mollydog, thanks for that link.. it really seems to have a lot of info!

I havent heard of any problems with subframes etc. on 650 or 1000 either, so I believe them to be relatively strong. Its just the thought of loading the bike with such huge, heavy panniers, which extend so far away from the bike, especially on exhaust side, that makes me think the subframe is going to be tested quite thoroughly. How the suspension works then, will have a direct connection to how heavily it will be stressed i think. Surely we´ll go slow with that load, but still I think were going to hit some pretty big bumps sometimes.

I would actually use soft bags because of light weight and be able to get them closer to the subframe, but I guess there could be other problems with them.

Do you, by the way, ride on stock suspension & springs on your 1000, on trips that you have described? I hear theres a couple who went to India with a DL1000, and I believe they changed something in that department before setting off, and highly recommended doing so, if going heavily loaded. Not able to compare the 650 and 1000, though, because of their weight difference, and the suspension on 1000 is better, with more adjustments anyway.

Makes me think that if the 1000 could happily use some enhancements, then the 650 would need them even more as its suspension is on the cheaper side overall.