Which bike for central america and USA?
 

Hey there,

i am planing my travel from panama to canada and through the USA, so i‘m looking for a good bike. I am a quite small person, so i was thinking about the honda Transalp 700 or the suzuki v-strom 650 1st generation. But i‘m not sure about the quality of the v-strom and the problem of getting parts for the transalp in america. What do you think? Or do you have annother idea for a good bike for small people?

Thanks!

Frank

Many propsals
 

You will probably get a lot of proposals.
There are many good bikes and a lot of opinions.
And it is always a compromise and trade off.
Nothing is perfect for everything.

But you are doing the trip.
So select a bike that you like.
Not a one that satisfy others opinions.


=
Do not worry about Suzuki quality.
It is excellent.
=

Hi Frank and welcome,
I don't think there is a problem with the quality and suitability of either of the bikes you mention although I don't have any information about parts availability for either of them but hopefully somebody will be along with more information. Another suggestion would be the Honda CB500X which is well regarded.

The problem with a bike that should be good for both USA and central America is that the standard of the roads in those respective places are completely different. In USA there are interstate highways where traffic flows freely at 100-130 km/h 60-80 mph whereas in central America there might be at best an asphalt track full of pothole and littered with stray dogs, donkey carts, chinese 125 cc mopeds and such stuff. And the average speed might be 40-50 km/h 25-30 mph.

To recommend a bike model that will easily do all these type of road conditions is not possible. Personally I would aim for something that are better for the more demanding part of the trip, but thats me.

Yep: you'll make yourself crazy looking for the perfect bike for all conditions. If you really like analyzing and prioritizing, try to decide what's most important to you and what deficiencies you're willing to tolerate.

As stated above, the bike which works really well off-pavement in unpredictable conditions will be at best irritating on US interstate highways, but that might not bother you as much as a bike which really limits you on Central American back roads. I'd put the Vstrom in this latter category, but people do ride bigger and heavier bikes with apparent glee throughout the Americas.

The Hondas and Suzukis are as reliable as anything else you'll find, and parts availability is currently a crapshoot, given evolving supply chain issues. Personally, I wouldn't take a Transalp because it hasn't been sold here (except briefly 35 years ago in Canada, IIRC); my Vstrom has been dead reliable, but when faced with a similar choice I brought a KLR--a different approach from the two you name.

But yes, the choices are almost infinite, and specifying "good bike for small people" without other qualifiers (Back roads and goat tracks? The PanAm and toll roads thru Mexico? Willingness to modify seat heights and riding position to suit? Need for predictability vs. adventurous unknowns?) doesn't give a lot to go on.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

Thanks for your help! I want to drive offroad and bad roads, but the priority is on normal streets/highways. Normally i would decide for the vstrom, but i am not sure if the standard suspension will make it with the heavy baggage through bad streets and the offroad times

If I had to recommend one specific bike, I think I would look at the KLR650 or DR650.

However, lots of people ride North and Central America on all kinds of bikes, from mopeds to Gold Wings. For what you propose, I would think a more-popular mid-size (400-750cc) dual sport from the Japanese Four would be ideal.

Either the TransAlp or the V-strom, properly services and prepped before you leave, should work reasonably well.

Suzuki DL 650
 

Well...

This with off-road has so different meaning for different persons.
Some people call it off road as soon as they leave tarmac.
But I call gravel and dirt roads for on-road.

But a DL 650 is good for gravel and dirt roads.
I have one myself.
And I ride a lot of gravel roads. Works perfect.
If you have tires that are done for that.


But... I tried the Swedish TET. And the DL is not an off road bike like a DR 350/DR 650. Weight, ground clearance and suspension..... There were some parts of the track that were to hard for this bike. Mainly rocky parts due to limited ground clearance.


So back roads is not an issue
You have one travel story here on this site about a trip from USA to Ecuador on a DL 650. Go to Travel Stories.

Beliz Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s47W-KLBE70&t=13s

And it works well as a touring bike on good tarmac roads incl highways.

=> The DL 650 will do a very good job for you. But you will be limited to not do extreme off road riding, (That should not be an issue. You will do well without it)

I have a Vstrom. With standard suspension but an added bash plate, engine bars, better clearance lights (because they break the first time the bike is dropped), and a few other basic mods, the bike gets by wherever I choose to point it. That doesn't make it the right bike--off-road is survivable but not "fun" like a true dual sport, and there are lots of places and conditions into which I choose *not* to take it just because it's going to be such a struggle. That becomes even more true when loaded down, when it probably weighs a good 600 lbs.

That's the balancing act for me, at my age and skill level (the former advanced, the latter not much so). So yeah, the Vstrom will "make it" on bad streets--slowly, with a degree of caution--and will wallow along the easier dirt tracks at the expense of a lot of clutch-hand fatigue. But sooner or later you will likely drop it in some mud or on a steep and narrow side-hill, and getting it upright can be a definite struggle.

Once back on the pavement, you'll whizz right along wondering what all the fuss was about, pitying people on their buzzy, lightweight little singles. But like me you may find yourself declining to explore much of what's actually interesting, just because it really is going to be a struggle.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

A question that comes up is also will you buy the bike in USA or ship a bike from Europe? Because the range of bikes available is quite different. As noted above the Transalp is hardly available at all in north America as it was only sold 1-2 years or so. On the other hand there are many models available in north America thats not available in Europe such as the Kawa Klr650 and the Suzuki DR650, DRZ400 etc.

Personally I would choose a Dr650 or one of the newer 250/300 EFI bikes. All would need some upgrading though.

I used to ride a 2016 DL 650 Vstrom and I still consider it the best long distance travel bike I ever owned. But advancing age and declining body strength led me to sell it. I found it to be relatively top heavy and, therefore, insecure feeling at low speeds in tight situations, particularly off pavement (even on fairly decent gravel or dirt).

I replaced it with a Honda nc750x which, ironically, is actually heavier than the Vstrom. But the Honda has a much lower centre of gravity and is quite a different riding experience.

So if you're a "small person" I'd be inclined to advise against the Vstrom.

I also did a trip in Yukon and a bit of Alaska on a Kawasaki KLX250s and enjoyed the secure lightness. But it was not a great experience on long stretches of high speed paved highways.

A DR650 seems like a good compromise.