V-STROM... anyone got one?

Just idly looking at the Suzuki website and wondered what people's opinion
of them are.

Not really wanting to move away from the POS of that is Suzuki, yet
realising that I don't appear to be GSX-R shaped (YYSSW[1]) I was looking at
what they have that's more 'upright' yet not quite GSXF.

Now a Hayabusa would be lovely, but is right out on the insurance front.

Hence the Q re the V-Strom. This would be the 1000 version.

Thoughts?


[1] 100 miles back on mine and feel like I've been run over by something
this morning.

 

I rode the Strom, Tiger and GS back to back last year. The GS and
Tiger are better bikes. All IMHO of course.

HTH

Andy
--
Andy Cunningham
Stockholm, Sweden
R1150GS
UKRMMA#17
The UKRM FAQ: http://www.ukrm.net/faq/ukrmfaq1.html

 

Ta - they're also a fair bitmore expensive - especially the GS

 

dwb wrote in

Looking at the spec. they should be a good bike. However, you hardly ever
see one on the road.

I read the ukgser.com forums. You often get questions about whether bike A
is better than B. Whilst names like Tiger, Caponord, KTM & Varadero are
often seen, it is rare for someone to ask about the Vstrom.

The advantage for you is that you can therefore get a new bike for around
£5k which sounds pretty good to me.

 

Indeed. To be fair the VStrom is not a bad bike. It has a nice motor
and the handling is excellent. However the Tiger (no matter what you
might say about Triumph build quality) has a stonking motor and is
just that little bit more "together" than the Suzuki. The GS of
course is just that bit better than both of them when looking at the
total package.

However as you say the Beemer is pricy although depreciation is
nowhere near the free fall levels of the other two bikes. I had my GS
for a year before it was written off in a SMIDSY and I really enjoyed
it. However I didn't like the following:

- Screen. Doesn't seem to be anyone that can find one that doesn't
leave them with blurred vision when doing more than the ton.

- Motor. Ok its got loads of torque but there's just no excuse IMHO
for its agriculturalness. Combined with the single plate clutch, the
whole drive train is a bloody joke in this day and age.

VStroms definitely worth a look though.

Andy
--
Andy Cunningham
Stockholm, Sweden
STX1300A
UKRMMA#17
The UKRM FAQ: http://www.ukrm.net/faq/ukrmfaq1.html

 

dwb says...

Of course they're more expensive, BMW have to be able to fund their
oversubscribed roadside assistance scheme and warranty department
somehow.

 

<paging verdigris> or google using his name, this group and v strom
because I recall he had a test ride and posted a report on group.

 

Paul Corfield wrote in

http://groups.google.co.uk/groups?h..._maxd=22&as_maxm=4&as_maxy=2002&start=50&sa=N

 

Conversely, I've just managed to get a "reasonable" (for some value
thereof) quote for TPFT on the 7R I saw in George Whites yesterday.

So I might have to really work on tidying up the Bandit soon.

 

Won't you need a pair of these?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=53557&item=3928112446&rd=1

 

Hmm - I was under the impression the 7R was even more crippling physique
wise than the GSX-R...

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=53557&item=3928112446&rd=1

*snort*

Possibly - Don't know how high it is in real terms - at the moment just
thinking aloud as it were.

 

dwb wrote in

I'm 5'8" with a 31 inside leg. I can get both feet on the ground on the GS
and according to Verdi's review the V-strom is lower.

 

Having looked at a few online insurance quotes, looks like it'll stay Idle
thought.

FFS - it's not a bloody GSX-R1000!

(which is cheaper to insure. Go figure.)

 

Yes and no. On the 7R you pretty much lay on the tank (or at least
that was how I felt when I was last on one). Plus it's my all time
dream bike.

And it's green!

 

I've just been quoted 1500 quid tpft for a new SV thou.

This insurance game is ridiculous.

 

dwb wrote in

are you sure?

At Bennetts I got a quote[0] of £294 for the V-strom[1] and £891 for the
Gixer.

[0] full comp, 9+ yrs NCB, CF24 postcode, age 41
[1] 70 more than my BMW

 

Heh. I wouldn't really want it *that* green.

My plan, such as it is, would be to get a 7R of some description,
and lay my hands on a rear wheel and seat plastics from a 96-ish
model with the purple rear end. And then turn into JP and polish
it three times a day while riding a C90 to and from work.

 

That is green. And nice.

 

Try full comp, 2 yrs NCB, 25 , OX postcode.

£2200!