BMW Motorrad Australia will add a single-cylinder product to its line-up commencing in late March 2009 when the BMW G 650 GS goes on sale.

BMW is the leader in the Adventure bike market in Australia with its 1,200 cc Boxer-engined R 1200 GS and R 1200 GS Adventure machines the industry standard for serious adventure bike action.

BMW also offers the highly lauded mid-size F 800 GS and F 650 GS parallel twin machines, and previously offered F 650 GS and GS Dakar single-cylinder models.

The BMW R 1200 GS/Adventure and F 650/800 GS models were introduced in 2008, so with the arrival of the BMW G 650 GS, the company has a completely new or refreshed adventure machine line-up to appeal to the widest range of adventurous riders.

The BMW G 650 GS is LAMS-approved and will give BMW a machine that is perfectly suited to novice riders restricted under the LAMS system.

The BMW G 650 GS will be priced from $11,990 and will be equipped with the latest generation BMW anti-lock brakes as standard, underlining the BMW Motorrad philosophy of delivering a safe and sturdy machine that is ideal for new riders, those returning to riding, as well as those who wish to have an inexpensive yet high quality adventure bike at their disposal.

Equipped with wire wheels and high ground clearance, the BMW G 650 GS will be ideal for a weekend ride or even a longer adventure within Australia.

The predecessor to the G 650 GS, the F 650 GS (single cylinder version) was a firm favourite among riders seeking a smaller capacity machine but not wanting to give up on the traditional BMW qualities and virtues.

In addition to standard ABS (which is extremely rare in machines of this capacity or price point), the BMW G 650 GS will also feature heated hand grips and the choice of either low suspension or a centre stand within the $11,990 RRP.

The standard seat height is 780 mm and the low suspension option reduces this to 750 mm.

For customers specifying the factory low suspension system, a centre stand may be specified at additional cost.

The BMW G 650 GS will be available with a choice of red or black bodywork. The engine is now finished in black rather than the silver of the previous F 650 GS badged single cylinder versions, which were discontinued in 2007.

The BMW G 650 GS will supersede the G 650 Xcountry, Xchallenge and Xmoto trio.

It is powered by the same 652 cc engine as previously fitted to the later G 650 Xcountry models, and has proven itself to be a very reliable and flexible unit.

The water-cooled single-cylinder power plant is a four-valve four-stroke unit with twin overhead camshafts, and dry sump lubrication.

It is rated at 37 kW (50 hp) at 6,500 rpm and delivers 60 Nm of torque at 4,800 rpm.

The compression ratio is 11.5:1, and fuel is electronically injected into the cylinder where a twin spark plug set-up ensures complete combustion. The exhaust gases are cleaned by a standard three-way closed-loop catalyst and the engine meets Euro 3 emission standards.

The BMW G 650 GS has a top speed of around 170 km/h (where legal) and at a constant 90 km/h consumes just 3.2 litres of 91 RON petrol per 100 km. At a constant 120 km/h this rises to just 4.3 l/100km. The tank contains 17.3 litres and has a 4.5-litre reserve.

This engine is identical in design to the Rotax unit previously supplied in the F 650 GS single cylinder version and is built in by Loncin in China to BMW quality standards solely for BMW and is not supplied to any third parties.

The BMW G 650 GS is built in Berlin, and is similarly equipped and specified to previous generation F 650 GS single-cylinder machines.

It is fitted with a five-speed manual gearbox, which takes drive via a multiple disc wet clutch and transmits it via a chain drive. The chassis is a bridge type steel section frame with a bolted-on rear section.

Front suspension is by telescopic forks and at the rear by a box-section steel dual swing arm with a central spring. Spring pre-load is hydraulically adjustable via a hand-wheel, and rebound damping is also adjustable.

Front suspension travel is 170 mm, with 165 mm at the rear. The front wire spoke rim is 19-inches by 2.50, while the rear is a 17-inch x 3.00 item.

Braking uses a single, 300 mm front disc with a double piston floating calliper and the rear has a single piston floating calliper acting on a 240 mm disc.

The BMW ABS system may be switched off, for instance when riding on gravel or very loose terrain.

The BMW G 650 GS weighs 175 kg dry, and 192 kg fuelled and ready to ride.

The single-cylinder powered BMW G 650 GS is more off-road oriented than the parallel twin-cylinder F 650 GS launched in Australia in 2008, which has a greater on-road bias, and runs alloy rims. The BMW F 650 GS also costs around $3,000 more when fitted with ABS.

"We see great potential for this bike in Australia, it really is a true all rounder", BMW Motorrad General Manager, Cameron Cuthill said.

"Not only does the G 650 GS provide a fantastic option for the adventure rider it is a great option for those looking to start out or return to motorcycling" said Cameron.

"Like all BMW Motorrad GS models the G 650 GS provides unrivalled versatility" said Cameron.

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