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2012 vStrom 650 niggles...

37K views 102 replies 69 participants last post by  PeteW 
#1 ·
Well, it's been long enough now. We've lived with the bike long enough that the infatuation period is coming to an end. In this time, I'm sure that most of us have come up with a couple little things on our bikes and we would like to see changed. I'm not talking about changes that would require a major redesign, but just the little issues that it would be nice to see Suzuki address.

I'll start with a couple of mine:

kickstand -- the kick stand is not extend far enough forward. Parking on the very slightest of incline, is enough for the bike to roll off the side stand.

rear rack -- the finish is terrible, after just a six week tour, cam straps are wearing to the finish and exposing the white plastic. If they could not put a durable finish on the rack, they should have at least made the underlying plastic black. Also, it could use a few more places to run a strap through.

instrument BG -- The instrument panel would be easier to read it for were on a yellow background like that of my Suunto watch.

I have some more, but I'd like to hear about the little nuisances that other people would like to see changed.

yellow lcg bg:
 
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#39 ·
New DL650 ADV rider

I picked the bike up Monday so I really have no right to complain yet, but the locks on the Pans are a bit difficult. I thought this might be fixed with some graphite lubricant.

My biggest concern is the electrical system and having enough power to run heated grips, a jacket liner, both headlights on high, a GPS, and whatever other farkles I add. The bike was acquired for a UCC that I plan on doing in July. I see kits to disable one headlight and gain extra juice. Does anyone else have power concerns? I apologize in advance if this has been addressed in length on other threads. New to the board today.

Thanks,

Greg
 
#40 ·
You have about 125-150W excess available. Mount a voltmeter to make sure the system is charging above the 12.6-12.8V break even point. Heated grips and jacket liner shouldn't be a problem. A GPS takes practically nothing. It's people who run a lot of heated gear or add extra lights to heat that need to be careful.
 
#41 ·
Greg,

I agree, the low alternator output is my biggest gripe with the V-Strom. Highly recommend you get a volt gage. While there is no question that you can drain the battery with heated gear it does take awhile. I live in NC and occassionally travel to the Baltimore area for work, about a seven hour trip. Last February I rode up and had a full set of Gerbings either near or at maximum settings for the entire trip. By the time I got to Ft Meade my volt meter said 11.6 volts. I fully expected to need a jump to get going. A few hours later I tried to start the bike and it fired right up with no problems. I also carry a spare battery and a set of jumper cables on long trips like this so if I do kill the battery I can get the bike going again.
 
#43 ·
Two weeks, and 2500km so far...

I picked my '12 650 after getting home from Afghanistan with a plan to go cross country on it until Hurricane Sandy wrecked everything.

The horn thing, I feel less bad now that it isn't just me!

I'm going to look into those lowering pegs, and also thinking about adding risers on my handlebars, as after a couple of hours I tend to get tensed shoulders and I think it'll help.

As for the TraX panniers, I broke one of the keys off in the lock the first day, but I had a locksmith make me new, proper keys, to replace the junk that's supplied. My dealer is going to steer anyone he sells them to to do the same.

I wish they supplied the dry bags that SW-Motech normally includes with those cases. And I do not understand why a centre stand isn't standard.

Overall though, other than I'm glad yoga has made me flexible to climb on to it, I'm pretty happy with the bike... It'll get at least another week before I have to winterize it. Next spring, I can't wait...
 
#44 ·
i dont find the side stand a problem as i always leave any bike i put on the side stand in "gear" ...i do find the footrest are high and it makes me feel like an ape , with my knees up high so i subsitute this with my "airhawk " ..might have a look at footrest lowers ...apart from that the bike fits me perfect ....
 
#46 ·
Niggles

I find that if I use the hand brake to exit the bike (which they teach you in the MSF course, I do not have a problem with the side stand. Other than that, this is one of the best bikes I have ever owned. Even as good (and half the price) of the BMW GS I just sold. BMWs are getting too expensive to buy and too expensive to work on. I looked at the new GS prior to buying the Wee, and the new GS is almost $20,000. The 600 mile service on the last new BMW I owned was close to $400.00. My service on the Wee was $183.00. Also, all the aftermarket stuff and OEM stuff is a lot less expensive.

In other words, I love my new 2012 Wee. Only minor Niggle is, when I coming to a stop and don't downshift quick enough, it makes it hard to downshift back to first gear. SO, I have to be careful to downshift to first gear prior to the bike coming to a full stop. I just came back from a ride to Colorado from Houston. On the first day of the ride back home, I rode from Salida Colorado to San Angelo Texas (703 miles). I was not sore and the bike did great handling my 300 pound frame and approximately 40 pounds of gear. I would also suggest an Air Hawk seat cushion for those of you that get sore bottoms when riding. They are expensive, but cheaper than a new seat.

Enjoy your new bikes and get used to the Niggles!!!
 
#52 ·
I find that if I use the hand brake to exit the bike (which they teach you in the MSF course, I do not have a problem with the side stand. Other than that, this is one of the best bikes I have ever owned. Even as good (and half the price) of the BMW GS I just sold. BMWs are getting too expensive to buy and too expensive to work on. I looked at the new GS prior to buying the Wee, and the new GS is almost $20,000. The 600 mile service on the last new BMW I owned was close to $400.00. My service on the Wee was $183.00. Also, all the aftermarket stuff and OEM stuff is a lot less expensive.

In other words, I love my new 2012 Wee. Only minor Niggle is, when I coming to a stop and don't downshift quick enough, it makes it hard to downshift back to first gear. SO, I have to be careful to downshift to first gear prior to the bike coming to a full stop. I just came back from a ride to Colorado from Houston. On the first day of the ride back home, I rode from Salida Colorado to San Angelo Texas (703 miles). I was not sore and the bike did great handling my 300 pound frame and approximately 40 pounds of gear. I would also suggest an Air Hawk seat cushion for those of you that get sore bottoms when riding. They are expensive, but cheaper than a new seat.

Enjoy your new bikes and get used to the Niggles!!!
I've had to change my shifting habits too, not a big deal unless I'm making a quick stop and don't have time to downshift properly. I know how a MC transmission differs from a syncro car trans and the procedure to get it back down to first, but of the 10+ bikes (this is my first Suzuki) I've had over the years this is the only one thats given me this trouble. Other that that its a pretty smooth shifting trans.
I was moving bikes around in my garage today and was reminded how much lighter and less top heavy the wee feels than my KLR 650 when I'm pushing it around on the gravel floor.
 
#50 ·
Is there an obvious way to fix the horn button niggle? It happened to me again today, and it occured to me that it would be as simple as reversing the angle of the button.

It's tilted to follow the line of the handlebar, so it juts out further on the outside of the button, towards the bar end, than the part that's inside toward the steering column. It's that extra bit of sticking out near the hand grip that makes it intersect my thumb as it moves toward the turn signal button.

So if the angle were reversed - have it hang out more on the INSIDE away from the hand grip - it would be no problem. It would mean a slightly greater effort in terms of moving the left thumb to engage the horn, but it's way too easy as it is now.

Or heck, just make the horn button flat.

How hard could it be to make a substitute horn button for the OEM part and to install it?
 
#53 ·
Having owned the previous version, I have to say I miss the clock staying on when turned off. I used it as my garage clock for a long time.
 
#54 ·
Interesting avatar, SLT824. (Algonquin). Like to make it up there myself some time...:yesnod:

Oh yea, back to V-Strom quibbles! Hm, only thing so far is that retina-burning "frost warning" light. Finally did a ride this week cold enough for it to activate. It was interesting for a minute, just to see the air temp displayed, after that it became a nuisance. That's my only complaint so far!
 
#57 ·
G'day fellow Glee owners, I purchased my bike a few months ago (traded a '06 CBR1000RR) and really love the bike (fox orange Glee) I was getting a bit tired of the bad surfaced roads sports bike thing and finally saw the light.
Totally different beast I know but one thing that is bugging me is the loose throttle tube. I have adjusted to recommended specs but the side to side "jiggle" of the throttle is annoying me a bit. I find the throttle moves so much (side to side) that it makes fine throttle control difficult.
Is it just me (or my bike) or is anyone else experiencing this? If so has anyone come up with a solution to rectify it.
My bar ends are in correct position BTW.

Cheers, Dave
 
#58 ·
I've seen a number of people mention this. I don't get it. Lateral movement has no physical effect on throttle control. I've also seen mention of throttle cable slack adjustment being important. The fact is the throttle pulls against a spring in the rotational direction so the cable is always taut. The only thing the second cable does is to pull the throttle closed if the mechanism sticks. It's extremely rare for the closing cable to ever do anything. I run my cable slack loose because I use an electronic cruise control. I have no trouble with throttle control.

The problem I see is the rider's mental set. Throttle control on a new bike, especially when running on poor surfaces, has the be gotten used to. Many riders grip the bars too tightly and add throttle and handlebar inputs they don't intend. Just for a test, try using the finger and thumb tips instead of grasping with the hand for a short distance. I'm convinced it's the rider, not the bike, that is the cause of throttle control problems. Also check the chain slack but don't make it too tight. Stroms are more sensitive to throttle control than some other bikes but it is well within a practiced rider's control.
 
#60 ·
Hmmm.....thanks for your input....I think! Have ridden bikes constantly over many surfaces (both desert, forest, road and track) for more than 40 yrs practiced riding is well and truly underway. My concern was for the loose fit of the throttle on the tube and how I thought it was a little excessive. Maybe i could have worded my post a little better.
Will try a few things and post for anyone sharing the issue.

Cheers, Dave
 
#61 ·
If you prefer less play, you can work with it. We are allowed our preferences.
 
#62 ·
I had a hard time controlling the throttle at low speed. Cable adjustment was not enough. The stock clearance between the bar and the tube is excessive and the play to the bar end is over an eighth of an inch. This allows the the throttle grip to move when you hit a bump at low speed, affecting control. This fix helped a great deal. Take off the bar end. Cut a pop can up to make a 2 inch x 2 inch shim. Clip the corners to make it easier to install. Slide the shim between the handlebar and the throttle grip. Reverse the bend of the can so it acts a spring as well. Use 3/4 inch pvc pipe to make an end spacer. Slice off about 3/16 with a saw. Install it over the handlebar and reinstall the bar end. If the end play is eliminated and the throttle moves freely, it is the right thickness. If not, play with the thickness of the spacer until it works right. Cheap and easy fix.
 
#65 ·
Sifting through my parts in the shed I found a collar from my traded 2006 Honda CBR1000RR that has eliminated my throttle slack/movement issue. I have fitted a collar used to reinforce a rubber on the front fender of the CBR to the bar end of the G and it has transformed the bike.
Basically, I took the rubber insert from the G bar end assembly, cut off the raised end and fitted it over the collar. The collar sits flush with the bar end and this acts as a spacer to eliminate the "jiggle' of the throttle. The throttle after the mod is sweet and has no side to side play at all.
Honda part No (COLLAR 84706-163-670). If anyone is interested I maybe able to get some pics up. I am very happy as this was bugging me a great deal :hurray:
 
#66 ·
Graphics on the tank-removed.

Shock was not bad but moved it over to my older bike and installed an Elka-much better.

Springs-close but no cigar-Race tech replacements.

Over all I like this bike a bunch and other than the above items I have not changed much.

Added Jesse bags because I do not like the ones Suzuki offers.

Adjusting to the other "niggles" is no different than changing bikes. After a few miles I am up to speed. (Although my horn occasionally goes off when I turn on my turn signals!)
 
#69 ·
Just got back from a ride. Barely.

Riding along at 55 mph and the motor shuts down. :confused:

CHEC light comes on and I'm like WTF. Out in the middle of nowhere. Pulled over and shut it down put it in neutral and turn back on it starts up OK. Put it in gear and it shuts off. OK it's the side stand switch. Look down and the wires look fine out of the switch. Pull down on the wires and found a break. Looks like it rubbed on the counter shaft and opened the circuit.

So I pull out the wire and strip them back with my key and twist them together. Starts up and goes into gear fine.

Just checked the wiring for the gear position switch and it looks fine.

Just a heads up for you guys to take a look at those wires down by the countershaft sprocket.
 
#71 ·
 
#73 ·
It's a good thing to see how minor, if aggravating, the gripes are. As to the sidestand, I like the position, it's easy to lean the bike over on it to get the rear wheel off the ground for chain lubing. I hate the forward position of my wife's Shadow-it's very difficult to tip that bike that way.

Agree on the high-beam indicator.
 
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