The BMW G650 Xcountry reimagined as a street tracker
If you ask us, the BMW G650 Xcountry was ahead of its time. First released in 2007, it encapsulated the tracker vibe that’s so hot right now?but the market wasn’t ready, and it wasn’t a big seller. So BMW soon dropped it from their lineup, along with the other two G650X models.
Which is a real pity, because it’s a cracking bike; a compact 652 cc thumper that makes 53 hp and 60 Nm, and weighs 344 lbs wet. And with its pseudo-retro styling, it would sit nicely in the mix between bikes like the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 and the Ducati Scrambler today.
Georg Godde and Holger Maninger at Cafemoto in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, are BMW spezialisten… and they love the G650 series. So they decided to see what the Xcountry would look like if it was reimagined as a street tracker. ?We built this tracker conversion,? Georg tells us, ?because nobody else does it?and we wondered why.? ?The technical package is really perfect?a light motorcycle with a strong and modern one cylinder engine. The radical frame layout with its extremely long swing arm that enhances traction, a big USD fork and good brakes are perfect for cornering winding roads.?
Georg and Holger don’t quite share our love for the Xcountry’s looks though: ?The proportions of this model are really ugly, and the designers must have had a really bad day. The air box cover is much too short, and the seating compared to this much too long, underlined by a monstrous exhaust system.?
?We c...
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