which one is better in reliablity, consumption, parts , running costs.
what I heard is honda gets more points…i want to use it for touring and maybe courier work
I rode a f650 off road and wow is all i can say - absolutely loved the bike…
plus the benefits are that you can have a larger tank put on the dakar, its quite comfy and you get the bmw service.
I have a honda, my o/h has a bmw and i can see the difference in service… Not knocking honda at all, as the service i got from honda uk was great but cannot compare to the service he got from the bmw guys!!
Check out www.ukgser.com and www.horizonsunlimited.com for help and advise on these machines and the touring capabilities.
You will also find www.Touratech.co.uk useful for the enhancements you can do to the F650 - these have been round the world - as AJ mentions you can fit a longer range tank on he F650 - DO NOT GO FOR THE CS version its the belt drive one!!
Good luck with your choice - I have the R1200GS Adventure - the best bike I have ever ridden
The 650 is bloody brilliant - I’ve only test ridden it though must admit - the transalp has a fantastic reputation and because it’s a bit older there’s a few more add on parts.
I think it comes down to personal choice though - check out the conversations over on HUBB though
As Python says - these guys are the real experts when it comes to these kinds of bikes…
I love the BMW 1200 too, really great fun, I just couldn’t get comfortable on it with my dumpy legs - so looks like I’m going for the stunning Aprilia ETV 1000.
I’m doing quite a bit of research into this for our trip at the moment, and a surprise alternative that several people are suggesting is the DL650 V-strom (or Wee-Strom 
). Low mileage used prices are more expensive than the Honda (probably because they haven’t been around for that long), but they are way cheaper than the BMW and are proving to be more relaible too. If you go for the BMW, peope say that the post '04 models are the ones to go for.
What are you going to use it for? Mostly road with a bit of dirt, or a lot of dirt with a bit of tar? Will you be doing lots of altitude changes like us (the Himalayas)? How tall are you (some are easier to lower than others)?