v-strom 650 as a commuter?

Want to stay to 650cc OR SMALLER, for fuel economy. Prefer upright seating
position, not a sport bike. Will be used almost 100% as a commuter for one
person only. No touring, no passengers. Might run errands occasionally on
the weekend, but one person only there, also.

Look at the EX-500 too. Some say "Ninja" on them, but they
are upright for sure. If you're not too big, an EX/ZZR 250
might be the ticket too. Now THERE is some mileage. Tops
out at just over 90mph, so it may not be fast enough for
your needs though.

I like the looks of the V-Strom 650, except for the chain drive. Will do
about 10K miles per year on the bike. I've read that the chain will need to
be replaced about every 12K miles, which would really SUCK, because then I'd
have to replace the chain every year, literally. Note I'm OK with changing

Put a Scottoiler on it when it's new and if the original chain is of decent
quality, it should last for years.

the tires every year (or more often, if needed).

10K is about right for an abused chain. Give the thing
some lube from time to time and you can do much better than
that. Lower power bikes use fewer chains too.

If the V-Strom won't work, anything else?:
Shaft drive

This is a MAJOR limiting factor. Consider whether you
really need it.

Water cooled

Again - ask yourself why. If air cooled can give the
mileage, do you really want the extra complexity?

650cc or smaller

Good guideline, but some engines are more efficient than
others. Twins aren't usually as good mileage wise as
inline 4s. Sometimes displacement can be a bit misleading.

Perhaps, on average, all else being equal, which it never is, one type
of engine gets better gas mileage than another, but once it comes to
individual models or units, all bets are off.

If economy is the overriding concern, then displacement, not engine
layout, should be the principal concern.

Upright seating position

Sit on them all. Some look like they are more comfortable
than they are, and others are way more comfortable than
they look. (ZZR-250 for example)

Large-ish fuel tank preferred (better than 3 gallons, without touching
'reserve')

Define in miles rather than size. How far do you want to
go between stops rather than how much at each one.

I'm finding several good candidates, all chain drive, air cooled or both.
What am I missing? -Dave

Nothing. It's just that most motorcycles are chain drive -
and for the proper application, there's nothing wrong with
air cooling.

I commuted for years on a Kawi 454 LTD. Belt drive, very reliable and
upright enough. Good deals are also out there on the Vulcan 750 which has
similar ergonomics, is a shaftie and lots of used ones out there. Figure
out the mileage difference and something like that may be a better deal than
the Wee Strom.

One that I would consider is the BMW F650CS
It has a belt drive, single cylinder 650, lots of luggage options,
upright seating (although the pegs are a touch rear set for my tastes)
a 4 gallon tank and gets great mileage while having plenty of power.
It is lightweight as well.

Also consider the Suzuki 650 single and Kawasaki 650 single. Like the
V-Strom they sit high but there are lowering options.
They do have chain drive though.

Yamaha XZ550 Vision

George, you own stock in Electrosport, don't you?

Chain life isn't a big deal- the original chain on my SV650S lasted
25k miles with a Scottoiler.

If you're buying a bike to save money, forget it. Buy a cheap little
tiny econocar. Tires are cheaper and they get about the same fuel
mileage plus you can use them in all weathers. The DL650 is a great
bike, if I didn't already have five bikes and one of them an SV at
that, I'd probably buy one.

I bought my '96 Bandit 600 in 2000 for $3k. Since then I've put 40K
miles on it, and never taken it to the shop. I've spent about $600 on
parts (including 2 chains) and about $800 on tires. About $600-$700 on
clothes/gear. I get 40 MPG in the city, and insurance is $92 per year.

I won't claim that's cheaper than an econobox, but it's price-competitive.

However, a literbike with shop maintainance could easily exceed triple
the price.

I guess I should have specified 2006 model year, and easily available to buy
everywhere in the United States.
Oh, and I'm not doing it to save money, but I would prefer to keep it 650cc
or smaller. -Dave