V-Strom Back to Roadster

[BSTWAY]

I use to own a 2003 R1150R and put over 50K miles on it. Started paying to much attention to internet clutch spline issues etc. and thought I "needed" an adventure touring bike for my son and I to go camping on. So, I got rid of the BMW and replaced it with an 2008 V-Stom 650. We're no longer into the two up camping thing or the "off road" thing. Looking strongly at an R1200R which fits my 5'8" frame better. Lot of stories of BMW to V-Strom out there of which I can relate. Any stories of going the other way?

[TAG-Caver]

I've heard both sides of the story. They're both excellent bikes with a reputation for longevity. I still kinda miss my Vee, but not when it's time to adjust the valves.

[lynnboyd]

I had a 2003 V-Strom 1000 from 2003-2006 and loved it. I thought I would probably get another one after the college tuition payments were done but ended up with the R1200R instead. I really liked the seating position on the V-Strom - I felt like there was a lot of room - but the stock seat made my thighs ache after an hour and a half or so, and the windshield created a lot of buffeting. These are the same issues we discuss on this forum until we're sick of it, so you can't expect those to be better on the stock R1200R but there are fixes for both. Since mine was an early model of the Strom those issues may have been fixed now.

The weight and power are similar on the two bikes with a slight edge (~5 & 10%) to the R1200R in both, although the 1/4 mile times reported in MCN are only .21 seconds apart. The BMW seems to have a lower center of gravity and lower seat so it's easier to walk it around and maneuver at low speeds. I think the R1200R handles better but I haven't ridden them back-to-back so can't really say. I don't think the V-Strom 1000 comes with ABS (although the 650 does), which was one of my requirements this time. The shaft drive and the ease of adjusting the valves on the BMW are nice also. For the difference in price I think it's about a toss up unless you have to have ABS.

With all that said, I strongly recommend that you not take a test ride on the R1200R unless you're pretty sure you want to end up owning it (see ka5ysy's signature warning).

Lynn