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Tall and lanky, is the V Strom 1000 for me?

9K views 21 replies 17 participants last post by  Mercenary 
#1 ·
I have been riding for about 6 months (3k miles) on a Kawi Vulcan 800, and am looking to upgrade. I am a lanky 6 foot 4 and am wondering a few things about V Stroms:
a. Will I comfortably fit? I have sat on them and not sure without riding.

b. I commute and also would like to be able to go on longer trips. Is the V Strom 1000 compatible?

c. Do V Strom 1000 have center stands? My Vulcan has been a pain to work on without one.

d. Are they easy to outfit for touring?

Thanks, I appreciate any input
 
#2 ·
I have a DL650, not the 100, I can answer part of your questions

a. Will I comfortably fit? I have sat on them and not sure without riding.

I'm about 5'9". You won't have an problems flat footing it. You might need to get some bar risers to make it more comfortable. Depends on what you are used to.

b. I commute and also would like to be able to go on longer trips. Is the V Strom 1000 compatible?

I commute daily on mine year round. They'll do long trips w/ ease. Last month I did KY to TN. Only got to ride one day while there (family vacation). My one day was TN-NC-GA-NC-TN. For the 3 days riding (1 down, 1 there, 1 back) it was about 1400 miles. My only complaint was that I didn't get to ride more while I was there.

c. Do V Strom 1000 have center stands? My Vulcan has been a pain to work on without one.

Suzuki has a center stand as an option; it's what I have on mine. No problems w/ it. There are also a couple of aftermarket ones... I believe that vstroma.com and sw-motech both have them. May be others as well.

d. Are they easy to outfit for touring?

The difficult part is choosing what luggage you want; there are lots of options. I wanted hard cases, so went w/ cariboucases. There are Suzuki bags, caribou, givi, touratech, jesse,etc, etc.

You can also get soft bags; even more options. I use a medium Motofizz camping seat bag that I got from Aerostich for my tailbag; it's a bit fiddly w/ all the adjustments, but holds lots of stuff.

Wolfman makes some nice tankbags that fit the vstrom very well. Not cheap, but well made and hold alot of stuff.
 
#3 ·
I'm 2" taller than you, have a 1" taller gel seat on mine and a set of handlebar risers, I commute everyday through Louisville KY, does great over the nice smooth roads (LOL). I'm outfitted to tour, or take the bags off and do whatever. As stated, centerstand is optional, but work a deal with the dealer when you buy it, I got mine pretty cheap! Much.much more comfy than my Kaw Nomad, and a whole lot better milage/performance, not to mention it's 300 lbs lighter! Cheers--BB
 
#4 ·
I have the 650, am 6'4" and (currently) 250lbs. Your questions sound like the design sheet for the Strom. I have found few other models on the showroom floor that have the room of the Strom - and they were expensive with brand names beginning with "B" and ending with "W". And even on the 650, I just did a 1000 mile weekend, and several here have completely colored in the CONUS maps on the Wee. If you want a 1k, you should be fine after dropping some coin on a seat, luggage, and other doodads.
 
#5 ·
I'm 6'5" and ride a DL1000. The "fit" is one of the reasons I purchased it.

I don't commute but took a trip in N. GA, Tenn. and N.C. last weekend over 800 miles. I do weekend trips like this and day trips into the mountains and love my Strom.
 
#6 ·
Tall and Lanky too

I'm 6'6" ish and lightweight and the size is great. Get a set of bar risers, they go on easy and will benefit you greatly. I have a big inseam and haven't messed with the pegs yet, so legs get a little stiff after a long time in the saddle. As everyone stated above, you can go long distance touring or commute with ease.

I purchased my 650 because it was the only bike I could sit on for more than half an hour and be comfortable.
 
#8 ·
There's tonnes of aftermarket support for this bike and lots of advice available on this forum.

Consider mounting crash bars (the Pat Walsh setup works well for this) that you can add footpegs to. Then you can really stretch out on the road.
 
#10 ·
I'm 6'4" tall, and about 235 nekid as I was born (I know, too much information). I have a 650. It is a great bike for someone your size. I have the 1000 seat on mine, which is a little taller and better profiled for my particular @rse. This bike can do anything you want it to do, including keeping up with sportier bikes (as I found this weekend), touring coast to coast, and it really excels at commuting. I have a cheapie top box on mine, a madstad bracket and givi shield, and it is by far the best commuter I've ever owned (including my ST1100!). The 650 has plenty of power, especially if you're coming off a cruiser. I have mine geared up one tooth in the front, which makes it a great bike on the highway too. The 1000 has a lot of grunt, if you're looking to really haul. If I had it to do over again, I would get a 650 with ABS. You won't find a better all-arounder... truly a great bike.
 
#11 ·
6'7" 220. It's one big reason I bought the V. It's fits better then almost all other bikes. It does all things really good for what ever kind of riding you do. Very up-gradable, as you can see the list of farkles I've added and many other members have.
 
#12 ·
short legs

I'm 5'11" but got shortchanged in the leg department. With only 29" stubs I'm envious of anyone who can flat foot a VStrom. My Sargent seat is a big improvement to get my feet on the ground so I ditched my extra thick soled boots for a good pair of Sidi On Roads.
 
G
#14 ·
I'm 5'11" but got shortchanged in the leg department. With only 29" stubs I'm envious of anyone who can flat foot a VStrom.
lol.... 6'5" and also stubby-legged at 32" inseam (altho 34" works for riding/ boots). I'm probably one of the heaviest guys on a Strom at 300#.

No trouble flat-footing; added tall touring saddle to get more seat-to-peg distance; added bar risers to reduce the amount of lean/ hunching over.

A tall person looking for a bike that fits has limited choices. If you want to eliminate cruisers, that brings it right down to the Strom, KLR, and BMW 1200GS, IMO. You still might want to add risers, raising links, or taller seats to any of these.
The KLR is pretty primitive and under-powered (I put 5000mi on one, so I'm not bashing it, just sayin').
The Bimmer is over-priced, and therefor over-rated, IMO. If money were no object, I'd probably have one.

The Strom is kind of like the "only" choice, then, but happily it's a good one: available in 650 or 1000, and the 650 with ABS even... It's got a good dealer network and after-market support. It's reliable and reasonably cheap to buy and maintain. It's fun to ride and can commute, tour, and even do light-duty offroading. You can get a 650 and maximize economy, or get a 1000 and maximize performance. What's not to like?
 
#15 ·
Age

Getting to the point where I have a considerable collection of achy joints (6'4", 240 lb) and the 1000 is probably the most comfortable bike available (with the possible exception of some of the full-tilt touring elephants). Handlebar reach is about right for me (36" sleeves) and seating position very good. Many of the tall folks on the 650 get a 1000 or custom seat to get a little more height. Some folks go on a perpetual quest for the perfect windshield, some just settle for what's OK. Since the bikes changed little over the years, and folks seem to like changing things, you can get almost anything you want. I have brothers and cousins that ride, some of whom seem to change bikes annually, if not more often, and I get a chance to ride quite a number of bikes. So far I'm always glad to get back on my Vee. Great thing is, there's a seemingly healthy demand for good used bikes, so, at worst, you can sell the bike with little loss if it turns out that it's not for you.
 
#16 ·
I have an 03 DL1000. Best ride and most fun of any bike I ever owned. Get the Cee Bailey extra tall windshield. At 6' 1" I had to cut off 2" of the top to be able to see over it but with that I have a great turbulent free ride. Installed Happy Trails SU mounting racks and generic aluminum panniers. Perfect for long trips and camping. This bike is going to Alaska June of 2010 with me on it. My friend will be riding a BMW R1200 GSA. I got in the show a lot cheaper than he and expect I will have fewer and maybe no mechanical problems on this trip. I think it is bulletproof.
 
#17 ·
I would also like to add that you have found the right place, right here on this forum to get some great technical help if ever needed. I bought my 2003 DL1000 without doing very much research. It had a vibration at 3000 RPM and had lean running issues. After researching right here on this forum I quickly found the fix for both problems. Replaced the clutch basket as advised for the vibration and added a Techlusion TFI unit to adjust the Fuel injection. The bike is perfect now. You can stay away from these problems by purchasing a later model bike, around 2005 and up. Also the windshield is different on 2004 and later, much easier to install adjustable windshields. You will be happy if you choose the V-strom but don't overlook the 650. It has almost as much power and is about 40 pounds lighter. Both are rock solid bikes.
 
#18 ·
DL is great for tall guys

I'm 6-2, 180 lbs, 34 inseam. I sold my ST1300 because I just couldn't get comfortable on it. I tried the GS and really wanted one, but was scared off by their recent reliability issues. Then tried the V and found it very good: narrow engine (no cylinders to bump into), reasonable price, loads of accessories, and an upright riding stance. Bought it and have since added 1-inch risers, Givi tall screen, and madstad brackets. It's a great bike. Wind protection is a bit less than the ST but then if I wanted complete isolation I'd have stayed with a car.

PH
 
#21 ·
Both are about the same, frame wise and tires. The VEE has a taller seat on it stock and a little better front/rear spring set-up.The WEE is available with ABS. If you intend to do a LOT of two-up ridding the bigger bike is a little better, but otherwise neither are bad choices. Cheers-BB
 
#20 ·
I am 6'3" 215 and ride my K7 Wee/ABS everwhere. It is the most comfortable motorcycle I have ever owned for riding position. The visiblility in town is great, like sitting high in an SUV without the cage. It cruises great on the highway, and I have averaged about 50 mpg US combined driving.
The one thing I added that made the ride better was the Madstad windshield bracket. I will never look back on this purchase...IMHO, it's likley the best all round value motorcycle on the market today.
 
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