Interesting read

[Mark Hooton]

Hi All, whilst trawling through some websites I came across this one with USA V Strom riders comparing their rides to our beloved GS`s.

It makes for interesting reading, here is an excerpt and here is the link........

"Direct experience with my friend V-Jordi, former v-stromer. Super modern bike, full of electronics, but this year major problems, twice stranded, once when far away from home. People that travel long distances need reliable bikes, and it's no contest at all - Strom is more reliable"

http://www.vstrom.info/Smf/index.php?topic=7850.0

Best regards,
Mark
www.cymarcbikeparts.co.uk

 

[Bryn]

As it says in one of the posts... horses for courses....never rode a Vstrom, never payed them much attention TBH.. every bike out there is perfect for someone

 

[Mark Hooton]

Funnily enough...........

Funnily enough I have ridden one and worked on quite a few and with what little integrity I have I can say that the standard of fastener is absolutely atrocious - made from blu-tack they be! And to work on them is a nightmare. To change a plug you need to bleed the coolant, remove the radiator and half the bike to get to just the front plug! On the good/bad side (depending on viewpoint), they are so softly sprung, with a foot position further forward than a GS, it`s like sitting in and driving an armchair

However! Our beloved Beemers do seem to have their problems, especially the GS12`s. Although we know just a little better if you speak to a non GS owner a few consdier the FD as a `thing from hell` and, to be fair, they do have a point - it worries me still........

I would like to see a good healthy debate about the two bikes (GS v V Strom), as long as it was objective with only evidenced points for each bike i think it could be an interesting comparison.

Indeed, last year I went to France with a very good mate of mine, he was on his V Strom, and it broke down on day two! But to be fair, it could have happened to anyone. My 06 GS was fantastic and I hope my 2010 GSA remains the same............

 

[chablis]

I've owned both (as long as you count the kwaka badged KLV1000) and it servers a purpose. In the orange I had mine it looked good and was generally a nice bike right up to the point where the bottom end siezed due to an oil blockage. After that it was stripped and costed, and I decided to cut my loses so it went to eastern europe on the back of a tailer.

I had a big off on a 04 plate R1200GS and lived, having seen what happens to the Vstrom, I am not sure I would have come out of it so well under the same circumstances. I know which my wife is least unhappy to see me on.

I haved owed numerous other Suzukis, and generally found the ngines to be bullet proof, so don't ascribe too much to the engine failure of mine.

All bikes have their faults and one of the KLV's that I had was a big flat spot which I tried to correct with a power commander, I don't need to go into the 'quirks' of my current GSA but there is no such thing as the perfect bike so a best fit / least trouble sort.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Stroms are very popular stateside because they are cheap and good mile munchers. However, they really have to be beefed up to do any half serious dirt riding because they really aren't designed to go off road unlike the GS.

I've seen them up in Alaska and riders really aren't keen on taking them on the dirt and if they do, they ride very slowly and they look enviously at the GS as it moves seemlessly from tarmac to dirt

I think they are a good tool for road work though

 

[chad]

stonking engine but the bikes pure road really , with a few mods the 650 could be a handy bike as its fairly light

 

[Andy Michael]

A mate had a V-Strom bought it October 09 and gave it back in Jan 2010 as it had turned into a furry mess, engine paint peeling all fastners corroded, dealer gave him a good deal on a CB1000 as a gesture of good will. I have never seen a bike rot so quickly in my life.

 

[Mark Hooton]

Olympic rotting problem

Yes, I can support that post. The Strom rusts like nothing else on this earth, shame as the post about the 650cc being handy if beefed up is a valid one.

I had cause to put well over £300 of hand made parts on a clients Strom once - nearly everyone of the fasteners simply sheared off, it was awful. After the stud had snapped off inseide the cylinder head (and we know how painful that can be!) I offered to put the guy up in a hotel for the night whilst I got it sorted. Thankfully I have my own engineering company!

What a nightmare - since then I have stated that I WILL NOT work on Stroms because of that. If they only used better quality fasteners..............

In the list of pro`s and cons our beloved GS`s certainly come out in front on this one!

 

[Oldrat]

No mention of £££'s
So what's the difference in price between a top spec GSA and a top spec vstrom?

I suspect that will explain a great deal. (no pun intended)

 

[Yonkyo]

I had a go on my mates Strom last year, when we swapped bikes.

Compared to my GSA

What i didn't like:
Seat not as comfy.
Wind protection much worse.
No heated grips.
Suspension to soft (would need to spend £++++ on better shocks).
No ESA
handling...what handling.
brakes were shyte.
felt top heavy and ponderous.
poor build quality
Ugly, Ugly (the GSA is ruggedly ugly)
Silly name V-strom..whats all that about.

I liked:
Very cheap to buy
The engine/power felt OK

My mate sold it shortly after, and bought a mint 06 GSA with 30k on the clock, which he's over the moon with.

 

[Deleted account 190920001]

you cant get the 1000 anymore but it was about 6-7k a difference to a top spec GSA.
This isnt a fair comparison really, its not even a fair comparison to s 650GS. The nearest competitor to the strom is a TDM as these are very similar bikes. Road bikes on stilts really as opposed to anything that can go off road. I had a test drive on a 1000 strom which you cant get anymore (only 650 now) and its a very different bike to the GSA. Brakes, suspension, range, load carrying all rubbish in comparison and my hands went numb within a few miles with buzz in the bars. Something that happens on my TDM as well but I get longer on that. They have their uses though and are pretty good value but to compare them to a GSA isnt right at all.

 

[(RIP) Arkwright]

However! Our beloved Beemers do seem to have their problems, especially the GS12`s. Although we know just a little better if you speak to a non GS owner a few consdier the FD as a `thing from hell` and, to be fair, they do have a point - it worries me still........

I think with a 2010 1200 you may need to worry a little less about the FD, they all have breathers so you can fill them with a proper amount of oil (230/240ml) so the pinion bearing has a proper supply (unlike the recommendation to reduce the quantity down to 180ml on the earlier FD........which needless to say I haven't done) and the crown wheel bearings both run in the FD oil instead of having one sealed one which is the one that fails on a regular basis. It is probably a good idea to change the FD oil and the gearbox oil for a good quality GL5 every time you change the engine oil, especially now they have drain plugs!

The dealers of course appear to have stopped changing FD's wholesale as they've all had to buy the special tools to repair FD's.

 

[Mark Hooton]

Mmmm

All good points so far. looks like the GS is winning agaisnt the Strom.

Any strom owners want to offer an opinion out there....................?