1983 BMW R65
The Lowdown
Quite possibly the best in-town commuting motorcycle BMW ever made. Light weight, short wheelbase, nimble handling, low seat high and excellent luggage capacity. Too bad it's completely inept on the highway. The R80ST has almost all of the R65's advantages without the negatives.
The Details
I didn't know much about BMW motorcycles when I bought the R65. Most of my experience growing up was on third-hand Japanese motorcycles held together with duct tape and prayers. Even used BMWs were far too expensive for a kid like me to imagine having one.
I was always curious what it was like to ride one of the classic "airhead" boxers. BMW doesn't make them any more (they've moved on to fuel injection which deserves an article to itself.) I saw an ad for this bike, called the owner and arranged for a test drive. The price seemed reasonable and the owner was knowledgable about bikes and had cared for it well. I took it to California BMW for a level two service, new tires and their last set of Koni shocks. Cost for the bike was $2,850 and the service came to $2,200. If that seems like a lot to you it just goes to show how much good sense you've got. I was a little surprised too. The R65 was in excellent condition, the service manager at California BMW even gave it high praise when he saw it, but BMW service is always expensive and the parts don't come cheap either. Tires, shocks, a BMW toolkit (it didn't have one and I won't ride without a tool kit), new badges, new ignition control unit (the only thing defective on the bike) and the level 2 service- it adds up.
Still, California BMW did a first-rate job and in the end I got exactly what I wanted: An R65 in perfect running order that looked good, rode well and never let me down.
A lot of BMW riders turn their nose up at the R65. The usual complaints are its small size and excessive vibration at highway speeds. Let's not tell them what they're missing so they won't push the prices of these wonderful little gems up.
The R65 has a shorter wheelbase than most of its brothers and it is relatively light weight (for a BMW). The classic boxer engine carries its center of gravity down low. This combination yields a bike that has quick steering and is delightfully manueverable. It's fun! The 650cc engine is slower than just about any Japanese 650 but it compensates with generous low RPM torque. In my experience there is no better bike for commuting around town.
On the highway it becomes a different and lesser bike. The attributes that make this such a great bike in town work against it on the interstate. Its light weight and short wheel base are something of a liability on the rain grooves that the state of California is so fond of using. They can't seem to lay the rain grooves down straight and the bike likes to track every wiggle as if it were doing the rain groove cha-cha. And this is with new Metzler ME-33 tires. I'd rather not imagine what it would be like on other tires. I have never felt in danger on the highway so I would describe the rain grooves as a nuisance rather than a safety hazard.
Then there's the vibration that sets in at about 4,500 rpm until 5,000 rpm. Now, it's a level of vibration that a Harley would surely never know and there are plenty of Japanese bikes that will buzz your hands and feet to sleep far faster but BMW riders are picky. Keeping the rpms up over 5,000 solves the problem.
The R65 is really at home in the city. It is a genius at anything under 50 mph. Beyond that it begins to lose composure. It can manage itself on the highway but it's not comfortable there. Don't get me wrong- there are people who have ridden across continents on an R65. It can do it. It's just not a good choice for any sustained high-speed driving.
The luggage is just what you would hope for on a BMW. Simple, strong and spacious. You might not believe me when I say this but it has more usuable storage space than my R1150RT. Put the two bikes side-by-side and the RT's bags look a lot bigger. But open them up and you will see why it's an illusion. The RT's bags lose much of their interior space to a complex latching mechanism. Oh, I have already installed the larger touring lids on the RT so it's even worse than you think. I can put a large helmet in the R65 and have space left over. It barely fits, with some twisting, in the RT. My portable computer fit easly in the R65 bags but I had to find a smaller case to make it fit in the RT. Even then, I have to twist it in awkwardly and space is wasted. This is a review of the R65 and not the RT so I'll close the subject of baggage by saying that BMW got it right with the bags on the R65.
The R65 has a single disk brake up front and a drum in the rear. It's close brother, the R65LS, had twin disks up front. The brakes were adequate for its day but they don't compare to a modern bike. The right attitude is to remember that brakes slow you down -- not stop you.
How much did I enjoy riding it? I became an instant convert. I have since bought a 1978 R80/7, a 1984 R80ST and a 2002 R1150RT. As much as I love the R65 there was too much overlap between it, the R80/7 and the R80ST so I sold it. I miss it and maybe one day I will get another one.
In an age where every manufacturer is competing to build bigger, heavier and more gadget-crazy bikes the R65 is a breath of fresh air. Like a good friend, this bike is uncomplicated. It's a perfect candidate for the rider who enjoys turning his own wrench or wants to learn to. If I were stuck on the side of the road miles away from civilization I would much rather it be on an old airhead boxer like the R65 than a newer, more complex bike. I'd have a fair chance of fixing it myself and getting unstuck. As much as I admire my R1150RT. if it breaks down with anything more serious than a flat I'll be reduced to watching the buzzards circle overhead and rationing my water.