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Need help to make up my mind

2K views 13 replies 10 participants last post by  PTRider 
#1 ·
I'm new around here and been looking at the posts trying to make up my mind to get a DL650 or a BMW F800R. I'm definitely leaning to the Suzuki from what all the good stuff you all and other say about this bike.

I've been doing long distance touring on BMWs for about 35 years with my wife. I've liked the brand but lately not so much with the problem with my 1996 R11RT needing spline lub ($850) and surging issues that BMW never would admit to. I had one sales guy tell me that this is a high quality bike and required high quality maintenance hence high price of spline lub. That just turned me off to buy another Beemer. Rant is over..

So, wife doesn't want to sit on the back of my bike any more, I'm 60 and don't bend like I use to and I want something more manageable than my big Beemer. From what I read this DL650 looks like the ticket. Little bit lighter, probably easier to paddle around gas stations and I can go down all the dirt road that scared me on the BMW.

I'm still looking for something for myself for trips involving lots of interstate and state roads to get to the good riding spots (CO and NC mostly). I'm in Illinois and we only have 4 curvy roads so have to travel a bit for fun roads.

So give me some pep talk so if and when any of the dealers around here get a standard DL I'll be running to get it.

Accessories already thoughts about are. Givi bags (not sure which), center stand, knuckle guards, heated grips, probably different windshield with the add on so I can adjust the angle and height, and the list goes on and on.

Thanks, Mike
 
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#2 ·
Sounds like you are talking yourself into buying a Glee or Wee. I bought mine three seasons ago, and am still in love. I did check out the BMW's, but they did not seem as comfortable to me. And, when you add in the extra cost and cost of maintenance, the decision was easy for me.

The riding position, great gas milage, ease of operating, and simple maintenance ( certainly cheaper than the beemer). I have had a number of BMW cars, and they were great though maintenance was expensive.

I have yet to get off of my Wee without a smile on my face. I have a lot of confidence on the road with my Wee, and it has had zero issues for the first 20k miles.It is also comforting to know that even a newbie can do a significant amount of maintenance- it' really convenient and saves $$.

With the right farkles, you can make the DL650 your own. And where else but this site will you find such a diverse group of motorcyclists.

Good luck on your quest.


+1000 for my Wee.:thumbup:
 
#3 ·
I doubt you'll find anyone here who will try to talk you out of a Strom... we all have confirmation bias.

Both bikes need maintenance; both bikes can break down and strand you. The BMW costs more, and will cost more to maintain and fix - even if you do it yourself. It's a great bike with a passionate following.

The Strom is a solid bike built to its price point. It's cheaper to buy and maintain and probably depreciates faster. It has a lot of features for what you pay. It's also a great bike with a passionate following.
 
#5 ·
Just to clarify the spline lub is not a maintenance item like the BM salesman wanted me to believe. It's just BMW again making a mistake and not properly lubricating the engine output shaft and the owner is stuck paying for it. The sales guy said it wasn't a safety thing so no recall.

Don't misunderstand I love BMWs or I wouldn't have rode them for 35 years. I had various Japanese bike ( 7 or 8) and never liked them. I just thinking it's stupid to be loyal to a brand that just isn't what I want. I liked Beemers when they were simple and easy to maintain and ran without problems for a long time. The Wee will fill that bill better I'm thinkin.
 
#7 ·
I just read a comparison test in the April 2013 issue of Cycle World magazine. It included the KLR650, and says the wet weight of the KLR is 474 lbs! That means a KLR650 now weighs as much as a V-Strom 650! That was a real eye-opener.

So... tell me... why would anyone get a KLR650? Is it so they can have a bike with half the power of a V-Strom that weighs the same and gets the same gas mileage? Maybe they prefer the wonderful cold-starting issues of having a carburetor instead of fuel injection? Really; what is it? Ignorance of the specs? Memories of when the KLR weighed much less (2007 or older)?
So....tell me....what's that got to do with this thread?
 
#8 ·
Fountain of youth?

Maybe that is what the DL-650 is.

It worked that way with me. I bought my new 2006 DL-650 when I was only 64.

On my first long trip, I wondered if I could surpass my one-day record,
set in 1965, when I rode a CB-77 across Tennessee, logging 444 miles.

So I set out from Toronto Ontario, heading for Vancouver, expecting to take eight days.
I took my time packing and loading, so I departed at noon. I enjoyed my ride immensely,
and reached Michigan, then crossed most of Michigan, and saw 444 miles as I neared the
Indiana border. I managed 564 miles, and tented in a rest area on I-80.

In the next five days, I managed 564, 567, 569, 495, and 490 miles.
I did not struggle to make any particular target, and mainly I stopped
when I was tired and had a reasonable opportunity to put up my tent.

My return trip took five days, most of them over 600 miles.

But the bike is indeed the fountain of youth. I have ridden it 72000 miles
in 72 months. For one reason and another, the succeeding 12 months have
seen me add only 4000 miles to that total, but I have ridden other bikes too.
My longest one-day ride in 2012 was 663 miles, one-third with a friend, and
then all alone.

My longest one-day ride is about 956 miles, mostly on I-20 crossing Texas.

The maps below show only where my DL-650 has taken me.
I have carried it on a trailer from Sarasota FL to Toronto ON & back 5 times.
I have ridden the same route twice, in April-May 2009 & April-May 2011.

Did I buy the right bike? I reckon so, and I hope to buy another,
but my 7-year-old bike works like new, and I won't replace it soon.
 
#9 ·
True that there "may" be some bias here, there is also a notable amount of objectivity.

So here is my attempt at such as an original owner of a 2009 DL 650 with not quite 23,000 miles, many mods from seat, suspension, exhaust and lots of small farkles. I don't keep track but probably about $10500-11,000 total including purchase, not counting wear and maintenance. It is and has been a great bike and I have enjoyed the process of making it MINE. I enjoy its reliability, performance and relative economy.

The 800R is also a great bike that I believe will be comparable in many respects. I does have a bit more power, especially on the torque low side which I wish I could add to my Wee. Chain drive is comparable. fuel mileage will probably be 10% better with 800R with same riding. Total weight is 50# less or so and feels much lighter with lower CofG. Lower seat standard on BMW could be a benefit. Interstate riding is similar (both bikes have riders finding solutions to buffetting with windshields, mirrors, helmets). Both bikes are great in the twisties. Where the Vstrom seems to fall into a bend while the 800R seems to require a slight initiation into a turn but will ride through with ease.

Ownership costs for the first 50K will likely be close with good maintenance.

So with all that said, you really need to ride both to determine what will suit you best, factoring in the farkles you know you will want/require. If it is just that you are ready for a change I am certain you will be pleased with the DL650.

Regardless, have fun, be safe!!!
 
#11 ·
When I bought my 2004 used I rode the BMW Triumph tiger800 and the 650 Strom
My thoughts?
BMW is more dirt orientated and would be hard to ride on long road trips.
Triumph is better on the street and long rides.
650 Strom As good as the Triumph and cost of a good used strom is one third of the others, more parts for the strom and easer to get.
I'm hard on a bike I need parts and don't want to spend all my cash fixing it.
 
#14 ·
Mike, consider the strom to be an any-road bike, a road bike with an additional inch of suspension travel. All of us here like the Stroms a lot, but no one will say that it is THE bike for everyone. The F800R is an interesting mid-weight standard bike. Have you seen these reviews?
2011 2-3-4 Middleweight Street Bike Comparison Conclusion - Motorcycle USA
2012 BMW F800R Comparison - Motorcycle USA

You need to try both bikes and see which one puts the biggest smile on your face. (I bought my current strom from a guy with a new Triumph Tiger 800. I sat on his Tiger, and it wasn't right for me. Me buying his strom made two of us happy.)

The Stroms are budget bikes...extremely reliable but short on some amenities. Consider a ride to Baldwin Saddles for a custom seat or any of the mail order semi-custom or aftermarket seats (my choice is Rich's, either ride-in or mail order.)
 
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