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Time for a change

1K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  PTRider 
#1 ·
HI folks,

I am 64 years old and I am thinking I need to change from my R1200CL. There are some slow speed handling issue, especially two up that are hard to control.

I am looking at one of the Vstroms. I have a few questions. I do a lot of 2 up riding. Mostly short trips but would like to take longer trips. How do these bikes do two up? How is the slow speed stability?

At highway speeds how is the head buffeting. I had a Kawi 900 and it beat me to death above about 60 mph. I am not a crazy speed demon but want to be able to run interstate speeds.

How to the ABS brakes work. My BMW is linked and it makes it a bit tricky stopping two up. It seems the brakes want to grab a bit about the time I want to stop.

How about fuel economy? Thanks Bob
 
#2 ·
hard to answer

If we lived close I'd suggest that we trade for a weekend. I ride a lot 2-up on a 2007 DL1000. I've put over 176,000 km on my bike and of that my wife was with me for about 30,000 km

Find your way to Kingston Ontario next summer and let's test them.
 
#3 ·
All kinds of info if you search the forum. The abs is awesome IMO. They are a great two up bike I don't notice a passenger. Only one drawback; they are tall. So if you aren't that might make a difference when stopped on uneven pavement and whatnot. Plenty of power for me though. Not super fast but enough.
 
#4 ·
We ride v strom 650 and love it. the 650 motor has plenty of go two up together we way 360LBS plus luggage. we have done short trips and long ones! my only word of warning is if you cant touch the ground the bike will feel heavy when your at a stop... I am 5'11" with a 34" inseam. I can touch just fine and the bike is very light feeling when im at a stop light.. however I have a friend that rode my bike and when he is at a stop light he has to lean it over more to touch and the weight really starts to stack up he said.
 
#5 ·
Bob, which V-Strom? The 650 is a fine bike, works great for 2-up, is a fine 650, but, it's a 650. The '14+ 1000 is a better bike in every regard except price tag and gas mileage. Slow speed handling is easy. Suzuki puts on poorly designed windscreens. Most of us use an aftermarket windscreen. The Givi Airflow is the pick 'o the litter. Brakes are not linked. ABS is very good. It was an option on '07 to '11 650s, standard (and improved) on '12+ 650s, and standard on '14+ 1000s. Fuel economy, of course depends on speed and riding style, but mid 50s on the 650 and high 40s on the 1000 is a good guess.
 
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