Rode a Vstrom 1000 today

[the Ferret]

Met a buddy for lunch. I rode my ST, he rode his Suzuki Vstrom 1000. Adventure bike supposedly. Dang that thing is tall, and it's geared to the moon, we only got up to 60 so I never got out of 3rd gear and his is geared down 1 tooth on front up 2 teeth on rear.... and it shudders like a Harley whenever you are accelerating. Very top heavy, there is no WAY I'd take that thing off road.

On the plus side it had great ergos, shifted nice, decent air management, nice suspension, decent brakes.

Don't tell him I said this, but it is NOT an attractive thing. :-/

Anyone else ridden one?

 

[The Spaceman_imp]

After 5 years and 60k miles I sold my Vee to buy the CB. The guy who bought it said he was heading to Alaska
Its a good bike for that, but I was tired of it.

It was like trading a Yukon for a Mini Cooper. The Vee was a great bike, we had some awesome rides and it never gave me any trouble. But I sure like the CB better!

 

[the Ferret]

After 5 years and 60k miles I sold my Vee to buy the CB. The guy who bought it said he was heading to Alaska
Its a good bike for that, but I was tired of it.

It was like trading a Yukon for a Mini Cooper. The Vee was a great bike, we had some awesome rides and it never gave me any trouble. But I sure like the CB better!

LOL ...great line.

 

[frontrange_kg_imp]

I ditched my '12 vstrom 650 for the cb. I chose the 650 vstrom over the 1000 vstrom because the 650 was a bit shorter and much lighter. Most 1000 owners want the extra hp or want more stability for long hauls. The 650 is a terrific bike but it has its quirks - wind buffering was one problem that got better with mirror extenders. Also, the bike's front wheel got real twitchy in heavy crosswinds- fork brace calmed most of the twitchyness. I would have kept the vstrom except I can't fit another bike in the garage. Another strong point for the vstrom is the availability of aftermarket parts. I did like having my topcase on the vstrom! I bought the vstrom for the ergo setup - that was nice. When I was shopping last year I considered waiting for the cb1100 - oops, should have. I am at 500 miles on the honda and I'm loving it. I think I need the luggage rack, and maybe a passenger backrest to hang my work laptop/backpack against.

 

[thumper_imp]

Met a buddy for lunch. I rode my ST, he rode his Suzuki Vstrom 1000. Adventure bike supposedly. Dang that thing is tall, and it's geared to the moon, we only got up to 60 so I never got out of 3rd gear and his is geared down 1 tooth on front up 2 teeth on rear.... and it shudders like a Harley whenever you are accelerating. Very top heavy, there is no WAY I'd take that thing off road.

On the plus side it had great ergos, shifted nice, decent air management, nice suspension, decent brakes.

Don't tell him I said this, but it is NOT an attractive thing. :-/

Anyone else ridden one?

I'll frequently find myself just walking out into the garage, to stare at the girls. I'll grab a microfiber cloth and give them a nice rub, while admiring their beauty.

I've heard nothing but praise from VStrom owners about how those bikes perform. But, they are homely. I can't see myself drooling over one in the garage.

 

[The Spaceman_imp]

When I bought the Vee (aka: VStrom DL1000) I had visions of Iron Butt rides, trips to Peru, all that ADV stuff. Then reality hit and I rode it back and forth to work and out for day trips on the weekends for 90% of the miles. And it did those things well, but it wasn't really that much fun. Chicks did not pull their tops up when I rode by. Harley guys wouldn't wave at me. The only people who liked the Vee were other "Stromtroopers."

Now that I have a CB1100, I am getting laid 43% more often. Strangers buy me beers in bars I've never been to before. My credit rating went from 710 to 780. I've achieved total self-awareness and become centered.

 

[the Ferret]

the new bike sounds perfect!

 

[thumper_imp]

I guess I need to ride my CB11 to Florida and hang-out with The Spaceman!!

 

[the Ferret]

I guess I need to ride my CB11 to Florida and hang-out with The Spaceman!!

Change his name to Wingman?

 

[lol_imp]

I guess I need to ride my CB11 to Florida and hang-out with The Spaceman!!

Change his name to Wingman?

Change his name to Wingman?
loved my vstrom 650 super bike

 

[4 Paws_imp]

Rode a 1000 and 650 V yesterday in addition,to a Honda CB500x. The vstroms are a lot of bike, sit well with a decent engine. Felt top heavy to me and were more bike than I was looking for.
Nice bikes with a large following.

 

[Papa Weeley_imp]

Rode a 1000 and 650 V yesterday in addition,to a Honda CB500x. The vstroms are a lot of bike, sit well with a decent engine. Felt top heavy to me and were more bike than I was looking for.
Nice bikes with a large following.

I looked into the same bunch. Bought the CB500x. Great little bike, very lightweight, handles amazingly well, and doesn't feel like it's carrying 350 of its pounds 4 feet off the pavement like the VStroms. The Vs are no doubt much more powerful, but the CB5 fits me perfectly, and has ample power for what I use it for.

 

[4 Paws_imp]

Trying to locate a cb500x used around here. Want something to do a little off road riding, emphasis on a little.

 

[rboe]

If "a little off road" means good dirt and gravel roads, ANY standard bike will suffice. Some cruisers are a wee bit iffy and some sport bikes will do fine too. If you make a habit of it there are tires you can use that work better in "a little off road" and still do very well on the road.

Shoot, when I started out not all roads were paved so your bike - and you - just rode on whatever was under the tires, and didn't think twice about it. We didn't know any better.

 

[Capo]

We had both a VStrom 650 and 1000 as part of our rental fleet on the Isle of Man last week. Both capable bikes, no problems handling everything from the Mountain section at spirited speeds and light off road duty. The renters, however, are KTM 1190 and Aprilia Caponord owners, so they were not impressed with the Suzukis overall, more like grudging acknowledgement of their competence for the price. And quite frankly, that's important....the Strom is a good, solid machine for decent money, and you'll get a decade out of it with little drama.

 

[TINK_imp]

Loved my 650 Wee Strom.
Sold it when I got the VFR, no room at the inn (garage).
My Wee was a 2004. If I got another (... thinking about it) I'd get ABS for sure. When pushed, the rear of the Wee would get light and HAPPY



The Wee, however, is no silky smooth ST1300...

 

[dwcurton_imp]

I bought a 2006 Wee-Strom brand new, been driving it for 10 years now. I quickly got over all that "adventure" nonsense and saw it for what it was, an excellent value for the money. It's a darned good commuter, and large enough with enough power to be a decent highway cruiser. Good wind protection, decent aftermarket support, and a rock-solid engine. It takes a little time to get used to how high it sits (I lowered my 1") but once you get used to the balance you can confidently throw it into corners and roll full throttle on exits. In fact, at that power level you can roll full throttle quite often - which is not something I'd do on a true sports bike. I also changed out the windshield to improve air flow and modified the seat some for couch cushion comfort. Added a top box to carry my lunch.

But it ain't pretty, that's for sure. So I never washed it. Usually just leave it sitting out in the rain occasionally to knock the dirt off. She doesn't complain, and after 40,000 miles still runs strong. The CB is my new baby, but the Wee-Strom is still there and ready for duty.