BMW's new range of 650 singles

Any risk of the springs sagging and giving way, as is often the case on long, undulating surfaces and under high loads, is largely excluded by “natural” adjustment of the spring rates in the air springs together with the frequencyspecific damping effect: An adjustment bolt opening up a bypass in the damper enables the rider to pre-set the damper characteristics to two stages for either more comfortable riding on regular roads or for a firmer set-up on offroad terrain.

It almost goes without saying that the wheels and tyres also meet the typical requirements of offroad riding. Due to their better elasticity, spoke wheels come as standard on the BMW G 650 Xchallenge, offering all the features of lightweight technology. The wheel hubs made of aluminium are hollowcast and are connected to the epoxy-plated aluminium rims by extra-strong wire spokes.

To build up sufficient stabilising gyro-forces also on difficult and slow trails, the G 650 Xchallenge comes with a front wheel measuring 21 inches in diameter and running as standard on a 90/90-21 tyre, while at the rear an 18-inch wheel running as standard on a 140/80-18 tyre allows the use of specialised offroad tyres whenever required.

Measuring a significant 300 millimetres in diameter at the front and 240 millimetres in diameter at the rear, the brake discs – and indeed, the entire brake system – are conceived without compromises for handling high loads. Apart from saving weight, the cross-drilled Wave brake discs on the G 650 Xchallenge have a better self-cleaning effect than conventional discs. And while the front wheel disc runs within a double-piston floatingcalliper configuration, the rear disc is held tight when required by a singlepiston floating calliper.

With its 15-tooth pinion and a 47-tooth sprocket, the G 650 Xchallenge has a shorter final drive ratio than the other two models in the new G 650 X model range.

BMW G 650 Xmoto – enjoying fast bends on the road.

Even at a standstill, the Street Moto clearly proves that this very special machine focuses on one highlight in particular: sheer riding pleasure on country roads. Small 17-inch wheels, the aluminium handlebar fastened in position by extra-short mounting clamps, the front wheel cover complete with its colour-highlighted tube protectors fitted close to the tyre, as well as the headlight fairing finished in twin-tone Graphitane metallic matt and Red clearly change the proportions of this special model, giving the G 650 Xmoto an even more muscular and athletic look, even though many of the fairing components as well as the asymmetrically designed headlight are the same as on the Hard Enduro.

The Street Moto nevertheless stands out significantly from its “sister models” in terms of its suspension set-up, with the smaller cast-aluminium 17-inch wheels running on sports tyres with very good grip ensuring optimised handling in every respect. Measuring 120/70 at the front and 160/60 at the rear, the tyres reflect the muscular look and character of the machine, allowing use of the latest sports tyres on the rims measuring 3.5 and, respectively, 4.5 inches in width.

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