Still getting to know my R65!

[Jimmer]

Apparently, I have read into too many internet reviews on the BMW R65 and the fact that it is great around town and " totally inept " on the highways at highway speed.  Today,  I commuted to work for the first time on my 1981 R65 and was totally impressed with the handling and smoothness it offered at 55 mph, then 60 ,and finally I was pushing almost 70 mph, when I  found myself backing down on the throttle not realizing I was over the limit.  I'm thinking either Beemer folks are much more critical, or I was brought up on inferior bikes and never realized it.  Any thoughts?
Jimmer

[Ed Miller]

I don't know what would make it inept at highway speeds, unless it's just that when you are going 60 and want to pass some roadtard, the R65 just doesn't have as much acceleration at that speed as the bigger bikes.  It tops out about the same as an R75 or R80, but they should be able to pull harder right about there.

Once I get mine up to 5 or 6 grand on the tach (75 - 90 mph?) in the interstate it feels smooth and happy.  If I wanted to go 120 it couldn't do it.

I do think it's faster off the line than most of the big bikes, so maybe that's why people emphasize it's town qualities, but I hate riding in towns so I don't know.  If I mostly rode in town I would probably get a scooter.

[Bob_Roller]

I think the R65 gets compared too often to the 1000 cc bikes,which are made for high speed cruising.

I've had my R65 since January, 1981, and just passed 80,000 miles on the odometer.

When the national speed limit was 55 mph here in the US, the R65 does pretty good on the highway.

Here in Arizona the speed limit on rural interstate highways is 75 mph, and while I have no complaints of how the bike handles, up to the 85 mph limit on my speedometer, there isn't much left in the engine power department , if you need it.

Fuel mileage gets down to the mid 30's at these speeds.

My personal observation, is that the engine doesn't sound 'too happy' at 80, seems like 65 mph is where the bikes feels good.

You get this bike on a nice twisting turning road, and that's where it is in it's element.

[nhmaf]

There are, for better and worse, alot of internet 'experts' out there, who will offer you plenty of their opinions on any bike whether they've owned and ridden it or not.

The R65 doesn't have the longer legs of the R100, but it does pretty well and favorably with similar 650cc displacement bikes of its vintage.   I agree, it runs quite nicely at 65-70 and will do so all day long

[R65Guy]

BBBBB - Big Bore Boxer Beemer Bigots.

Many of the 'experts' that put them down have never ridden one.  It was marketed to a younger beginning rider and many of the 'purists' didn't like that idea.  It was one of BMW's first efforts to redefine their motorcycle line and reach new buyers.  The KBikes followed about 4 years later.  The purists really grumbled then  The R80G/S and R80ST were going for new markets as well.  

A friend rode mine a couple of years ago and was surprised how smooth it was.  He expected it to shake his eyeballs out because of all of the bad mouthing of the model.   It was smooth as silk compared to the Yamaha XS650 I sold to buy the Beemer back in 81.

[R65Guy]

FWIW, I posted this info on the BMWMOA forum a couple of months ago:

0-60 mph times
R45 8.0 seconds
R75 6.0 seconds
R65 5.3 seconds
R80 5.3 seconds
R100/7 5.3 seconds
R100 5.1 seconds
R90S 5.0 seconds
R100S 4.9 seconds

Curb weight
R100 - 520#
R65 - 450#

The R65 has respectable performance..... for an airhead.

by comparison...
K1200R 0-60 3 seconds

http://motoprofi.com/brandbikes/bmw/index.html

[steve hawkins]

The R65 is good for 100mph.  However to get there quickly you need to hold your gears for longer and not short shift.

If you are crusing at 70 in 5th and need to accelerate hard, then drop a cog.

There is far too much bullsh*t written about R65's even now.  They are at least as long lived as any of the other airheads in the range and in some ways better.

However, The larger capacity airheads do have more power/torque which makes them more suited for lugging around heavy weight - fairings/luggage/pillions.  But the large capacity twin shock models start out heavier and their handling is inferior for the most part - not all of which was addressed with the post 81 models.  

My 1982 R100 still has a stamped metal plate for a top yoke!  When The R65 had a decent set of alloy yokes 3 or 4 years earlier.  It baffles me.  

Steve h

[trolle]

The speed limit of the Danish highways is appr. 80 mph and whenever I ride on highways I tend to stay on the wrong side of the limit, around 85 and even though consumption is a bit high, 35 miles/gallon, the engine has no problems.

greetings from a warm and still foggy north

[Motu]

I've got no problems with the power of my Mono - it's a 650 pushrod two valve twin.....after 40 years I'm pretty happy with that set up,that's why I have gone back to it.With my shorty megas and flattrack bars I have to look down at the cyls sticking out to remind myself I'm not on some other sort of 650 pushrod two valve twin.

In fact the thing is so damn lively I'm going to have to tone it down - last weekend on some of our perfect gravel roads (as used in the WRC) I was coming out of 3rd gear corners in big slides with the tacho deep,deep into the red...like 8,000rpm! Wow,this thing can rev!

[drewboid]

It depends upon what you want and expect out on the highway. I started with a R69S back in 1969 - 42 HP and managed to get it up to an indicated 105 MPH on the straghtaway. Felt light and squirrelly so I backed off.
the R65 and my R75/6 are both rated at 50 HP. the R65 starts to feel light at about 80 MPH but I don't usually cruise above that speed. I added a steering damper and the fork brace to the R75/6 because it also felt light.
Cross winds can be a problem with the lighter bikes - but there is not a lot of difference between the R65 and the R75 - I've weighted both of them down with full hard bags and windshields.
touring in Vermont last year my fiance on the R65 kept up with me on my R1100R and probably would have run away from me in the twisties if I had let her lead. the handling of the R65 is terrific. The bigger bikes are a little smoother and run at a lower RPM for any given speed. However - compared to a sports bike 7000 RPM is barely into the power band!  Yes - there is some vibration at about 4 to 5000 which is about where I like to cruise - get used to it.
So - comparing my R65, R75/6 and R1100R - my favorite is the R75/6 because I'm 6'4" and the R65 now seems too small and the R1100R is more bike than I need. My fiancee is shorter and the R65 is perfect for her. that being said the R65 is about the same physical size as my R60/2 and I was fine on that until about 2003!  
If you ride the interstates all the time, Iron Butt, and need to ride in a straight line at well over the speed limit than the R65 may not be the right bike for you. For me - riding the twisties, taking in the scenery at 75 on the interstate, the smaller airheads are wonderful.  YMMV
What ever you do enjoy the ride - ride your own ride - and keep the rubber side down!

[Justin B.]

Don't feel lonesome, Steve, my '95 R100RT has the same stamped steel top tree...  

[steve hawkins]

I have a spare set of R65 yokes (triple trees) and front wheel axle, but the change on the R100 is not a simple one, as the R65 yokes are both wider (i.e. they hold the fork legs out wider apart than on my R100) and the offset is different - which means I will lose some trail and have to mess around with the disc spacing......But its going to happen as I hate seeing that steel plate....its an anathema!

[steve hawkins]

I have a spare set of R65 yokes (triple trees) and front wheel axle, but the change on the R100 is not a simple one, as the R65 yokes are both wider (i.e. they hold the fork legs out wider apart than on my R100) and the offset is different - which means I will lose some trail and have to mess around with the disc spacing......But its going to happen as I hate seeing that steel plate....its an anathema!

Anathema:

1. a person or thing detested or loathed: That subject is anathema to him.  
2. a person or thing accursed or consigned to damnation or destruction.
3. a formal ecclesiastical curse involving excommunication.
4. any imprecation of divine punishment.
5. a curse; execration.

[Danie]

Due to my attempt to  to try and extend both my bikes' lifespan for as long as possible, I do regard my R65 as my "commuting" bike, and my Kawasaki (Gpz 1100) as my "long distance" bike. Although  performance and handling of this bikes are obviously not the same, I cannot think of any reason why a R65 should be regarded as "inferior" to any of it's bigger brothers - specially to an owner who rides within the limitations of the law.

I once undertook a trip with my R65 from Durban to Johannesburg, and I must admit, the "down' trip back from Johannesburg was quite different from the "uphill" ride, because of the difference in altitude. With my wife as pillion (54 kg) and my own weight (95 kg), I suppose that an "uphill" solo ride would be just as pleasant as any long distance trip with the Kawasaki.

Although performance between my R65 and Kawasaki is obviously completely different, my personal riding habits are always the same - which means that engine capasity is'nt all that important to me.

[Justin B.]

I remember reading an old magazine article that gave it bad reviews for engine vibration.  They pointed out that the "buzzy" range of the engine was right at the RPM one would be at while running the (then current) 55 mph speed limit.  I guess it all went down hill from there...