F650GS loose handling compared to R1200RT

[Darbarian]

Am I spoiled by Leo, my patrol bike, or am I imagining things. I took Jack (of all modes) for his first outing on my beloved twisty bit of Highway 93 on the Montana/Idaho border. I expected some differences. Obviously 1200 cc torque trumps 800 ccs, but what I think I felt was a little bit of flex in the frame over pavement irregularities. Tiny bumps and dips that Leo ignores were felt in the handlebars and seat of the pants through Jack. 

 

Did I imagine these things? Am I hyper-sensitive? Is there known to be some light bits of flex in the F650 frame?

... Or maybe something else altogether.

 

Another subject altogether was the dramatic reaction to tar snakes that I had never noticed on Leo. *WOW*  *WAKE UP, Charlie*  ... got a nice lean going then allofasudden we all shift a bit to the outside ... like NOW.  While the first couple went without drama, I was not inclined towards pushing my luck. The rest got A LOT of respect.  Is that the difference between Shinko Trail Masters (Jack's with 2011 date code) and Michelin Road 5s (Leo's with Sept 2021 dates)? 

[Etienne Lau]

Telelever vs no telelever. Did you adjust the suspension properly for your weight?

[9Mary7]

Well........ those tires are crap at 13 years old, and they weren't very good when they were new. Your P model has very good tires for street use so this is most of the tar snake issue.

The F650GS is not known to be a Flexi-flyer, I agree with @Etienne Lau re: forks vs telelever and that you need to set the preload for your weight as with a used bike one never knows how the P/O has it adjusted. The GS suspension is also softer than the RT as well; this will contribute to the flexi feeling when cornering over bumps. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Darbarian]

I have a 12,000-mile service and new tires for jack coming up as soon as The Motorcycle Garage gets a round tuit. That should help some fershur. I did not feel jounce or rebound issues, but really ought to explore suspension adjustments on him to see if I can feel differences between too much and too little in each direction.  I haven't touched Leo since I got him - he just works like, uh, well, like a well-built Teutonic machine... or somesuch. 

 

Yeah, I bet the telelever has something to do with the difference, along with sheer mass of the bigger bike, but my seat-of-the-pants imagined some sort of frame twisting when light dips or rises were encountered while leaned into curves. 

[Bruno From Québec]

The RT's handling is phenomenal!