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Transalp or Vstrom?
hello everybodi, just subscribed here
I am italian and live in Roma I have this question keeping on my mind since few week Since the day where my bike was stolen It was a Honda Dominator Great bike. I made a few big trip with it From Italy To turkey, then another trip to Armenia, and last trip to Iran I had little problem with my bike but every time easily solved even in condition af difficult, just because that bike was easy to mantain! Now i am to choose another one And i am doubtfully between VStrom And Transalp(2002.2007 model) I use the bike everyday in traffic of big town, for this they both similar i suppose Often i do medium distance trip on the weekend, and for it probabily better Strom My big doubt when thinking to big trip Don't know when, may be in 2, or 3 year tiem i will want to ride to MOngolia Now, there are point The ability to face dirty road. I don't like to go to dirty road, but sometimes in big trip like this i MUST, no choice. And anyway i do that carefully and slow LAst but not least. Reliability I know TA much easier to fix in any circumstance and that would be a pro I don't know much about Strom, for sure it is not so easy, but for what i read it look like a bike whi never break down! To tell it all....i have a sensation that TA would be better for all, but in certain way Strom is more exciting to me and would like to have advice that i could do all with that.... anyway i must try to follow what is my need at time of choice! So that is an overview of my doubt, i'd like to share with you suggestion, advice and whatever will be worthy to be considered! Thanks a lot Stefano |
superbike wanted
Hi Stefano,
Welcome first of all and always stay upright. I would go for the Suzuki, got a much better range than the Honda. Both bikes are very reliable, therefor you can't go wrong.Take them for a test ride and make up your mind. Good luck. Cheers Rusty |
Sorry, but what models do you mean exactly?
The good old Tranny´s been around for ages, in 600, 650 carb´d, and now as a 700 EFI-version. There are a few other differences between those models, too. And Suzuki DL came out in 2002 (as a 1000cc version), while the 650 was introduced for 2004. And then the 650 had a few technical changes for 2007. (All bikes/versions mentioned above, though they may not all be equal in every way, have been used for long trips and even RTW-tours). |
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for the strom, actually i don't know the differences, but in the 2 hand market i am looking from 2005 and on models. don't know if one is bettere than other and why i know that older model have carburator, and that for maintenance could be better? |
DL650/1000 has always had injection.
Transalp 600/650 had carbs, and the newest 700 version is injected. DL650 has always had a bit more punch than the Transalp, even if compared to the 700. But the Honda is a great bike, too. Unless you are very familiar on maintenance & working on carbs, I´d say then go for EFI, it works really well these days, and has clear advantages over carbs, too. (...But whether it is carbs or EFI, wouldn´t be my decisive factor, as you can make equally big trips on both). |
ok i made confusion, itr was not injection-carburettor difference but the 1 ore 2 spark model, talking about strom.
The point is the answer to the classical question would people go thru remote country with strom? i know they woul do that with ta Talking about fact, i am not skilled in doing maintennace, can do simple things, sometimes if with no other choiche try do do more but anyway no so skilled So whern i talk about reliabity when travelling in remote country i ll always mean that i am supposed to find someone with skill to do those maintenance. Again for what i know in remote country they may be able to do everything even without spare or special means when talking about pure mechanic Don't know if they could do the same when it comes to electronic On the other hand it is also true that bewer machine as strom is, may guarantee a long usage without any breakdown, or at least is what i am trying to understand and what i am expecting Also one thing i consideder is how the bike would react to poor petrol you find in some remote country Eventually i must consider that i will use he bike every fay of the year in normal condition, traffic city, short trip in weekend,..or even holiday but not always in diffcult country a trip to a remote country would be once in 2,3 year i might say so i also want to consider that these part for important that could be will not be the main of the whole question i might say, i just need a little assurance that strom would let me try do do those trip if and when i will consider the whole question |
Well, the fuel injection is a bonus if you want hassle free riding. Especially in mountainous areas. With carbs, they will need to have jets changed at some stage, weras the FI looks after the mixture for you.
I personally have ridden the strom through deserts and it is also a great commuting bike, and I have never changed the sprocket ratios either. If I was to mainly do road riding, then I would change the gearing to suit better economy. After 2007 the Strom has four spark plugs, and of course the later versions have ABS braking, which is a bonus. I may be a bit biased, but the strom is my choice :) If you like, you can see where I hav taken my strom, check out my blog page Cheers TravellingStrom |
I have 2005 dl650 got it new and put on around 30,000 miles 48,300 or so kilometers on it. I have put new tires, oil, oil filter, brake pads, brake fluid spark plugs, and air filter in it and that is it. Tomorrow I go for another 5,000 mile + (8,000 k) trip, 2 weeks off is not normal for the USA (or me) so I do not know what to do. Bike will have 300lbs to 350 (136kg to 158kg) load on it same as it has on most of my trips.
Most of what I have done most is from home to work. It has been to Canada and Mexico. I have been to 11,000 or so feet (3,000 meters) to sea level. From snow to 120F (48c) I have had it up to 104mph (160kph) It is a fine bike. It will serve you well. If your Transalp brakes down unless you can fix it you will be still pushing it. The weestrom has FI after that the parts of the bike are close. Can you fix a carberator if not may want to go with FI. What will brake on the bike? the chain the tires filters brakes hoses and cables anything plastic All things you need to replace any way before you go on your big trip. Join the collective resistance is futile. Stromtrooper Forum : Suzuki V-Strom Motorcycle Forums V-Strom Riders International Group |
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yes i agree with the list of component you did, that was also my experience in my travels, chain, tires brakes..and spare things Of course the focus wwe are doing on efi or carb it's just an example for everything that means differences in electronic or mechanich. At least for me, it's not the carb the problema, but the general overview when thinking to a more electronic fitted bike or not. I say you blog TRAVELSTROM Nice trip, i can see it's very capable! By the way today i saw Kawasaky Versys, that was beetwen my choice at the beginning. I left it cause it seemed not so all ound oriented, and now i saw it for the first time i confirm this impression Though it's a nice bike, i like it Any advice about it? |
Not familiar with that Honda model but I have a v strom...great bike, you won't go wrong with it.
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Hi
Strom is nice,reliable bike.It can do almost everything you want as long as you stick to "normal" roads .When you say Mongolia I would say (old) TA/AT.Can you imagine loaded Strom in mud of Mongolia?And then don't forget about tires.On roads of heaven choice of tires is often more important then choice of bike. I can imagine someone on TA/AT with MT21/E09/..in the middle of Mongolia or Stans but not on Strom. OK you can put knobby tires on Strom,but what about spokes,suspension travel ..? Have a great time |
I have no personal experience with either of these highly reputable models but, for what it's worth, I've just spent some time in France (including Corsica, a very popular destination for bikes) where Transalps appeared to outnumber Vstroms by a wide margin. So, if you believe that the marketplace has something useful to say this might tell you something. Of course, it might have to do with the fact that the Transalp was in that market before the Suzuki's arrived.
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Although biking for barnardo's guys (Biking for Barnardo's - Our Bikes) did rtw on Vstroms including Mongolia and Chita-Vladivostok part of Siberia (where people usually hop on the train) on street tires, I wouldn't set on those roads on a strom unless you're masochistic. Have you looked at the these threads:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...r-2-year-58792 http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...strom-gt-58693 markharf summed it up for me: "I've got a KLR and a DL 650. The KLR has 95,000 miles on five continents; the DL has 9,000 miles on one continent (North America, in fact, and all of them fairly close to home)." I ended up selling my vstrom to get a simplier, lighter, 21inch front thumper for a planned 2 year trip to South America. Also, when people talk about FI, nobody mentions the fuel pump + bad gas combination. I had fuel pumps go bad (no on the strom though) due to water in the gas. I don't know how easy it is to order a fuel pump in the remote areas. |
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To be honest, I don´t see how the Transalp, in the end, is really any more of an off-road bike, than a V-Strom is. Yep, the older models had a 21 inch front, but that´s about it, and both these machines weigh roughly the same. A good rider can get just about equally far with them on bad terrain... and a bad one won´t get anywhere, cos they´re almost 100 kilos too heavy, and their weight distribution isnt that great either!! I´ve actually owned 5 (yes, five!) XRV750 AfricaTwins in the past, and there´s a bike, that just might be a tiny bit more offroad-worthy than a DL650. Even though it´s very heavy too. XL600/650 always was like its street-oriented little sister (and the newest XL700 has even dumped that 21 inch front for a 19´´). Where the DL650 beats the Transalp in my book (...and now compared to the current 700 EFI version, which has improved from both 600 and 650 versions): about 10 hp more power, lower consumption & bigger tank (=better range), better headlights, better wind protection (well, for me anyway, and got sort of similar report from the missus at the back), a bit more space for two, better rideability 2-up fully-loaded (some may find it strange, but the DL650 actually beats both XL700 and the AfricaTwin on this – have a look at these bikes frame design, and you may get a clue, why that is!), and better handling on tarmac (though the XL700 gets pretty close). And I also consider tubeless tyres a plus on a long tour (all Transalp versions use tube type rims). Both bikes have proven to be as bulletproof as they get, so that one´s a draw. Now don´t get me wrong, I like the Transalp, too, and it´s a very capable bike for long tours. And differences aren´t huge, so in the end you´ll need to go test ride them both, and see which one feels better for YOU. |
You takes your choice
Stefan, I have an 05 650 Transalp which is perfect for me. It is heavy and it is not the off road bike that the advertising blurb makes it out to be but I can live with it for the travel I want to do and have done. My mate has an 04 650 Vstrom. His bike is faster and has a much better fuel consumption than mine. We recntly came back from the Hubb in Cheddar. On the way I filled up twice, he didnt. I also put more fuel in than he did on the way back. He was able to accelerate faster than me when overtaking was required.
I suspect that my bike would be better off road than his but he is a better rider than I am and would probably be able to take his Vstrom into places I could not take the Transalp. If you are staying on tarmac for most of the time, my advice would be to get the Vstrom. If you are going to do 30% off road and 70% tarmac get the Transalp. Hope this helps. GM |
ok mates!
i am reading with lot of interest each contribuite of you today i have tried a ta..a part of the sound of the engine that i found it like crying(that's only because i am used to my dominator , my first and only bike till now):cool4: i have the feeling that it is very very similar to a strom, yes the front wheel is bigger...but how much is the difference to the strom one? at feeling i rather get strom, no doubt but still the only and one thinking i will want try to go to mongolia sooner or later... for what i understand, the real difference will be with another bike (my old dominator would do that much better for sure..though struggling for 80% of the rest of the trip if compared to strom or ta), but i start to imagine that both ta and strom behave similar in such a "stan" condition am i wrong? may be i should start to think that when the day for mongolia come, i could get a bike just for the puropouse...with no much money... anyway that will not be a cheap trip! |
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Good luck! |
Hi Stefano:
LAte for work so I haven't read all the responses! I have a TA600: great bike and my Dad has the TA700: also great bike, but more for road. Can give reeeeallly good fuel economy if ridden reasonably (3.7 litres to the 100km for the 700 is possible, my best is about 4 litres to the 100km on the 600) If you were choosing a TA600 or 700, it might have been a bit more complicated for me to advise, but here I say go for the Suzuki: -Lighter (I think), -better fuel economy, -better power, -good headlights -and good comfort (I think, again!). The only clear advantage the TA has over the DL is the 21 inch front wheel making the dreaded off-roading a bit easier to manage. But that doesn't mean the DL is bad off-road. Many say it is fine. Also the TA600 manual says 8000miles (13000km) between oil changes!! Personally I change it every 4000 miles (6000km) but if the 650 is the same, it could give you more plexibility in reaching garages on your trip... Either way, enjoy your trip!! |
I would not ride 12-13 thousand kms on same engine oils, especially if it is mineral oil. Even with fully synthetic, I think I´d change at 10 thousand (for my own piece of mind, if not for anything else). Cost isn´t really the issue here – but getting proper type of oil may be in some regions of the world. And if using something that´s "close enough", I´d change even more regularly.
BTW, the V-Strom needs to have its valve clearances checked at 24 thousand kms, and the adjustment is with tappet shims (in fact they usually do not need to be adjusted, just checked)...... do I remember correctly, that the Transalp (at least 600&650) had screw-type adjustments, like the Africa twin certainly had, and they´ll be checked every 12 thousand kms? |
I can't comment on long-distance reliability etc. - I simply do not have experience some great travelers here have. I never been to Mongolia, but similar places and not on bike.
But I can comment on "working on bikes" (I am "hobby mechanic" and my friends with their bikes abuse that :)) I worked on 3 transalps (600, 600, 650) and 1 Vstrom 650 post-2007 model, can't recall exact year. I also did a bit of "bolt on" work on TA700 and test rode it. I wouldn't say that Transalp is easier to work on than Vstrom. It's quite densely "stuffed" around engine, there is some questionable components locations, it's not light on amount of wiring, it has plenty of plastics (just like Vstrom)... Vstrom are tad easier, because of fuel injection takes less place and cylinders are 90 degrees and overall it is a bit more...spacious and simpler built than TA. TA engine thou is silky smooth and reliable, but Vstrom 90 degrees twin definitely packs more punch. As for TA700 - I know some people will not like me for saying that :) but I hate it. For me it is symbol of Honda turning into different kind of bike maker. It's INCREDIBLY heavy for what it is, it does all average and it is nightmare to work on. I prefer old 600 for that matter. However, for dirt run through Mongolia I would never take any of those but rather simple DR650 or Tenere 660 or (in my case) my modified DR800. Then Transalp 600 (because it's cheap) and then Vstrom 650 because it is brilliant all-rounder, thou heavy (partially can be fixed by ditching stock exhaust system). |
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But it is heavy as you said...... and I must admit, I found it kinda surprising, that when it came out, it was already behind the DL650 in some key areas mentioned before. And nevermind the DL – now the buyers also have BMW 650/800GS and Triumph Tiger to choose from. At least in my country, the XL700V and 650GS (800cc) ABS-versions cost exactly the same. Still, I´m even more baffled at Honda´s decision to not update the Africa Twin and just plain quit such a great bike! |
well... if you ask me great art of monster trailies got lost after "speculate on dakar wave" ended after AT, S10, DR800, Elephant etc. I'd love to see my DR800 contemporary version (alike Tenere 660 2008 model) - with injection, better suspension and brakes etc.
So I build one for myself..except injection. I see no bike on market to change it to...unless Morini Granpasso/Granferro will be revived in big-scale manufacturer with good dealer network etc. |
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I would not hesitate to take a Transalp for what you ask of it. It is very capable and would be a very good choice for Adventure travelling. The xtra power of the V- Strom is not needed, Transalps have legenderay reliability and I would start to look at the lower sides of both bikes, ie where the engine protection is.. How about that oil cooler placed right behind the front wheel? Good placement? stones and dirt coming off the front wheel will hit straight on. V-Stroms are road bikes with tyre sizes and wheels meant for paved roads. Transalps are more adapted to light offroad and dirt roads. Ive ridden my 600 all over, race track, motorways, 2 up, Europe, dirt roads, river crossings, sand, cross tracks, jumps... It never missed a beat even though it was punished way beyond what it was meant to cope with. Spoked wheels are better for that, 21" front wheel is superior when the going gets tougher, rolls smoother on bad surfaced roads, Suspension travel is longer... Ive had a 600 TA since 1995 and know these bikes extremely good. I have many friends with Africa Twins, Transalps, KTMs, GS's. And I do own a Transalp 700 too which I am going to ride through Europe and in Morocco in October. Would have preffered the 700 for on road stuff and the 600 on dirt roads and sand in Morocco, the 700 feels heavy compared to the 600, but is fantastic fun on alpine roads and can be ridden all day, great saddle and riding position. Go and ride them all and pick the one you like best. |
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BTW, the Transalp has a plastic engine "protector" as stock, if I remember correctly (well, at least the 700cc has, and on top of that, there are holes, that leave the exhaust pipes fully exposed). So a proper bashplate will be on your shopping list, no matter which one of these you buy. I agree you don´t need a lot of power to go RTW... but if comparing the old XL600 to the DL650, then the difference is really quite big, probably closer to 20 HP. Especially if you´ll plan to do the big highways a lot, and have a lot of weight on board, the 600 will feel exhausted a lot sooner. Depends on where and how you plan to travel, of course. The Transalp might be a tiny bit better for off-road, but the difference isn´t huge, and they´re both heavy bikes. Also keep in mind, even though they have a good reputation, the 600-version is gaining age, and newest ones are over 10 years old. And for me, tubeless is the way to go on a long trip, where you ride mostly on roads. Not sure, if I really miss tightening and replacing the spokes on wheels, either (...though they look way cooler!) |
+1 on the tubeless, nothing worse than a blowout with a tubed tyre. I have had a few punctures on the Vstrom front wheel, each time I felt it go soft and had time to pull over and do the repairs at my leisure.
As for the oil filter down low, use a bash plate m8 and a cheap radiator cover, all these things are needed for them off road adventures and are easy addons. Never leave home without them, same with hand guards, good ones protect the levers, it all helps the journey even if it all adds that extra weight to already heavy beasts. |
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