Yep, those ARE clouds down below hairpin number 1,256 (or
thereabouts). The F650 Strada fully loaded in the Alps, with a factory high
screen that makes 100 mph cruising surprisingly comfortable.
In the last 10 months and 7,000 miles I have blasted my F650 Strada on a two-up trip through the Alps, chugged down gentle country lanes on summer evenings, taken it to the limit on the racetrack, used it for shopping and business trips, and even ventured onto the mud and rocks of my native Wales. This really is a fine thumper of a bike, which excels in many areas and is very capable in others.Potential buyers of an F650 may be confused by BMW's marketing efforts, however, because the company seems to have got its messages mixed up. The dirt-styled F650 Funduro is now being pushed as a highway bike, suitable for weekend touring; its close cousin, the Strada, is promoted as a city bike for commuting and scooting through the urban gridlock. As I hope this article makes clear, they have got the advertising strangely confused. Do marketing people ever RIDE bikes, I wonder?
I tested the Funduro version when it came out in the UK in '93 and liked it - mostly. But the original big trailie had some problems - a seat height that was unnecessarily tall (since lowered a bit), too heavy for serious mud-bashing (in Wales it is not wise to ride anything off road that you cannot physically lift out of a peat bog), too much suspension for fast road work and the worst side stand design in motorcycling history. Plenty of people have bought the Funduro and loved it. But I was waiting for the Strada, which finally arrived here in late '96.
What I was looking for was a genuine all-rounder, rather than a roadster wearing mocked-up enduro clothing for the sake of fashion. Sure, the Funduro does fine on the road and can even handle relatively undemanding trails in the hands of experienced riders, but as a highway machine the Strada is much better. And it can still provide a bit of fun on the dirt.
The irony of BMW's marketing proposition for the Strada is that it is a good city bike, but not a great one. Its real strengths lie out of town. Which brings us straight to the engine and transmission.
Coaxing 48 bhp out of a 652cc single, while keeping it (mostly) smooth, civilised and quiet is quite an achievement, but it has been produced by compromise. Fact is, the four-valver does not like anything below 3,000 rpm in the higher gears, which corresponds to around 45mph in top. Let the revs drop a tad lower and there is still plenty of power but the bike snatches and judders fit to shake itself apart. So we drop a cog or two to find a smoother rev zone and we get into another, but less uncomfortable, problem. Trickling through city traffic at 30 mph or less involves fine throttle control and a lot of gear changing, because with the revs much above 3,000, the fairly hefty amount of instant torque available can be embarrassingly excessive, making jerk-free progress difficult.
Roughness when pulling from low revs was at its worst during the first 1000 miles, which I know for a fact has led several riders to swap their F650s for more tractable machines. It gets better with miles, but it never goes away.
There's another problem, too. Without much of a flywheel to keep things spinning, some F650s are prone to stalling at tickover (mine is pretty good unless the weather is cold, but I have still been caught out a few times). It happens with a cough and no warning - usually when waiting to turn across a busy junction - leaving victims thankful for the mercy of a reliable electric starter.
To anyone who has ridden a BSA Gold Star 500 with a close ratio box in traffic and experienced the delights of having to slip the clutch up to 40 mph in first, this might sound like whingeing. But, then again, anyone who thinks the F650 is going to chuff along like a big-flywheel, low-compression slogger of the 1950s could be sorely disappointed. If it's any consolation, virtually all modern big singles of any performance suffer from similar disadvantages and some are worse.
If I wanted a bike primarily to ride through stop-start city traffic, it wou ld not be an F650. But as that kind of riding accounts for about 1% of my miles in the saddle, I can now stop moaning and reveal some of the many ways in which BMW has got the Strada version absolutely spot on.
For a start, the F650 motor is quick: surprisingly, seductively and satisfyingly rapid in a way that only a really good thumper can be. Consider this: the F650's 48 bhp is not far short of what a 1000cc Vincent used to deliver and is more than most Triumph Bonnevilles used to produce in standard trim. Interesting, too, that BMW's power claims are as solid at the Deutschmark. Britain's Bike magazine actually tests real output against manufacturers' claims, which make fascinating reading. The F650 claims 48 bhp/6500 rpm and 42 ft-lb of torque at 5200, but was tested giving 48 bhp at only 5200 rpm. The torque claim was bang on. By comparison, Honda's much-praised NX650 Dominators brags of 43bhp/6000 rpm but can only manage 38bhp/6000 on a dynometer, with actual torque of 32ft-lb/4000 against a claimed 41ft-lb/5000. (A new Harley 883 was recently tested delivering an embarrassingly wimpish 31 bhp top whack).
Stuff the statistics, though. On the road, the F650 produces bags of real power once it is past the 3000 rev watershed. There's no power band and there are no flat spots, just lots of or urge that provides plenty of forward motion -- including monster wheelies if you want to pop them. Revving much past 6000 rpm through the gears is fairly pointless - not because the engine refuses to spin past 7,000: it will do so merrily, but the strongest grunt is lower down.
Paper performance figures don't really tell the whole story, though. Once run in (and this is a bike that really DOES need running in to get the best from it) the Strada seems to confirm magazine tests indicating a genuine top speed of 109 mph and a quarter mile of 14.1sec/96 mph. But the bike is not about top speed or drag strips. Riding with a passenger and luggage, it will still cruise all day at 90 mph, shrugging off hills and headwinds without so much as a gear change. Solo and sitting upright, it hits 100-plus with contemptuous ease and will hold such speeds indefinitely. Vibration levels are very low for a single: there's pleasant "feel" from the engine, but none of the finger-numbing buzz you get from some in-line fours, or the jackhammer vibes which destroy major components on old thumpers and twins.
The ultimate test for the Strada was a 2,500 mile return trip to Italy last September, taking in a hefty chunk of the Alps, which surely contain some of the most astonishing biking roads in the world. The French/Swiss/Italian passes are so popular with hard-riding motorcyclists from all over Europe that the police have erected hundreds of roadside signs pleading for us to "show prudence". They advise wisely: it is very difficult to avoid going over-the-top on the thousands of bends which lace the sides of mountain after mountain, despite the dizzying drops to valleys far below.
Loaded with passenger, full-sized BMW panniers (the factory does a special version for the F650) and much more besides, the Strada never felt over-stretched. The engine pulled like a train in the critical 60-90mph zone, blasting out of hairpin upon hairpin, with an amazing ability to haul up the steepest inclines at highly respectable speeds.
With the rear suspension cranked up to maximum preload, the handling stayed accurate and light however hard it was pushed. The only limitation to cornering speeds was ground clearance, with either footpegs or the centre stand touching tarmac regularly, but not too alarmingly, depending on what combination of power, braking forces and bumps were applying at the time.
The orginal Metzeller MEZ2 radials may look narrow by sports bike standards, but they have proved excellent in every way. At 7,000 miles they not only have a good layer of tread left, but have retained their profile without any noticeable squaring off.
Again, a single disk brake up front may not look much, but the Brembo set-up works brilliantly. Piling down the last 30 miles or so into Italy involved a seemingly endless cascade of very sharp hairpins with steep approaches. Hardly a hint of fade developed, but when we got to the bottom, both disks were pinging and the pads smelt distinctly warm.
I must admit that for much of the Alpine section of the trip I was going as fast as I dared (Liz shouting "Wow, look at those glaciers below us!" in my ear. Me thinking: "What glaciers? Look at this incredible corner coming up!"). There may be much faster bikes and there are certainly much faster riders than me on roads like this. But it was pretty satisfying that in a couple of hundred miles of some of the most popular bike roads in Europe, we were only overtaken twice: both times by Ducatis with local licence plates, being ridden solo with great panache.
The point of the last few paragraphs is that the Strada may not be the ultimate sports tourer, but it puts up a very respectable show when pushed quite hard in demanding conditions. City commuter? Pah! That would be such a waste.
The rest of the trip merely confirmed the Strada's all round credentials. On motorways and main roads it cruised comfortably and fast. On the cobbled narrow streets of mountain villages it was perfectly under control. Several times we ventured unto unsurfaced forest trails without incident, laden as we were.
Perhaps the greatest display of the Strada's versatility occurred over a weekend recently. After a Saturday shopping trip which filled the panniers, I called in at my local bike dealer, who told me there was an open day going on at a nearby race track. So I rolled up, signed the disclaimer (if either the bike or I get mangled, it's my fault), unclipped the luggage and set off up the pit lane...
On a full race track, albeit a short one with a lot more corners than straights, it was interesting to explore the limitations of the bike (and me) without the normal dangers of road riding to worry about. The Strada's good mid-range and handling meant it could hold its own among much sportier bikes in the curves, but lack of all-out poke at the top end was much clearer in the fast track sections than on the highways. Similarly, suspension that feels well-controlled under brisk highway conditions felt soft when using maximum braking into corners and maximum power out of them. Not that it ever got much out of shape, but it could have benefited from shorter wheel travel and general stiffening up.
What impressed me most was that the Strada did not prove too much of a fish out of water on the track. Great fun, and as on the road, delivered with a feeling of real safety and control.
The same goes for the odd foray onto the dirt. Apart from being too heavy to manhandle out of really nasty situations, the only serious limitation to making progress on slippery stuff is the tyres. I was frankly amazed to find myself riding cross-rutted (one wheel in each of two jeep tyre tracks) up a muddy climb recently, without falling off. That says more about the Strada's excellent balance than my capabilities.
On economy and maintenance the Strada scores very well, generally delivering around 50 mpg (Imperial gallons, that is). Determined riding will take it down to 45mpg, but gentle pottering will see 60 mpg. It uses no oil and needs a lube change only every 6000 miles. The biggest surprise is the chain, which I have only had to adjust a tiny amount, twice in 7,000 miles, despite big singles' infamous appetite for chewing them up. I put that down in part to fitting a Scott automatic oiler, which is simply a brilliant investment. Apart from that, nothing has broken or needed replacing.
New F650 models all have proper centre stands and side stands that don't flick up any more and dump the bike whenever you park it on a slope. Other good points are excellent lights, mirrors, light controls, a practical luggage rack and factory panniers that carry a decent amount of kit and are secure, yet are easy to clip on and off.
Comfort for the rider is excellent now that I have fitted a factory high screen, which effectively raises the cruising speed from 80 to 100 mph (perversely, not standard on the Strada, but they are fitted to the Funduro the biggest example of BMW's daft designation of the ST as a town bike). Handlebar, footpeg and control positions are all excellent. My regular passenger loves the back layout, with well positioned pegs, a nice seat and proper-sized hand grips. The only gripe I have on practical grounds is the impossibility of finding a tank bag to fit: I have had to make one out of an old camera bag with a map pocket stitched on top.
The finish of the Strada has stood up to a British winter very well (they put salt on the roads here, which eats metal), but I have heard some people say that it is not up to the best BMW standards of longevity. There are good signs that the F650 mechanicals are bomb-proof: some early models are already reporting 50,000 miles-plus with no problems.
If you are thinking of buying a Strada, the final choice comes down to taste. Those fun fellows in Germany have produced some bizarre colour combinations of bodywork and seat, in what I take to be an attempt to make the thing look fashionable, but I am quite pleased with the sober mid blue of mine. It's not the kind of bike that attracts crowds of drooling admirers when it's parked up, but so what? It is a BMW after all.
Last of all is the matter of character. Some complain that the F650 is too bland and soft-edged, but I guess they would be happier looking at something like a KTM Duke or some other form of head-banger Supermoto. Occasionally I yearn for the bark and bite of something a bit less civilised, but then again there are probably more times when I appreciate the Strada's undemonstrative competence (if you ride quieter, you can ride quicker without the boys in blue hearing you coming).
In terms of direct competition, the only thumpers that come close to the Strada are the 650 Dominator or the Aprillia Pegaso (which uses a near-identical 652cc Rotax engine and is certainly very pretty).
Then there's the F650 Funduro - taller, more suspension movement, dual purpose tyres, slower steering, arguably more macho-looking ... but why? Do you really want dirt-bike styling on an F650, or a Strada specification which makes it a much better roadster?
Happy riding!
Some say you can get these panniers to ground out. Me, I don't believe it either...
John Hutchinson johnhutch@compuserve.com