Is a 125 mile trip within your grasp, obviously stopping for gas once, but otherwise straight thru?
I have to decide between 2 options:
1) Keep the GS and buy a 400SM or Yamaha converted 426 (I'd put either 1.5K into the 400SM's engine for more yank, or 1.5-2K for brakes/wheels on the Yamaha).
2) Give the GS to my lil bro and get a newer (03+) SV650S and have that for my only bike.
I ride about 40-50 miles a day between work/school during the week, and then whatever weekend relaxing/canyon miles that I put on elsewhere. If I went with option 1 I would commute during the week most of the time on the GS which is too small physically for me (I'm 6'6 and can easily rest my knees on the footpegs, so my legs are pretty freaking cramped on it.
The 650 is appealing because I could more easily tour on it than having 2 small bikes, but I fear it might not be as much fun on my mostly in-city /lanesplitting commute.
Thoughts?
Maintenance on the 'motards don't scare me, and an SV + a motard is probably not in the budget right now.
My SVS is plenty fun on my slabbing/lane-splitting commute! I commute between 70-80 miles one way presently. :thumb: I can't speak to the height issue; I'm 5'4". :flipoff: :icon_mrgreen:
You won't be disappointed with the SV. You'll be too busy enjoying the newfound torque to care about much else. I would much rather commute on my gt650 than on my gs any day. And I know exactly how you feel about the gs being physically too small. It is way to small for me and I am 2" shorter than you.
I think the SV has about the same ergos as the GS, so you'd be equally as cramped.
125 miles? Nah, not a problem anymore. At first I could barely stand 50 miles, but now I doubt that it would be a big issue. Stopping for gas is what gets annoying.
You live in California. You have motard tracks and crazy twisty bits everywhere. Get the Motard.
A note about the Yamahahaha, not only will you have to get wheels and brakes, but you should probably respring it (slightly stiffer for street riding) and get lighting and mirrors for registration (unless it has already been done). Add in sprockets and a new chain to your cost as well.
The 400SM is a fantastic commuter bike. It's hard to beat 45mpg of stupid-fun. The 426 would probably get blown around a little more because it is significantly lighter, so take that into consideration if you want to do long highway trips. Commuting at sub-highway speeds are where the motards excel. Oh yeah, the DR-Z has a five speed transmission, and I think the Yamaha only has a four speed. Again, take that into consideration.
If you want to do track days on the motard, the 426 would be your best bet hands down. Not saying that the DRZ isn't capable, but the Yammie is better suited to that sort of stuff.
You could give the GS to your little brother, get the motard and a cheap touring bike like a Concours or a Bandit 1200S. That is what I have been looking into. :)
If I was your size and for commuting 60-70 mi especially, I'd get the SV. Even if it's similar to the GS in seating, you could tweak it... more power, and according to almost anyone it's an amazing bike. You would end up with a higher tier vehicle than your other plan, and if you have the money... just do it. I'm going to do the same thing eventually.
I3
Maintenance on the DRZ is less than the GS, probably less than an SV too. But anyway, 125 miles is fine. I did 175 sunday. Getting somewhere about 75-85 miles to a tank.
I understand your situation, the two bikes I looked at the longest and hardest after I crashed my GS were the DRZ and SVS. What made the decision even harder was the fact that I could get either for the same price. It came down to me wanting something different and more versatile, and it most definately is. The amount of backroad riding versus superslab riding that I did also helped me with that decision.
I decided to use first thousand in upgrades to get a dirt/knobbie wheelset to make the bike even more versatile. But like you, I still want to put another grand into the motor (which is pretty adequate stock). I had to wait until after some saddle time to make that decision. An FCR carb is still on my list tho.
I'm nearly 6'2" and I thought the SV was a torture rack. If you ride for more than an hour, be careful stepping off that thing: you're legs will likely need some blood returned to them before they'll work. I defended it when I owned it, but I was lying. It just plain hurts.
Quote from: AlphaFire X5 on March 20, 2007, 08:26:18 PM
I think the SV has about the same ergos as the GS, so you'd be equally as cramped.
125 miles? Nah, not a problem anymore. At first I could barely stand 50 miles, but now I doubt that it would be a big issue. Stopping for gas is what gets annoying.
--I grew up on dirtbikes, and have spent all day in the saddle on a YZF off-road. I don't think that'd be much of an issue, especially compared to the GS, where my ass hurts after 2 hrs anyway.
You live in California. You have motard tracks and crazy twisty bits everywhere. Get the Motard.
--Crazy twisty bits are quite common, yes.
A note about the Yamahahaha, not only will you have to get wheels and brakes, but you should probably respring it (slightly stiffer for street riding) and get lighting and mirrors for registration (unless it has already been done). Add in sprockets and a new chain to your cost as well.
--Being that CA has outlawed conversions from a dirt title to street title as of 2003, I'd have to get a YZF that has already been converted and plated. This would solve the above issues.
The 400SM is a fantastic commuter bike. It's hard to beat 45mpg of stupid-fun. The 426 would probably get blown around a little more because it is significantly lighter, so take that into consideration if you want to do long highway trips. Commuting at sub-highway speeds are where the motards excel. Oh yeah, the DR-Z has a five speed transmission, and I think the Yamaha only has a four speed. Again, take that into consideration.
--The YZF should get similar mileage. The longest I would ever need to take the motard is 125 miles up to my parent's place, then run around Angeles Crest with it the next day and then back to Sandy Eggo. This should be do-able. The 426F has a 5-speed tranny, the 450s went to a 4 speed.
If you want to do track days on the motard, the 426 would be your best bet hands down. Not saying that the DRZ isn't capable, but the Yammie is better suited to that sort of stuff.
--Track days would be on the motard.
You could give the GS to your little brother, get the motard and a cheap touring bike like a Concours or a Bandit 1200S. That is what I have been looking into. :)
More info: I've been commuting/weekend riding on a Ducati ST2, which has been working OK, but it feels awfully big and clumsy in town compared to the GS500 (duh, right?). This is my main riding, aside from the weekend trips thru the twisties where I'll put on 200 miles maybe. I'd love to keep the Duc, but insurance on that plus the outlay for the motard would put me into too tight of a situation, and I'd have 2 bikes that I would worry a whole helluva lot about whenever I took them someplace and couldn't keep an eye on them.
Thanks for the advice so far, I'm going to try to sneak a short ride on a friend's Gen 1 SV (636 rear shock, '04 GSXR750 front end, ported heads/Yosh pipe) this weekend to see if it'd be a viable size option for me. Right now I'm leaning towards the motard, but need to figure out how often I'd need to be rebuilding it/changing oil (if it was a monthly oil change interval, I could live with that). I'll post as I figure out more.
...Motard!
In the meantime, here's a wheelie:
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/USMGP/IMG_1246.jpg)
DR-Z125L
Yeah, if you're cramped on the GS, don't get an SV. I hurt for 2 days after riding my friend's from Crisp Co. Georgia to Tallahassee, and I'm only 6'0".
I'm also 6'6" and went from a GS to an SV.....while in San Diego :laugh:
I had no problem lane splitting. The SV is a bit taller than the GS; which gave me a bit higher vantage point while in traffic.
I found the ergos on the SV to be waaaaaaay more comfortable than the GS as well. The longest ride I've gone on so far was 700 miles and it was amazingly comfortable.
I get 53 mpg; so the commuting aspect is still affordable...plus it's quite a good bike in the twisties.
But, of course...my view is a little biased. I've never ridden a motard; but would like to.
Honestly I think that you'd be quite happy with either decision.
Gawwwwddamnit, I just had to go and do it. I rode the Duc tonight over to a friend's house and man...soo comfortable/stable/everything the GS is not. I think a lot of the reason I don't like it in town is because the gearing is so highway biased, I mean it's turning just under 5K at 80mph in 6th! So...I am back to keeping the Duc after I get it resprayed. I actually fit the bike, my knees fit below the tank cutouts, the bike is ultra-sexy, women gawk and I could actually take a passenger up to LA or beyond comfortably. A motard or GS, no dice. SV, maybe. I sat on the SV tonight and it seemed quite small in the garage. Going to try to get out on the open road with it, but I'm really really digging the big V-twin and dry clutch.
Duc just feels so...quality...brakes/clutch/handling.
Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: And......
(http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/images/threads/000/121/937/1833649-worthless.gif)
Quote from: Mk1inCali on March 21, 2007, 11:55:21 PM
My Ducati in La Jolla, CA:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2011945448
Some random shots/short vids from rides already done this calendar year:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2011997580