The Best Touring Motorcycle?

Researching my upcoming motorcycle trip around the Adriatic Sea I came across the website of a company in Italy who favors the Suzuki VStrom 650 as the best motorcycle touring bike for Italy. In short, they summarize "Substance instead of appearance." Not that it's not a good-looking bike, it is, but it's not an Italian looking bike! :-) Here's their short review:

"It offers a very natural riding position and a comfortable seat for both passenger and rider. The adventure bike nature of this motorcycle translates in an incredible suspension and chassis set up. Whilst mostly favouring road handling, with flawless behaviour on smooth and grippy surfaces, this bike will glide over bumpy roads and tackle light gravel tracks with ease."

Still, I'm riding a Guzzi, because when in Rome...

Here's the complete review. I'd love to hear what you think is the best touring bike.

Comments

[Travis Truman]

For sport touring duty, I'd take the new Triumph Sprint ST over anything else. For adventure touring, I really like the BMW 650 GS, but the 1200GS would be a treat too.

[tedder]

Interesting. I'm pretty sure the VStrom 650 is made by Suzuki, since I own two of them! I've owned a BMW F650 in the past, it doesn't even come close to the DL650 for touring comfort.

[Carla]

Tedder - what makes the VStrom 650 so much more comfy than the BMW F650? I've heard nothing but rave reports on the BMW F650 and until I came across that Italian site don't ever remember seeing the Zuki mentioned. Is it seat cushion, height, center of gravity, handling, shocks, nimbleness, smooth at any rpm even with loading with touring gear? And how about it compared with the Kawi 650 KLR which is, for most, the dream machine for touring -- and how does the VStrom do on a little dirt? Would love to hear more of your comments!
Carla

[tedder]

I run a custom seat on the DL650, which helps. Mainly, it is a bigger bike, easier to set up for touring, with a GREAT windscreen. I ran an aftermarket on my F, and I run an aftermarket screen on my DL, too. The smoothness of the DL (SV) motor is great, handles two-up or tons of luggage just fine.

Doesn't even compare to the KLR for offroad worthiness, of course. The DL just wasn't built for that- it has less ground clearance, exposed bits (oil cooler, radiator, oil filter). But the DL is comfortable on fire roads, wide gravel, etc.

I've taken my DL on two saddlesore days (1000 miles in 24 hours), and just did 730 miles on Saturday. Plus I've taken it up on crazy dirt roads and trails, and it handled that, too. It's nice not to be restricted to pavement.

I know of a well-known fellow with a 12GS that wishes he had a DL650 instead. Sure, the 12GS does more, but it's also three times the price.

[Carla]

Well, that sounds pretty good to me and now I will have to go for a test ride! Mostly I ride on the road with a strong desire to head off on some dirt road that appears to lead to an irresistible place like a beach or a medieval village or cave paintings or off onto a road like the Lost Highway here in Northern California. Likely I wouldn't use a GS as it is meant to be used anyway. Thanks for your comments, and I wonder if there are any more votes for the VStrom out there?
Carla

[James - Whybike.com]

I have been pondering a V-Strom 650 and have come this close (picture my fingers being really close together) twice to buying one. But as a pure touring bike, no way. The V-Strom is a great all around bike, (with the exception of looks) good for commutting, touring, dirt roading and sport riding. It's versatility is what apeals to me. But if I had to pick a pure touring bike, I would go with more of a street bike, preferably a cruiser for comfort; how much dirt will you be riding? I rode around Mexico on a Vulcan 500LTD and was fine on the dirt rodes, which was less than 10% of our riding. I doubt Italy will have more dirt roads.

[Night_Wolf]

I have ridden the F650gs and I now own the DL650. The ONLY are the GS excels in IMO is the ABS braking system. The DL650 is a cpl thousand less and from what my friend has spent maintaining her F650gs, you can keep it. She has spent 4 times as much on maintenance /repairs as I have on two different Intruders with twice the mileage. The Wee Strom was just acquired, but Suzuki reliability isn't a concern with me.

Type @ Ya'll Later
Night_Wolf

http://www.intruderalert.ca

2005 DL650 Wee Strom

1996 VS1400 (keeper 80,000 miles)

MIG 2625

VSRI 1083

[Jay]

One thing to consider about the V-strom is that if you are short, it can be a little tricky in the hills. I am not sure about how this compares to the BMW F650, but being a short guy I have had a couple of instances where I was uncomfortable.

Jay
Motorcycle Loans

[Francesco]

I've had both GS650 and the DL650 and favour the DL by far.
The extra power +15hp and the smoothness of the engine give a big edge on road use. The off road capability is the same unless we're talking about the Paris-Dakar version of the GS650, and really only allows you to ride fire roads and easy gravel tracks. This, however, is done with so much ease, it feels as if you were still on tarmac. In Italy we have a few very scenic fire roads, which are worth doing, plus, the roads in the south lack in maintenance compared to the ones in the centre north, so the extra "off road" set up helps you cope with these conditions without any problem.
The V-Strom is also extremely good on tarmac. It leans no end and is able to stick with any bike through the twisties, giving always a solid road holding feel. A sports bike will get away from you in excellent road conditions, but encounter half grippy tarmac with some uneveness and you'll fly by any sports bike, leaving them sweating in their leathers not to fall off!
The DL is a great all-rounder. It does everything really well.
Always talking about Italy and what the roads are like here, you'll encounter many, many twisty sections. For comfort, cruisers and big tourers are deceptively comfortable, putting alot of strain on the rider because of their weight.
Ciao
Francesco
stromista

[geo]

I've had my 650DL for about 2 weeks. I can't say enough good things about it. I'm using it to get around in the DC metro area and have to deal with heavy traffic, horrible roads, but once and awhile I can get on a twisty parkway and just ride. It's a great bike. It's tall enough that I can see forever, better than in my Jeep. It handles all the 30 MPH potholes and torn up pavement with a smoothness I couldn't imagine on bike. There is great mid-range power so operating it as low as 3,000 to 3,500 RPM in all gears feels fine. A lot of people comment about the looks. Personally, I like the looks, at least in red. I can see where this bike would feel too tall for a rider with less than a 33 inch inseam. I can't wait to get this bike out into the wilds of West Virginia and see how it handles on mountain roads and gravel fire trails.

[Carla]

Sounds great! I'll bet it can be lowered. Hey, let me know how your exploration of mountain roads and gravel trails goes! Thanks!

[Andre The Giant]

I've owned a Dl650 for 13 months, in this time I've put close to 10000 miles. She has taken me on some short trips , single and 2up. Most of the mileage has been on my commute, I've done very little fire road ridding.
I'm 5'-4", I've lowered the bike by 1.5", and use a Corbin seat that places me lower than the stock one. I've been ridding daily since 1971 which includes some nice long rides, to the Artic Circle and Costa Rica. I've owned several motos.
The Dl650 is one of the better ones.
Descent gas mileage, 54 MPG.
Handles well at slow or fast speeds.
Descent wind protection.
Good low to midrange power.
Good weight distribution.

Enjoy

[marc]

The great 650dl can be lowered. I've loaded the fork 1,5 centimeters, put off the seat silentblocks and substituted the "rear shock-absorver"'s suporting bars for the suzuki SV's (which are 5mm longer so the v-strom gets 2cms lower). I am 168cm tall and now my v-strom 650 is no problem to my size.

Excuse me for my poor english.

bye!

[Dug]

I've been trying to figure out which bike to buy for over a year now. I began looking at a BMW 650GS, then got stoked on the Tigers, the realized that's not what I needed, hopped over to the VStrom 650, back to the GS, and was stuck on that forever....VERY recently I realized it's the KLR 650. What an amazing bike! I'm planning a 3-6 month trip from South America, to Alaska, and the KLR just seems to be the fit. Something about durability, simplicity and a style that hasn't changed much in 20 years says something. Not to mention the U.S. Army buys up gazillions of them. If anybody has any ideas on what special things I need to do to make my bike trip worthy, let me know...

Dug :)

[Quakeholio]

For someone that needs to look at a bike for touring that is under $2000 I would have to say that the CB900C makes a good start. I got mine for $700 so you can get them for cheap money. The bad part about it is that the newest CB900C was built in 1982. I've had it for some short rides and it does very well. You can get the CB900C with honda faring (taken from the goldwing) and bags, or you can get the vetter faring and bags.

Don't count out older bikes for touring, lots of them are built to go for a long time. The four cylinder goldwings can often do 100,000 before they need a rebuild.

[Ron]

I bought a new 2005 GL650. It provides the rider with great confidence and stability in a smooth as silk package. The 650 is all you need unless you are into drag-racing and long uphill touring with 500 Lbs on board.

[Umit Yayla]

I own a DL 650. This bike is great! I ride R 1200 GS, believe me 650 is a real competitor for 1200 GS.

[George Mitchell]

That Suzuki V Strom 650 that was two weeks old in April now has 4,000 miles on it. I've done a couple of long drives back and forth between DC and West Virginia. Yes, I finally got the bike back on some forest roads. It handles fine, but you sure don't go tearing around on it like you would a 125. You also wouldn't drive a 125 for 3 1/2 hours on the interstate going 70 to 80 then pull off-road for another 2 hours of backwoods cruising. From the standpoint of utility, I don't see how this bike can be beat.

[Perfect Storm]

My V-Strom DL650 is celebrating its first birthday. The odometer has crossed 7k miles. The tires show some wear, but appear to have a long way to go yet. Chain and sprockets show no significant signs of wear.

The bike:

* gets 42 to 46 MPG at 90 MPH
* easily goes 200 miles between fill ups
* accelerates with authority
* loves bad roads, bumps, potholes, ruts
* is surprisingly nimble, quick, and obedient
* is really forgiving
* has powerful brakes

My previous bike was a KLR 650. It would shake above 80 mph on the highway. It just had no balls above that speed anyway. The KLR had weak brakes and a flimsy feel. It was hard to trust it on bumpy or slick road conditions. The KLR was capable of running some dirt roads, but was too heavy to call a dirt bike.

The V-Strom is not a dirt bike either. It is good for level dirt or gravel roads. Maybe more with some modifications. On the street, the V-Strom DL650 kicks the KLR650's ass without mercy. The KLR cannot keep up with a DL650 on any paved road at any time at any speed.

My plan is to see how many miles the "Wee Strom" can endure. I do not own a car. I commute more than 60 miles per day, 7 days a week (work every day). That is about 21000 miles in a year. Then, I am preparing for a 7000 mile solo tour August 2006 when I take a well deserved, 3 week vacation.

Doing some math, I estimate 35,000 miles on the odometer when the bike is two years old. Can the V-Strom stand up to five years of me? Only time will tell.

HA, HA, HA (evil laughter)

Thank god for the V-strom!

[Konrad Kawalec]

Here in 'Blighty (Yorkshire, England) there aren't many DL 650s around. I saw the second in 7 months earlier this evening.

I have been riding for 6 years, and racked up 16K miles on my unfared SV650. What a laugh of a bike. In the search for touring comfort and practicality I bought the V-Strom on spec. Heated grips, hand guards, centre stand. I'm 5'8" but not always happy with the hight of the bike (much better when my other half is on the back) The sound is real disappointment. Seems to have a gearbox whine in 1st & 2nd.

Did Land's End to John 'O Groats (850miles) in 15 hours with a bunch of lads and lasses on Yamaha FJ1200 & FJR1300s. My Knees ached much more than on the SV, and my lumber was agony (never got this problem on the SV - although my wrists and neck needed remedial work).

Apart from that it's a great bike. Just under 6K on the clock, in 7 momths. I get 55 mpg. I've got an indicated 120mph but I think it's at least 5mph out (slower than indicated), The fuel guage is incredibly accurate - 50 miles per bar.

The SV650 was a nightmare on rough broken roads (normal round here) but the V-Strom in confidence inspiring. Been riding my Brother's Transalp 1990 (crap brakes) and no go, but a good screen, and BMW F650 -crap everything, except really low seat height.

These trail style bikes are just so much fun on twisties! The only thing that was more grin factor was a 1984 Yamaha 550 (pre XT Trail bike) 110mph down a Devon country lane leaving a Triumph Sprint, Suzuki bandit 600 and the transalp for dust (literally)

Happy riding

[Carla]

Hey, thanks everyone for your experiences and opinions!
Carla

[peter]

I am looking to travel around South America on a motorbike and need atleast one other companion. (I am reluctant to go alone)Is there a website that I can advertise for someone or a group to travel with?
Peter (from Australia)

[pood]

I am glad I found this thread. I've been trying to decide between the DL 650 and KLR 650. Having read all the amazing praise heaped on the DL I think it is the best choice for my needs (Boston's roads suck big time). Are there any points other than being more competent off road that make the KLR any better?

[Dan Woods]

I cannot believe there are people who actually state the Vstrom is a better machine than the KLR. I have owned both, and in my opinion the KLR is a much better machine. Granted, a stock VStrom will handle the street better - However (and this is a big one) - with 79 dollars worth of Progressive front fork springs and 49 dollars worth of Galfer front brake lines - the KLR will out-perform the VStrom on the dirt and on the street. It lasts longer and has better resale value as well. I put 49K on my first 1990 KLR, and 25K on my second 1998 KLR. My son ended up with my first one. I have never been stranded, and have ridden all types of terrain.

I don't know the measured Horse Power of either bike, and the Vstrom is probably a tad higher (hence the higher revs). It does not however have near the torque, and that's what gets ya movin and up the hill.

Plus the DR's false nuetrals, cheap plastic and self destructing head (mine ate itself at 16K), make the KLR a much better machine........

It's just my opinion... I could be wrong

[Kevin]

I bought a new '04 dl 1000 in March of '05 and have never looked back. Although my previous experience is somewhat limited (8000 miles on a 1982 Honda Nighthawk 750 in the 7 months leading up to the Vstrom purchase) I can't imagine a bike better suited to my wants. In the last eight months I have ridden 11k miles through the mountains of Colorado and South Dakota. I have traded rides with both of my brothers, one rides a Goldwing and the other a Vstar, I call them the Barge and Pig respectively. The Vstrom is great in the mountain twisties, superb on the in town commute, and extremely comfortable and even relaxing on long distance highway rides. My longest single day ride was right at 800 miles. I have the stock seat and windshield and do not see the need to upgrade either. I am 6' tall and 215lbs with a 32" inseam and the Vstrom fits me like a glove. The thing I love most about it is the heighth. I can see further over and through traffic than I can in or on any other vehicle I've driven. Of course the power and handling are awesome. I have been on several forest roads through the Rockies and the Vstrom handles great on dirt, gravel, sand, mud, rain slick pavement, and even some snow (not intentionaly). I put some soft bags on it, saddle, tail, and tank and can carry every thing I need for extended touring. I have ridden a lot of other bikes, not for any length of time, just traded with friends and family for short trips and I have checked out the BMW and the Tiger and I can say without a doubt, I would not tade this bike for anything. It matches my size and style like nothing else out there. Just my two cents, make your own call.

Kevin