hi all,

bike session has ended and now there are good bikes in the market for acceptable prices.

i'll travel to Morocco on May 2009 and then Iran on June 2010. I am thinking of buying the bike soon and doing some mods during the winter.

options are:
a) 2008 Yamaha XT660R, 1000 km (625 miles) on the clock, cost app 4000 pounds. Brand new cost 5000 pounds (in spacial offer)
b) 2006 Suzuki V-Strom, 18000 km (11250 miles) on the clock, cost app 5000 pound (with bash plate, top-box, hand guards, crash bars). brand new costs 7600 pounds.
c) the reserve option might be pre-2008 Honda Transalp. but it has carb, high consumption, heavy. not in the shortlist tho.

I'll travel from Turkiye to Morocco via Greece, Italy, France and Spain. all round the mediterian coast and back via same route. this is about 7000 km on the european motorways and i want to travel as fast as i can in europa as i have done this route in 2006 with a BMW F650ST. In Morocco I'm planning to do 2500-3000 km, will prefer tarmac, but, also wish to go to remote places. A friend of mine will probably join me in Spain with his DR250 who did Vietnam to Finland last year.

pros and cons:

1) v-strom:
+ two cylinder. good for european motorways.
+ comfortable.
+ good second hand value here in Turkiye
+ got mods on it. just need to buy TT rack and high screen.
+ many long distance riding report with minor problems. Solid bike, solid engine.
+ the bike is where I live
+ no valve clearance needed
+ reports say good power even with low octane petrol.
+ less tax (half of xt annually)

- Heavy (195 kg dry weight without any mods will be about 300kg with liquids+mods+lagguage and i am 1.71cm and 65kg)
- expensive (will spend almost all of my savings)
- less mpg (owner said 16.5 km/lt)
- 18000 km on the clock
- no warranty
- hard to pick up when dropped
- hard to ride in gravel and sand
- more plastic
- red.. to shiny

2- XT660R
+ light (170kg dry weigt will be 230-250 kg with liquids+mods+lagguage)
+ cheap (almost the half of the travel expenses will remain)
+ will be almost brand new
+ better mpg (reported between 20-25 km/lt)
+ will have 1.5 year and unlimited km warranty.
+ better gravel, piste and sand handling
+ cheap to maintain
+ less plastic
+ black looks cool (faster because it is black

- single cylinder, will be vibby on high speeds (on 120km/h (75miles) or more)
- need mods(bash plate, high screen, hand guards, crash bars, TT rack)
- small tank (15lt)
- did not read many long distance riding report. (only one rtw and one UK to S.Africa)
- the bike is 1000 km away from me
- not good second hand value
- need valve clearance every 20000km according to manual.
- better to have 95 octane petrol according to manual.
- more tax.

the main concerns are actually:
v-strom comfortable, xt: light and cheap.
so, i need your opinions or in comfort vs weight and money as i stated on my topic

I have never ridden both bikes in motorways (no test drive in Turkiye), just had a small distance ride when I went to see the bikes. I think yamaha also has as solid engine as v-strom.

__________________
ozhan u.
website under construction