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Issue #228 X Bike Trio
Written by John Fuller   
Thursday, 12 April 2007
BMW has introduced three new models, all single cylinders, displacing 650cc and scheduled to be constructed in Italy at the Aprilia plant. The G650X Challenge is BMW’s most dirt-oriented model, and it comes equipped with a multi-adjustable front fork and a rear air shock to control the 21-inch-front and 18-inch-rear wheels on broken ground. The stressed member engine is said to produce 53 hp at 7,000 rpm, which would be about three horses better and almost five lbs. lighter than the original design, found in the F650 series. The X-Challenge package weighs a claimed 318 lbs (144 kg) and has a bare minimalist look about it—in itself a new perspective for BMW. The second new offering is the G650X Moto and it shares much of the frame and engine design of its brethren, but comes with shorter suspension and shod in 17-inch cast Supermoto-style wheels. The street size wheels, a 320mm front disc and taller gearing separate it from the others and with a look similar to the old KTM Duke, it’s bound to be a hit. The G650X Country is the third BMW sibling and it has a unique look, taking on some similarities of each brother but with 19-inch-front and 17-inch-rear wheels and with less sophisticated suspension, it seems aimed at a more conservative crowd that would likely be easier on the moving parts.MY INVOLVEMENT IN THE MOTORCYCLE INDUSTRY PRECEDES the advent of liquid-cooled dirtbikes and in that time there’s been a lot of change. Still, as the saw goes, the more things change, the more they remain the same. Innovation and technology have made motorcycles better and more efficient, but there really hasn’t been much in terms of varying the standard configuration of drive, chassis or fuel delivery. In the off-pavement category, dualsport models are primarily based on older designs while motocross machines that used to pass their trickery down to the sportbike world now wait patiently for upgrades such as wave rotors, hydraulic clutches and fuel injection. The whole new-technology thing is based on sales and Joe Average is not going to buy a dirtbike that retails at near the cost of a small car. Having said that, I just had the opportunity to sample a dirtbike that carries a price tag in the small-car range, yet I would gladly surrender my four-wheel vehicle to have one in the garage. The object of my latest bout of lust is Aprilia’s RXV 5.5. Boasting incredible design and a fresh approach to V-Twin thinking, it produces more power than anything before it and, with close to zero vibration, the fuel-injected RXV 5.5 is comparable only to a streetbike. Features such as a bar-graph tachometer that encircles the electronic speedo, LED lights and a steering lock hint at the bike’s refinement. The muffler sits in a space normally reserved for an airbox, while the air filter is under the tank on top of the throttle bodies. Lightweight and beautifully-balanced the RXV pulls incredible wheelies, offering back a wide berth in the balance zone, huge grunt and a wide powerband to save a drooping front end at almost any speed. Stoppies are effortless with little chassis movement through the taut suspension and it’s immediately apparent this bike is naturally fast. The all-new frame is an innovative first for its genre; the crankcase is employed as a stressed member. With a claimed weight of a mere 270 lbs. (122 kg), the RXV 5.5 outperforms all others before it in terms of sheer power and design. So if you sell your car and buy the Aprilia the world as you know it will change, but the wife will have to walk—none of the four sub-300 lb. Aprilia models comes with passenger pegs or seat padding and are being marketed as competition machines. I HAVE ALWAYS SAID MOTORCYCLING, PARTICULARLY dirtbiking, has a strange way of teaching us life lessons, but in a basic and straightforward way. The simple lessons—ones such as going too fast can get you into trouble, or not wearing protection can be hazardous to your health—are easy to absorb. But what of the more intense, even ironic, lessons buried beneath the surface? Isn’t it ironic that I used to pour gas on my hands to wash an air filter and now a mere whiff of fuel makes me anxious and craving fresh air?Where I once used to go south in the winter to relax my tired body from a season of intense riding, I now seem to require the same vacation respite to ease the pain of much less time in the saddle.It’s ironic that the pre-ride excitement can be as much fun as the ride itself with a lot less effort. I think they are called parties.Is it not ironic that so many riders use the excuse of an aching body for not riding and yet riding started the ache in the first place? How about the possibility that riding is what keeps your spine aligned and actually helps injuries heal? Isn’t it ironic that the public consensus is to preserve and protect the environment from dirtbikes and dirty motorcycles, yet millions of acres of forest and land get demolished for raw materials and excessive development, all to produce more pollutants and products including motorcycles?Consider that no matter what bike you try so hard to acquire and finally get, it never ends up being the last one you need to have. Why is that?Why is it that after years of fine-tuning, you finally get your bike perfect just before taking delivery of the new one in your garage?Isn’t it ironic that no matter the weather, it is always different while riding your bike?Irony is cleaning your bike all day only to see it splattered by your buddy in the first few minutes of your ride. What’s important to you?It’s ironic that the same riders who complain about losing the kickstart option on dirtbikes are the same riders who now can’t live without their electric start since it has been proven reliable.Ironic is the mild-mannered friend who turns into an out-of-control throttle-pinning maniac once he’s in the saddle of his dirtbike.It’s ironic that some riders of seemingly antique dirtbikes still manage to keep up with the pack and even impress those with the latest machinery. That dude is usually the same guy wearing coveralls and gardening gloves and who ends up happily pulling you up a failed hillclimb attempt. Be humble. You never know.  
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