FX 650 Vigor

[guest1405]

For some strange reason I am considering getting one of these but would like to see one in the flesh before buying.
The nearest one I can find for sale is 175 miles away and its a long way to go if I decide its not a bike I want.
Does anyone out there own one of these I see thats not too far away from North Cornwall/Devon. I dont need to ride it just sit on it to make sure I'm not too old and decrepit for one. Then I can start looking for one to buy. Thanks all.

[guest1247]

Hello Oldvelomam, Just read your post. I have an FX650 Vigor. It is a 2001 model, and when I bought it in 2012 it had only done 7500 miles.... now done 11400 miles. A few little mods have made it by far the bike of choice from my four. A whisker under 40 horses, but torque in abundance. Fairly decent range, but a reserve that astounds. I am a little short in leg length,  .... 29 inches, so as you can guess I was on my tip toes too often. This was addressed , making the bike like a "made to measure" garment. The rear shock was removed and the fork-end taken off the bottom. A new one was made, that was one inch shorter, ( with a little offset ), so as not to foul anywhere. With the back end lower, the front obviously did not want to tip into or out of bends and corners. So the front stanchions were lifted in the yokes, by the same one inch, and normal handling returned..... Being lower, the side-stand was fouling the tarmac whenever I wanted to kick it down. Obviously, yet another inch had to be removed here. Parts are no problem, and prices seem to be low. Go for it... You will wish you got one years ago...... If you want any more info..... Get in touch, we really should talk.   Regards, Tony.

[timbo]

Hi there,
I recently bought a Vigor. So far I'm well impressed. They have a nice low seat height compared to my 650 Dominator. Slightly less horsepower but smoother. The only downside I can see is that if the rear shock goes, as they are a mono-shock, you're looking at over £300 for a Hagan replacement. Mine is 1999 model with 15,000 miles on it. Apparently shocks give up at around 20k. The previous owner had to replace the rear wheel rim as it had rotted from the inside out, so have a good look at the wheel rims. Between the Dominator and the Vigor, there was the SLR 650, which might be worth considering too. It's very similar to the Vigor by all accounts, but with slightly different gearing I think. When the Vigor first came out, the press didn't give them a great write-up, but no surprise there as they weren't a plastic rocket or giant adventure bike  I find mine completely practical and great fun to ride, and I'm so glad I bought one. Unfortunately I'm in Northern Ireland so can't offer you a test run! Good luck with your potential purchase.

[Mark]

Hi there,
I recently bought a Vigor. So far I'm well impressed. They have a nice low seat height compared to my 650 Dominator. Slightly less horsepower but smoother. The only downside I can see is that if the rear shock goes, as they are a mono-shock, you're looking at over £300 for a Hagan replacement. Mine is 1999 model with 15,000 miles on it. Apparently shocks give up at around 20k. The previous owner had to replace the rear wheel rim as it had rotted from the inside out, so have a good look at the wheel rims. Between the Dominator and the Vigor, there was the SLR 650, which might be worth considering too. It's very similar to the Vigor by all accounts, but with slightly different gearing I think. When the Vigor first came out, the press didn't give them a great write-up, but no surprise there as they weren't a plastic rocket or giant adventure bike  I find mine completely practical and great fun to ride, and I'm so glad I bought one. Unfortunately I'm in Northern Ireland so can't offer you a test run! Good luck with your potential purchase.

And because only the missus can start the Enfield she's got it. 

[timbo]

Well there is that too. Hope your arm is still sore.

[guest1882]

Looking at the MCN Review for the Vigor, I would say that you should also consider a BMW F650. Its slightly heavier but more power and torque and a lower seat height. There were a lot more of them sold here in the UK than the Vigor so there are more available. A 1998-9 F650 will set you back about £1650 with under 20k miles on the clock and in fairly good nick. The F650 has a good reputation for reliability and spares are not an issue either. I could go on and on and on, but then I'm biased!

[timbo]

I agree that the BMW is also a good choice, but you can pick up a Vigor or SLR for about half the price. 

[guest1188]

Speaking as no expert, but merely as an occasional lurker on these pages, I have owned an F650 and I now have an FX650 Vigor. The BMW is probably better built and cost more, but I don't like the design of the water pump, which could fail without much warning, I reckon. The air-cooled FX is simpler (and a good deal rougher), but the RFVC engine has been used in many bikes and is allegedly very reliable. As a bike for long-range touring on a budget I reckon it's OK, and easier than a BMW to fix without fancy tools. I've gone down 2 teeth on the rear sprocket and up one on the front sprocket, which means it will cruise around 70+ easily enough. I may have slightly over-done that, so I might go back to the original front sprocket. The gearbox has a big jump in the spacing of the ratios, which I find puzzling. And yes, wheel corrosion is a problem on mine. Also the seat, which isn't comfortable for me, and is now undergoing surgery. And the fuel tank could be bigger - I've found a Dommie tank which ought to fit.

I'm getting quite fond of this old dog, which just keeps plonking along. It has a lot of torque around 3000-5000 rpm, but the power band is quite narrow and I don't like to rev it too much, because it sounds like a sack of tin cans, and I want it to last as long as possible.
Martin