), and one sale won't effect any other's value: they are ALL mutually exclusive.
They designed the BMW F650 motorcycle with the Rotax engine that went from 1997 to 2000 in USA and 1992 to past 2000 in UK/Europe, that all the other Rotax engines copied from. DS650 carbed Bombardier atv from 2000 to 2007/8 was also an Aprilia Rotax designed engine too. All the others were just efi copies of the carb designed engine until the TR650 which was a completely bottom up design from an EFI base (where the F650 GS and G650's were never as good as the carb designed F650 engine - efi single cylinder physics problems of efi mist per 360 degree rotation at low rpm's - throttle gaps which you might have experienced slightly - but they got good gas mileage over 80 mph.) And coincidently, in 2000, Aprilia proposed the same type engine as the TR650, but BMW scuffed at the offer and kept changing fuel mapping every few months for the run of the F650 GS and G650. Finally in 2013 or before I'm sure, BMW invested $3B in the TR650 and the 900 new engine bikes. I would have liked to seen the Aprilia TR650, but BMW did a good job themselves 13 years later, finally. Apriia showed BMW's engineering up for 21 years, and BMW did not like it evidently. Look at the expense they went through just to close it down before it started after 13 years of their efi adapted engine struggles. I always thought the Rotax bikes were the best thing BMW had going, and finally, they figured it out too. But it did not fit into their profit plans. However they still have the (more expensive) F800 which the new 900 came from (that could have obsoleted their whole line as well.) Interesting history. I like the TR650 Strada the best of all their models, with the F650 ST(rada) the 2nd most.
The last part is supported by the real world sales figures, the first bit not so. Here are the total year sales of bikes for Australia (I hope the table I pasted below is readable). What it shows is that the TR650 probably stole sales from Suzuki, possibly from both their single DR as well as the twin DL, and possibly some sales from XT660 and DLR650. The BMW figures below that show that there was no threat to the "$30K unicorns" or indeed any other cannibalism of BMW sales. I suspect that many people who are going to buy BMWs are going to buy them regardless of what else is on the market, or how much it costs. Even the closes competitor, G650GS sales are virtually untouched by the introduction of the Terra (no mention of the Strada in the stats that year so presumably the number below is TR650 Strada and Terra combined). The first shipment of Terras (1 per dealer) arrived in dealers a couple of days before Christmas 2012 so there were only a handful of sales in 2012 (mine was one of those). Manufacturer.....Model......2013..2012..............Chg Husqvarna.......TR650Terra...210....11..1809.10%....199 Suzuki..........DR650SE......611...727...-16.00%...-116 Yamaha..........XT660.........53....86...-38.40%....-33 Kawasaki........KLR650.......399...446...-10.50%....-47 Suzuki..........DL650A.......311...488...-36.30%...-177 BMW.............G650.GS......298...310....-3.90%....-12 BMW.............F700.GS......158....46...243.50%....112 BMW.............F800.GS......172...202...-14.90%....-30 BMW.............R1200.GS.Adv.164...186...-11.80%....-22 BMW.............R1200.GS.....370...305....21.30%.....65
First you say your bikes suck, then you say they are great. You make no sense and you should stop posting until you own one of or bikes and have a real world experience of a Husqvarna.
Not true, since the introduction of the G650gs in 2007, BMW have used a much improved engine, made by Loncin. The TR650 is made from this. Same design, but another piston and toped. The rest is just the same as on the G650gs. And it was in 2007 BMW bought Husky, 2013 was the year they sold it again.
YOU said your bike sucks, not I. I think the Strada is one of the very best bikes ever made. You are very immature and illogical. Your bike is basically a BMW sold to Husky, and my 1997 BMW F650 ST(rada) is the direct grandfather of yours. Learn to read Shawn.
Yes it was a much improved DESIGN, but it was made in China. O/w, it would have hit the market much better than it did. Because it was made in China, the G650 may be one of the worst selling models to date. It was too much risk involved for most BMW owners to take. ymmv Japan can make good bikes in China, whereas it would be more difficult for the German culture to do the same.
The last production run of the G650 GS is underway. BMW is killing the line. There is another model that is also being dropped too. I really like my TR650. I will work past this issue and ride it as long as I can.
It's already been killed. The G650gs was last produced in 2013. They are working on a 3-500ccm twin, with no more than 48hp. Then it can be aimed for european drivers with A2 limited license. Along with Honda CB500x and alike.
Sounds to me that BMW have finally given up trying to get the Rotax EFI 650 thumpa to run reliably while/because meeting emission standards.
Not quite the case. In Europe streetbikes with about 300-400cc are very popular with those with restricted licence. And compared to Kawasaki Z300, new Yamaha mt03 and alike, the 650 is to expensive and boring. Hence the reason why BMW is making a 300cc engine to compete in this marked. And then there will be no room for the 650 single.
