Yamaha XT 660 Z vs BMW G 650 GS - Which is Better?
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- Опубліковано 3 лип 2019
- In this video, I and Jan will talk about two very well known models. Yamaha XT660Z and BMW G 650 GS
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Interesting video by 2 interesting blokes, you learn a lot by just listening to this stuff. thanks for the video Jan and Pavlin
Really enjoying this series of videos, although I was kinda looking forward to the longer version of Jan’s story. Safe travels gentlemen.
Peter T It will take all day 😅
Thank you, Pavlin, for this very informative video. In the future, could you also place your foot on the foot peg as you are seated on the bike? To many of us, the bike's hip and knee angles are important considerations for us to enjoy the bike without physical discomfort. Thanks again.
Thanks for the honest review. I am headed to Miami for Christmas and I will be renting a G650GS there. I can't wait to ride it and compare it with my former DL650 V-Strom and my current Himalayan.
My pleasure!
Important information for people in the used ADV market. Thanks guys.👍
Oops.. saw this a year ago 😂☑️
Yamaha shoud be compared with BMW g 650 GS Sertao. Still nice review
Best regards!!!
Great to hear Jan’s experience. I have a G650GS Sertao, which is closer to the Yamaha. 21” front wheel and higher ride height. It’s a comfortable road bike with ABS and heated grips as standard, but much more off road capable. I love the rotax engine. It has long reliability history. I think that the BMW build quality is not as good as Yamaha. (Rotax engine doesn’t leak oil). My BMW badge fell off the bike, the front wheel is too soft and easily damaged and the handle bars bend easily. The bike needs better protection to be used off the roads. Lucky that replacement parts are easy to come by to make the Sertao a good option. Aftermarket exhaust sounds great. The suspension is soft but comfortable and the fuel consumption not more than 4l/100km for me. It is comfortable to ride all day on gravel roads and carries luggage well with a good choice of aftermarket parts. It’s not the best bike for easy maintenance access, but ok. I think it is a mistake for riders to overlook this size bike. I happily toured New Zealand for years adventure riding this size bike.
Great part of the country there, hope you can go through central Otago, however the options in winter are more limited.
Rotax was made in Austria and it was in f650gs, and f650gs dakar. The bike was made in Germany...Serteo has no Rotax engine and is a copy of rotax, all the bike is made in Thailand, 30percent lower quality. Stand beatween this two bikes dakar and sertao, sertao lokes like scooter. Maybe they changed back for rotax, but my friend had sertao from 2010 I think and the dielear told us that bike is made in Thailand, Rotax jad his signature on the engine. I think you dont have this signature on sertao
@@mdybos Sertao has Rotax from 2011-2016 i belive
Thank you for your kind explanation.
Enjoyed this little comparison and story telling time....do I sense a bias? :-) Nice bikes, ride safe!
Larger front wheel better suited off road, or on British roads with all their potholes.
You could have great adventures on either bike, the limiting factor is usually us, the rider.
Agree
U R the king of the road , Mate ....... Love you brother, lots of love from South India. Planning to get one of these soon, thank you for your fffffffffffffeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnntttttttttttttaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssssssssssstttttttttttttttttttttttttttiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiikkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk presentation,
Anytime!
That xt leaking oil?
Yes another great interview
Every bike has its own soul which is another reason why we love rideing
Nah. Kickstand foot.
Little bit off topic...What is the microphone that you using, and do you using the same mic during your rides ? :) It has great sound quality
Great review guys, but you didnt mention which bike can handle a top box best!
Good review. Jan's South African accent is still loud and clear! :-)
Kalahari klong. Kan dit nie help nie.
Lekker ou Jan!✌🏻
I heard him saying "he rides it on his farm" and I knew
Afrikaanse boerkie for the win
Afrikaanse soo ver van sy huis👍🏻
I have ridden a brand new 2011 G650GS for 3 years. It was a very easy bike to handle. Still regret for having sold it...
Pavlin, great review mate. Just a small suggestion if I may, I believe the engine for BMW G650GS has been manufactured in China by Loncin company. The original one in the 90s was made by Rotax in Austria.
The engines assembled in china are painted black, the ones from austria are silver. This one is silver.
All are made in Germany just some where assembled in China (overseen by BMW engineers) but are just as reliable.
Loved it. Don't blame any bike for going too fast. Blame the cops. No cops = no speeding :-). Love this vid. Been there too with explaining to my wife why I needed a BMW 650 Dakar as well as an 800GS :-( Great comparison.
Glad you enjoyed!
for cold weather riders bmw advantage is 400W alternator output for gadgets and electric clothes, yamaha has better fork protection from mud. The main difference between bikes is engine, yamaha has oldschool classic engine... rotax is reliable too but overengineered -even chain and spockets are mounted on the right side, opposite then on other bikes...
Mr. Pavlin, I watched some of your videos and you impressed me that I bought a 1991 Yamaha xrz 660. I think you had such a motorcycle. I'm interested in how many kilometers the engine of this Yamaha lasts and what to look at before embarking on one shorter tour (1500 km).
nice review, Thanks !
Hi Pavlin. It calls my attention the regulator position on the BMW 05:14 . I think because of the air flow preventing the regulator from heating more than if were inside of covers. Well , you said the tha fuel tank is under the seat. Another reason a guess far away from the fuel. Best regards and drive safe.
Lekker man lekker, enjoyed the video👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Ek glo nie die ander lot gaan Lekker man, Lekker verstaan nie hahaha
@@charliesadv8493 Maar baie sal
The only real issue I have with BMW is the lack of dealerships in America. I met a guy from my area who bought a F800 GS, went to Alaska, which I think was around a 9000 mile journey for him, he had some minor issues along the way and no dealerships to purchase replacement parts, in the end he spent two additional weeks in Hotel/motels waiting for online parts to reach him!
Great job on this one!!
Thanks!
The BMW Sertao G650GS with the 21" front wheel, raises the clearance 7cm, from the standard G650GS. It also has more power, less vibration and better fuel economy than the Tenere 660. I installed the f650gs 17ltr fuel tank to increase the fuel range to 430km. Changed the handlebars to ProTaper and installed progressive front springs with emulators and a wilbers rear shock with a +30kg setting. It now glides, with or without luggage, over corrugations and corners like a champion on all road surfaces. The bmw Sertao g650gs, with the Rotax 652 single motor (arguably the best 650 single on the market) has a solid foundation to set up an excellent adventure / dual sport bike. The Sertao is essentially the same bike as the Dakar, except with updated lights, dials, switches, covers, paint colors and a smaller fuel tank. This is my third Rotax 652 single and still no oil leaks.
Ride whatever is good to you but to state that the Certao is the best single on the market is just unserious. We will talk again when, if you reach the mileage that my Tenere has (171,000km at the moment) without any single problem!
@@motorcycleadventures you missed the word 'arguably' in my paragraph, and you miss spelt 'Sertao'. You obviously got offended by a different opinion, and i'm guessing you haven't ridden a modified Sertao. That 171,000 km sounds impressive, and I have never seen or heard of a g650gs rider go that far on his or her bike, 169,000km is the most i've seen. I did seriously look at buying a Tenere before the GS, because it had an excellent reputation, but the vibration and lack of power turned me away. I also asked around Tenere owners if the vibration is typical or was it just that particular (new) bike that i test rode. They all got offended and wouldn't give me a straight answer, so i had to assume the vibration is typical. Each to their own buddy, I'll continue to praise the Rotax motor because my experience and research points that way, and i will also never deny that the 660 Tenere is a very reliable, long range bike worthy of any off road adventure. Fortunately we all have different values, otherwise we'd all be riding the same bike.
@@fennaldon7938 I've been looking to get a normal GS650 (over here in aus, the sertao is signicantly more expensive and harder to find) and I am 183cm. Do you think it's a good way to go?
I had to explain to me wife...😆
Unfortunately I live in country, where we don't have gravel roads. Last week tried tenere... I love that bike even more than 850gs. I felt myself really like a traveler, while on gs I had more comfort.
I'm surprised BMW still makes it. To me, it's their Himalayan.
The dual exhaust is funny - I think they had to rationalise the twin.
I saw something in the pipe for this motor a long time ago and only recently have I seen it on recent BRP products.
Sounds like a Brazilian and an Afrikaner. Motorcycling brings together interesting people from all over the world
I can confirm that his accent and his name "Jan" is very Afrikaans thus he should be an Afrikaner (from South Africa) who emigrated to New Zealand.
Nice review. Thanks.
Hi Pavlin. Your video helped me a lot in choosing the motorcycle I would like to go on a trip of several weeks. I was considering buying Tenere or Transalp. I chose the BMW G650GS. Why? By mistake. For a joke, I raised the price at the auction. After a few days, you turned out that I won ... Great motorcycle. Light, well-balanced, high torque, very comfortable.
Glad it was helpful!
Motorcycle Adventures
Thanks for you videos👍
There actually is a 21 inch front wheel model of the 650 GS! The sertao! Very nice bike, especially for shorter people
Considering "sertão" is the brazilian outback, I thought they only made that version in Brazil. But yeah, it's a vast improvement over the smaller wheels.
@@PotNanny I can't speak for the whole world, but here it Germany it very much was on sale. Quite a bit more expensive on the used market as well, because it essentially is what the f650gs failed to be
tolga1cool is it a Good bike for a tall rider? Im 6.4(193cm tall) beginner rider. Was thinking of Ktm 390 adventure first but its just 390 so than starter do think about Tenere like Pavlin has but now started to think about starting on gs650 sertao. Do You have some tips for me that You can share? I appreciate Your feedback.
@@pawelolejczyk7761 Have you seen the KTM in person? It is tiny. I am 6'3"and have a Dakar aka Sertao. I have added bar risers, 18"rear rim, added seat foam, KTM WP fork that adds height in front, a longer rear HyperPro rear shock w/raising linkage and slightly lower/more rearward footpegs. It still feels slightly small to me although it is tall enough to get me in trouble on a side slope. I am not a beginner rider but I still think it is quite heavy for a beginner. Radiators can be vulnerable when dropped, and some hardware is soft metal. I have never tried the Yamaha. The BMW is all about the motor as it is an incredible engine. Yes you can make it a good bike for a tall rider but stock it is not a good bike for a tall rider in my experience.
@@loomspace Hi, actually Ive set on it in dealers shop. You are right, Looks Strange with 6.4guy on it. And to be honest with You, In the spring time I will buy yamaha, the same Pavlin is riding xt 660z. I was thinking of sertao but yamaha is taller and from many opinions consider as a bulletproof bike.
Thank You for Your opinion
not fully sure but I guess this is a Loncin version....not the rotax one...if I were mistaken please let me know.
I'm taking Yamaha, wrap one plz. :) By the way awesome puppy in a house! ;)
I'm in the same situation as Jan, picking up a bike again after over 20 years without one. I got a 2012 G650GS...almost identical to the one here. It's easy to ride, and thank God, very forgiving. Not too big, you can pick it up when you inevitably drop it, and the mechanics are easy. Like Jan I'll probably do 4-5,000km on it and if I'm not dead, I'll buy something else. Good video.
Still in & around Gore? Are you neglecting the rest of NZ?
good review guys interesting..
Thanks!
Great comparison
Both bikes still manufactured? Or discontinue when?
A fairer comparison will be with the BMW Sertao G650GS
True, but this is what we had...
Thanks, gentlemen. I really enjoyed your review. I take your point that the XT might be the best bike for many reasons - but I just love my G650GS!
5 speed or 6?
@@jamesringler987 five
Haha I'm with you, just gotta love that bike
Nice video!! Maybe next time honda twin afrika
Great !!!! New Zeland - fantastic !!!! Yan's farm - wonderfull And Cool men's toys. Respect both of you, chears!!!!
Thanks for taking the time!
I love this video, you 2 are fun...
Glad you enjoyed it!
I have the XT660 R version,same bike ,same reliable engine as the XT660 Z but with smaller fuel tank and less weight. I am very content of my XT660 R ,I have it for more then 10 years and I can’t replace it ,even after several test rides with other new twin cylinder adventure bikes.
Thanks for sharing!
Definitely the two most Kiwi-sounding accents on the South island :) Jan's Bosveld Ingels is instantly recognisable.
Thank you i see you in many videos on you tyobe. I love motorcycles i have benelli trk 502 x its good motorcycle i have it 1 yere. Its do the joub whith out any problem.
Glad you like them!
The correct comparison would be with the Sertão version.
That's some beautiful land you live on!
We are very blessed. Thank you
Hope to see dakar or sertao test in your channel
I had a XT660ZA for a short time. It was terrible. 215 kg. Very top heavy. Felt and handled like a hippo. Bad vibrations at higher rpm. Replaced it with a KTM 790 Adventure S. Amazing bike. Only 5 kg lighter but it feels like the weight is much less. Excelent handling. Very nimble.
95 hp is more than enough but it does not hurt. Expensive yes but totally worth the money.
Close to 6000 km so far. Very happy.
I own a Yamaha TTR600 and a BMW 1200 GS Adventure. Both makers are reliable. But what i really like is your spains cap.
What does the red arrow in the wind shield means? To remind the rider of left driving?
Yes
I’m thinking of buying the XT 660 Z Urban Tenere to do some trans Europe trails. Would you still recommend it in 2021?
Well... I am still riding it...
Wie gross sollte man für die XT660Z sein? Leider sind viele Adventure/Enduros nur für grosse Menschen. Bin nur 174cm, aber lange Beine. Möchte auf Adventure wechseln, für einen bequemeren Kniewinkel. Danke für deine informativen Videos 👍
Better riding exactly the same track with both bikes and several "onboard" cameras (shock, fork, tyres...). I like your effort but even better this.
hi Pavlin - does the oil leak come free with the Yamaha.
One point for the BMW there...no leaks under it ;-)
Simple fix for the BMW
Tire&disc Swap to 21 inch tire
Hi Pavlin, the Yamaha is leaking oil. Better check it out. Keep up the good work.
Antifreeze and it is fixed
Interesting comparison, but a Sertao would have been worth mentioning. Cheers
Fair enough!
What does that arrow on windscreen mean?
I think he puts that there so that he knows which side of the road to drive on.
can i ask what you would choose in terms of new tenere 700 or africa twin ads dct?
New Tenere
@@motorcycleadventures thanks. Can I ask why sir?
@@motorcycleadventures africa honda's reliability and build quality...tenere although very good does not match the build quality hence the price
I once rode a friend's XT 660Z for a short distance. The only thing I remember was how bad it vibrates. That was the reason my friend got rid of it, he couldn't stand the vibrations on longer travels.
I've got the Sertao with GPR exhaust sounds good, and I like the vibration. Had Fz6 s2 and was smooth but boring.
I like a bike to feel like a old school bike, with low end torque and noise!
@@thinkingoutofthebox.9421 I am curious why do you guys buy new bikes with old school look and engine . I actually bought a bmw funduro in great condition same power as g650gs same engine but with way less electronic systems to go wrong (it burns more fuel obviously). The biggest difference is that for a g650gs in same condition I would need almost 3 times the money to purchase and service cost is way more .
@@user-jk3dz2st7u Just sold it, had enough of the clunky gearbox and weight/width between legs.
Just bought a Honda CRF 250L, gearbox is silky smooth compared to the G650gs and much lighter off road where I do 80% of my riding now.
@@thinkingoutofthebox.9421 Exactly you are right for selling it 7-8 k euros it's a lot of money for a single cylinder motorcycle . I traded mine with a scooter I had but roughly it costed me 1300 euros for that money it is worth it . It's also my first bike I use it for commuting and light offroad .I believe for first bike single cylinder is good because is simple and cheap . I will keep it because it is kind of an antique (24 years old ) and after a few years of experience I'll buy a vtwin bike probably something in 80-90hp.Off road bikes are great at lower ccs because they are light ,why manage a 190 kg bike on the dirt when you can have one that weighs only 140 🤔 . I definitely approve the transition you made it was a smart choice.
As always, you have to ask who is it for - what will they do with it ?
True!
Dis 'n lekker ou jan...
Moet jy nou rerig daarmee begin?
😂😂😂
@@dekca583 That accent just sounded so familiar. LOL
I see some spots under yamaha. Is it oil leaking?
Antifreeze from the coolant reservoir.
Thanks for the video and Info. Is Jan a belgian in NZ? All the best.
Jan sounds like a South African.
Ayden Rosslee sounds like a KiwiBoer to me too. Greetings from Brisbane. Enjoyed the video. I used to have an F650GS 2000 model...great fuel economy 26Km/L average and could hit 160Km/h if needed. Now I made a similar switch like Jan did...on a BMW R1200RT...but prefer the bigger engine and lots of low down torque, not to mention the shaft drive
Jip old South African I am🤠
@@dekca583 My family and I are also South African. We arrived in Sydney 4 months ago.
@@azkikrx1 👍👍👍all the best mate. I came here 17 years ago and never looked back
Pavle where are you from?
Bulgaria
Both very good bikes but not a patch on the DR 650. 😂😂😂
Thanks for the comparison. I’m short so I’m favoring the bmw.
Glad to help!
Same here. I see it as a practicality issue to be honest. Not so much as a 'good for beginners' thing. But I don't go anywhere near dirt. For me it's moving in and out of traffic in Brussels, Belgium.
I already had BMW. It was a good bike. I did not like the gearbox.
I tried Yamaha and I think it was better than BMW. My opinion
I have Sertao and my sons had the xt660z.
Sertao is better off road, lower weight and center of gravity.
But Yamaha is a better bike, gearbox much smoother and build quality better.
Lekker Jan
I think there is an oil drop under the yamaha
No?
Check it there is no leak
It was antifreeze from coolant reservoir.
Why is there a red arrow on the motorcycles you ride?
I think he uses it to remind him to stay in the left side of the road. In continental Europe we ride on the right side and I guess it is in our subconscious and may be dangerous in countries where riding is on the left
Is this an oil leek under the Yamaha?
Antifreeze.
you must compare Tenere660 vs G650GS Sertão
Ok
Brawo !!!
I think people make too big a deal about ground clearance. If you’re on a road it’s a non issue. The BMW is an excellent back road bike. There’s no huge rocks, stumps, etc to worry about on most roads. And if you’re going to fast to stop for something that’s your fault.
True
The beaks are such an ugly feature on bikes. I totally agree with you. That Tenere looks really awesome!
BmwG650S costs like 17000 USD in India..What price is it in Europe?
The same.
The BMW motor was the same as in my Husqvarna 650 - brilliant motor, the Husky was much better than the BMW and much lighter than the Yammie - the BMW motor is actually manufactured in China
Assembled not made
Funny, this Tenere has two front disks. Must be super heavy.
very very nice farm
I think we all have twitchy throttle. I also don’t trust myself so got the Sertao instead of the much faster KTM790 R adventure
Thanks for sharing!
Not only for me the buffeting was a big problem on the Ten but also for a lot of other riders.
For all you people that are riding a xt660z and are having problems with the buffeting because of the shape of the tank you can fix it with this simple and cheap hack!
what is this simple cheap hack you speak of Kees
Yes what is the hack pls
Гоняю на G650X страшная пушка)) это точно не турист))
I think the engine is not made by Rotax, but from Kymco, in Lincin, in China.
Could be!
You cannot simply compare regular G650GS with Tenere. You should choose Serato version, which is a bot more offroad. Higher suspension, higher ground clearance, bigger tank
I compared what I had.
I know it's old, but the fact your comparing a lesser off road variant bmw against an off road bike is why you the change. If for example you compared to more off road variant gs650 sertao you would be hard pressed to swap as everything you liked about the 660 the bmw offers in the sertao.
I compared what I have at the moment.
Lovely farm
How much does it cost BMW maintenance to say "it is cheaper than Yamaha"?
20% cheaper.
I like your accents and i like even more the thread of your wife 🤣🤣 Best from BottomUp 🇨🇭🇨🇭
Cool!
Jan is awesome
Thanks, man!
Thanks 🤠. I am just a regular guy
The Sertao would have been a closer comparison.
True but this is what we had.
Ian sounds like South African . Good man . Lots of Afrikaners are good people...
The bmw doesn’t leak oil - Yama eve is leaking
Jip it's leaking coolant. It's fixed now. 😉
Mark P not so correct. I own a g650xcountry (same engine but different map, it makes a bit more power) and it ALWAYS leaks oil.
Lekker ysters! Kom terug SA toe, ons het julle nodig!
Waiting for Africa twin 850
Eventually...
Если сравнивать... Японцы в мотоциклестроении имеют: во все щели, европейцы, американцев и все прочие страны !
i like made in japan .. imagine how much they could improve my gsa 1200
GS 1200 to be improve it? What you talking about? Revolution...
Seems like Yamaha is marking the ground 😀
Antifreeze.