650 V-Strom cruising speed

Hello - I'm considering going to something lighter than a 95 R100RT BMW. I see that a lot of the Iron Butt Association riders ride a 650 V-Strom. My question is - is that bike happy cruising at 75-80 MPH all day?

Thanks -

Yes.

I think the sweet spot with my big ass bags is 80 indicated which might put it closer to 72 actual, but it'll be happy at 90 indicated too.

a 650 is a 650 that is a 650. go figure.

Will it do it as smooth and quiet as a big bike? No. Will it do it without any problems or hiccups? Yes. Peg extenders, bar risers, a good seat, and a good windscreen (preferably with a madstad), and this thing is a very comfy tourer. Aside from the seat, everything else is cheap to purchase, and they are insane reliable.

The Wee has one of the best engines and silkiest transmissions I've ever ridden on. Correctly set up, (do the seat and windscreen, twiddle the suspension, and you may want bar risers) 80 mph for days or weeks is no problem. Six gears make all the difference.

Yes, a 650 is a 650 is a 650. What a wonderful thing that is! It's an excellent motor in a very capable bike. Given the comfort and frugal fuel use, you'll be in the saddle when others are at the pumps or rubbing the circulation back into their butts. (Or ending their trip 'cause they have to get back to make a payment on a bike costing twice as much.)

Good point about costing twice as much... and funny I just thought about exactly the same thing, when I read the big German Motorrad-magazine. there was a big ´King of the Alps´ comparo, with +20 bikes in different categories... and strange as it might seem, they had the 650 Wee pitted against Honda Crosstourer, Tiger Explorer and Guzzi Stelvio. Fair enough the Tiger won that group, but the journos clearly liked the Wee, even when comparing it straight up against three 1200cc bikes – that all cost nearly or just about double the money! (And actually the older Wee-Strom version has won that very same test twice in the past.)

From ding to dong, day in and day out. It'll leave extra gas money in your pocket and major repairs are damn near non-existent. Plus, they are cheap to acquire. Wish I could of found a women like that.

Yes, even more so with a 16t front sprocket.

I would cruise 90-95 solo with luggage when the traffic permitted.

Like PachmanP I find myself running at 80 MPH indicated, exactly 6000 rpm. I think that's about 74 by my GPS. Both motor and wind seem right at that speed. I have the stock windshield plus a Laminar Lip. Faster is no problem, but I do notice a difference.

-dman

My 2009 wee will use a bit of oil when I hammer it (80 mph plus) in hot weather. If I keep it below 6000 rpm it uses no oil. Other wee owners report the same. If you ride hard, check the oil level every gas stop. I run Mobil 1 15w-50 in the pig BTW. YMMV.

really? there's no power difference between a thumper650 and a harley650 and a 2cyl or 4cyl 650?
:huh

On the DL650, anything above an indicated 90mph becomes kinda difficult. There isn't a lot of power left. MPG goes down significantly as speed increases (over 55mph) too. The 'strom is an aerodynamic wreck.

Cases make it a lot worse. A passenger is slightly worse.

No difference, they are still all girls bikes. Everybody knows that real men ride a 990 at the very least, if not a 1200...





Gustavo

Have fun with that, particularly when you need to find specialized engine oil out in the bush. Thankfully, I sense you're not being serious. The proper phrasing is "little girl's bikes."

Did I mention that the DL650 will run quite happily on the cheapest slop you can squeeze out of the pumps? Mine ran quite smoothly on 87, the lowest grade here. I never tested it at high altitude, but plenty have.

I know, real men have racing fuel dropped in by helicopter while adventure riding. No self-respecting rider would be seen on anything that ran common fuel.

Vstroms are way faster than BMWs they will pass a Beemer on a tow truck no problem and can cruise all day without spending heaps of cash or diagnosing problems .The best part is you will be able to ride with your friends and not make anybody wait for you. I think the best way to describe the power is it's more like a wimpy version of a VFR even though it's no V4 it's still Top Gun.

He's serious. It's a girl bike.

It doesn't need high-octane because it makes cute little amounts of horsey power.

I have watched mine gas mileage this past season, so I was at 105 km/h, gps, 112 indicated most of the time. There were several fast rides as well, 135 km/h gps, 145 indicated, they did not last longer than for 3 hours each, but even with that short time the oil consumption was noticeable, gas mileage dropped to 400 km on full tank.

^^^THIS^^^

I'm running a 17t sprocket,after a 16t for 10k miles. Think the wee should have come with the 16t out of the factory. Although,if I were planning a long trip with slabbing in mind the 17t is fantastic if you wanted to cruise at indicated 90mph,really drops the rpm.Sure, I do feel a loss in the low end but man can you hook-it down the highway.Will be going back to the 16t whenever I need next chain,but as easy as they are to swap I'll hang on to the 17t.

If I ride at 85 - 90 km/h my WeeStrom eats 3.9 liters/100 km.
If I ride over 140 km/h it never takes more than 5.5 liters/100km,
Don't know miles/gallon, I work with EU standards.
The most pleasant cruising speed (for me) is in the middle at 120 km/h.

^^^What he said^^^

And you work with world standards. Only US an UK use different.

That's my little pony power. Comes from marshmallows and rainbows. I guess you need 100+ hp to be an ADV rider? :huh