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What Exactly is a V-Strom

10K views 83 replies 28 participants last post by  10MMVFR 
#1 ·
Many reviews call the Vee 2 an Adventure Style Bike. This sort of indicates that it is not a true Adventure Bike.
I know I should just let it go; but, it kind of irritates me because it misrepresents the capability of the motorcycle. And, someone looking for an Adventure Bike, might dismiss the Vee 2 based on some reviews:

This one reviewer represented the Vee 2 as an "Adventure Style Bike" and stated that the bike is really just a tourer. His review was challenged by the viewers response. So, he took it to heart and dug deeper into exactly what it Vee 2 is capable of.

This review is by a professional that really puts to rest whether the Vee 2 is a true Adventure Bike:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW_ZyPYN5R8
 
#7 ·
You can take most "normal" road bikes (don't ask me to define normal) many places such as my R60 BMW up a very steep hill during the 1968 Goodwin Shield held in the Blue Mountains of NSW.
 

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#10 ·
About the same time I reentered riding in 1995 I read an article in Rider about 3 brothers who took an "adventure" ride to Alaska. They all rode standards with soft bags and their gear lashed on with old fashioned bungees.

Since then it seems everyone but Harley has come out with some type of bastardized, high powered dual sport and tagged it an adventure bike. Personally, I have referred to the Vstrom as a standard decked out in adventure drag...

Anyway, adventure is the ride - the bike is just a tool. Some bikes are more "dirtly" and others more "streetly" but if the bike works for you, the adventure awaits!

So where is the argument?
 
#12 ·
To me, it's mostly an ugly street bike with dirt road ability. Or maybe it's a modern scrambler with plastic and a wind screen? Whatever it is, it's pretty versatile like a jeep.

The offroad pics always make me think, "gee, that looks fun." Some bikes and their riders are willing, but there are others that are more capable. But adventure can be experienced different ways.
 
#14 ·
Instead of what is an adventure bike, I like to think of the spectrum of off road capability. They generally go something like this, but it is a continuous spectrum with bikes at both ends of each category and some that defy categorization.

Motocross/serious trail bike (CRF, RM, YZ, YZF, KTM, etc 12"+ of suspension)
Street legal full on dirt bikes (above + tail and headlights)
Family fun trail bikes (XR, DR, not quite as much power and suspension as the serious trail bikes)
Dual sports (slightly less suspension that the family fun bikes usually 1" shorter rear shocks to bring down seat height, DR650, XR650R)
Adventure bikes (DL650 and DL1000, KLR, less suspension travel than dual sports around 6" to 8")
Scramblers (street bikes with about 4" or 5" of suspension)
Adventure styled street bikes (Versys, FJ-09, not much ground clearance)
Street bikes
Cruisers
 
#19 ·
You can put it on center stand to turn it off, but I have found their system works great off road. I like being able to grab s handful of front brake, and not worry about my front end tucking. Really only one reason to not want it on... steep down hill section.. hey guess what, just hit the off switch and it disables it for that situation. People get way too concerned about stupid shit. Maybe they should try and improve their riding skills before over thinking this bike. It's very capable off road in the right hands. Way more capable than most peoples skill set.
 
#17 ·
i'm sorry suzuki didn't really intend us to take it off road.. no abs modes or kill switch say it all .

can the bike do it ,yes to an extent but it wasn't designed for it
 
#18 ·
It's the motorcycle I'd replace my current V-Strom with if something happened to my present one. I have a 2014 ADV and after almost a year of ownership it exceeds my needs as a commuter/light tourer. I've camped off of it and run gravel roads with it and that's all I expect to do with it. It brings me plenty of smiles.
 
#24 ·
Everyone wants to either argue that no bike is an adventure bike because you can have an adventure on any bike, or argue that it is an adventure bike because it's made and marketed for a wider range of terrain than other bikes.

I fall into the second camp, and mostly because the first argument asks us to just abandon classifications of bikes because you can erase those classifications by riding somewhere the designers never thought you would.

To the original question, the Vstrom is an adventure tourer. I don't know any better description, either.
 
#25 ·
To each their own. This bike eats class 4 trails as good as any other big adventure bike. Would I rather have a KTM 690 or 500 EXC for off road, sure if I was trucking my bike to the mountain.
How many bikes can comfortable ride across the country loaded up with gear can keep going after the pavement runs out, and the going gets rough.
 
#31 · (Edited)
I was told once by a guy that races bikes(track) that it's 80% the rider and 20% the bike and that meant it pretty much that it was up to the rider and that the bike can make your life easier or harder..

so is the vee2 designed to be an off road bike (and i'm not talking gravel roads or fire roads ), no i don't think so (not enough ground clearance ,no abs kill switch, no 21" front) is it capable to do it ,sure is! to a certain extent!

can it do it well?..well that has a lot to do with the rider (can you come hot into a corner and powerslide to turn your bike then the ABS don't really matter..but if you can't and you came in hot good luck) but no one can tell me they can come into a steep downhill and stop with the abs (and us finding hacks to disable the abs doesn't make it designed for it ).

in the end the vee2 for me is a road oriented adv Bike that can be used off road to a degree depending on the rider (which sucks because the engine is awesome for low gear tractor like hauling )
 
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#32 ·
I am not kidding myself about my abilities on a 500lb bike, and know that a combination of the gaps in my skill and the gaps in this bike will not allow me to attempt, much less conquer a serious off-road or jeep trail. I have a couple of trail bikes, a KDX 200 and an KTM 520, and able to choose the right tool for the right trail, but wanted to get into “adventure touring”, which to me is traveling on the blacktop, intentionally limiting interstate miles, but having the option to travel gravel/dirt roads, nothing much more hardcore than a fire road, (and knowing some of those would be a challenge). I did some research and really focused in on the V-Strom, with is competent highway manners and with the appropriate set of accessories, would suit our purposed well, and keeping the fun within budget. I know that no mere mortal on an “adventure bike” no GS1200, no Tiger or KTM, (larger than the 640) can out perform the KTM or the KDX on a technical trail, at least I know I can’t accomplish the same on the Vee as I can on the KDX, and don't expect to.
 
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