Has anyone ever traded there GS1100 for 650 v-strom?

[GeneC]

I have a 97 r1100GS and I'm concidering trading it in for a new v-strom 650. Has anyone out there done something similar and were happy with there decision? Thanks, Gene

BTW - I do very little, if any, off road riding, and ABS is a must

[Drunk_Uncle]

I guy named Brian traded a 1200 GS or a V Strom 1k. He has some posts in SW MO threads.

[gsboar]

hey!

sold my gs before coming to the uk... it was painful.

bought an '07 dl650 here a couple of months ago & am enjoying it. some observations:

-the vstrom seat is more comfy, but the ergos do not allow as much change in riding position as the gs.
-plenty of "get-up-and-go" on the vstrom, but it won't cruise all day at a buck.
-with a lot less wght the vstrom is definitely more maneuverable at low speeds.
-the gs felt a lot more planted & has better road feedback than the vstrom.

well, you get the point. it is a lighter bike w/ a smaller engine so it does some things better, others not as well. i like it a lot & am hopeful it will be cheaper to maintain, but i'd rather be riding my old friend....

cheers,
jso

[oldmanb777]

I have an '08 WeeStrom. I regularly ride with a guy who rides a GS1100 Adv. I have some time on both.
Some obversations.
The Bmer is a $20K bike and the Wee is a $7K bike. So you get the idea. I really love the Wee, but you will want to do some farkles. Fork brace, springs,skid plate crash guards etc.
The Bmer has better geometry, and supension, and is geared lower. Not as smooth, but better aerodynamics. Will almost match the Wee in gas mileage,especially if loaded or into headwinds.
But it's something like 3 times the price, and is maybe 25% more bike. Both have tremendous reliability records, and low maint records. The beemer has more ground clearance, and better balance, isn't as top heavy with a full tank of gas. However if I were to do mountai twisty,peg draggin roads, I would pick the Wee, more dirt and the beemer wins. Both are very adept at hiway cruisin, with gear, over long distances. The Beemer is better in strong crosswinds, (hence the need ofr a fork brace on the Wee). The Wee really needs a windscreen that works. I can't comment on the seat, as the 1100 has an aftermarket seat. The Stock Wee seat is ok, I put beads on mine and it's not bad at all. The beemer seems more planted on washboarded county roads, or rougher roads. Both carry a good load all day, very well. The Beemer is of course faster and more powerfull, but the Wee has no problem carrying me (235 lbs) and my gear at any reasonable speed. I have spent the day on I-80 with wind @ 90+ mph with all my camp gear. Hope that helps.

[NONAME13]

Traded a 95 r1100GS for a triumph scrambler great bike no complaints miss it. Traded the scram with cash for an HP2 it was an ok bike but too tall and lack of luggage options didn't help and it's not a two up bike unless Yoda is on the back . Girl friend loves the strom and I'm very happy not wrenching on BMWs gives me more time to ride. I probably won't ever buy another BMW after dealing with customer service but that's a personal thing. I will keep the vstrom for my trusty steed and maybe buy other bikes for fun or projects . It's a great feeling leaving for a ride and knowing you can just ride worry free without fear of break downs or an empty wallet.

[Ockrocket]

Traded my 2k R1150GS for a brand new '09 Wee-Strom [DL650A] with ABS.

Absolutely no regrets

The BMW had my wallet bleeding profusely, to the tune of $6k in twelve months.

The Wee has cost me next to nothing over the last three years and 62,000km + of commuting/touring/day rides.

Three State 4,600km ride over two weeks fully loaded with luggage and gear, with capable touring speeds well over any legal speed limits and that was just a week after I bought it [did the 1,000km for the first service in the first four days of buying it....rode the "long way" home from work each night ]

I also do dirt and am about to put some more dirt oriented tyres on it, so far the Tourance have been the best for what I've been doing to date but that has been an 80/20 tar to dirt mix.

A decent bash plate and crash bars are all you would need for most of the dirt work you are likely to do [and let's face it, most don't get off graded roads on their GS's either...to fuck'n heavy to pick the bastards up if you drop them- don't ask me how I know that, rather pick up the Wee any day]

For what you describe, you can't go past the Wee, especially given the value for money theory.

Would I do the same thing over again?

In an instant..... in fact I'd do it even quicker than all the procrastination I did before buying one the first time around.

[GeneC]

Hey everyone, thanks so much for your input/advice. I've been on the road so wast able to check in and comment. This was exactly the information I was looking for. I live on NY and took the 1100 for a ride today and I have to admit I want to try something different. If I can a decent amount for the 1100 I will go for a new vstrom. Although I can do the "basic" maintain ace myself on the GS, it sounds like the vstrom is a dream come true. Might hold on to the GS for the winter and go from there. We have a big motorcycle show here in NYC in January and vstrom s will be on the top of the list. Thanks again, Gene

[acejones]

I have a R1150R and a F650gs. I like both of them and the 650 is my second one. When I go visit my riding buddy I usually ride his Wee Storm. I like it quite a bit and if I didn't already have my F650, I'd probably buy a Wee. I don't think you'll go wrong with one.

[gstt500]

I've actually been thinking of doing just the opposite. I bought a 2012 650 strom last spring and have put about 5k miles on it, most of those miles done on 3 different road trips fully loaded with camping gear. The bikes done everything I've asked of it quite well but honestly I'm kind of bored with it already. I have a bad habit of changing bikes every couple of years and I traded a 1200 sport tourer for this one and its got plenty of power for what I've used it for but I miss the torque of a big motor. This is the first bike I've ever bought new which I never thought I would do. Half the enjoyment I get from motorcyles is wrenching on them and I enjoy doing that in my shop during the long winters here, What can you do with a new v-strom besides farkle it which I've already done to my liking. My old KLR is about the same in that respect

I've never owned a BMW before, heard lots of praise for them but also heard repair and maintenance cost can be pretty high. Are parts expensive and are they readily available for an older GS?

[GeneC]

Originally Posted by gstt500

I've actually been thinking of doing just the opposite. I bought a 2012 650 strom last spring and have put about 5k miles on it, most of those miles done on 3 different road trips fully loaded with camping gear. The bikes done everything I've asked of it quite well but honestly I'm kind of bored with it already. I have a bad habit of changing bikes every couple of years and I traded a 1200 sport tourer for this one and its got plenty of power for what I've used it for but I miss the torque of a big motor. This is the first bike I've ever bought new which I never thought I would do. Half the enjoyment I get from motorcyles is wrenching on them and I enjoy doing that in my shop during the long winters here, What can you do with a new v-strom besides farkle it which I've already done to my liking. My old KLR is about the same in that respect

I've never owned a BMW before, heard lots of praise for them but also heard repair and maintenance cost can be pretty high. Are parts expensive and are they readily available for an older GS?

Yes, as you will hear often parts can be expensive and there aren't nearly as many BMW dealerships around as a posed to the major Japanese manufacturers. Having said that, you would love working on this bike. Everything is very easy to access. Parts are readily available and the folks of the oilhead forum are very helpful. If you don't need to rely on a dealership for repairs (which seems like the case) the bike can be very affordable to maintain. It's a very reliable bike and it has ABS which is a must for me.

[gstt500]

Originally Posted by GeneC

Yes, as you will hear often parts can be expensive and there aren't nearly as many BMW dealerships around as a posed to the major Japanese manufacturers. Having said that, you would love working on this bike. Everything is very easy to access. Parts are readily available and the folks of the oilhead forum are very helpful. If you don't need to rely on a dealership for repairs (which seems like the case) the bike can be very affordable to maintain. It's a very reliable bike and it has ABS which is a must for me.

Any interest in some kind of trade? I see you're in NY so the distance could make it a bit more difficult. Have'nt seen a lot of used GS's in my area.

[GeneC]

Originally Posted by gstt500

Any interest in some kind of trade? I see you're in NY so the distance could make it a bit more difficult. Have'nt seen a lot of used GS's in my area.

Sure, I guess it could be a possibility :-). PM me and let me know what you think a fare trade would be and we can go from there.

[GeneC]

Originally Posted by gstt500

Any interest in some kind of trade? I see you're in NY so the distance could make it a bit more difficult. Have'nt seen a lot of used GS's in my area.

FYI - I did a quick Uship calculation and its about $500

[GeneC]

Just sold the GS to a fellow inmate...best of luck Dean! It's a great bike. I'll be checking our the v-strom at the motorcycle show in Jan. any other suggestions I should check out? I really want ABS so I now my options are limited. Thanks again for all the advice everyone!

[MrMac]

I sold my '05 DL650 (replaced with a DL1000) to a friend who had a GS1100. He still has the Wee, sold the GS. I still have the Vee...