Staff bikes: BMW G650GS - Who needs the badge?

In a recent update I highlighted the disappointingly early beginnings of corrosion on my G650GS’s frame, a development that has left me dreading winter. Now I’ve got a BMW cover, which should help.

It’s lovely, as BMW accessories tend to be, with a number plate window and integral storage bag.

But I got a shock when I saw the price. At £64, it’s a difficult purchase to justify. The best cover I’ve ever had costs £39. 

It’s as though BMW is challenging you not to buy it. ‘So you think you can afford our logo? Well think on.’

I started calculating how much could have been saved if all the bike’s accessories were non-BMW and in the process came up with a better idea for preventing corrosion.

There’s nothing like factory-fitted heated grips. But £190 could be saved by settling for a £40 pair from R&G. The BMW topbox is like a work of art. By far the most beautiful and well-constructed thing I’ve ever seen called a topbox. But a box is a box and Givi supply a larger alternative for around £156 including a rack, a saving of £114. Another £25 could be had by getting a heavy duty cover from Dust Off.  
That’s £329 saved. As I write, MCN’s website features a dealer ad for a high-mileage but running Yamaha FJR1100 for £295.

So my idea is this: Get the non-BMW accessories, spend the saving on a winter hack and preserve your G650GS’s paintwork by leaving it in the garage (or under cover) from November to March.

THE FACTS
BMW G650GS, £6300 including ABS (£660), heated grips (£230), top box (£270) and centre stand (£120)
Value now: £4600
Mileage: 7828
Power (claimed): 47bhp
Fuel economy: 61mpg
Info: www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk