i just bought a 2016 gs for the same price as i bought my 2016 dl650 new, gs has 35k miles, as new condition, is the better bike in my opinion, don't ever go to dealers, i learned that in the 70's,,, the shaft is a no brainer for me, my 1982 yamaha had a shaft, only the krl and v strom have chains, easy maintenance, don't do anything and change the sprokets and chain as a set,

 

Pete, you feel the BMW is a better bike... what makes you feel like that? So you do all the maintenance on the 2016 GS? Do you read threads on ADV rider? There are a few threads that they talk about how the rear brake needs to be flushed ever 8k miles ..seems it gets spongy way to soon. Do you still ride the strom? I am trying to decide between a NOS 2105 DL1000 less than $10,000 vs a 2014 to 2018 for $14,000 to $17,000. With the possibility of spending another $7,000..... you can see why the DL1000 looks so inviting. My concerns with the DL1000 are 1. Taking care of the chain, as i do not like a filthy bike. How it rides compared to a 2016 GS. I did get to test ride a 2016 GSA... it was fantastic. I also got to ride a 2010 R1250GSA... it was beyond other worldly amazing... just freaking amazing. I wish I could afford it.
At 67, I think what ever bike i buy, will be the last. Also, I do not even know if I can come up with the extra cash a BMW would take. PETE...in addition now there is not dealer with in 200 miles. So I would be forced to due most of the maintenance. I can handle some of it. I am thinking it would be easier to work on the DL1000. Also I think the DL1000 might be a lot more reliable? Pete, do you have any idea how the power on the DL1000 compares to the 2016 R1200GS?

Thank you!

 

I had two GS BMW bikes. A 96 model and an 08 model. I loved them both. They are great bikes to ride and I think about getting one from time to time but the VStrom is great also and it is stupid reliable! I've been on my 15 model
since April 17, it was a new old stock bike. I ride a 07 KLR also and it's in tip top shape and I like it because when I get
back on the VEE it seems like a rocket.

 

I had two GS BMW bikes. A 96 model and an 08 model. I loved them both. They are great bikes to ride and I think about getting one from time to time but the VStrom is great also and it is stupid reliable! I've been on my 15 model
since April 17, it was a new old stock bike. I ride a 07 KLR also and it's in tip top shape and I like it because when I get
back on the VEE it seems like a rocket.

Bugs, I am not sure I understand your post. You purchased a 2015 in april 2019?
Why did you get the VSTROM over another GS?

 

thank you all very much for taking time to respond... it is very much appreciated.

BTW, I have been calling around to all the dealers in Louisiana. No one has any new DL1000.... only 1 or 2 gave a damn and tried to help....so sad. Several told me that people in Louisiana do not buy that kind of bike. Folks in states like TN, AK etc buy them. Hmmmmmmm.... i don't know

 

As long as you buy the DL expecting it to be a DL you'll be fine. If you buy the DL expecting to be a GS you're wasting your time and money.

As for power the Camhead GS has 25% and the waterheads GS has 40% more than the DL1000. The DL1000 is more comparable to the older Hexhead R1200GS's

 

As long as you buy the DL expecting it to be a DL you'll be fine. If you buy the DL expecting to be a GS you're wasting your time and money.

Boom! Truth bomb!


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NOS 2019 DL1000 less than $10,000. Romney Cycles in Romney WV a no BS no fee dealer. Have it shipped for around $400. Get a 4 year newer bike for the same money local shops want for their NOS 2015.

2019 Suzuki V-Strom 1000 00093 | Romney Cycles

Romney Cycles is a Powersports dealership located in Romney, WV. We offer new and pre-owned ATVs, UTVs, motorcycles, dirt bikes, and trailers from manufacturers such as Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and more. We also offer financing, parts and service near the areas of Junction, Headsville...

www.romneycycles.com

 

Yes, I was going to say $10,000 is WAY too much money for a NOS 2015. For a lot less than that you can get a low mileage, fully farkled same generation 1000 with luggage.

 

As a returning rider , I am looking at my options. Most of my 55 years of riding took place on BMW's... specifically the GS. I have owned Hondas, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Indian Springfield, HD for like a week...lol. Sadly, the BMW dealer ship near me ( 55 miles) is now gone. The nearest is 200 miles. I have been looking at all scenario's , like service and reliability etc. I do not see doing any more Iron Butt rides or 3 week trips. That all said, I am seriously considering a new old stock 2015 DL1000. It seems BMW has developed a really bad reputation for quality and even worse when it comes to getting a warrantee issue resolved.

What I do not know is, what was your experiences with dealer ships? How much trouble is using/ riding a bike with a chain. I know back in the 70's it sucked!

FWIW, I have been reading on here for days ( nothing else to do). Seems there are as many ways to maintain a chain as bike owners. Very CONFUSING !

What would be a good price? It is a standard model !

You seem to be bit Brand Promiscuous, me too. You don't say to what degree you will be doing true dirt biking. That matters. My answer assumes your national enduro days are behind you.(me too)
When I bought my new old stock V-Strom I could have gotten a sweet GS for just a few bucks more. Most of the guys I ride with are on a GS. We swap bikes every so often. Very cool motorcycles.

As for the drive chain, current chains are exponentially better and I replaced mine at about 18,000 miles. There is nothing really confusing about maintaining them. Which fly fishing lure to use is confusing. The BMW drive trains are not problem free. I've owned two BMWs. Neither a GS but both had drive train failures, one spectacular. One difference is that a chain announces when it is getting old. ....

The DL1000A has plenty of power. The speed difference between mine and the GS(s) I ride with is fractional. I love the "soul" of the 90* V twin engine. You may have noticed that a lot of members here are well into the six figure mileage.

As far as dealers go, I have a good one near me who is responsive and we respect each, other even though I do most of my own work. Every so often I go in there and buy something even if I could have saved 8% online. The BMW are very good. If they weren't ... why would my friends buy one every other year? (kidding) (sorta)
Personally, I have no idea about current prices of the V-Stroms.

 

NVDUCATI... yes my days of going crazy off road are over. I used to find roads to go down on my 1989 R100GS. I even got it stuck with each jug caught into a small dirt mound ( on each side) the exact width to stop me. I was going slow. It was a hot south Louisiana day in the middle of August. I played hell getting that bike un-stuck. At my current age... no way i could do that. LOL
I suppose like so many, I just have grown to like the ride, the comfort and the looks of the GS. In fact my first chance to ride such a bike was in late 1960's on a Honda 175 scrambler. Man we had some fun on that! As for being promiscuous, I think its more of a JAY LENO thing .... just a Motörhead nothing more, nothing less. IN fact, sadly, I had the chance to own all those muscle cars that I sold for nothing.... that to day ... I would be a rich man. I just gravitate to single track vehicles.... even the pedal type.
In fact, even the Yamaha Tracer 900GT has caught my eye. I think the GS is more off road capable than the Strom. That is ok with me. Also my Iron butt type of riding days are gone as well. I simply miss not having a motorcycle to hop on and clear the cob webs so to speak. From my time of flying hang gliders, racing 200 mph street bikes, and doing aerobatics in a RV4, riding a bike scratches an itch that only it can do.

 

I made a decision to part with my former Triumph 1200 Explorer when I just got too old and was not strong enough to deal with its top heaviness any more. I then started to look for a replacement and at the end of the day a 2016 DL 1000 ABS was that bike. I had previously tried a GS with the liquid cooled motor while I still had the Triumph. Imho there was nothing special about it and the motor couldn't compare with the triple for overall usability. By that I mean that the triple had hauled me out of situations where the BM twin would not. The BM suspension was good but the gearbox felt a bit agricultural. So for me, improved suspension and a somewhat characterless motor was not worth the somewhat exhorbitant price that one pays for a BM.

Prior to parting with the Triumph I had never even considered the DL, but then one day a friend practically forced me to take a ride on his, and immediately I knew I had to consider one as a replacement for my Triumph. The DLhas plenty of usable power, as much as any normal experienced rider will ever need. The suspension is adequate but it would not cost much to improve on it. I havent bothered. Chains are a pain but waaay better than they were in the 70's. The chances are that a GS final drive will give trouble long before You would need to replace a well maintained chain and sprockets on a DL. I have seen far too many friends (and other folks who I know) having their BM's trailed home after failed final drives, some of whom were far from home when it happened.

Last year I took my DL to Europe for a tour two up with my Wife fully laden with panniers, top box and tankbag. We rode some of the most demanding roads in Europe in the Dolomites and Alps, including some really rough roads bordering on offroad. That bike took it all in its stride, never missed a beat, never gave me an anxious moment and just simply got on with the task at hand. It is exactly what I need and I will have it for a long time.

 

I made a decision to part with my former Triumph 1200 Explorer when I just got too old and was not strong enough to deal with its top heaviness any more. I then started to look for a replacement and at the end of the day a 2016 DL 1000 ABS was that bike. I had previously tried a GS with the liquid cooled motor while I still had the Triumph. Imho there was nothing special about it and the motor couldn't compare with the triple for overall usability. By that I mean that the triple had hauled me out of situations where the BM twin would not. The BM suspension was good but the gearbox felt a bit agricultural. So for me, improved suspension and a somewhat characterless motor was not worth the somewhat exhorbitant price that one pays for a BM.

Prior to parting with the Triumph I had never even considered the DL, but then one day a friend practically forced me to take a ride on his, and immediately I knew I had to consider one as a replacement for my Triumph. The DLhas plenty of usable power, as much as any normal experienced rider will ever need. The suspension is adequate but it would not cost much to improve on it. I havent bothered. Chains are a pain but waaay better than they were in the 70's. The chances are that a GS final drive will give trouble long before You would need to replace a well maintained chain and sprockets on a DL. I have seen far too many friends (and other folks who I know) having their BM's trailed home after failed final drives, some of whom were far from home when it happened.

Last year I took my DL to Europe for a tour two up with my Wife fully laden with panniers, top box and tankbag. We rode some of the most demanding roads in Europe in the Dolomites and Alps, including some really rough roads bordering on offroad. That bike took it all in its stride, never missed a beat, never gave me an anxious moment and just simply got on with the task at hand. It is exactly what I need and I will have it for a long time.

Griff, that is a great testimony to the DL1000. And it is posts like that which sway me more and more to the Strom. The thing about the chain is very few folks agree on how to care for it! I like the post where I think it was slovcan got so many miles, never cleaning it. I would have to clean off the swing arm from time to time.

AND YES, more of a fair weather rider. I am retired. I have lots of other hobbies. Cooking, helping wife in the garden, building and designing model airplanes and taking naps in the afternoon when things are slow.....LOL

 

"

I have seen far too many friends (and other folks who I know) having their BM's trailed home after failed final drives, some of whom were far from home when it happened."

So what is the number of final drive failure you have seen? I have several friends with BMW and I do not remember one of them having final drive problems or really any problems. My one friend has well over 600,000 miles on BMW's a does not have problems even on 1150's that were supposed to be the most problematic.

I will say he does heed the warning signs and at about 50,000 miles start checking for some end play in the rear wheel. When this happens he replace the big earing and is set for another 50, 60 or 70+ thousand miles. So like the final drive if you choose to disregard the warning signs a worn chain or sprockets can be just as catastrophic. Not unheard of for a worn or out of adjustment chain to jump off the sprocket and wad up into the engine case breaking it.

Also curious as to where the triple go you out of a situation where the boxer could not have? ​

 

"
I have seen far too many friends (and other folks who I know) having their BM's trailed home after failed final drives, some of whom were far from home when it happened."

So what is the number of final drive failure you have seen? I have several friends with BMW and I do not remember one of them having final drive problems or really any problems. My one friend has well over 600,000 miles on BMW's a does not have problems even on 1150's that were supposed to be the most problematic.

I will say he does heed the warning signs and at about 50,000 miles start checking for some end play in the rear wheel. When this happens he replace the big earing and is set for another 50, 60 or 70+ thousand miles. So like the final drive if you choose to disregard the warning signs a worn chain or sprockets can be just as catastrophic. Not unheard of for a worn or out of adjustment chain to jump off the sprocket and wad up into the engine case breaking it.

Also curious as to where the triple go you out of a situation where the boxer could not have?

Perazzi, I wonder if you would consider adjusting your font colour some. I have my screen set on Dark mode to help my old eyes, so the background is black. That makes your posts virtually invisible and I am really interested in what you have to say.

Cheers,
Glenn

 

as for what a bower can do, check this out

 

I suspect a good rider could do about as much on a DL1000. 😀

 

Yep it's the Indian not the arrow.

Money may not be a concern to you but it is to me and that keeps me on Japanese bikes. I do my own maintenance so I don't know it Euro dealers have higher labor costs. I would think so the last BMW dealer I visited had a receptionist and an espresso bar, hah!

BMW maintenance type parts are probably higher. I haven't compared. Accessories (farkles) are much more expensive and less diverse than a popular Japanese bike.

Fellow at work got a new BMW GS 1250. It's impressive for sure with all the rider modes, electronic suspension, 145 horsepowr, etc. Should be it cost north of $25k, ack! He wants to buy hard luggage but he's balking at the $4k BMW wants for theirs.

 

Didn't even realize there was a dark mode. How do you change the text color?

 

You know what? It's weird, it's not all your posts. This one is perfect. I don't know how to change the colour. Maybe it's a theme thing? Maybe a mod or computer guru can answer.

 

OH YEA, when it comes to the boxer engine, it offers leg and foot protection as well as a bit of warmth. The opposed twin lay out when crash bars are added, allow for mounting lights. This arrangement gives a much bigger perceived presence... a very important safety aspect.
One of my riding buddies was going home one night. A drunk SOB hit him almost head on. Looking at the bike and talking to the police and witnesses..we all agreed that the left cylinder saved his leg/ankle.

 

PerazziMx14, thanks for that input. I will check them out today.

 

Obg,

Look on cycletrader.com for pricing on leftover Stroms. I saw some killer low prices on there a week back.

 

Motorcycles For Sale - Cycle Trader

Motorcycles For Sale: 253 Motorcycles - Find Motorcycles on Cycle Trader.

www.cycletrader.com

 

But not nearly as often as BMW on some of the required maintenance

Sent from my LML212VL using Tapatalk

 

This is meant to be humorous / not inflammatory. But over the years I owned my BMW K1200RS, I decided that BMW only had four prices for their parts.
metal part
metal part with a hole
any part that rotated
electrical

 

Try and find a shoulder bolt for the tupperware or a metric well nut for your Vstrom windshield at the hardware store.

 

Or....travel 50-100 miles to your nearest (not necessarily best) dealer for needed service or parts

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The DL is a great bike, mine excelled in many ways.

If you want Japanese reliability, with the GS features that count, look at a Super Tenere.

 

The DL is a great bike, mine excelled in many ways.

If you want Japanese reliability, with the GS features that count, look at a Super Tenere.
[/QUOTE

Yes DL's are great bikes just like the Hyundai Accent's are great cars. As long as your barometer of greatness is price 1st then everything else.

 

Boom! Nailed it


Now.....que the fat pig remarks

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BMW brings a combination of features, functionality, and well, relative exclusivity that others don't. I really can't think of another bike on the market that is directly comparable to an RT. The GS is not quite as unique anymore, but it is still the original, and a very capable adv touring bike.

But if you want BMW, there is a price to be paid in maintenance costs, and yes, possibly lower reliability. Especially if you're riding a 13 year old bike. As I discovered. I had the rear end rebuilt on the mechanics recommendation, before it failed, and also suffered a fuel pump/controller problem on the road. Also a much thinner dealer network. I was fortunate there was one only an hour away, and they got me right back on the road.

This hasn't soured me on the BMW experience, yet, but for sure I've never had a breakdown on the road like that in 20+ years of Japanese bikes.

 

A few points:

1. I really REALLY need to ride one. The comments about room on the bike and a few other operational items, are the "elephant" in the room. To date could find none to ride. I did ride a 2008 DL650, it had 12,000 miles and looked like it was never serviced & the tires were low on air. Based on that alone... NO FREAKING WAY THANK YOU! However, I realize the little things mean a lot so I continue my search. and that brings up point 2

2. How hard will the 2015 to 2018 DL 1000 be to sell in 7-10 years?

3. Then there is that chain.

Will this model support Heated vest for me and the mIssus ?

 

I really REALLY need to ride one. The comments about room on the bike and a few other operational items, are the "elephant" in the room. To date could find none to ride.

Don't know where you live but ...

Suzuki DL650 V-Strom Motorcycle Rental - MotoQuest

Rent a Suzuki DL650 V-Strom motorcycle from MotoQuest and explore the western North America from Alaska to Baja and everything in between.

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V-Stroms are not for everyone, but there are sure a lot of people who like them. Sure, lower entry price does factor in to that, but there's plenty of riders here who have owned every sort of "better" bike and still, they love their V-Strom. Many better bikes are just flat out boring or overly expensive.

Simplicity often has a value over complexity that is worth more to some people than tech, power, etc. Others have multiple bikes, so both itches can be scratched. Personally, I'd consider a 15 year old GS, possibly , if I were in the market. But it would be a hard choice if a new DL650 could be had for around the same price. Chain and sprocket isn't a deal breaker for me.