v-strom

[timktm]

I got myself a little 650 suzuki v-strom. Fun bike! Anyone else have one of these? The plan is to do a little adventure riding. Will see if the xs stays in the stable.
Tim

[JeffH]

650 V-Strom is a great machine. I've ridden a friends DL around North Georgia in the mountains on pavement but never got a chance to try it on one of our many Forest Service roads. On the curvy pavement it is really nimble and fast.

Did have friends (Kathy & Larry) that took a one year, round the world, motorcycle trip. They each decided to ride their GS650 V-Stroms vs other bikes. Bikes were shipped to Germany where they started and their 650's got them across Africa, South America, Australia South East Asia and China back to Germany without any problems. Dual Sport people (though they both ride HD & Triumphs too & Kathy has a GL1800 Wing) so it was mainly an off road, no pavement ride. A punishing trip and the 650's did better than the 850 BMW's that went. Just the usual tires, chains and a few dual sport related off road things that broke. They shipped the bikes back to Georgia and they are still riding them.



Enjoy that v-strom. It is a FUN bike on the highway or in dual sport mode.
Plan an Alaska ride or something. But better save up $100,000 if you want to do that Round-the-World one year thing. yikes ......

Jeff

[timktm]

WOW that is impressive! No plans to do any of that yet. My buddy has the BMW gs800 adventure, so hopefully he doesn't get me into too much trouble. I do have dirt bike experience but this is a new animal. Loving it so far.
Tim

[Bonz]

Had a V Strom 1000 for a few years and if the wind management coming over the screen and buffeting my head had been better I would've kept it. It was like going into a prizefight on any ride over 50 mph. Made my head hurt and it was ridiculous. I tried every combination of wind screen under the sun on my 2003 model year.

From what I understand the newer ones aren't a whole lot better unless you go with an aftermarket windscreen.

However it had a very nice engine, powerband and performance otherwise. But if you can't see straight when you get off the bike...

[madmax-im]

Never owned one but have ridden them a few times..they are light weight compared to the XS11s and are truly easy to ride which makes them fun..fuel injection makes startup easy as pie...you're gonna love it..BTW i see lots of people take these off the road..its just a matter of rider's skill more than it is anything else...

[timktm]

Had a V Strom 1000 for a few years and if the wind management coming over the screen and buffeting my head had been better I would've kept it. It was like going into a prizefight on any ride over 50 mph. Made my head hurt and it was ridiculous. I tried every combination of wind screen under the sun on my 2003 model year.

From what I understand the newer ones aren't a whole lot better unless you go with an aftermarket windscreen.

However it had a very nice engine, powerband and performance otherwise. But if you can't see straight when you get off the bike...

The buffeting isn't too bad, could be better. Not like sitting behind my windjammer! May need some kind of forward pegs but so far back and forth to work all highway hasn't been bad. Well except for the other day when the winds were crazy going over a high bridge with those huge panniers as sails!! I took them off for now, I have the trunk to store my lunch, helmet etc. The speedo may be off a tad as well, seems about 5 fast.
Tim

[IanDMacDonald]

Just was on a Suzuki Demo ride. Rode 'em all. Loved the GSXS-1000!!! The V-Strom was not my favorite. Rode like a dirt bike.

[Bonz]

Well, it is an adventure touring bike. Does extremely well for dirt roads in general. The XS1100 isn't so good on anything that isn't pavement, relatively speaking. My '03 Vee handled way better than any XS1100 on any curve as well. So, the XS handles like a worse dirt bike.

Granted, this is about a 650 Wee Storm, and it's engine is superb. I have ridden that engine in an SV650 and it is nice. Doesn't leave much on the table to the Vee Storm 1000, however the VStrom 1000 has fairly tall gearing which is fixed by a sprocket change.

[timktm]

Just was on a Suzuki Demo ride. Rode 'em all. Loved the GSXS-1000!!! The V-Strom was not my favorite. Rode like a dirt bike.

Exactly! Now to get some tires geared towards the dirt.