I liked the BMW XCountry (pronounced ‘cross-country’, not ‘ex-country’) even before I rode it. Its appearance reminded me of Yamaha’s original DT-1, although the only real memory I have of the little white single was flipping off the pillion seat onto my backside when one of my colleagues hit the throttle too hard off the lights. He claimed he wasn’t used to two-strokes.

The XCountry is slim and light, has a relatively low and narrow seat which can be lowered by a further 30 mm and a riding position that’s relaxed and in-control. The seat stays comfortable, an important consideration: despite the small 9.5 liter fuel tank, the bike’s frugal fuel usage of 3.6 liters per 100 km means that it will still go well over 250 km between top-ups.

Acceleration is smooth and effortless, handling is much the same and cornering is quite delightful. With 240 mm of travel at the front and 210 mm at the rear, the XCountry did not get the long suspension travel of its stable-mates the XChallenge and the XMoto, but there is no problem with ground clearance. The front brake takes a bit of effort, it’s true, not at all typically for this bike which is so effortless in every other way. ABS was optional, and you can switch it off for the dirt.

Full article:

https://www.advrider.com/i-used-to-have-one-of-those-the-g650-xcountry-experience/