Wee vs. Vee - From an FJR perspective

[FJRBandit]

This might be considered a NEPRT, but is a question often asked by potential V-strom owners, even current owners of one or the other, Wee (650) or Vee (1000). Countless articles and opinion pieces have been written on the topic "Wee or Vee" and I don't really have a lot to add to what those interested have already read. But in response to a current Classified post that I have listing my BMW K1300GT for sale I received a PM from a new forum member inquiring about the Wee vs. the FJR. His PM reads ---

"I noticed you mention two vstroms. What is it about them you like so much? How do they compare to your FJR. I have a vstrom wee 2008 with 8o,000 miles and am thinking of a 2016 FJR. But can't seem to tear myself away from the old Strom. It just does everything.


So...yes I am cross shopping between a new FJR and new WEE. It is not about the cost. The Strom is just so easy to live with"

I gave him a long winded explanation of why I have two stroms currently in my stable. But the point of the response was to illustrate why I have a Strom AND an FJR. After writing my response to him it occurred to me that many potential strom owners in the FJR world might be interested in my response to his question, so here it is.

Well, actually I have both the Wee and the Vee. I'm on my second Wee. I sold my first Wee with the thinking that I would sell the FJR also and merge the two bikes into the Vee, compromise a little on both ends and have a great bike all wrapped up into one. I figured out real quick that while I love the Vee, it's just not the Wee. The only thing I like better about the Vee is the extra power. Other than that I prefer the Wee. As you well know, the Wee has ample power for most anything, it's a canyon carving fool, throw some knobbies on her and go almost anywhere, or keep the 80/20 Battlewing or Anakees on it and rip up the pavement while still being able to run basic fire roads. I just love the Wee!
After selling my first Wee and going to the Vee I wasn't sold on the idea of getting rid of the FJR. While the power of the Vee is certainly much greater than the power of the Wee, it is no match for the FJR. There's just something about that 3.2 0-60 acceleration that you can't give up!. Plus, I've had the FJR for 90+K and ridden all over the country and to Canada three times. It's just a touring monster. So I realized I couldn't give up the FJR and decided to keep the Vee and the FJR.

Then after a couple of years I started jonesing for the Wee again. I found a used one that was a steal and grabbed it up. I consider the Wee and the FJR the perfect stablemates. I'm now torn as to whether to get rid of the Vee. But every time I climb on her and twist that throttle I fall in love with her again too! Decisions, decisions....

As for the BMW K1300GT, that is an awesome machine. Actually nicer than the FJR and more bells and whistles. It has everything and more in the 2009 than the new FJR's. BUT - the reliability and repair cost of the BMW just concerns me in a way the FJR never has. To me the reliability of the FJR is second to none in the sport touring world. Mine is already set up to do anything I want to do with it and I figure I have at least another 60K left on the clock, maybe even another 100K. So even though I bought the BMW as a potential replacement, the FJR isn't going anywhere and I just don't need $10K tied up in a bike I'm not going to use very often. Thus, the reason I am selling BMW.

Sorry for the long answer to your seemingly simple question. In the end, I wouldn't take the FJR over the Wee if push came to shove, but fortunately I don't have to make that choice. Having both is truly the best of both biking worlds. I would say, keep your 80K Wee and buy the FJR if you are in financial position to do so and have the space to keep both. You'll find that the difficult decision have to make each riding day is just which bike do I take?

Good luck!

I think I'll throw this over in the V-strom forum as well... have a nice day and enjoy your ride, whatever it is you are riding on!

 

[RossKean]

Thanks for the post! I have been considering a Strom to compliment the (aging) FJR in order to have better comfort on the "roads less travelled". With the FJR, I am not comfortable on anything less than very good unpaved roads. While single track stuff is of little interest to me, there are tons of woods roads and trails easily within the capabilities of the Strom. Seems like the way to go for motorcycle camping too. I was pleased to see your opinion of Wee vs. Vee matches my estimate of the situation. I'm looking for a different capability than the FJR; not a replacement. I think the FJR is still the way to go for the long trip but I like the idea of the versatility of a smaller, lighter (but still reliable) bike that doesn't mind the dirt but can still keep up on the highway.

 

[hppants]

Insightful observations.

Ross and I are fishing in the same hole....

IF my stable of 1 horse ever expands, a dual sport is next in line. I keep wavering between KLR or a Wee and something smaller and much lighter, like a DRZ350 or the KLX250. Part of me doesn't know how much single tracking I can handle. Of course if it is going to be just fire service roads, then the Wee would be great.

 

[RossKean]

I gave a KLR a lot of thought and although it probably has the edge for off-road, I am pretty sure that the Wee is a better bike for getting you to where you want to ride. I can see future trips to the Trans-Labrador highway, the "Trailways" in Newfoundland and maybe even the Haul Road in Alaska. Any of these (plus lots of others) require many hundreds or even thousands of highway or (secondary road) miles to get to the ultimate riding destination.

 

[Larry33319]

I own both a 2012 Wee Adventurer and an 06 FJR. If either were to die today, I would go straight out and replace it with the same model only brand new. They do different things but are both an incredible amount of fun. I bought the Wee for a trip to Deadhorse AK . I would not ride the FJR there as I really like the paint and 400 miles one way on gravel roads would not be good for that. The Wee served me well for that 10 week, 20,000 mile, cross country trip and visit to several Canadian Provinces. My FJR has 135,000 miles on it and the motor has not had anything done to it as of yet. Who could ask for more???

 

[MajBach]

I gave a KLR a lot of thought and although it probably has the edge for off-road, I am pretty sure that the Wee is a better bike for getting you to where you want to ride. I can see future trips to the Trans-Labrador highway, the "Trailways" in Newfoundland and maybe even the Haul Road in Alaska. Any of these (plus lots of others) require many hundreds or even thousands of highway or (secondary road) miles to get to the ultimate riding destination.

I wouldn't mind some advice on buying an off-road bike. I live in the mountains on Vancouver Island BC where I have access to loads of logging roads and trails. And, as much as I love my FJ, I don't find myself using it hop-and-stop type Sunday drives - too big and too hot. So, I started looking for a street legal bike that I could take off-road, I mean real off-road, even in the gravel pits and swamps. I have never understood the appeal of the dual purpose bikes with their utilitarian saddle boxes and their face shield size windscreens. They don't appear comfortable on the highway nor rugged or light enough to go off road. Then again, I have never ridden one save the Honda Varadero.

I could not believe how much off-road bikes cost! A couple of people have recommended I look at either a DRZ 400 or 650 or Honda XL 650. Never ridden either. I did look at new KLRs though. Not sure why a new KLR is cheaper than a 2 or 3 year old DRZ or XL. What are you thoughts for off-roading with a KLR. How to V-stroms measure up comparatively?

 

[FJRay]

The KLR is a pretty good universal urban assault club that doesn't do anything perfect but does most things really well. There is a shit ton of aftermarket support to make the KLR do anything you want. It will buzz along at reasonable hiway speed and bounce along in the dirt happily. It's a bit heavy for nasty dirt work but with good tires it will do. The engine with just a couple upgrades it pretty bulletproof and very low maintenance. The military uses a KLR based platform that uses a diesel engine but the rest is near stock.

The best thing I did to mine was a Russell seat.

 

[Enn]

I do own both Wee '14 and FJR' 08. The Wee is for city commute and unpaved roads while I do my long trips on Feejer. This is a perfect combination, very happy with that.

If I had to choose between them, it could be, that the winner is Wee. It is just so much more versatile, very easy to ride, perfect seating position for me, amazingly plenty of power for 650 cm3, even 2-up as long as you stay within the legal speed limits here. It can be that my FJR suspension needs a bit of an upgrade, but I feel myself much more confident on stock Wee in twisties. I can easily ride some 10-15 km/h higher speeds on it in turns than on FJR. The latter just feels pretty heavy and dangerous (probably just something to do with my psyche, too much respect to its power and weight).

However, I have done many 10 000+ km trips on FJR, some of them 2 -up and for that it is of course ideal. Never let me down, very comfortable on long rides, smoothes out even the bad roads very nicely, a real luxury feel while driving. I mean it's riding comfort feels like my Audi A6, but Wee feels a bit like Toyota Corolla.

The good thing is that I can keep both

 

[BobCo]

I own an old Vee, 2003, with 81,000 miles on it. Great bike, super reliable, but with Anakee 3s on it even Nat'l. Forest roads with deep gravel are uncomfortable. I can't imagine what the outcome would be with deep sand or mud. 500 lbs. is a lot of motorcycle. That being said, if a certain young man doesn't buy the Vee, I think that I'll install some Anakee Wilds, then we''ll see.

I agree with the OP there's something to be said for having the FJR and either a Vee or a Wee. Can't have too many arrows in the quiver.

 

[puppychow]

I have an '06 Vee - for a V-twin, I love how free revving this bike is, and how high the revs are sustainable without even feeling them, and how fast I am going without even realizing it, which however, could spell trouble with LEOs.

The FJR on the other hand is quicker off zero, and the passing power is unsurpassed, however, when I work the FJR hard, at speed, I can feel the engine working, and it keeps me mindful of it. The only time I feel/dislike the Vee engine is at slow speed maneuvers where the tall 2nd gear feels toothless, which is not to my liking.

Other reasons are how the excellent brakes on the FJR make you feel spoiled, Vee brakes feel insufficient, but are improved with steel braided brake lines.

My fuel mileage is also worse on the Vee, approximately 35 mpg, probably because I am rev happy with it, and I maybe slightly faster on it than the FJR, but a fuel range of < 175 miles, can suck when the FJR is ~220 miles.

 

[bigjohnsd]

I went through similar machinations when looking for a second bike to complement my FJR.

I settled on a Wee, going to pick it up next Monday in Phoenix.

A '14 Adventure model, looking forward to riding it the next couple weeks up in the PNW while we are in Portland, then taking it on the USFS roads here in the Black Hills.

I need a bigger garage or for my daughter to buy a damn house so I can get my third stall back

 

[JamesW]

Have a 2014 big V and 0-60mph is a startling 3.02 and the weight is 504lbs plus bags and tiny fairing. No offroading planned other than maintained gravel here and there, the 19inch front wheel is superb on twisty curvy roads. Next set of tires may be pr4s. My 2013 fjr is outstanding for long way in a hurry stuff. Between the two I see no new bikes in my future.

 

[FJRBandit]

There have been a few comments regarding the KLR in this thread. i previously owned a KLR and kept it less than 6 mos. It just felt like a slow machine and didn't meet my needs. Although it too is a 650, the single cylinder of the KLR is no match for the Wee V-twin. The power between the two bikes is literally night and day. I once rode with some guys on R-1's who weren't familiar with the V-strom's power and they were amazed at how that little bike will go. Also keep in mind that the V-strom is fuel injected whereas the KLR is carbureted and all the fun that can offer at times.

Now, if you are leaning more towards true dirt with some distance riding, the KLR might be the direction to go. But if you are more of an occasional fire road, dirt/gravel rider, nothing too extreme, that could still tour right along side the FJR if you wanted, have a blast in the twisties and a near perfect commuter, then the Wee is the way to go. Mine is set up for the Prudhoe Bay ride and all that would entail, and just itching for the chance to go someday!

 

[Big Sky]

I have an FJR and the DL 1000 man-Strom but also test-rode a 650 Wee. You know what the FJR will do: about anything, even good maintained gravel. The Stroms are 80/20 bikes in my opinion - biased 80 percent paved/20 percent unpaved - which is why I have 80/20 tires on mine. With more aggressive tires - say 50/50 or 20/80 - the Stroms would be much more worthy on unmaintained roads, i.e. loose sand, rocky surface, ruts, mud, etc. though still too heavy to be ideal. I'd like a 50/50 tire if I did more off-pavement work on the Strom, but I think that would compromise its sport applications. I've got 26k miles on it and probably about 2,500-3,000 off pavement. As it is, I'll use it on maintained gravel only. I chose the big Strom over the smaller because we are almost always two-up with saddle bags, tail bag and tank bag, and the extra ponies are nice in passing situations or steep mountain grades. If I soloed more, I would have opted for the Wee because of its lighter weight and enhanced flickability (cheaper would be a bonus). Either Strom, though, makes for a decent adventure-touring bike or sport-touring and represent a pretty good value. They are great fun in the mountain twisties and I have touched pavement feelers when the going gets fun. The suspensions are quite basic with little adjustability but are nevertheless nicely calibrated. Engines and transmissions, as you'd expect from Suzuki, are near bullet proof.

By the way, I geared the Strom down about 12 percent so it cruises in a sweeter spot 4,500-5,000 RPM. Nor does it like lugging.

 

[bigjohnsd]

Big Sky, what did you do on the gearing, drop one tooth on the drive and a couple on the driven ?

 

[puppychow]

17/43 or 16/43 is what many on stromtroopers are running, from what I read.. 17/41 is stock for the Vee. I am still running stock - might try gearing it down sometime.

 

[900gc]

I gave a KLR a lot of thought and although it probably has the edge for off-road, I am pretty sure that the Wee is a better bike for getting you to where you want to ride. I can see future trips to the Trans-Labrador highway, the "Trailways" in Newfoundland and maybe even the Haul Road in Alaska. Any of these (plus lots of others) require many hundreds or even thousands of highway or (secondary road) miles to get to the ultimate riding destination.

I wouldn't mind some advice on buying an off-road bike. I live in the mountains on Vancouver Island BC where I have access to loads of logging roads and trails. And, as much as I love my FJ, I don't find myself using it hop-and-stop type Sunday drives - too big and too hot. So, I started looking for a street legal bike that I could take off-road, I mean real off-road, even in the gravel pits and swamps. I have never understood the appeal of the dual purpose bikes with their utilitarian saddle boxes and their face shield size windscreens. They don't appear comfortable on the highway nor rugged or light enough to go off road. Then again, I have never ridden one save the Honda Varadero.

I could not believe how much off-road bikes cost! A couple of people have recommended I look at either a DRZ 400 or 650 or Honda XL 650. Never ridden either. I did look at new KLRs though. Not sure why a new KLR is cheaper than a 2 or 3 year old DRZ or XL. What are you thoughts for off-roading with a KLR. How to V-stroms measure up comparatively?

I have a Suzuki DR650, better off road than the KLR (lighter, handles better, peppier engine) and with a little aftermarket help (seat!, small shield) pretty close for on road comfort (but still sportier!) I considered most of these you mentioned and figured for my intents, the big DR was the sweet spot. I did try some real technical rocky trails once that were more suited for a light 125 woods bike but it was quite a workout! I'm lovin' the DR and have a huge blast riding it on the street, dirt/gravel roads and trails.

 

[FJRBandit]

Big Sky, what did you do on the gearing, drop one tooth on the drive and a couple on the driven ?

bigjohn, I went to the 17/43 set up on my Vee, as it loped too much between 1st and 2nd. Made a huge improvement off road especially. However, the OD gear is essentially neutered. But I don't care, don't have to even downshift to pass at highway speeds now.

As for the Wee, never had any need to change sprocket sizes. It seems to be geared just right in all ranges low to high speed.

 

[Big Sky]

John, too long ago to remember, but I'm betting 17/43. When I test rode the Wee - Rattlesnake Grade south of Clarkston, WA...WOOHOO! - I rode it more in sport mode and liked the factory gearing. On the big Strom, the engine was not happy cruising at 4k or less. It is now smoother and just a tad snappier.