V-Strom 1000 - Good/Bad?

[nt650hawk]

Find a place like Motoquest and give em a run. Frankly I had no Idea what to expect from the BMW1200 GS. I knew I wanted to try it. 1000 miles later it has changed some of my future thinking. I would probalby use this group or similar to get a real rest ride of the differnet types of bikes.

[Garandman]

/If I wait until spring, the deal I found might be gone./

There are always going to be deals available on the DL1000.

The first one I looked at (in 2007) was a 2007 with 314 miles on it, for $7,000. I paid $5,000 for a used 2005 DL650 because no dealers had a new one in stock.

Why you'd insist on buying a new model of one of the most reliable bikes ever sold is something you and your wife should work out.

[gregp]

What are the RT mods? Springs? If just springs, that's only ~$100 and not worth much of a premium at all.

Nearly $7k seems like a lot for a 4 year old 'strom.

Gold Valves, and springs, in the forks. Not sure about the rear shock, though...

[TheIglu]

Pass. That's not a deal at all.

[TheIglu]

I got my 650 for a song in the spring. Same with my Vmax. Lot of deals on good bikes in the spring. I'd wait if I were you.

[gregp]

Interesting. I had convinced myself that prices would just be higher in the spring... I did realize that every bike that a dealer is sitting on right now will be one model year older in 3 more days. Maybe I am better served to just start looking for my dirt bike now (street legal, new or new-ish).

[TheIglu]

Deals can be had any time of the year. I find that new rider bikes like SV's and Ninja 250's and the like sell high and hot in the spring. Bikes like adventure bikes and other non-beginner oriented bikes seem to be priced fairly consistently, but in the early spring is when people realize they don't want to get it going this year or are upgrading.

[Stromper]

I paid 6500 for a 2year left over brandy new from a closing dealer

[nhbubba]

I started looking in late March or early April. There were plenty advertised, I don't now how well they stuck around.
By the end of May when I was ready to move the ads had dried up. What did get advertised was either crap or sold before I could get to see them.
I found my 3 mo old, used bike in the last week of June and jumped on it.

[RandyO]

Interesting. I had convinced myself that prices would just be higher in the spring... I did realize that every bike that a dealer is sitting on right now will be one model year older in 3 more days. Maybe I am better served to just start looking for my dirt bike now (street legal, new or new-ish).

new models come out the same time that cars do, in the fall

2013 models have been out for a couple months already

I bought my 07 Vee in early December 06

[gregp]

Apparently, not so with the "New" V-Strom 1000, though. Rumor has it showing up in dealerships late next year (2013), as a 2013 model, but that is just rumor.
Last night, I started looking hard at the new NC700X, and my wife and I are going to go to a few dealerships today, just to see if we can sit on a few bikes. Who knows, maybe the whole Adventure Bike thing will go right out the window. The retro-style CB-1000 looks nice... and I still have a very nice National Cycle Plexi-fairing that would work very well on one (and not much else!).

[boosten lebaron]

Apparently, not so with the "New" V-Strom 1000, though. Rumor has it showing up in dealerships late next year (2013), as a 2013 model, but that is just rumor.
Last night, I started looking hard at the new NC700X, and my wife and I are going to go to a few dealerships today, just to see if we can sit on a few bikes. Who knows, maybe the whole Adventure Bike thing will go right out the window. The retro-style CB-1000 looks nice... and I still have a very nice National Cycle Plexi-fairing that would work very well on one (and not much else!).

valley motorsports were i just bought my r1 has a nc700 sitting in the way back. it seemed like a bargain too. i wanna say it was $7000 or it may have been $7999. no more than that though. it was low enough to catch my eye either way. id say you could work them down abit to since i just did days ago.

[nhbubba]

MSRP on the NC700x is $6999. $8999 with the dual clutch and ABS. So says the website.

[boosten lebaron]

Then it was the $7000 i saw. Why do people hate on the bike? looked good to me but i know nothing of the powertrain.

[gregp]

My wife and I just returned from visiting a couple of dealerships. Yes, we went to Valley MS. Here is what we found: 1) The NC700X is 6,999, and is a *small* motorcycle, compared to others that we saw and considered. My wife did not like the passenger accommodations, and a better, more comfy aftermarket passenger saddle may be limited in design by the necessity for it to swing upwards to access the fuel filler. This, combined with the lower power output of this bike, knock it out of consideration for us. Next we saw 2) a Gold Wing. This bike is a *WHALE*. It has unparalleled comfort, but I was nervous just propping it up off of its side stand. It is just too big for me to consider pulling out of my garage for my 3 mile commute. Next we saw, 3) a left over 2010 FJ1300. This bike was much smaller, lower, and pretty comfy, both front and back. It was heavy, though. The price was something like $15k. My wife liked this bike, but I seem to recall heat management issues with earlier models, so I will have to do some research on the 2010 model. Moving on, we looked at 4) a 2013 Ducati Multistrada. This bike is obviously the *Cream* of the Adventure bike segment. It's "SkyHook" suspension was *rigid* when not running. The bike was tall, but not ridiculously so. Even at $20k, it is in the running, just because it is simply a great bike, with a great motor, and everybody who has ridden one will tell you that. We looked at pretty much every bike they had, including Monsters, Diavels and miscelaneous sport bikes and cruisers. None of them seemed to fit the bill for us. Just before we walked out the door, we saw a KTM 990 SMT (Super Moto Touring). We had the salesman pull it out so we could sit on it. It was nice! Lower than the Multi, but taller than the FJ. I do not know much about this bike, so I will have to do some research. At $13,999, it is a definite contender! I would have never thought that I would even be considering a KTM.
We next went to visit All Power in Granby. They had 4 V-Stroms - 2 650's (1 regular, 1 adventure), and 2 1000's (1 regular, and 1 adventure). We sat on both adventures. The 1000 was not as tall as I expected it to be, but it is l-o-o-o-n-g-e-r than I expected it to be. It was very comfortable for both of us, but I would probably shift the top case back 3" or so. It is a lot of bike for the money, but I had to wonder if it was just too big for my short daily commute. My wife wondered the same thing. The 650 was better, but it was not a pretty looking bike, and it did not *move* me much. On both bikes, the bags interfered with mounting and dismounting. We did not notice this on the the KTM, which was equipped with soft bags, and no top case.
We did not buy anything, yet, but on the way home, my wife asked me which bike I liked best. I answered that the Multi or the KTM moved me the most, but it was hard to discount the big Strom just because of its comfort and value.
She wants me to get the bike I like best. Pretty much all of them will do what we want them to do, and any of them seem comfortable enough as is, or we could just spend a little more to get a super-comfy seat on any of them.
So, now I have some studying and some thinking to do. I am really drawn to the SMT for some unexplained reason.

[Garandman]

If you are looking at those bikes and they weren't too tall, then you might look at the Triumph Tiger 1050. It has a more sophisticated suspension, better brakes, and more power than the V-Strom. Because the 2013 is being turned into the 1050 "Sport" or something, there was a promo last fall with free factory luggage (keyed to the ignition) you might like as well. They're around $12K without ABS.

[gregp]

It is odd that the 1050 does not show up on their web site line up at all, unless you go to "compare bikes", then it shows up as a 2012 Standard, a 2012 SE, and a 2013 SE.

[Stromper]

Well I am old and are less frugal than my Mom's household but that is my origin

If I can get 90% of the good for virtually 1/2 the price for what I know is basically a toy
then the guilt would overwhelm that 10%

The Yen has hit an all time high against the dollar (Gietner) so expect ALL Jap bikes to go up
very soon.

Fun/$$

[gregp]

I was brought up much the same way, Stromper, and I *feel* much the same way right now. The 1000 just looked too big for me to be wheeling out of my garage every morning. Of course, everything looks much larger in the showroom. The 650, on the other hand, looked perfect. I woke up this morning feeling like the 650 Wee would be the way to go. The SM-T would just be selfish, but what a hoot! I have a long history of dirt biking, and the SM-T looked like it was capable of more Dirt-Bike style fun (read - crossed up wheelies!), but I would hate to start regular visits to the courthouse at my age.
So, I am leaning Wee, right now, and that would set me up for a great dirt bike with which to have my dirt-bike-fun with. The Husabergs and KTM EXC's we saw yesterday were mighty fine looking machines!
From all I have read, the Wee is certainly capable of shorter interstate, 2-up runs, and it would certainly be more comfortable than my old DR650 for that sort of thing.
The Triumphs look nice, and even a Street Triple sounds like a lot of fun, if the passenger comfort factor is there. We will take a drive to the nearest Triumph dealership before we decide. Unfortunately, we do not have one very close by...

[nhbubba]

The 1000 just looked too big for me to be wheeling out of my garage every morning.

Park the 'strom outside. Problem solved.

Seriously though. Last I checked the 1k isn't any bigger than the 650, physically speaking.

Here is a (really good) trip report about a couple riding a DL650 from Texas to Alaska and back.

I am of the opinion that the 650 is not the optimal 2-up highway machine. But it will do it.

[TheIglu]

I find the wee to be more than adequate on the highway.

Greg, you won't be disappointed with the Wee. Spring for a Russell Day long, some fork goodies up front and a Madstad windshield bracket and you'll be laughing all the way to the bank.

[TheIglu]

Btw, it's a dead race with my buddy on his 02 SV with full micron system, jetted and me on my Wee up to about 120 indicated. They aren't slow, even stock.

[nhbubba]

Spring for a Russell Day long, some fork goodies up front and a Madstad windshield bracket and you'll be laughing all the way to the bank.

Have you sprung for a seat yet? I'm on the fence between the seat and a new/reworked spring/damper for the rear-end as this year's big $$ upgrade.

[RandyO]

I am of the opinion that the 650 is not the optimal 2-up highway machine. But it will do it.

I find the wee to be more than adequate on the highway.

yer both right, no question the 650 can do it, but not as well as the 1000

when I retired my SV and bought my Vee, there's a reason I went with the 1000, and it wasn't cause my penis shrunk overnight

[Garandman]

yer both right, no question the 650 can do it, but not as well as the 1000

when I retired my SV and bought my Vee, there's a reason I went with the 1000, and it wasn't cause my penis shrunk overnight

What was the reason, then?