Which bike do I buy?

[Old Rocket]

Asking for the accumulated wisdom of the group here: So which cycle do I buy? I want to trade my KLX 250S for a bigger bike, one with more comfort, more power esp. on road trips of 100-200 miles, and still have some ability to take it down gravel roads, with a small amount of easy single track stuff. Think 50% road, 40% gravel, and10% easy cow trails. No gnarly stuff and no mud doggin'. I have sort of narrowed the selection down to these bikes: Vstrom 650 XT, BMW F800 GS, maybe the Tenere 700. I have always been a fan of the BMW products. My K100 RT and R1100 GS were good examples of well designed and well built bikes that I depended on for years all over Texas and parts of New Mexico.

I recently test rode an F800 GS. The power was awesome, but something about the way it steered was just off. Later reading blogs about these bikes shows that worn steering head bearings may have been the problem on this bike with around 16,000 miles. The more I dig on the F800, the more mechanical issues surface such as wheel bearings, axle problems, and "soft wheels." These problems seem to be across several year models, not just the initial year. I want use my time to ride, not wrench or pay big dollars for German/Chinese engineering remediation. Finding a used bike with maintenance history seems difficult.

So the Vstrom 650 XT looks like a possible contender for my dollars. It seems to tick the boxes that I want: EFI, tubeless tires, good wind protection, comfortable seat for all day rides at Big Bend, reliable Japanese engine and trans, ample fuel range, ABS, center stand. I would have to add on heated grips which are pretty standard on the BMW.

Then there's Tenere 700. It checks pretty much the same boxes as the Vstrom, but without the history of the Strom as the T7 is so new. Some issues here are that I'm on a self-imposed budget. The T700 is right at the top of what I will spend after the trade-in value. This is also a first year of production bike, which gives me a pause. And there seems to be a shortage of supply at the beginning of the roll out. You can bet that dealers will not be giving any discounts for some time.

I can buy a new Vstrom or a used F800 at about the same price or spend a little more and get the Tenere 700. I have not ridden either the Strom or the T7, so I can't compare which one feels right for me. My riding plan is hauling the bike to Big Bend or the Hill Country or even New Mexico and riding day loops back in and out of camp.

So here is your mission, should you choose to accept: Which cycle is the unicorn for me? I want a reliable, low maintenance, comfortable, fun bike for my retirement riding. If you have experience with these three choices, please reply. Or if I am missing some other bike, please add it to my list.

Thank you in advance!

 

[Tom]

Are you a Coke, Pepsi, 7up, tea or koolaid kind a guy?

 

[BornAgain]

All good choices and any of your three selections would fit for your intended use. Personally I would choose the T7 not because it's necessarily better than the other two. I've just been drooling over this bike every since it was just fuzzy concept Yamaha release photos and think it's about the coolest thing on two wheels. With that said of your three offers Vstrom 650ST is the clear winner. Checks all the boxes cost less lots of available after market accessories if you choose and its like riding an anvil....never breaks.

 

[Jeff S]

I want a reliable, low maintenance, comfortable, fun bike

To me, that sounds Japanese, and new.

Think 50% road, 40% gravel, and10% easy cow trails.

If you really end up 50% off pavement, then that sounds like T7. Stroms are super-capable, but few call them the most fun bike you could buy. Strom will be a bit of a handful off pavement in Big Bend, T7 will be right at home there. Strom will be happer GETTING to Big Bend, though..

 

[William Wolfen]

I wouldn't want to ride single track with any regularity on any big bike. Heck, I didn't want to on my DR650. Too heavy, not fun. Good on the highway = bad on single tracks. Same guess for the opposite. Everything is a compromise. There's no unicorn to be found. If there was, we'd all be riding it.

As for a bike for highway and unpaved roads, any of the 3 will do. One might have an advantage over another in certain respects, but they'll all get the job done. I have a personal preference for a 21" front wheel with a knobby tire on it for any bike that leaves the pavement. Makes a big difference when you find sand or mud, IMHO. Doesn't hold me back on paved roads either.

 

[StromXTc]

Vstrom 650 XT

Inexpensive, great all around, suffers from low ground clearance and feels rather weighty at low speed technical riding. Capable of coast to coast comfort and can cruise all day long at 80mph.

Haven't sat on a tenere 700 but hear good things about it. I think its probably the one to get. Unfortunately no tubeless, is equipped withe always on running light which i view as essential in street riding as left turners refuse to pay notice to mc headlights only it seems.

 

[my6]

I hear there's going to be a very nice Vstrom hitting the f/s forum soon...

 

[Dirtmike]

Asking for the accumulated wisdom of the group here: So which cycle do I buy? I want to trade my KLX 250S for a bigger bike, one with more comfort, more power esp. on road trips of 100-200 miles, and still have some ability to take it down gravel roads, with a small amount of easy single track stuff. Think 50% road, 40% gravel, and10% easy cow trails. No gnarly stuff and no mud doggin'. I have sort of narrowed the selection down to these bikes: Vstrom 650 XT, BMW F800 GS, maybe the Tenere 700. I have always been a fan of the BMW products. My K100 RT and R1100 GS were good examples of well designed and well built bikes that I depended on for years all over Texas and parts of New Mexico.

I recently test rode an F800 GS. The power was awesome, but something about the way it steered was just off. Later reading blogs about these bikes shows that worn steering head bearings may have been the problem on this bike with around 16,000 miles. The more I dig on the F800, the more mechanical issues surface such as wheel bearings, axle problems, and "soft wheels." These problems seem to be across several year models, not just the initial year. I want use my time to ride, not wrench or pay big dollars for German/Chinese engineering remediation. Finding a used bike with maintenance history seems difficult.

So the Vstrom 650 XT looks like a possible contender for my dollars. It seems to tick the boxes that I want: EFI, tubeless tires, good wind protection, comfortable seat for all day rides at Big Bend, reliable Japanese engine and trans, ample fuel range, ABS, center stand. I would have to add on heated grips which are pretty standard on the BMW.

Then there's Tenere 700. It checks pretty much the same boxes as the Vstrom, but without the history of the Strom as the T7 is so new. Some issues here are that I'm on a self-imposed budget. The T700 is right at the top of what I will spend after the trade-in value. This is also a first year of production bike, which gives me a pause. And there seems to be a shortage of supply at the beginning of the roll out. You can bet that dealers will not be giving any discounts for some time.

I can buy a new Vstrom or a used F800 at about the same price or spend a little more and get the Tenere 700. I have not ridden either the Strom or the T7, so I can't compare which one feels right for me. My riding plan is hauling the bike to Big Bend or the Hill Country or even New Mexico and riding day loops back in and out of camp.

So here is your mission, should you choose to accept: Which cycle is the unicorn for me? I want a reliable, low maintenance, comfortable, fun bike for my retirement riding. If you have experience with these three choices, please reply. Or if I am missing some other bike, please add it to my list.

Thank you in advance!

The Tènèrè700 Is going to be a good fit if you really want to go “bigger”. if you think you’re still going to haul your bike, the new 300Kawi’s power increase may be all you need. I vote for the T700 and bags... ride

 

[Retiredtosoon]

I have a 15 V-storm XT once you get it sorted out with tires and suspension you can't beat it for the price and the readily available parts and accessories to do what you are looking at doing the 50% road 40% gravel and a few easy single tracks, that being said its heavy, low ground clearance. I have ridden a lot of the gravel roads in BB two up with it but i don't recommend it ,the BMW I have only sat on, the Tenere T-700 I almost went and bought but did not care about waiting on one for up to 6 months may be shorter now but from what i read it is a very good all around bike maybe the modern day KLR. At the in of the day money talks and BS walks.

 

[shift_wr250r]

The T7 if you can find one. I drove to Phoenix last July for mine. It was worth the drive. The CP2 engine has been out for years in the MT-07. It can do +85 mph on the freeway comfortably and handle single track. Photo was taken in Big Bend Ranch SP.

 

[Jarrett]

KTM 390 Adventure might be an option as well

 

[StromXTc]

The T7 if you can find one. I drove to Phoenix last July for mine. It was worth the drive. The CP2 engine has been out for years in the MT-07. It can do +85 mph on the freeway comfortably and handle single track. Photo was taken in Big Bend Ranch SP.
View attachment 287200

Congratulations . I think if I got one I would be satisfied with mc buying for quite some time. Would check most boxes for my needs.

 

[stephensatt]

Asking for the accumulated wisdom of the group here: So which cycle do I buy? I want to trade my KLX 250S for a bigger bike, one with more comfort, more power esp. on road trips of 100-200 miles, and still have some ability to take it down gravel roads, with a small amount of easy single track stuff. Think 50% road, 40% gravel, and10% easy cow trails. No gnarly stuff and no mud doggin'. I have sort of narrowed the selection down to these bikes: Vstrom 650 XT, BMW F800 GS, maybe the Tenere 700. I have always been a fan of the BMW products. My K100 RT and R1100 GS were good examples of well designed and well built bikes that I depended on for years all over Texas and parts of New Mexico.

I recently test rode an F800 GS. The power was awesome, but something about the way it steered was just off. Later reading blogs about these bikes shows that worn steering head bearings may have been the problem on this bike with around 16,000 miles. The more I dig on the F800, the more mechanical issues surface such as wheel bearings, axle problems, and "soft wheels." These problems seem to be across several year models, not just the initial year. I want use my time to ride, not wrench or pay big dollars for German/Chinese engineering remediation. Finding a used bike with maintenance history seems difficult.

So the Vstrom 650 XT looks like a possible contender for my dollars. It seems to tick the boxes that I want: EFI, tubeless tires, good wind protection, comfortable seat for all day rides at Big Bend, reliable Japanese engine and trans, ample fuel range, ABS, center stand. I would have to add on heated grips which are pretty standard on the BMW.

Then there's Tenere 700. It checks pretty much the same boxes as the Vstrom, but without the history of the Strom as the T7 is so new. Some issues here are that I'm on a self-imposed budget. The T700 is right at the top of what I will spend after the trade-in value. This is also a first year of production bike, which gives me a pause. And there seems to be a shortage of supply at the beginning of the roll out. You can bet that dealers will not be giving any discounts for some time.

I can buy a new Vstrom or a used F800 at about the same price or spend a little more and get the Tenere 700. I have not ridden either the Strom or the T7, so I can't compare which one feels right for me. My riding plan is hauling the bike to Big Bend or the Hill Country or even New Mexico and riding day loops back in and out of camp.

So here is your mission, should you choose to accept: Which cycle is the unicorn for me? I want a reliable, low maintenance, comfortable, fun bike for my retirement riding. If you have experience with these three choices, please reply. Or if I am missing some other bike, please add it to my list.

Thank you in advance!

I know this much, now that I have owned my Kawasaki Versys-X 300 for awhile now, and its my only Dual Sport, so I cannot speak to handling or power of other bikes, I will do better research next time and weight will be #1.. Next bike I get, I am going to find as much power to weight ratio. I am not a big guy, and the Versys 300 is almost 40hp to a 380lb chassis and that's pretty good but its still heavy. However I found out later that I can still stay within the 400lb range or even lower and comfortably go into the 600cc realm. There are even some 1000's I have read that are low weight. Second, I had to buy every single item for the Versys 300. I had to buy, trunk, rear storage rack, front roll cage, undercarriage, hand guards, high front fender and even the center stand. YES! It did not come with a center stand. So I bet I am over a $1000 on that stuff, and thats not even Kawasaki brand. Here is another thing. When dual sport guys originally saw the bike before all the addons, they complained about 2 things specifically and that was ground clearance, its not much at 7in, and suspension travel is 4in, so shock tubes can only compress 4" inches. Honestly ground clearance and suspension travel have not been a problem and I don't ever really feel myself bottoming out. On the highway, that bike screams, easily keeps up with 600cc bikes because its a twin Ninja engine and tops out at 110mph. You can get more bang for your buck if you buy a purpose built dual sport and it comes with all the addons or if its used someone has done allot of that, unless you want the fun of doing it yourself. Also tires, I had to upgrade those also to TKC80's. It had street tires on it, although they market it as a Dual Sport. Those tires had no knobs at all. So there is that expense also.

 

[Old Rocket]

Thank you everyone, for the wise comments. I really appreciate each of you taking some time to respond. My plan now is to find a dealership that has both a Vstrom 650 XT and a Tenere 700 in stock so I can test ride each to get the feel of the bikes. Shift WR's photo above of Big Bend Ranch State Park kind of grabbed me. My grandson and I have been going out there for years to ride our mountain bicycles. In fact, we will be in both parks next week for his spring break. Seeing Shift WR's T7 (in the red/white version no less) sitting on an overlook made realize that choosing the Strom 650 would probably end my option of riding a motorcycle on the jeep trails at BBRSP. The Strom could do the main roads sure, but not the more technical stuff. The Tenere could probably handle more of that type of riding.

When I get back from Big Bend, I plan to start contacting dealers in the DFW area to get some saddle time for the final comparison. An update with photos will follow if I get a deal made.

Thanks again. Great forum!

 

[sandman]

The T7 if you can find one. I drove to Phoenix last July for mine. It was worth the drive. The CP2 engine has been out for years in the MT-07. It can do +85 mph on the freeway comfortably and handle single track. Photo was taken in Big Bend Ranch SP.
View attachment 287200

Man I think the T7 is the way to go too. The new KLR650 is about the same weight with not near the performance .... 450 lbs with fuel. I love that white Daniel.

 

[jbird710]

I have a friend that has an older Vstrom 650 adventure and it wasn't happy in the sand at BB. It felt like the weight was biased a little too far forward for that kind of riding.

 

[Ocho]

I wouldn’t stray far from a Tenere 700 or used 790, if it was me. Vstrom is 100% out if you’re planning to do some serious dirt. Heck, get a 390 instead of vstrom.

 

[Jeff S]

Agree - if you want any time in Big Bend Ranch, the Strom won't cut it.

 

[Dao]

IF your ...."riding plan is hauling the bike to Big Bend or the Hill Country or even New Mexico and riding day loops back in and out of camp." and you " want ...a bigger bike, one with more comfort, more power esp. on road trips of 100-200 miles, and still have some ability to take it down gravel roads, with a small amount of easy single track stuff."

The Vstrom 650 can easily accommodate those parameters.
I owned a '14 DL650 for 5 yrs, and took mine several times to BB, rode it to mexico 4 times. put 30k HARD D/S miles on it, supremely reliable.
It was so good at being a swiss army knife, that i got bored and replaced it w/ a T7.

 

[Old Rocket]

So the Eagle has landed at my place. New, unfarkled, bone stock Tenere 700. Found the T7 in Phoenix and had it shipped to me. I have never tried that method of buying a bike, but it worked pretty well all things considered. This my 12th cycle to own and the first brand new one. I finally got to take it on a ride this afternoon. First impressions: It's a larger bike in person than the many videos make it appear. It is all of the stated 452 lbs and taller and wider than I expected in the tank area. The seat is truly 34 inches tall. I'm 6'2" with an inseam of 34" and 200 lbs. I'm just able to flat foot my boots or maybe even a little up on the heels. The bike's weight is carried up a bit taller than I expected. I am going to think very deliberately before adding any accessories as to their weight and how high that weight is carried on the bike. The seat is a bit narrow and hard which makes scooting down into a corner easy, but I'm not sure about the comfort on long rides. We will see how it goes and I do have a sheepskin cover which will help.

The Good Stuff: That engine! Just buttery smooth in every gear and very luggable even in the upper gears. The power delivery is very linear, direct, and hooks up right now! I had a BMW K100 which was almost like having an electric motor in it's smoothness. I followed it with an 1100 GS. The T7 in a weird way is a mashup of these two bikes. it's smooth and also lugs around without a problem while sounding something like the GS at low revs and like the K100 at high revs. The exhaust note is great! I rode some rutted gravel roads and some twisty pavement; the T7 seems competent on both. The 21" front tire turned in fine on the paved corners, although I didn't romp on it too hard due to this being the break-in miles. I like the 6-speed transmission. Up and down shifts are flawless, not notchy, easy to find neutral, even spacing between the gears.

So far, we have a winner! I will have it properly broken in before the Hill Country 500 next month. See everyone there.

 

[shift_wr250r]

Congrats!

 

[Dao]

I will do better research next time and weight will be #1.. Next bike I get, I am going to find as much power to weight ratio.

so what bike is : weight =#1, power/wt=#2?

I will have it properly broken in before the Hill Country 500 next month. See everyone there.

How did t7 do on the HC5?

 

[Drunk_Uncle]

I am a huge fan of the BMW F bikes. 850GSA on mostly pavement, and 800GSA off road. I prefer the GSA versions for the better wind protection on pavement and the longer fuel range. I haven't ridden the 800 yet, but the 850 is good for 275-325 miles depending on fast your ride. Over 70 like the 1200/1250, they drink fuel. 60-65 they sip it.