LEGENDS NEVER DIE
20 years separate the F 650 ‘Funduro’ and F 850 GS but at the core, both the Beemers are similar. Very similar
ZE GERMANS HAVE ALWAYS questioned the reality. Circa 1980. BMW gave birth to the world’s first dual sport. It was driven by a shaft and had a horizontally opposed twin that hasn’t stopped growing in capacity till date. And then they armed it with a Telelever suspension, something totally unheard of. The motorcycle, despite its weight and size performed exceptionally well when taken off road, silencing the critics and is now considered a gold standard when it comes to ADVs.
The big GS was then followed by a single-cylinder, smaller capacity ADV in 1993, starting with the F 650, popularly known as Funduro, to make the brand more accessible. However, BMW had never made a single and thus, the ‘ Thumper’ as the engine was called was sourced from Rotax, Austria. The bikes were manufactured by Aprilia in Italy, alongside their own Pegaso which was exactly the same bike underneath. And the best part was, Hero brought the Funduro to India with a price tag that fluctuated more than the NASDAQ Composite. This particular example belongs to our friend and contributor Byram Godrej. Even today, more than two decades later, it moves with the same furore as that of a more modern
single, say, the SWM Superdual T. They say, these workhorses never die and they aren’t lying. The tyres are flat on Byram’s bike, as if their one foot is in the grave and thus, you can’t really push it on corners or even off-road. But the Funduro, with its lightweight construction (173kg) was actually meant to potter around town and take the occasional bad roads. The soft suspension makes it wallowy in corners but is still pliant enough to take on our roads. The torquey nature of the engine makes it super easy to ride, even in traffic and the clunky gearbox simply feels platonic, something you may never be able to experience on a modern motorcycle. The build quality is outstanding and for the same reason, a well fostered Funduro may fetch more than its original sticker. But if you have money, why not opt for the state-of-the-art cousin from the future?
Behold the F 850 GS. The Funduro and 850 have two decades and a slew of mid-weight dual sports between them. BMW Motorrad discontinued the 650s in 2007, replacing them with the parallel-twin powered F 650 GS. Unfortunately, BMW’s absence in the country meant we wouldn’t see them on our roads. The F 850 GS though was launched last year at the Auto Expo and unlike the understated Funduro, the 850 is a stunner. The sheer size, coupled with the beautiful decals give it a road presence like no other
THE FUNDURO AND F 850 GS HAVE TWO DECADES AND A SLEW OF MIDDLE WEIGHT DUAL SPORTS BETWEEN THEM
mid-weight ADV. The DRLs will appeal to Lambo fans as well, especially those who love the Urus’ headlamp cluster. Even the optional, 6.5-inch cluster is the best unit to have featured on a motorcycle ever. At 60,000, it costs almost as much as an iPhone 8 Plus, but it has features and transitions at par.
With a liquid-cooled, 853cc parallel-twin motor mounted on the bridge type frame, the 850 moves quite quick. It lacks bottom-end grunt, but once past 3200rpm it pulls cleanly, all the way to 8000rpm. BMW claims a 0-100kmph figure of 3.8 seconds, which is superb for a mid-weight ADV. Unlike the clunky ‘ box on the Funduro, the 850 comes with a super-slick shifter. You also get a quickshifter as an option, but again, at a price. It sounds angry like a Rottweiler but thankfully, when it comes to handling, it’s like a Labrador. The weight distribution is precise and speaks volumes about Ze German engineering. Add to it the electronically adjustable rear suspension and the 850 is a delight to ride, especially in off-road conditions. At 229kg, it is on the heavier side, but the way it reacts to your inputs is simply phenomenal. Once on the move, you barely feel the weight, and even tipping in corners is a joy. The 650, with its low saddle height and not-so-upright bars is best ridden seated but the 850 is a complete natural when it comes to standing up. The Enduro Pro mode, again an optional extra allows you to adjust engine mapping, suspension sag, traction control intervention and ABS, all of which makes the F 850 GS a true blue ADV.
Of course, both, the Funduro and the F 850 GS are not so hardcore ADVs as the flagship GS, but the same set of genes run through their DNA and that shows. The Funduro is one of the bestselling BMWs of all time and is considered a classic today. The 850 has just started its innings and other big players have already caught the ADV bug. It may not have it easy like the 650 as it confronts the Tiger 800, Multistrada 950, 790 Adventure and Africa Twin. However, the other ADVs might not see the light of the day in 2039, but the 850 that you buy today will be as good as new and raring to go for another 20 years.