VStrom / FJR

[mdisher]

I have a buddy, currently rides a mid 90's BMW RS. It's a fine bike no doubt about it, but I made the mistake of letting him ride the FJR when we went to St. Louis

He's jonesin for a new bike, and looking at a number of the other upcoming maintenance items and farkles he'd like to add to the RS, he's come to the conclusion that he'd rather spend that money on farkles for something new.

He's got his eye on a pretty good deal for a new, left over 06 VStrom.

I realize the Strom is a fine bike, and I'm not trying to talk him out of it, clearly the Strom is the right bike for some people. It appears for the cost of it new, plus hard bags, plus screen, plus farkles, etc, etc. I *think* he could find a gently used FJR that's most of the way there for about the same. Plus you get an extra 40+ HP at your disposal

I get that it's taller, has less plastic to worry about. It seems to me like a poor mans GS the way it's setup. It's not for me, but that doesn't mean it's not for him.

I'd like to hear from current/former Strom owners on what's good/bad about the Strom vs. FJR.

Input please.

 

[escapefjrtist]

Comparing both bikes is really apples to oranges. However saying that, they also compliment each other well.

I've got an '06 literStrom and enjoy the heck out of it. My FJR is the roadburner...Whenever I need to get out and feel sporty, have the need for speed, or intend on covering large distances quickly, the FJR is the tool of choice.

I have taken the Strom on long weekend rides and it performs *very* well. In some ways over long rides it is as comfortable as the FJR...for me. Power wise there is plenty, but the Strom needs to be ridden like the V twin it is.

You're right about the poor mans BMW. I've ridden the 1200 GS and honestly, there wasn't a lot of differences between them.

With either choice your buddy won't be wrong.

--G

 

[camera56]

My number one riding buddy has a Strom. Yes, it's an apple to the FJR Orange, but he and I tour very happily together. I don't got 120 and he doesn't head towards fire roads.

Go spend time on https://www.advrider.com. Strom owners are fanatics. It's huge value for the money. The engine is a marvelous, iconic lump. It's easy to work on. Cheap to maintain. There are farkles aplenty.

Tell him to get both.

 

[twowheelnut]

Outside of both being motorcycles, that's about where the comparison stops. Two different animals. That's why I own both. That said, I'll say this: The Strom is way, way easier to ride.

 

[markjenn]

I own both, so obviously I think both are good bikes. The FJR is really more of a pure road burner type of bike designed for serious distances and providing great weather protection. The Strom is more of a Swiss Army Knife kind of bike, versatile, much ligher, more nimble, and inexpensive. It does everything pretty well.

The 650 is partciularly engaging as it has a turbine-smooth and absolutely linear motor with perfect throttle response, a very flickable feel, incredible gas milage (consistently around 50 for me even ridden briskly), and is probably the easiest bike to ride I've ever been on. (I'm putting my son just out of MSF class on mine without a 2nd thought - something I'd never remotely consider with the FJR.) And with ABS, you can get a new 650 Strom for $7200, an absolute steal. With some adventure touring mods, you can even make it start to look at little butch:

In day-to-day riding, I think the key difference is that the FJR has much better weather protection. Folks fit barn door screens to the Strom but they tend to add a lot of buffetting and destroys the essentially goodness of the bike in my opinion. I actually went down in shield size.

I wouldn't try and talk your friend into anything. He's a grown boy, let him gather all the data and draw his own conclusions.

- Mark

 

[mdisher]

I wouldn't try and talk your friend into anything. He's a grown boy, let him gather all the data and draw his own conclusions.

Exactly... I'm not really trying to influence him, at least that's not my concience intention.

I know that since purchasing the FJR, I have clearly decided that I'll never buy a bike I haven't ridden. I did buy the FJR w/o a test ride and it worked out just fine, but given that I don't have unlimited income (and neither does he) I doubt either of us will end up with 'both' and it certainly sucks to get with something you didn't expect.

I know the Strom is a different but very capable bike. I also figured there were enough smart guys here that either had both, or had one or the other and ended up with only one.

That's my assumption here that he will have only one. If so, for the type of semi-agressive, and/or LD riding we do which one is the best fit?

If money were no object, I'd personally have a Wing/LT and an R1, but I can't afford both so I have the best all around comprimise on the planet, that being the FJR.

It's clear you can go either way. Hell you can ride anything LD if you put your mind to it, (points to Ninja 250's that have completed IB's) but that's not necessarily the goal here.

If you had say $10k as a budget, I know he can pickup a screeming deal on a Strom, let's say $7k, but that's plain, as in stock. Bags, screen, seat, plus all the other farkles can add up to $3k very, very easily.

Given the FJR's that come up for sale around here recently, it's clear you can get a gently used, yet nearly completely farkeled FJR for about that same $10k

If that's the $ range you're in, in my mind the FJR makes more sense. It seems that the prices for fully farkeled 'used' Strom's tends to be a bit higher, and I haven't found _that_ many 'gently' used bikes.

I'll be happy with what ever he gets, and if he gets a Strom, that means I'll get to ride it at some point, so it's all good.

 

[markjenn]

I'd make the determining factors be iwhether you anticipate doing off-road exploration and whether the FJR's shaft, nice hard bags, and big electric windsheild have no appeal. If either condition applies, get the more-versatile Strom, otherwise the FJR.

New vs. used is orthogonal and that's simply a personal thing - some folks don't want to hassle with used bikes and I completely respect this.

- Mark

 

[twowheelnut]

I also figured there you two were enough the only smart guys here that had both...

Better phrased that way and a very astute observation on your part. 10 FJRForum PosiPoints for you!

I'll tell you what, though... If push came to shove and I had to pick one over the other, I'd prolly choose the Wabs for the following reasons:

• Better mileage
• Off-tarmac capability
• Lesser cost of ownership (insurance, tax and reg, maintenance, repairs, etc)
• Ease of riding/fun factor
• I don't care much that it gets cosmetically beat up
• It offers the kind of riding I want to do most, right now

Of course, I'll have to be dead, because that's the only way someone will pry the FJR's grips from my hands.

 

[Thumperbike]

I'll tell you what, though... If push came to shove and I had to pick one over the other, I'd prolly choose the Wabs for the following reasons:

Why do you call it a WABS?

 

[Scab]

I'll tell you what, though... If push came to shove and I had to pick one over the other, I'd prolly choose the Wabs for the following reasons:

Why do you call it a WABS?

IIRC, WABS = Wee-Strom/ABS

 

[twowheelnut]

I'll tell you what, though... If push came to shove and I had to pick one over the other, I'd prolly choose the Wabs for the following reasons:

Why do you call it a WABS?

IIRC, WABS = Wee-Strom/ABS

Correct. You have your Vee, your Wee and now, your Wabs. I coined that, BTW and I'm the only one to use it, too.

 

[Thumperbike]

I'll tell you what, though... If push came to shove and I had to pick one over the other, I'd prolly choose the Wabs for the following reasons:

Why do you call it a WABS?

IIRC, WABS = Wee-Strom/ABS

Correct. You have your Vee, your Wee and now, your Wabs. I coined that, BTW and I'm the only one to use it, too.

Well, you da man! What is IIRC?

 

[twowheelnut]

If I Recall Correctly. What are you? An interwebs noob?

 

[Feejer/Weejer man]

I have owned my FJR over 5 1/2 years now. It is very LD capable, fuel cell, electrics etc. etc. etc. I have owned my Wee almost a year now. Long trips go to the FJR. Fun riding and commuting go to the Wee. The Wee by far is easier to ride, very capable road bike, a great commuter and get 50+ mpg's. If I could only have one it would be the Wee.

 

[MKO]

I also figured there you two were enough the only smart guys here that had both...

Better phrased that way and a very astute observation on your part. 10 FJRForum PosiPoints for you!

I'll tell you what, though... If push came to shove and I had to pick one over the other, I'd prolly choose the Wabs for the following reasons:

• Better mileage
• Off-tarmac capability
• Lesser cost of ownership (insurance, tax and reg, maintenance, repairs, etc)
• Ease of riding/fun factor
• I don't care much that it gets cosmetically beat up
• It offers the kind of riding I want to do most, right now

Of course, I'll have to be dead, because that's the only way someone will pry the FJR's grips from my hands.

Push didn't come to shove, but I decided to sell my 2002 V-Strom 1k after riding the FJR for about a month. I only had taken the V-strom down dirt and gravel roads once since owning it, so the adventure side of the bike was not important to me. It is more of a lamb in lion's clothing when it comes to fire roads. I prefer my WR 450 for such duty.

Unlike other owners of both, I found too much redundancy between to two bikes. It was more of oranges and tangerines than apples for me. I had set up the V-strom for sport touring, which presumably your friend would do, so they were intended to fill a similar role in slightly different ways. Ergonomically speaking, the V-strom had a slight edge with its tall saddle providing for less knee bend on my artheritic bones. While the cost of ownership was marginally less and the fun factor high, I decided that the FJR was better in the things most important to me. I loved hustling that v-strom through the twisties. Keeping that v-twin in the 5-6K rpm range coming out of a corner and roling that throttle on was sweet music. But I found myself preferring the slightly better handling, better brakes and smoother locomotive power of the FJR.

The engines provide two different experiences and quite frankly, I found the Strom's low-rpm shaking shuddering and complaning less pleasing over time. It's nice to have a diet of both, but I prfer the smooth purr of the in-line four below 3k rpm. Not withstanding the better weather protection and sport touring capabilities, at the end of the day, I just felt better on the FJR. If I only had one bike to own, it would be the FJR.

What did I buy with the proceeds of the V-Strom? A Honda VTX 1800. Now there are some apples and oranges.

 

[Feejer/Weejer man]

Thats why I bought the sixfiddy. The 1k was not even close to the FJR and why have two big bikes.

 

[MKO]

Thats why I bought the sixfiddy. The 1k was not even close to the FJR and why have two big bikes.

My son has narrowed his choices down to the Wee-Strom and the FZ6. I have always loved that 650 twin from the first time I test road the SV 650 in 1998. I thought the 1000 could only be better, but there is more to the experience than just torque and power. I can't believe I just said that, but if I had it to do over again, I think I'd opt for the DL 650.

 

[Jagermeister]

I own both, so obviously I think both are good bikes. The FJR is really more of a pure road burner type of bike designed for serious distances and providing great weather protection. The Strom is more of a Swiss Army Knife kind of bike, versatile, much ligher, more nimble, and inexpensive. It does everything pretty well.
The 650 is partciularly engaging as it has a turbine-smooth and absolutely linear motor with perfect throttle response, a very flickable feel, incredible gas milage (consistently around 50 for me even ridden briskly), and is probably the easiest bike to ride I've ever been on. (I'm putting my son just out of MSF class on mine without a 2nd thought - something I'd never remotely consider with the FJR.) And with ABS, you can get a new 650 Strom for $7200, an absolute steal. With some adventure touring mods, you can even make it start to look at little butch:

In day-to-day riding, I think the key difference is that the FJR has much better weather protection. Folks fit barn door screens to the Strom but they tend to add a lot of buffetting and destroys the essentially goodness of the bike in my opinion. I actually went down in shield size.

I wouldn't try and talk your friend into anything. He's a grown boy, let him gather all the data and draw his own conclusions.

- Mark

That's probably the first time I've had a Wee-strom Lust. Nice!

 

[PaulyG]

Well, maybe I can add, as I just sold my V sTrom 1000 for the FJR. Before that I had a v-storm 650 (these are in addition to my other bike, now a Tuono). I did a lot to the 1000 - seat , Ohlins, front springs, lines, even had MArchesini wheels (17" front) for awhile. But, it depends on how he intends to use it.

The 650 is fun, the motor is smoother than the 1000 and its VERY flickable. You can ride those things much faster than you think you can. But I go two up alot, so I got the 1000 for that purpose. The "problems" with the V-stroms are as follows:

1. Tall, even with the 650 low seat. If you friend is short its a problem, especially going two up with luggage. The front wheel is 19" and the front end isn't tuned for high speed riding, so in high speed sweepers the bike kinda weaves left to right, not a good feeling. I could never really make mine completely comfortable, the upright position is arguable too upright and my butt hurt on many an occasion. You need to go one down on the 1000 front sprocket as the gearing is simply too long, not so on the 650. They have chains which need maintenance. You need a windscreen, as the stocker absolutely sucks, and it's hard to get the air flow right.

But, they are great bikes. cheap, fun, usable, tough.

The FJR is another beast really. Way more advanced technologically. Its just more bike, period.

If you're going to do shorter rides, tighter stuff go for the 650. But if he's going to use it for touring and different kinds of riding and he can afford it, I would push him to the FJR. If he decides to go with the strom let me know, I have many aftermarket parts I will eBAY soon for good pries (Akropovic, Sargeant, Cee Baileys, Laminar Lip, Ohlins, Pazzo Levers). Hope that helps.