Rod Chapman•13 Mar 2012

REVIEW

BMW G 650 GS Sertão: First ride

After a four-year hiatus, BMW's harder-edged, single-cylinder ‘duallie' is back, and we've tested its mettle in the Victorian High Country

The name ‘Sertão’ actually refers to a semi-arid region of Brazil, while the literal meaning of the Portuguese term originally meant ‘backcountry’.

As the name given to the new harder-edged sibling for BMW’s more road-oriented G 650 GS, I can see where the marketing bods were coming from, but at first glance a rider could be forgiven for thinking this quietly unassuming model might be destined to wander the ‘badlands’ of dealers’ showroom fringes. After all, while hard-core dirt hounds will head for lighter and more focussed enduro offerings, Long Way Round wannabees will make a beeline past the Sertão for BMW’s multi-cylinder ‘duallie’ megastars, the F 800 GS, R 1200 GS or R 1200 GS Adventure.

However, to gloss over the new model’s CV in favour of the ‘glamour’ adventure tourers would be doing the Sertão a supreme disservice – as the newcomer’s Australian press launch, held in the Victorian High Country in less than ideal conditions, amply demonstrated.

WELCOME BACK

If the Sertão looks a little familiar, it should. It’s the next iteration of the old F 650 GS Dakar, the Rotax-powered single that disappeared from Aussie showrooms back in mid-2008. The Dakar was a capable thing, and examples found themselves serving as everything from city runabouts to full-on globetrotters. Its disappearance was almost certainly more to do with placing a greater focus on the emerging F 800 GS rather than any fault of the Dakar per se. Now, however, with the twin-cylinder F 800 GS a firmly established part of BMW’s adventure line-up, BMW obviously feels it can capitalise on the model’s reintroduction, and capture the affections of a more budget-sensitive adventure-tourer buyer.

The differences between the Sertão and its more road-focussed G 650 GS stablemate aren’t extensive. The liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, four-valve, four-stroke single-cylinder powerplant remains, but instead of a true Rotax unit, it’s produced in China to BMW’s and Rotax’s specifications. Its output is identical: 48hp (35kW) at 6500rpm and 60Nm (44.2ft-lb) at 5000rpm. The pair also shares the same steel bridge chassis, but the Sertão benefits from longer travel suspension (210mm front and rear versus 170mm front and 165mm rear for the roadie), a higher 860mm seat height (with a 900mm high seat option, versus a choice of 750mm, 780mm or 820mm for the roadie), revised suspension tuning, spoked wheels (rather than alloy rims, and in more off-road-focussed sizes of 90/90-21 and 130/80-17, instead of 110/80-19 and 140/80-17), handguards, an aluminium bash plate, an extended front guard, a higher screen, and its own unique white/blue colour scheme.

The one aspect in particular that will catch plenty of prospective buyers’ eyes is the Sertão’s price – $12,700 (plus on-roads) for the standard bike or $13,350 (plus on-roads) with ABS – plus the fact it’s also available in LAMS (Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme) trim. That means an ABS-equipped Sertão is $1360 more than the G 650 GS (which comes with ABS as standard for $11,990 (plus on-roads)). It’s super value for a Euro bike with some amazing capabilities – capabilities I was about to sample first hand.

TELL IT TO THE MOUNTAIN

The Sertão’s national press launch began with a casual dinner at San Remo (Vic), near Phillip Island. The next morning we were joined by Marco Melandri, fresh from his first WSBK outing with the BMW factory team (which saw him grab a second and a sixth aboard the S 1000 RR), plus Glenn Allerton, reigning Australian Superbike Champion, and Bernhard Gobmeier, the head of BMW Motorrad’s Motorsport division. Marco and Bernhard were still on a high from their round one results and both were looking forward to a break from the pressures of their ‘day jobs’, while Glenn, another keen dirt rider, was only too happy to lend a hand. If they were concerned by the tumbling rain, ominous clouds and foreboding forecast they were concealing it well, even despite our steeds’ standard fitment tyres – Metzeler Tourance EXPs with a decidedly conservative tread block.

The previous night BMW’s Marketing Manager, Miles Davis (no, another one, obviously), had told us these hoops would be on a par with knobby tyres for grip on the trails we were set to tackle. I wasn’t convinced, and Miles did little to bolster his argument when he rolled up the next morning on an R 1200 GS Adventure fitted with road-legal knobbies… Still, we had to traverse plenty of winding South Gippsland tar to get to the tracks and trails of the High Country, so I shelved my doubts for the time being.

Hopping aboard the Sertão I immediately felt at home. I’d spent many a happy mile on the Dakar when I was based in the UK, even getting in a couple of Simon Pavey’s BMW Off-Road Skills Schools in Wales, so I already had a good idea of just how capable a mount it was. Firing up the Sertão, however, it immediately felt more refined than my memory of the old Dakar, in a way few if any singles are. The donk’s counterbalancer does its job extremely well – this is a smooth, torquey and flexible unit, strangely devoid of all but the tiniest of vibrations. The 860mm seat height was really quite manageable – the seat is fairly slim towards the ‘tank’ (in this case merely a cover, as the actual tank sits low, underneath the rider) – and so it’s relatively easy to get a foot (or feet) down. I’m 188cm (6ft 2in) tall and I had no issues getting both hoofs down flat to the ground, but for a little more legroom I’d be getting the optional 900mm seat (a $407 extra – unfortunately you can’t simply swap the seats over at purchase).

Over the wet, winding and windswept roads of Victoria’s Gippsland region the Sertão gave a great account of itself. With conservative steering geometry, a bolt-upright ride position, a broad and leverage-affording handlebar and a large 21in front wheel, the Sertão was as sure-footed as your average Tibetan Sherpa, and that’s saying something given the bumpy, potholed surfaces that were attempting to pass themselves off as ‘roads’. The rain was intermittent for most of the morning, and the ABS was a welcome safety net in the slick and slippery conditions – for an extra $650, you’d be mad not to have it.

On the road the engine proved to be an incredibly flexible unit. It chugs away from as low as 2000rpm without a hiccup from the electronic fuel injection and without any nasty vibrations. It freely revs up to its 7000rpm redline in most of its five gears, but there’s little need to do so – keep it humming in its torquey midrange and all is right with the world. It’s good for around 150km/h; it’s plenty relaxed for highway mile munching – at 100km/h in fifth it’s pulling just 4200rpm; and it’s incredibly fuel efficient. At our first fuel stop the bike took 6.9lt after covering 150km at a decent clip. That’s a very healthy 21.4km/lt, but thanks to a tiny 14lt tank you’re still only looking at a working range of 270km. You could safely increase that to quite a bit over 300km with a restrained right hand, but personally I’d like a bit more again, for those extended tours and especially when you’re out in the backblocks.

Beyond any other adjective, the description of this bike that most readily springs to mind is ‘manageable’. It’s just so damn easy to ride. It’s comfortable, the controls are all light and precise, and the modest engine output means you can harness all of what it’s got – and that’s satisfying.

After a lunch spent admiring the vista from the top of Mount Baw Baw, or at least admiring where the vista should have been (the mountain was cloaked in thick fog), we made our way north along dirt trails into the High Country. This is a marvellous part of the world for adventure riding, but the now steady rain, mist and unseasonably cold temperatures were seeing us earn our keep. The bike’s too, for that matter. As I cursed my stupidity for leaving my Gore-Tex jacket liner at home, I rejoiced in the Sertão’s heated handlebar grips – a standard feature in Australia, but still an optional extra in many other markets. The auxiliary power socket, located behind the bike’s left-side fairing shroud, is also standard for the Aussie-spec bike – it would have been just the ticket for plugging in my BMW heated vest, had I not left that at home, too!

After dropping down into the historic gold mining outpost of Woods Point, we pointed our bikes along the valley floor and were soon confronted by our first river crossing – and our first drowned Sertão. Well, you couldn’t blame the bloke who dropped it – this was his first decent ride after a full knee re-construction and the river bed was both rocky and slippery – but it was interesting to witness the process involved in getting it going again. After draining as much water as possible by inverting the bike, finally getting it fired up and then changing the oil, we were ready to roll – or were we?

CRUNCH TIME

From the river the track headed back up to the ridgeline we’d been on before we’d descended to Woods Point – straight up, as it turned out. Now I’m no dirt hound, never have been, and I found this section, with its slick clay surface and steep inclines, err, ‘challenging’. I have to hand it to Miles, the Metzeler Tourance EXPs actually were incredible – these tyres carried these fairly hefty (192kg wet) bikes to places I never would have dreamed possible – but when I successfully conquered one long precipitous climb only to be confronted by another, I’d met my match. Momentum is everything in this situation, and mine had just run out. Cue man and machine slewing sideways, punching the embankment at the track’s edge and going down in an unceremonious steaming heap.

It took a couple of extra pairs of hands to drag it upright (thanks lads) before Glenn was able to ride it up to something resembling level ground. Hey, it’s not every day you’re helped out by a Superbike champion, is it? The spill had bent the front brake lever and ripped the ‘beak’ off the front of the bike. At first glance losing that front guard looked costly, but in actual fact it was only a black plastic component that had snapped, worth $62. The brake lever was still usable, so once again I was on my way – until we were all stopped in our tracks by one final mutha hill…

It would have been quite ‘do-able’ in the dry, but in the wet and in a blanket of fog it was, as far as I was concerned, ‘experts only’ territory. Melandri had a go, failed, and then mounted a successful second attempt, while most of us downed tools to let Miles and Glenn do the hard yards – while we walked up. One journo did conquer the climb, but his other job – a professional motocross coach – tells the story.

After finally making it to our night’s stay – an inviting mountain-top pub at McAdam’s Gap – it was straight into a hot shower, then to the warm bar for a cold beer, where Marco tried his hand at pulling beers (I suspect he'll stick with his day job...). In terms of the Sertão’s design brief and the manner in which most buyers will ride them, we’d pushed the bike to its limits. River crossings, slick hill climbs and sodden single-track – the Sertão had taken it all in its stride, on conservative rubber, and its limits were drawn on this occasion by the bike’s rider (i.e. me) and the conditions, not the machine itself.

Practicalities abound. The footpeg rubbers pop out to reveal beartrap-style off-road ’pegs; the oil filler is easily accessible on top of the ‘tank’; the sidestand has a broad footplate; the screen offers good protection; the handguards are sturdy; and it’s a snap to tie down gear on the rear carrier. The instrumentation is stylish and easy to read (apart from the cramped LCD tacho) but there’s no fuel gauge (although a trip counter pops up on the LCD display when you hit reserve).

The Brembo brakes themselves offer a good balance of power and feel with nice progression, and the ABS can – unlike on the new Suzuki V-Strom 650 ABS – be switched off. Both the preload and rebound adjustment on the rear shock are easy to get to; the fork is non-adjustable. Combined, they’re a great compromise for dual-purpose work. I found it comfy whether sitting or standing, and I found it easy to grip the bike with my calves when up on the ’pegs.

The Sertão is simply a brilliant budget all-rounder. On this bike you can slip out of the urban jungle on a Friday afternoon, find yourself in a country pub that night, and then spend the weekend exploring the bush. It’s sturdy, capable and practical, and at $13,350 (plus on-roads) for the ABS model, it’s destined to continue the fine legacy left by the F 650 GS Dakar, and endear itself to entry-level riders and veteran overlanders alike.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE...

As you’d expect, the new BMW G 650 GS Sertão has been released with a range of factory accessories. While the Aussie-spec machine comes with heated handlebar grips and an auxiliary power socket as standard, the extras include ABS ($650), panniers and holders ($1118 for the pair), pannier liners ($197 each), a topbox ($688), a topbox liner ($141), a tank bag ($415), a high windscreen ($460), a high 900mm seat ($407) and a single (860mm) seat with luggage compartments (pricing TBA), among others. See your nearest BMW Motorrad dealer for more information.

SPECS: BMW G 650 GS SERTÃO

ENGINE

Type: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke, DOHC, four-valve, single-cylinder

Capacity: 652cc

Compression ratio: 11.5:1

Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection

Maximum power: 48hp (35kW) at 6500rpm

Maximum torque: 60Nm (44.2ft-lb) at 5000rpm

TRANSMISSION

Type: Five-speed

Final drive: Chain

Clutch: Wet

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR

Frame type: Steel bridge

Front suspension: Telescopic 41mm fork, non-adjustable, 210mm travel

Rear suspension: Monoshock, adjustable for preload and rebound, 210mm travel

Front brakes: Single 300mm disc with twin-piston radial Brembo calipers, optional ABS

Rear brake: Single 240mm disc with single-piston Brembo caliper, optional ABS

Tyres: Metzeler Tourance EXP

Sizes: Front 90/90 R21, rear 130/80 R17

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES

Claimed wet weight: 192kg

Seat height: 860mm (900mm option)

Wheelbase: 1484mm

Fuel capacity: 14 litres

OTHER STUFF

Price: $12,700 (plus on-road costs; add $650 for ABS)

Colour: Aura White/Arroyo Blue

Test bike supplied by: BMW Motorrad Australia

Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres

BMW G 650 GS Sertão: First ride

WELCOME BACK

TELL IT TO THE MOUNTAIN

CRUNCH TIME

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE...

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