WeeStrom or VStrom?

[Fred W]

OK. More questions. I'm gonna asume that motor is almost indestructable, but. How old is too old with this bike, and what problems should a guy look for. The wee, that is.

The Vee has only been around since 2002, but in '04 (K4 in 'strom parlance) they made a few changes that are worth having.

Redesigned instrument cluster. Upgrade 16-bit to 32-bit ECU, some sensors changed. New turn signals, 20 watt without reflector compared with earlier 10 watt. Belly pan redesigned. Stronger hand guards attached to end of handlebar. New adjustable windscreen design. Left handlebar switch incorporates flash-to-pass & emergency blinkers (EU models already had this). Stronger handlebars. Revised Mirrors for less mirror breakage
It appears that the DL1000 was discontinued in 2010. The Wee was first introduced in '04 (so has all of the above goodies) and is still available today as an ABS only model in the US. So, neither bike has been around all that long. You're pretty unlikely to find one that is worn out.

 

[Checkswrecks]

No, the FJR will always be in the garage. I'm looking for some light off road, dirt road. Maybe a trip to the great north.

We bought the Wee and haven't looked back. The 50-60 pounds of the V is higher and you really feel it, so based on this response of yours, I'd buy the Wee again. Once you get the windshield sorted to cure the helmet buffett the Wee is a no-hassle bike that is just simple and goes. The old KLR is still my poke around town errand bike but it's up for sale, as the Wee does most of what it does and does it better. At least it does when I can sneak it away from my son.

btw - There are some smoking good deals on relatively new Kawi Versys out there. Set them up with better tires and raise the suspension and they do the single person offroad bit slightly better than the Wee. The downside is the small 17" diameter front wheel, but people've found others that can be swapped in. It is definitely not as roomy as the Wee if you need to carry bags and passengers a lot.

 

[MojaveFJR]

And that dirtnap is why I went with a KTM 690R. Gotta figure out if you want a dirtbike that can go on the road or a road bike that can go off pavement. Had a GS 1200R, what a pig off the pavement. Wouldn't even think about taking it where the wee is taking a dirtnap. Now, the KTM, BRING IT! Nothing like a 100 mph dirtbike!

That is what prompted the question. I would think the wee lighter for off road, yet the 1000 better on the long haul. I've also been considering a bmw gs 650 or a klr. All have plenty of farkles available and can be found used for a lot less than what the stealers want.

Then I saw the ad for the Tiger cub. Hmmmmmmm.

STAY AWAY FROM THE BMW 650! Its a dawg. Even my wife says, "Must be why most of the BMW adds show WOMEN on them". Total girls bike. Thing is heavy compared to the 690, low to the ground and I don't care what BMW says, that is not an off road worth suspension. I take the wife's gs off road occasionall to exercise the suspension fully and I cannot tell you how I want to get off that thing. Wide seat, can move around, skinny foot pegs, UMMMM DIRT BOOTS BMW HELLO!

Couple of KLR riders out there, they seem to like them. Most get the front forks resprung as they say they are too soft and slow for off road riding.

Go to your local dealer that supports these platforms and sit on them all and see which one feels right. As another posts suggest maybe the 800 gs is the right ticket for you. Good dirt platform, good highway manners.

Whatever you do, don't take a 690R for a test spin. You WILL walk out of the dealership with a new motorcycle. An item to keep in mind is that the 690 can have panniers bolted to it but the sub-frame is not really built for it. The 690R, to me, is an open desert racer, this thing will move acrossed the desert fire roads. It also doesn't do well in tight spots, such as wooded trails. This is due to the thick gooseneck region and steering stops. Since we don't have much woods out here, not an issue for me.

apologize for the ramblings but I made a huge mistake by thinking I wanted a R1200 GS. Once I got the bike and found its limitations to be too limiting, I sold it, got the 690R and have been grinning ever since. I wanted a dirt bike that was road legal to hop from riding area to riding area as out here we have many BLM sites that are connected by highways. Now I just pop in and out at will. Not only that, going down a fire road I don't get hassled by the man anymore.