BMW F650GS Dakar (2000-2001) Specs, Performance & Photos

The BMW F650GS was a dual-purpose motorcycle manufactured by BMW from 2000 to 2007. The bike was available in a lowered version with a lower seat height due to a shorter shock absorber, a standard model, and a taller, more off-road-oriented Dakar version.

In 2000, the German motorcycle manufacturer launched the BMW F650GS Dakar, an off-road model with different characteristics as opposed to the street model, such as a thinner 21-inch front wheel, more suspension travel for better off-road capabilities, and a thicker and higher seat.

The bike was named after the Paris Dakar Rally won by Richard Sainct on an F650RR in 1999 and 2000. The Dakar version of the F650GS competed in the market with motorcycles like the Kawasaki KLR650, Suzuki DR650, Honda XR650L, KTM, LC4 640, Yamaha XT660, and Honda Translap.

In the visual department, the machine packed standard features, such as a special livery, a high-mounted front fairing, a small windscreen, a one-piece dual seat with passenger grab rails, a small luggage rack, and lightweight wire-spoke wheels.

The 2000 BMW F650GS Dakar had installed underneath its fuel tank a 652cc four-stroke single-cylinder liquid-cooled engine fed by a fuel injection system, boasting 50 hp at 6,800 rpm and a 60 Nm (44 lb-ft) torque at 5,200 rpm.

The power produced by the engine was handled by a five-speed manual transmission with a wet multi-plate clutch that spun the rear wheel through a final chain drive to a top speed of 172 kph (107 mph).