We have both. The 1000 is a terrible starter bike for someone in your situation. Taller and heavier. When the going gets twisty a good 650 rider can stay right up with a 1000 rider. These bikes are limited by their tall design and will only corner to a limited amount compared to a sport bike. My wife rides at near red line on the 650 and stays with me as fast as I care to go in any situation. My only advantage on the 1000 is speed exiting the corners. Otherwise she's right there.

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2008 DL650ABS, 2006 DL1000
It takes absolutely no talent to ride fast in a straight line. Motorcycling enjoyment has nothing to do with high speed. It has everything to do with high adrenaline.

Riding a fast bike at near legal speeds is boring. Riding a Strom at those same speeds is an adrenaline rush.

 

Ignore any and all advice from anybody who rides a cruiser. They are completely different animals and almost nothing applicable to a V-Star/Shadow/Harley/chopper is applicable to riding a V-Strom. Cruiser riders are about the only ones you'll find who would never buy any other type of bike. Their mindset is such that motorcycling is just as much (or more) about the chrome and noise as it is about actually riding. You'd be amazed at how low are the miles ridden on many 3-4 year old cruisers. Cruisers have a lower power to weight ratio, lower center of gravity, larger turning radius and are just not designed for the same kind of riding as a Strom. A 650 V-Strom will blow the wheels off a 650 V-Star without even breaking a sweat. Think tractor versus sports car.

Again, regardless of your physical condition, experience as a passenger on motorcycles, your own driving of a quad, or your experience on dirt bikes, the DL1000 would be a terrible choice for a first street bike. Besides, since you can get a DL650 for nothing, buying a 1000 would just be silly. Since you sound like a bit of a speed junkie, you'll probably be itching for something sportier than a V-Strom with a year or two anyway. There's really just no way to know what type of motorcycle and riding are right for you until you've logged some time and miles in the saddle.

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I don't know...I just can't see where a sport bike would be near as comfortable to ride in a 3 or 4 day ride with the riding position. I think the more upright position will be more comfortable to me in a long haul.

There is no doubt the "Standard" Riding position of the V-Strom makes it a great bike to put miles on, and for me I can't see ever geting another kind of bike.

Don't think about it anymore... just get the Strom and go riding! If it isn't for you, sell it and move on.

..Tom

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Road Toads Charter Member - 2006 V-Strom DL650
2nd Annual Ontario Strom Gathering!



Why Cars don't see bikes (SMIDSY)
SMIDSY detailed report

I have only had my 1000 for about 2 years, it is also the only bike I have ever owned. Bought it new as a noobie. Only other bike I had ever driven (putted around) was a friends busa, and that was less than a mile.

The biggest selling factor for me was the riding position. At 6'4 230 I couldn't really fit comfortably on the smaller sport bikes at the dealership, and couldn't get my feet/legs in a comfortable position.
I was considering getting a busa, but got a killer deal on the last 07 V-strom 1000 they had (they were trying to clear them out for 0.

I took some riding courses (which help a lot if you have not ridden before) and putted around the neighborhood to learn to ride it.
It is a heavy bike, the one time I have laid it down it took a good bit of grunt for me to stand it up (and $1300 in parts to fix it). I was tore up a little but I was able to ride the bike back to the house.

I would say get the 1000, but I am a go fast guy. I like speed, and at $12 a tankfull, it's not too expensive on a Vee

Plus I can ride 2 up (with my wife) and still get about 35-37 or so MPG.

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07 DL1000 Metallic Blue on black, 6 spd, Dual Yoshi RS3 cans, K&N, TPX fuzz buster, Mo-tech center stand, Garmin Nuvi, Sargent Stealth Backrest, Power Commander III USB, MS Frame sliders
97 Ram 1500 SLT Laramie in Dupont Frost White Pearl - Toy / Tow rig - built 5.2 - 46RE
06 Hemi Durango 4x4 Limited in Atlantic Blue Pearl - Wife's grocery rocket - a few mods
2010 Challenger R/T in Brilliant Black - 6 spd w/ Trak Pack, Airaid CAI, Mopar performance exhaust, functional ram air hood. quick.

Ok, here's the deal. I am a big guy and I have been following you guys around on the Vcurious thread and well as other forums for quite a while. One of the points that continues to surface is the fact that the Wee is a more versatile ride but suffers in weather/winds. My question is this: Does the Vee carry that much of a handicap because if the additional weight that it doesn't compete in the "all-around" category against it's little brother, the Wee? At 6'2" and 200lbs. I am not little and have been riding for a long time. I ride more aggressively than the other people I ride with but I don't consider myself advanced in any case. I would say I am seasoned. I am currently mounted on a GoldWing which I like a lot and my wife is in love with for the comfort, but I would like to have something lighter and more sporty for those times when I want to just get a little more adventurous. I don't think I will be going off road, but I would like to be able to handle gravel if the opportunity presents itself. My friends like to warn me that I am not on a dirt bike but I like to push my wing into the turns and throw it around as much as possible.

Can the Vee compare to the Wee in versatility and handle bad weather while maintaining the flickability despite it's larger size/weight. I would like to avoid the "ride your own ride according to your ability" comments because I understand those points. Specifically, would a more experienced rider on the bigger bike still be able to go the same places or would you still choose the Wee because of it's flexibility? Reminder: this would primary be a solo-mounted ride because I would be using my Wee/Vee when my wife would not be with me.

(Now that questions seems clear as mud.)

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"The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the road has gone and I must follow if I can." J.R.R. Tolkien

I'm 6'2" and 245 lbs and have 93,000 km on my 06 DL650.

I think that for the most part, complaints of the DL650 in the wind are due to riders that are fairly new or haven't had a chance to setup the bike. You will hear the same complaints from the DL1000 riders if you read enough (Mortaine's complaints come to mind.)

As far as the difference in tossing the bikes around, the DL650 feels more nimble, but any good rider can overcome the difference with a bit more active technique. It probably could be said that the DL650 is easier to ride fast in the twisties. The DL1000 has more power reserves and so can exit a corner faster. Few DL1000 riders can leave the DL650 behind in a twisty section of road, but the truth is that few riders can make full use of either bike's capabilities with respect to handling.

..Tom

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Road Toads Charter Member - 2006 V-Strom DL650
2nd Annual Ontario Strom Gathering!



Why Cars don't see bikes (SMIDSY)
SMIDSY detailed report

Bill the whole "the Wee is more versatile" argument is generally made by Wee owners when they want to defend their choice to buy the smaller bike. The answer to your question is no, there really isn't enough of a difference in maneuverability, flexibility, flickability, or any ability, on road or off road, to make the Vee unfit for anything a Wee can do. After 30 years of riding bikes of every make, model, style, fashion and configuration imaginable, on road, on dirt, on race tracks, etc... I can say with confidence that very few riders on a Wee could go anywhere that an experienced rider on a Vee could not follow. As for twisties, the only real difference is that the Vee will leave the corners faster, show better manners due to its superior suspension, and outrun the Wee on the straights. I also fail to see all the low-speed, in-town maneuverability issues that Wee riders seem to think hamper the Vee so badly. I think that an inexperienced rider may have more trouble at low speeds simply because the Vee requires better throttle control than the Wee. The Wee is more forgiving of imperfect throttle/clutch technique. The Vee has more abrupt power output and requires more finesse to ride it smoothly.

The above is entirely the OPINION of the author and is not intended in any way as a slight toward riders who own a DL650. However, if you do feel the above opinion insults, slights, demeans, derides or otherwise casts aspersions on you, your riding ability or your motorcycle, dry your tears on your little pink hankie, pull your thumb out of your mouth, put on your big girl panties and get over it!

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I think that's pretty close to the way I see things. We own both a Wee and a Vee, so I get to actually ride both of them regularly. The Vee satisfies my aggressive side. It's a grit your teeth and throw it into the twisties kind of bike and it's very rewarding at that. The Wee is also very good in the twisties, but just doesn't respond as well to an aggressive roll on of the throttle.

I have never found one bike to be better than the the other in the twisties. But they do ride differently without a doubt. The Wee is fun because it is light and quick. The Vee is fun because it has brute force that a competent rider can make use of and it's a blast. Both bikes are a lot of fun in the twisties.

Because I'm aggressive I could never be satisfied with owning just the Wee. It's an awesome "joy of motorcycling" bike and my wife absolutely loves it. She does an amazing job of keeping up with me in the twisties. She keeps it rev'd pretty high and is very quick. But when I ride I need to grit my teeth and wear an evil grin. Only the Vee can elicit that response from me.

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2008 DL650ABS, 2006 DL1000
It takes absolutely no talent to ride fast in a straight line. Motorcycling enjoyment has nothing to do with high speed. It has everything to do with high adrenaline.

Riding a fast bike at near legal speeds is boring. Riding a Strom at those same speeds is an adrenaline rush.

I knew you guys that ride 'em would know the real deal about the pair. I am leaning toward the Wee because I could share that ride with my wife and I believe that it would encourage her to fully graduate from the Yamaha Majesty that she is currently riding. She throws that scoot around a turn and makes me really admire her ability but I think she would really enjoy the shifting part of riding if she could learn it on a bike that is as much fun as y'all describe. I would be riding it solo and I would bet that after she gets the hang of it, that I wouldn't get much time on it at all. Then I would be forced to get my own Vee. In any case, you guys have verbalized what I was thinking: you can't go wrong in either case and both are good rides. I will be keeping the Wing for two up long distance traveling so I don't have to worry about that type of riding at all. Thanx for the advice.

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"The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the road has gone and I must follow if I can." J.R.R. Tolkien