Which year model is the DL650 you tested? 2012 looks and feels quite a bit different (more agile, better stock suspension, or at least damping setup) from previous version.

And if it had the crappy Bridgestone TrailWings that I believe are its OEM tyres at least in Europe (actually in every model since 2004), then it will feel much better everywhere, when you put more modern rubber on it. For someone, who comes from a sportsbike, a fork brace might also be a nice investment, makes it less prone to sidewind and steering feeling more precise.

Even a Harley can feel light and flickable until it's on it's side on a muddy track or when you're trying to push it fully loaded around a cramped hostel gravel car park etc etc.

Test rode a xt660z today.......my god the vibrations! seriously only took it for a spin round a largish carpark and thought i was being electricuted, great cure for constipation i would imagine!.

really like the look and feel of the bike, but if ivibrates like that at low speeds, what in gods name is it like when you get up to motorway speeds?

hahah oh boy !!

That's probably one of the smoothest less vibey Single Cylinder bikes on the market..

Go and try a KTM 640 or a XR650 etc

:Beach:

Currently 2,500 Kms into my round the world trip on a TT600RE..... oh how much do I regret getting rid of my Wee Strom ????


Every second of the day !!!!!! I hate this bike I am on !! soooo vibby I feel I have no hands by the end of the day.. and the seat!!! despite inserting a gel pad and using a sheepskin... my butt just hurts all day long... on a positive note.. the bike is so easy to ride standing up it helps with my butt lol

Cheers
Geordie aka Will

well thats a bummer! you'll get used to it though, i used to tour on an old xt 500 single and yea to start with youd wonder what in gods name your doing but once the scenery changes a few times it becomes less about the bike and much more about the journey. infact same could be said for pushbikes or walking, its all just a means to an ends.

having said that...... what made you change your bike for the trip geordie, i'd be interested to know your thinking there.

problem i'm having is second hand values, of the two bikes i'd really go for (f800gs/ tiger 800xc) neither have been around long enough to have depreciated much. I loved the dl650 motor, but it does seem so utterly road orientated, really think suzuki have missed a trick there. Maybe i could get a scrap wee motor and retro fit it into dr650 frame. that would do it for me, a crosser with a smooth powerful v twin

If I can sort out the handlebar vibrations I will be happy ish !

The numb bum I will learn to live with.

The reason for the change of bike.... rougher roads thru Russia.... I will be kicking myself, if by the time I have crossed Russia, I am thinking I could have done this on the Wee !!!

I miss the smoothness of the Vstrom... must be a V twin thing :thumbup1:

Cheers
Geordie aka Will

Good luck geordie! Keep us posted it would be interestinmg to hear how you get on on the single in comparison to how you think the wee would have done? I know 2 lads did a rtw on wee's not so long ago but the consensus from them was thay would have prefered smaller bikes.

like i say it would be nice to chop the motor out of a wee and stick it in something more dirt orientated, best of both worlds. Its not like the wee engine is heavy its the oversize of the rest of the bike that makes it so big. there is a lad somewhere ont interweb swapping the front end from a ktm (cant remember what type) onto a wee i'll see if i can find the link.

People go RTW on streetbikes. The Wee is much more capable on bad roads than your average streetbike, the wheels aren´t made of cheese, even if spokes could be better (but I still prefer tubeless), and it is much easier to find the bashplates, crashbars etc., that it´ll need, cheaply and off-the-shelf. (But I´m not saying that a streetbike, or a Wee, would be the best choice for everyone – as mentioned before, that depends on the rider and the trip!)

Bike
 

I ride a F650 gs twin on my RTW, I have ridden down thru Africa over the old Mayole road etc. To this point the bike has been flawless and extremely comfortable,:thumbup1: however I did invest in a Corbin seat which I recommend if you are 2 up.:thumbup1: I have owned a DL 650 as well and it is an extremely good reliable bike, but not the one for me as it was just to big and heavy. I am a relatively sedate rider (well my wife riding behind me may have something to do with that:innocent:) who users a bike as a means of travel, however when I see the guys on the DRs & XTs etc. they tend to ride these bikes a little harder (well alot actually) & I do admire there passion for riding.:thumbup1: So I really think you first should determine what kinda rider you are and get a bike that suits you !! I will eventually do the west coast of Africa on my own (wife does not want to do this side:() so I won't take the BMW twin, I'll be taking a DR650 because it will be aggressive riding at my choice. Just for the record my wife as a F650gs single & is fun to ride, but 2up it would be a nightmare not to mention very uncomfy:(
Cheers
Paul

Picked up an 07 strom last week. been doing short trips and so far so good. took a bit of time to get used to a diferent rev and power range (i kept ringing its neck like a sports bike). now ive sussed were the torque is at i'm really enjoying it.

I would swap my granny for my old strom right now !!! getting to like the TT600 but the vibes are still there!!
Miss the smoothness of the strom.... good luck with yours

Cheers
Geordie aka Will

Have you got weights on the bars geordie? They can make a hell of a diference. Its amazing how much of your experience with a bike is down to what you are used too. I'm loving the strom on windy a roads and single tracks, but duel carriage ways very dull and it feels like im ringing it at anything over 80. but then thats just me being used to twice the horse power which was great on fast roads but always threatend to lauch you into the hedge on the windy back ones.

out of interest have you covered any roads in your trip yet that you would not have taken the strom on?

Chain needs adjusting and you need to rev it a little, that's all. Great travel bikes.

I test rode a G650GS the other day just as a comparator and couldn't believe what a piece of shit it was compared to the Yamaha. Also tried the F800GS - the ride was great but the reliability sucks....

The Tenere is fine up to about 75-80 mph, but happier at 70 mph, which is fast enough for me and the fuel economy is much better too.

I can't fault the bike actually.

So far I have not encountered any roads the wee strom would not have been able to handle!!

But that said, I am starting to bond with the TT600, though its not as comfortable as the strom!

Cheers
Geordie aka Will