Suecanada (also a very petite lady) rode a G650 for sometime a while back. She's traded bikes a couple times, but can probably offer some pertinent advice.
Those bikes are frequently found used for sale around here at relatively decent prices and pretty clean condition. Fit up with some aluminum panniers and you've got a real adventure machine
I will PM Suecanada and see what she says.
You are not wrong with how available these things are on the 2nd hand market. Initially my alarm bells went off thinking that there must be some deep, dark problems causing people to want to be rid of them - then the penny dropped.
In Australia, like many other countries, we have a Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme (LAMS) which means that instead of having the old style cubic capacity limit, a low experience rider can ride any LAMS approved motorcycle. To get on the LAMS list the bike must generate less than 150hp per 1,000kg using the true kerb weight of the motorcycle (which caused a stir when it first came out because manufacturers are like women in that they severely understate the weight of their offerings - in this case more is better. Anyway the F650 and G650 series have been immensely popular as first motorcycles and as the owners progress to larger bikes their discards add somewhat to the glut.
Under normal circumstances we would have bought a second hand machine, in fact that was an option right up until the contract was signed yesterday. Simply put but the time the asking price on a late model/low mileage machine was paid, and you then added the cost of a full service prior to riding it home to Far north Queensland (or the cost of transport) and then factor things like tyres and registration, the $9,990 on the road with 12 months registration started looking better and better.
Plus, herself became enamored of the white and red variety and there were no suitable examples for sale. The closest was a 2014 model with 19,000 kilometres on it, but the owner wanted $8,500 for it, it needed tyres and chain and whilst in Queensland, it only had 4 months registration left. What it did have was a never used set of BMW factory panniers and top box which would have done it for me (it also had the factory lowering kit fitted) BUT it was yellow, and yellow is apparently "Yucky".
So that was the end to that......
On the topic of LAMS, certain small capacity "rocket ships" are excluded, and there is a hard limit of 700cc. Most of the manufacturers make LAMS de-rated versions of popular bikes, either by engine mapping or by fitting intake restrictors (which can be removed once the rider is no longer subject to the LAMS requirements).
It's a sensible system, part of me wishes something similar had been in place when I started riding - a few more of my friends might be alive now.
