The Dual Sport

We knew that we would need some capable machines for this trip. We will be riding 20-30 thousand miles through areas unfamiliar to us, carrying all the gear that we would need for three months. We would need a couple of reliable dual sport bikes. A dual sport is a bike set up for street and some off road use. They are very versatile and a number of manufacturers make some great models. Features we will look for include:

• Street and off road capabilities
• Load carrying ability
• Fuel efficiency
• Reliability
• Frequency, ease, and cost of maintenance
• Long distance comfort and a lot more...

New or Used?

We decided that we would prefer to buy and ride new bikes. We can preform simple maintenance and figure out how to take a part and fix things pretty well but we're not mechanics. New bikes have warranties, haven't been abused, and are generally all fuel injected (at least the ones we looked at). Also we want to ride the same bike so that parts and maintenance are the same.

Initial Contenders

It came down to the following bikes:

• Suzuki V-Strom 650 or 1000
• BMW R1200 GS or R1200 GS Adventure
• BMW F800 GS
• BMW F650 GS
• Buell Ulysses XB12XT
• KTM 990 Adventure
• Kawasaki KLR 650

Eliminations

Kawasaki KLR 650 The first to go was the KLR 650. This is a great bike but some drawbacks include the fact that it's a single cylinder engine, and a little on the small side. Tony is a big guy. They are a great value though and would be great for regional touring.

Buell Ulysses XB12XT The Buell Ulysses boasts some pretty cool features including 64 MPG out of a 103 HP 1200 cc engine. It also comes with factory cases (though small and not tough) and a 2 year warranty. It also has perimeter mounted brakes and an underslung muffler which keeps weight low. Our reasons for elimination: it is on the expensive side, five speed gear box, inaccessibility of parts/service in South America, least capable off road. This would be a good touring bike in the United States.

KTM 990 Adventure KTM has a committed following. A lot of guys love these bikes, and this bike has good reviews. However, neither of us have any experience with them and we had to cut this choice due to fears of unavailability of parts and service.

BMW F650GS Too small.

BMW F800GS This is a new BMW model and is set to be a pretty popular one. Very cool bike. However, it is set up a little bit more like a dirt bike than we would prefer. Also because it's a new model this year (2009) there is the concern that some bugs may need to be worked out before a trip like this. And parts and service aren't as available. There are more tried and trusted alternatives so we had to eliminate this one.

Suzuki V-Strom 1000 (DL 1000) The V-Strom is a great bike. It has a very reliable engine and has a great track record. Parts are everywhere and apparently anybody that knows an engine can work on them. Both the 650 and the 1000 are big enough (same size bike) to carry us and our gear and are capable enough off road. We eliminated the 1000 because it is more expensive and not as fuel efficient as the 650, and everybody we talked to / everything we read said you only need the 1000 if you're riding 2-up. Which we're NOT!

Down to the last two

It came down to the BMW R1200GS and the Suzuki V-Strom 650. Some pros and cons of both:

Suzuki V-Strom 650 ($6,999)

• Pro: Relative low cost
• Pro: More common parts
• Pro: Easier to find people who can work on the engine
• Pro: Range- A bigger gas tank than the standard 1200GS (5.8 gallons vs. 5.3 gallons) and better fuel efficiency (by about 10-15 MPG) means more miles between gas stops. However, the 1200GS Adventure does have an 8.7 gallon gas tank. Which is huge.
• Pro: Excellent record of reliability
• Con: Not rugged enough- These bikes will need more modifications and upgrades to make them trip-ready.

BMW R 1200 GS ($14,600 or $16,600 for the Adventure model)

• Pro: Tougher bikes. Less plastic, more like a huge dirt bike... but very comfortable (especially the Adventure model)
• Pro: Easier engine maintenance - Valves are easily accessible with the boxer-style engine
• Pro: The little things - Telelever front suspension, electronic immobilizer, etc.
• Pro: Less modification necessary - already packed with features we need. Most dealers order them with heated grips, trip computers, ABS (on/off with a switch!), etc.
• Pro: Switchable ABS. Turn anti-lock brakes on and off with a switch!
• Pro: Bigger engine - more hauling power
• Con: Price tag: $20,000 for a moderately loaded Adventure model
• Con: Weight: especially the Adventure model
• Con: Availability of parts and service

The Winner: Suzuki V-Strom 650

These are all great bikes. The last two are especially suitable for this trip. The pros and cons can be listed, argued, and debated for days (and they are all over the internet). We chose the V-Strom primarily because it is a very reliable bike, very capable, and a great value. Check out the links page under "The Trip" menu for links to great resources for research on these bikes.

Update: I (Nick) have since bought my V-Strom and I love it. I'm still in the process of getting it trip ready. I am 100% confident that we made the right choice.

Update: I (Tony) have also now purchased my V-Strom.  What an excellent machine!  Every time I get in the saddle, I go into adventure mode - looking for trails, back roads, puddles, and challenges.  I can't keep it clean for more than a day!  Short story about getting my bike - apparently the geniuses at Suzuki don't think the Black/Orange ABS model will sell in the States, but will in Canada.  I flew up to Vancouver, BC, where I had put a deposit down on the machine, and rode it home to Portland that night. 

The following is a table comparing the specifications of most of the bikes we considered. It is very interesting and makes picking one "best" bike very difficult... impossible.