Came to work today on my GS.  Saved 25-30 minutes by splitting lanes.
Came upon a poor middle aged guy on a Speed Triple in Paramus.
All new and shiny, the bike and his gear.  The guy looked terrified on the damn thing.  I hope he made it to where he was going.  If it was Manhattan I don't think it's going to end well.
Moral of the story.  Get a GS or something small that you will feel comfortable with.  Put on 10,000 miles and get somtheing else if you want.
Almost got pushed out of my lane and over the shoulder by a big red Cadillac Escalade.  Did not hear the horn.  Loud music in car.  Did not even say sorry.  None should have been expected I guess.  
The GS kicks ass as a commuter bike.  The DL650 can't touch it there.  Too tall and wide and harder to handle in the "unique" traffic going to Manhattan.

Interesting to read your comparison of the GS and VStrom.  I like to mount the VStrom but haven't yet ridden one.  I think this is the first "review" of its urban handling I've ever read.  What kind of speeds are you doing on your commute?

About the most fun I've had in my short motorcycling history was in semi-rush hour traffic on a 35-50mph road in Oklahoma City, on a CB250 Nighthawk.  Kept up just fine with the traffic, and needed just the most pleasing amount of revving and shifting.  When you throw in some highway merging, then the GS is my choice, though I wouldn't kick a Savage/S40 out of my garage.

FWIW,
Mike D.

The 5 speed savage 95+ might be ok ... but the 86-88 4 speed ones were absolutely terrible ... you were always too slow for one gear and too fast for the other ... just sucked ...
Cool.
Srinath.

I have commuted on the V-Strom many times and it's good since it soaks up the potholes pretty well.   The problem is that it's tall and you have to watch when you stop at weird angels.  It can be a handful.  In NYC morning  traffic it can be a pain, but that type of traffic is unique.  
The GS is better for getting in between the cars.    It's lighter and more nimble.  I like it much better for my commute. I had a great parking spot next to other bikers by the Smith Barney building but that went out the window due to "security".
Now I have to park between cars.  So I pretty much take the GS.
I go anywhere from 5 mph to 80 mph for about 30 miles one way.
On a Saturday it would be 2 miles slow and 28 fast.  On a typical day it's
5 miles crawling 10 miles slow and 15 miles on the faster side.

I'm seriously thinking of mounting one of those air horns on the bike when i get it.  I hated the horn on my Kat i had a few years ago.  If I remember it sounded like. "Uh hum<clears throat> Excuse me please"  no say that in your wimpiest most timmid voice and you'll understand what I'm talking about.