My wife is interested in trading her 2008 Versys for a DL650 Vstrom.

Versys RED - 12k miles, newer tires, hard luggage ( besten top, jc whinet sides), two tool tubes, givi shield, new stator & r/r, Back off relay, Givi luggage racks ( side & top), Voltmeter. engine gaurds. radiator gaurd.

Vstrom should be a 2008 , yellow the preferable color.

My wife is interested in trading her 2008 Versys for a DL650 Vstrom.

This has certainly piqued my curiosity. Why?? :confused::confused:

This has certainly piqued my curiosity. Why?? :confused::confused:
To make a short story long .........

Whe we were first looking for our bikes bake in '08, she said the strom was too bulky for her, and then i put a lot of farkles on it with a huge tankbag, and again when she sat on it she claimed it was way to bulky and very busy for her likings. This year she asked to ride my bike finally, my codition was that she NOT remove anything that she would think distractin. ( Good training for possible bike rental in europe).
She took off like she owned it. She really liked how my bike felt compared to hers. My strom is more for street comfort, I feel her V is more off road tyhan on.
Jude liked the seat, wind protection, shifting, even the slower than her bike acceleration. My strom also does not have that nasty vibration issue the V has. I rode her bike and hated it.:( sorry. Even with the larger shield it felt like a naked bike, I couldn't see anything in the mirrors due to the vibrations. The only good thing was the v's acceleration, :thumb: that thing moves like a bat outta hell compared to mine.

And since we both only ride maintained county roads when off pavement, a V-strom is good enough for both of us.
She's also looking at beemers now since she test rode one. :sorry:

nothing to be sorry about -- he asked.

i have the same impression, except for the v=offroad bit.

nothing to be sorry about -- he asked.

i have the same impression, except for the v=offroad bit.

Thought I'd say sorry, just in case I hurt someones feelings :cool: As for the off road thing, the V 'feels' like it would do better somehow. The v feels more like an actual dirt bike to me than the Vstrom does. Either way , both bikes are great fun, if we were a few decades younger and richer, there would be 4 or more bikes here :thumb:

Once it warms up again we plan o renting a couple Beemers here at out local dealer, just for giggles, yah know, show up at friends house or join a ride with people we have not seen all winter :grinangel:

RIDE SAFE !!!!!!!!

Thought I'd say sorry, just in case I hurt someones feelings As for the off road thing, the V 'feels' like it would do better somehow. The v feels more like an actual dirt bike to me than the Vstrom does. Either way , both bikes are great fun, if we were a few decades younger and richer, there would be 4 or more bikes here

I hear ya! If I were younger I'd have more junk...and more worries about bills!
I've had pretty good opportunity to ride both, on road and off road, and both on the same day over a period of several months. To me, they are very different machines. They have different personalities. The versys is more than just a bit more nimble. It is also a bit more harsh and definitely more vibey (not that it's bad). The stock versys offers less wind protection via both the windscreen and also the bodywork. The vstrom is a bit heavier feeling and heavier handling. The versys is a very good handlng machine on good pavement, just so-so on rough pavement, and a little less than so-so on gravel. It's pretty decent on hardpack dirt/clay. It is fairly squirrely with stock tires on gravel roads, especially roads that have washboard grooves. The versys is definitely at home in the twisties, great for city and commuting. It's only real detriment for long trips is the seat. The Vstrom is a bit more stable on the highway and (it seemed to me) a lot more stable on gravel roads. The suzuki's suspension isn't as harsh. The vstrom stock seat is definitely more comfy for longer trips. Really, they are both pretty darn good bikes. The way I see them is:

Acceleration......versys (but not by alot)
quick handling....versys
smoothness.......vstrom
good pavement..versys
bad pavement....vstrom
gravel...............vstrom
2 up riding.........vstrom
fun factor.........personal preference (for me versys)
comfort............personal preference (for me vstrom)

The versys is definitely at home in the twisties, great for city and commuting. It's only real detriment for long trips is the seat. The Vstrom is a bit more stable on the highway and (it seemed to me) a lot more stable on gravel roads. The suzuki's suspension isn't as harsh. The vstrom stock seat is definitely more comfy for longer trips. Really, they are both pretty darn good bikes. The way I see them is:

Acceleration......versys (but not by alot)
quick handling....versys
smoothness.......vstrom
good pavement..versys
bad pavement....vstrom
gravel...............vstrom
2 up riding.........vstrom
fun factor.........personal preference (for me versys)
comfort............personal preference (for me vstrom)

I would have to agree with assesment here, well to about 98%. I think both seats as stock are crap. My strom seat needed to be fixed. I'm not 100% happy, but it feels much better now.
Acceleration for the versys is really much better if you can shift fast. If my wife opens the throttle on the freeway she's gone, I have to double down to catch up.
The Vstrom like you said is much more compfy on the highway, especially since I have more wind protection.

In the end they are both fun bikes, great mpg, and cost less than a Beemer. :yeahsmile:

In the end they are both fun bikes, great mpg, and cost less than a Beemer.

For the cost of a BMW you could own both!

For the cost of a BMW you could own both!

:exactly: :thanx:

Where are you located? I'm in SE Ohio and if you are close enough I could possibly be interested. I have a 2006 dl650 (red) with 8000 miles.

Where are you located? I'm in SE Ohio and if you are close enough I could possibly be interested. I have a 2006 dl650 (red) with 8000 miles.

We are about 1500 miles west, Utah, I am not sure the wife would want an '06 RED. Thanks.

That's cool. I just thought if you happened to be close it would be worth checking. I would only be interested in something FTF anyway.

It's gonna be a hard swap straight across IMO. At least here in AZ, the wee-strom brings many more duckets used AND new ... The Kawi incentives really did hurt the used resale here ... The 650 Strom has ZERO incentives and Suzuki's back stock is very low especially since they had very few 2010 models imported ...

I priced a new 2011 Strom in pearl white (very cool lookin bike !!!) and the best they could do was $7700 OTD ... That is $2100 more than what I got my brand new 09 Versys for ...

It's gonna be a hard swap straight across,I priced a new 2011 Strom in pearl white (very cool lookin bike !!!) and the best they could do was $7700 OTD ... That is $2100 more than what I got my brand new 09 Versys for ...

We are aware of the slim chance of a straight swap. The wifes bike comes with a few itms since we wont be able to use the extras on a Strom. So who knows, a stock yellow strom for a well stocked Versys...... Maybe that will be incentive ??

The white Strom looks like a cop bike, would rather have a burnt orange myself, but the Flat Black I have is not going anywhere soon.
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