FJR to a Vstrom 650 anyone?

[blrfjr]

The ONLY thing that I would replace my FJR with would be a newer FJR!!!!

However I am considering buying a dual-sport and dont know when or what it will be. I do know it will be "suited for offroading" and adventure riding. Alaska is whispering in my ear.

 

[garywayne]

I still have my FJR but bought a 2013 650 VStrom a few months ago. I really like it. It's light, comfortable and is fun to ride. I got it for day/weekend trips where I didn't need all the FJR has to offer. I did a 1000 mile trip on it and it did great.

 

[Greg 03]

I've kept my 2003 FJR and bought a 2013 Vstrom 650 for myself just before Christmas. I love the new bike but will tell you it has your knees much more tucked in and the windscreen is tiny. 500 miles in a day wouldn't be a problem for me on it at all though. I rode my '07 KLR 650 just shy of 900 miles in a day a few times and that was a bit of a challenge. The Strom is incredibly light feeling compared to the FJR! I will be adding a new windscreen and possibly a different seat as some of my first farkles. It is everything and more I always wanted the KLR to be!

 

[Greg 03]

https://apairofstroms.wordpress.com/

 

[Larry33319]

Just picked up a new 2012 V-Strom 650 Adventure this past Saturday. Have only ridden it 70 miles but plan on quite a few more. Actually bought it for a trip to Alaska this summer after I retire. Was planning on buying a used one but the pickins' were very slim down here and I found a very sweet deal on a NOS 2012 Adventure. My 2006 has 124,000 hassle free miles and I plan to do the same with the WeeStrom.

 

[puppychow]

I have a man strom and find the stock strom ergonomics more comfortable than the FJR. Will upgrade the seat sometime in the future, but leg room is awesome for my 5'11" and handlebars work just fine for me without modification, although some do upgrade those to reduce vibration etc which I have no issue with after TBS.

Passing power is plenty for a man strom but not quite the rocket that the FJR is. Speedometer accuracy however is sucky, use a GPS or a cyclometer. In the twisty bits the man strom is just as fast if not faster than the FJR in the tight stuff.

The FJR brakes are exceptional, strom lacks in brake feel and performance, but they are adequate. Man strom engine does have a slight chudder at low rpm but it no longer bothers me, just how the engine is.

Wind protection is not as good as the FJR obviously, lots more buffeting in stock configuration, but much improved with aftermarket bracket and laminar lip.

Both bikes are pretty much bullet proof, as for gas mileage the FJR has been more consistent mostly mid 40s but sometimes 40 when I push it, the strom on the other hand is high 30s to low 40s normally but drops to mid to low 30s when I whip it. Much more inconsistent. Despite this both have pretty good range due to a 6.6 gallon tank on the FJR and a 5.8 gallon tank on the strom.

 

[Checkswrecks]

Obviously the Wee is a great bike and has a cult following. We had one and still have the 1000.

But I know somebody with a Husky TR650 and at this point would go with that. The light weight and versatility has been incredible, especially for less than $7k new. Your 500 mile days would be no problem with a small windshield and since BigDog put one on, a lot of people have done the same. The Strada version has street wheels and ABS.

https://www.bigdogadventures.com

 

[Jack D]

The charging circuit is better than a gen2 FJR so electrics aren't an issue.

If this is important to you as it is to me, I would research the alternator capacity. IIRC the output on the earlier Vstroms was 325 watts and it was later upgraded to 400 watts. Many Wee riders install a switch to turn off one headlight leaving more power for accessories. I had an early model and the alternator would support a Gerbing vest and gloves but if the turn signals were activated the ammeter I had connected would go negative with each blink no matter the engine rpm. I frequently used the bike for 500 mile days and was quite happy with it except for weather protection. It did not take much rain to make visibility a real issue. Lighting is weak compared to the FJR. But I will confess that I enjoy riding the smaller bikes, YMMV. I did find the Wee to be almost worthless off road mainly because of the limited ground clearance.