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Transalp v 650 V-Strom
Hi,
Does anyone have a strong opinion on either of these two bikes? I'm looking for a bike to do the Asia-Europe trip through Pakistan and Iran, 1-up. One of the major differences is carb vs EFI. Is one preferable over the other when you are out in the stix? Is there anything else I should be thinking about? Wire spokes vs cast alloy? Range of accessories? Any opinions appreciated. Thanks, Nick |
Both will do the job. Indeed, a Goldwing would be fine.
Transalp is a bit better on bad-roads/tracks, but this route is wholly tarmac road. Having ridden one of them on the route, I know it to be tough and reliable. It used to be the case that EFI was considered less good for overlanding - hard to repair if it goes wrong, parts not available. It's not said so much now - things are much improved. And fuel injection is nice at altitude. Have a look here for various reports: http://www.adventure-motorcycling.com/trip/index.htm And, of course, there are loads of experiences on this site. Any reason you are not going for a single? Simon |
Thanks Simon.
That's an interesting link. Haven't seen it before. I have a single at the moment. I haven't exactly ruled one out, but I would prefer a twin for smoothness and reliability. Singles are fun though! |
Hello.
I´m from Portugal and have owned a Transalp for slightly over a year now, bought it new. As expected it doesn´t have any problems at 10000 miles. I don´t abuse it on the road, don´t rev it hard, but do like to try some tracks, and things do get hairy sometimes. It´s not an offroad bike, but you know that already. I have added a Givi crash bar that made it more resistant, I had a series of tumbles on a steep rocky climb two weeks ago, on of which made her slide for a few meters and it didn´t fare too badly, scratched bars and a couple of scratches on the fairing, held better than I thought it would. First gear is too tall for trail use, and a bigger front sprocket is important not to abuse the clutch, I didn´t change mine not to overstress the engine at motorway speeds. If you´re planning on touring two up, you´ll probably find the Strom´s extra power a benefict, along with it´s lower fuel consumption. The Transalp starts to drink a bit more at sustained high speeds or if loaded up. However, it´s a very relaxed engine, a pleasure to ride around on, encouraging you to take in the sights. I have heard of a few people having problems with the Strom´s turbulence behind the screen, so a high speed test might be usefull, it obviously isn´t the same for all riders, although it´s said to be a lot comfier than the Transalp regarding the passenger seat and body position. I never rode a Strom, but my evaluation is this, regarding what you might consider more or less important: - Reliability and sturdiness: choose the Transalp - Fuel economy and power: Strom - Off tarmac handling: Transalp - Road handling: Strom (from what I´ve been told a few times) One other (uncalled) advice is: if you´re going to tour two up for a long time, maybe the best choice would be to arrange for a ride on each one, along with your wife/girlfriend, and let her decide, lots of points earned right there, hehehe |
so, back to the point of which mid size motorcycle, the strom is coming first.
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I am on the Europe to Australia route right now, two up on a Transalp and I think that Simon hit the nail on the head. The Transalp is a very, very reliable bike and comfortable in a lot of conditions. And its a great two up bike.
But the TA's heavy and so is the V-Strom. Fine for two up, but for solo, I think its a bit big for the Europe to Asia route. You will have a lot more fun on a lighter single, as it will be much easier on the rough stuff and you will have more confidence off the beaten path. You will have no idea how big your bike is until you ride in a developing country... ------------------ Dave www.mototrekker.com |
Thanks for the info Pedro. That confirms what I had already heard. I think I'm leaning towards the TA at the moment. Although to be fair, I haven't ridden a V-Strom before. I might have to arrange a test ride.
David, point taken. Small bikes do have a lot going for them. I learnt to ride on dirt, so I'm not too concerned about my ability on the rough stuff. But, I'm not looking forward to tackling the traffic on any bike, let alone a tourer. Unfortunately, I'm not buying this bike for the sole purpose of traveling through Asia. It will have to do a number of jobs, one of which is cruising on the highway. Unless I can find the cash for two bikes, I'm afraid it will be a compromise. Thanks for your input though. Nick |
Nick, I have been reading your posts, and also the topic that i've started, which i appreciate your help for. I think as everybody says, there is not such perfect bike, we all have to use what we can afford, so if it means one, single 125cc bike, we have to do it with that. I like the Transalp too, i can send you the link of the guy here in brisbane that has all the touratech parts. Have you look on bikesales.com.au for a XTZ tenere? they seem to be around $5-6000 for a 96-98. Let me know.
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Thanks Daniel,
The link would be great, can you post it? I'm not quite ready to buy my new bike yet. I need to, um, liquidate a few assets... Also, check out www.bikepoint.com.au. Nick |
Hi Nick,
nice to hear from you, here is the link http://www.motorcycleadventure.com.au/ The guy told me he can order everyhting, but you need to look on the internet for the parts, he doesn't have catalogues, they are expensive, he says. ciao, FR |
AzBill,
i know that in the states you do not have the new Transalp, so, how could you compare? |
The "new" trransalp is not much substantially different from the bike imported to the US in the early 90's.
Mostly cosmetic changes with some minor upgrades here and there. Same basic engine, chassis, specs. The Vstrom 650 is streets ahead of the Transalp. Any quick test ride will verify this. It is also lighter weight than the Transalp. 415 kgs. dry vs. 420 kgs. The SV650 based motor has a fantastic relibility record, both on the street and track. This since the late 90's. The Vstrom wheels are tough as Hell. I've taken my DL1000 twice to Baja and to Copper Canyon. I've hit embedded rocks at 70 mph plus with only a minor dent to show. The DL650 of course is 40 lbs. lighter than the 1000. It feels quite small, really nodifferent than a KLR or other single. Its actually much better than you think off road. Once you acclimate to it. Ground clearance is limited though so so easy in very rough terrain. Skid plate needed. I would also fit a Wilbur's shock with added additional ride height, a linkage dogbone to raise it up a bit. Someone here even fit a 21" front wheel. In fact that bike is for sale on ADVrider. As mentioned, a sinlge on a long trip is a pain in the ass. I've ridden KLR.s, XL-R Hondas, DR650's, none can compare with the smoothness, comfort and power offered by the DL650. The Transalp is a good, solid bike but its 10 years overdue for a total remake. [This message has been edited by mollydog (edited 06 January 2006).] |
Yes, but i would never take a 420kg bike anywhere http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif
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Aw, come on Falcon Rust...you should know everything is bigger in the USA. Even Transalps!
------------------ Dave www.mototrekker.com |
I love when we all have fun.
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I'll comment as well because I also have an 05 650 VStrom. I'm heading off to SE Asia in June and I'll be selling the Strom and taking my 8 year old BMW F650. The VStrom is a much better bike on the bitumen, more power, smoother motor, better road suspension, better fuel consumption but the BM feels a lot better on dirt/rough roads. I think the BM would suffer being dropped a lot better too, plus being carbed it'll be easier to fix if something does go wrong. Now none of this helps your decision because I haven't even ridden a Transalp just throwing my 2 cents in
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Hi All,
I've got a question for all the Transalp guys: is it really suitable for a long two-up trip? In the introduction part of this website Grant Johnson says that Transalps and KLR's are "generally out", but it seems that some of you guys find it ok for two-up trips. I've got a '97 TA 600 and plan a trip with my girlfriend. I'm about a 100kg's and she's about 50-60kg's(I'm a dead man!). Do I need to make any adjustments to the suspension or anything else? We plan to stick to main roads as much as possible, but since it will be in Africa, anything is possible! Thanks, Namsa. |
Being a Transalp rider myself Mollydog, you might be surprised that I agree with your assessment:
"The Transalp is a good, solid bike but its 10 years overdue for a total remake." As a western road bike it is behind the pace. The DL will beat it on performance any day of the week. But we are talking about overlanding here. Totally different. Outside the rich world both the bikes in question are huge beasts. The criteria for an overlander are unique. Performance is near irrelevant. This is why you see so many XTs, Transalps and Africa Twins as first choices for distance. Their ease of riding, bad-road ability and reliability shine as slow tourers. NAMSA, I toured two up on a TA happily, but we are smaller than you; I needed new suspension. I would recomend a new rear spring. Most certainly for Africa. Seeing as you already have the bike, you're almost all set. If you are happy now on it two-up at 40 to 50mph, you will be happy at those speeds in Egypt. I think the TA is a near perfect two-up overlander. Bigger than you need for one, but for two, yes, the bike is a first class choice. Simon |
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Also i can say sky-high positive words about the Telelever front suspension the twin GSes have that reduces the load mass on front from my long experiences having travelled two up full of luggage on both types of front suspensions - regular forks and telelever, and without any doubt i rate the telelever over the regular "diving" forks in terms of fully loaded bike two up any day of the week. It's very sad that only few innovative motorcycle companyes (BMW, Bimota, few experimental japanese models) are producing such load-dissipating front suspension technologies commercialy that is critical if driving with huge mass loaded on the bike while around 70+% of the mass is put on the front on braking. Indeed, most of bikes sold aren't ridden like that, so most manufacturers don't see the practical market need for such technologies. ABS, shaft drive, more load-carrying (200kg load allowed for stock suspension), wide comfortible seat and better position for pillon, low centre of gravity etc are another story. So there's a clear winner for me and that's my personal opinion if it comes to two-up adnventure travelling. For soloing with less mass loaded and less power needed, i'd probably prefer some single cylinder bike like the F650GS Dakar, XR, KLR or smaller twin TransAlp like mentioned here, depending on budget. [This message has been edited by Margus (edited 07 March 2006).] |
Margus, how can you disagree with a person with first hand experinces? If a person find a bike both capable and comfortable? You do not have any experiences two up on a TA in Asia. And your "experince" with an gs650, a singel cilinder, i must say is irrelevant. A TA is probarbly stronger and faster than a GS650. I have not been two up on neither. And after all geting past is more about planning ahead than shear power. And in case you dont know gear change on a japaneese is smooth compared with the tractor like gear change on BMW ;-) so droping a gear to get past is no problem.
Frode [This message has been edited by frnas (edited 08 March 2006).] |
While the start of this thread does mention going 1 up, as opposed to two, for anyone looking at these two bikes for going two up, it may be worth noting that several bike magazines have noted that the v-strom has both some of the beast headlights (granted, you likely try to avoid going at night, but most cars can't match my v-stom lights) and also the most comfotable passenger seat this side of a touring bike. Very few bikes in the 650 range are designed to keep a passenger happy, but the v-strom bikes seem to do that quite well.
Matthew |
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Re: wrecking big twins? Point me out those cases in numbers compared with others where it has been the lack of bike's technical or driver's abilities please, other than someone else lunatic car or truck driver just kicks you out of the road, if you think you are that educated in traffic accidents, mr. Gringo? Let me put it into numbers i recorded and point out the reason why i prefer telelever above regular: the telelever (in co-operation with ABS on some cases) saved me crashing 4-5 times (!) during my 17,000 kilometre long Iran expedition. Whether it was rainy day in dense city traffic in Romania, gravel in Turkey, free sand on tarmac in Iran, couple other cases in typical asian traffic chaos. In daily communiting with the same bike (doing more than 30,000km per 6-7 month riding season with all the bikes i've owned) i've been trhough many situations as well, and i do around 30-50% of it on gravel roads. For sure you can adapt driving more slowly and carefully with regular fork equipped machine fully loaded and there are some cons for telelever as well, it isn't ideal on all conditions, but you never know what hazards are facing you and mostly they come when you don't expect them to, and there's the controlled braking that matters. So in my experiences the telelever has proved considerably more trustworthy in hazard situations (especially with the ABS) and that's my personal opinion about it based my own experiences. Those who haven't had a long mileage experiences with both suspension technologies - please don't comment, we all can speculate what ever we want. Those who have by first hand, whether they agree or disagree, would be good to hear their stories and experiences about it - maybe start another thread about it? It already out of the bounds of this thread. [This message has been edited by Margus (edited 08 March 2006).] |
Sorry guys, i'll try to keep my mouth more shut then in the future http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif, just the thread it got into two-uping, where i have FIRST HAND experiences riding both 600 class tourer and bigger bikes. Just wanted to share my opinion - as i sayed, it's my personal opinion and you don't have to agree with it automatically. Why all the hassle?[/B][/QUOTE]
Sorry, no hard feelings. I have deleted my harsh expresion in my former post. And pleas dont stop posting;-) Your read up un your Iran tour is exelent. The forum need more of this kind off post. Revealing the tru potensial of diffrent bikes. My point was/is: 1 Stick more or less to the subjekt. If the question is are a TA capable two upp bike, the answer is not no, only BMW. And that leads to number two: 2 Be les "my bike is the only one" all bikes have their positive and negative side. It is afterall a compromise. Quite a few people here on the furum needs to get their feet on the ground when praising their choice of bike. And bee more modest in their answers, espesially answering on a bike they dont have first hand experiences on. As an example a guy asked when is a xt shoot. And the answers poping up with links to 200 000 + teneres. But in my opinion none of the macines was true 200kkm macines. All had their engines opened one or seweral times and had major overhaul. These kind of answers is misleading and the person asking may make a mistake based on theese. In these internett times a feather often comes out as ten hens. example on these is BMW driveline failure. Africa Twins fuel pump, Honda rfvc heads cracking, BMW gearbox failure. Either you mean your choice of bike is the best (hopefully)or crap, bee modest in the jugdement. Frode |
I can certainly vouch for the Transalp as an excellent two-up bike, we are currently crossing Asia on one. However if you are both large people, the passenger space may be a bit cramped. For us however, there is plenty of space, I am about 155lbs and my partner is around 115lbs.
As far as the power goes, the Transalp has more than enough, even fully loaded. I have always had plenty of power for passing or sudden manouvers. Not once on our trip have I wished for more power, even in Western Europe. Bigger engine=more fuel, don't forget that... For two-up travel, the suspension should be beefed up, a stiffer rear shock is a must. Other than that, its ready to go! ------------------ Dave www.mototrekker.com |
David:, word for word what I would have written, had I your grace and concision of expression.
The two-up question is wholly one of comfort, not power or overtaking etc. The Transalp is the smallest "big" overland tourer. And small, in this world of cramped hotel entrances, single track roads and mountain passes, is beautiful. Fact is, once you go two-up, off road ability is minimal. Thus almost any bike with decent clearance will be good enough. So choose the one that 1. makes you happy, 2. won't break, and 3. doesn't cost much. With this in mind, back to ignatieff's question (you still listening to this ramble mate?): the DL is perhaps *too nice* a bike for the trip. I hope this formulation makes sense, and can be appreciated by both the DL fans and the TA riders. Simon |
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Because someone has experienced something does not automatically make their conclusions correct. Experience is highly subjective. In the past, people used to "experience" the sun going round the earth -it was obvious, wasn't it? This is not to deny "experience" but it needs to be supported. I suggest that Margus's various comments on this posting are in fact spot on, accurate and relevant, because he has offered facts to support his experiences, for us to consider and debate. I'm quite convinced now of the value and benefits of ABS and Telelever, though my bike has neither. I run an Africa Twin which I like very much, but I will be the first to say it could be regarded as underpowered. For two people, with luggage on a long trip it would not be my ideal choice, but if I had nothing else - well, that would be OK, I'd do it anyway. The AT has many other excellent qualities, so I judge the bike on a balance of good/bad points, and I find it's a good machine. And as Margus says somewhere, money is a big factor. We're actually quite lucky nowadays to have so many excellent machines to argue over - it wasn't always so! Good roads Best wishes [This message has been edited by denis brown (edited 10 March 2006).] [This message has been edited by denis brown (edited 10 March 2006).] |
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quote:</font><HR><font face="" size="2">Originally posted by frnas: Sorry, no hard feelings. I have deleted my harsh expresion in my former post. And pleas dont stop posting;-) Your read up un your Iran tour is exelent. The forum need more of this kind off post. Revealing the tru potensial of diffrent bikes. My point was/is: 1 Stick more or less to the subjekt. If the question is are a TA capable two upp bike, the answer is not no, only BMW. And that leads to number two: 2 Be les "my bike is the only one" all bikes have their positive and negative side. It is afterall a compromise. Quite a few people here on the furum needs to get their feet on the ground when praising their choice of bike. And bee more modest in their answers, espesially answering on a bike they dont have first hand experiences on. As an example a guy asked when is a xt shoot. And the answers poping up with links to 200 000 + teneres. But in my opinion none of the macines was true 200kkm macines. All had their engines opened one or seweral times and had major overhaul. These kind of answers is misleading and the person asking may make a mistake based on theese. In these internett times a feather often comes out as ten hens. example on these is BMW driveline failure. Africa Twins fuel pump, Honda rfvc heads cracking, BMW gearbox failure. Either you mean your choice of bike is the best (hopefully)or crap, bee modest in the jugdement. Frode </BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE> frnas Keep on giving your views as you like. If people (like me ) disagree, well that's OK! Discussion is good. Good roads! Denis ======================================= code in post fixed by Grant so it works [This message has been edited by Grant Johnson (edited 10 March 2006).] |
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It was more than enough for Che Guevarra... And the modern VStrom 650 is bigger than and makes more horsepower than the R100 motor ever did. It handles better and is a lot more reliable. I hear people tend to wreck those big BMW GS twins quite a bit. Do you know anything about that, Margus? [This message has been edited by Flying Gringo (edited 08 March 2006).]</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Hi Grongo You should know that Margus has not "wrecked" any big BMW twins, actually. He was attacked by a lunatic driver, and he and Kariina were lucky to escape with their lives. Quite a different situation from what your words intended. What do you do on your bike anyway? where do you go? Margus went from Estonia to Iran and back - you could ask him for advice on quality motorcycle trips - if you're nice. Best wishes Denis |
Hi-
I would like to lend my opinion, though my experience is limited. I owned a single cyclinder KLR 650 which I took on a 9-day trip to Mexico. It was light and nimble, good on rough dirt roads, easy to throw around, and no worries if you drop it. However, it was not great fun on open highway due to vibration and getting pushed around in gusts. And while it would have survived two up duty, it would be much less than ideal. I now have a V-Strom 650 which I have only ridden locally. It is much smoother at highway speeds than the KLR. It would also have ample power for two up touring. However, it has a bulky feeling due to the large plastic fairing. The wind screen turbulence is there, but not the issue many make it out to be (all bikes seem to have some "issue" which gives their owners something to fret about). I think that the V-strom is very reliable too, as are most modern vehicles. So, I would go with the V-strom provided that you don't plan to ride difficult dirt roads. The V-strom could be fitted with knobby tires, crash bars, etc., if you plan on some riding on moderate dirt roads. |
V-Strom 650 with ABS for 2007!
To start, I know little about the trans-alp. I've heard it is a solid bike and would've considered buying one if they were available here it the states.
I opted for the '05 650 v-strom (purchased new in early 2006 for a great deal of only $6000 OTD!) for my upcoming trip to South America. It is supper smooth, comfortable and handles really well. Does well, but not great on dirt/gravel roads. Then again, I am not planning on doing any real off-road on my trip. The cast wheels seem to be pretty bulletproof. I have a friend that rides his strom pretty hard on forest service roads, and he has yet to put a dent in a rim. Reliability is not an issue with these bikes. They are easy to work on, except for the "black boxes". Yes the chance of having FI problems are always possible, but not likely. Plus, if something does go wrong that you cant fix with what you have with you, you can always get it FedEx'd. The 649cc engine put out a great ratio of horsepower and low end torque. Oh and if you are not heading out right away, the 2007 V-Strom 650 will have ABS and that for only $500 more than a 2006 model! What a deal for a great bike at only $7199! I only wish that they came out with the ABS sooner. Oh well! Check it out at http://www.suzukicycles.com/Products...7/Default.aspx How much is a new trans-alp in Europe??? |
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