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Strom back up

7K views 33 replies 12 participants last post by  strominateacup 
#1 ·
Over four months ago I posted a thread titled "Strom down" (http://www.stromtrooper.com/general-v-strom-discussion/328498-strom-down.html) about a head-on with a semi. After a loooong wait, I finally got the good news that my baby wouldn't be written off, and I got a cheque, so work has started on the resurrection.
Its going to be a naked conversion, and this week, after getting new fork tubes, I finally got it to the point where it is rideable, but still very much a work in progress. The headlight brackets are temporary and I am still working on fibreglassing a new mount for the instrument panel. After that I have to work out how to clean up the tank, and what sort of paint job its going to get, but its just great to be back in the saddle again!

 

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#4 · (Edited)
I got the new instrument panel on today, it was a steep learning curve in fibreglassing and a LOT of sanding!
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https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPpNqYwqBhahda5fTJjvNA5kppVhHqUrLhpWMsz

So, I tried to upload images I have in Google Photos, but using the image attach icon, nothing happened so I put in the link. Can anyone help with why I can't attach an image from Google Photos?
 
#12 ·
That looks pretty good. Will be easy to change coolant in future. This wouldn't work for the places I ride, all the bugs would go right into the front of the gas tank and rot. lol

Since your insurance didn't total the bike, didn't they give you money to replace the broken parts? or you just wanted something completely different?
 
#13 ·
.Dash is a nice tidy install. Thanks!
Much difference in weight ? Its about 10kg lighter.
Feel much different ?.
It feels quite a lot different, noticeably more nimble around town, I'm more inclined to split lanes etc. Its got a bit more of a "fun" feeling which carries over into the dirt. I find I'll take it to places I'd likely not have gone before, or at least feel less worried going there. Its easier to get up on the pegs and lean forward if needed without the screen in the way, and the niggling worry about scratching an expensive fairing is gone. I guess too that it has lost the 'shiny new toy' feel since the accident so its more of a workhorse.
On the highway I really notice the lack of wind protection, at anything over 80kph I'm leaning forward and wishing the bars were a bit narrower and lower. I'll be looking at fitting some sort of screen down the track.

Since your insurance didn't total the bike, didn't they give you money to replace the broken parts? or you just wanted something completely different?
I got a cheque for the full cost of repairs, about $3500. Fork legs were $1100, headlight and brackets $160, front mudguard $120 and instrument panel say $50 (if you don't count about $1000 in my labour!!), so I've got over $2000 to tidy up the tank and paint it.
I've always liked things that are a bit different, and I enjoy having a project to challenge me. As someone who has always done his own vehicle maintenance, I'd been frustrated by struggling to remove bits of bodywork without breaking little plastic clips, simple maintenance jobs like cleaning the air filter or checking the coolant were a PITA, so I'd always disliked the integrated fairing. Now getting to the air filter involves 3 fasteners, not 20+, and when I open the garage door and see the radiator cap, I get a warm fuzzy feeling!
 
#15 ·
It feels quite a lot different, noticeably more nimble around town, I'm more inclined to split lanes etc. Its got a bit more of a "fun" feeling which carries over into the dirt. I find I'll take it to places I'd likely not have gone before, or at least feel less worried going there. Its easier to get up on the pegs and lean forward if needed without the screen in the way, and the niggling worry about scratching an expensive fairing is gone. I guess too that it has lost the 'shiny new toy' feel since the accident so its more of a workhorse.
On the highway I really notice the lack of wind protection, at anything over 80kph I'm leaning forward and wishing the bars were a bit narrower and lower. I'll be looking at fitting some sort of screen down the track.
Makes perfect sense, I suspected it might but I'd rather not smash it to bits to find out.

I've always liked things that are a bit different, and I enjoy having a project to challenge me. As someone who has always done his own vehicle maintenance, I'd been frustrated by struggling to remove bits of bodywork without breaking little plastic clips, simple maintenance jobs like cleaning the air filter or checking the coolant were a PITA, so I'd always disliked the integrated fairing. Now getting to the air filter involves 3 fasteners, not 20+, and when I open the garage door and see the radiator cap, I get a warm fuzzy feeling!
This pretty much sums exactly how I feel about a lot of new stuff, plastic clips that break and are crucial to correct fitment.And where the hell do you buy a new one and what the hell is it
called or it's part number ?
Screws that are screwed into plastic and are pretty much a one use item. :furious:
Looks good so far, one of the generic screens should fit up alright.
 
#17 ·
"Fork legs were $1100"

Was that for just the tubes or the whole assembly including the lower parts too?
I just got the tubes to replace bent ones for $400. not I gotta reassemble them.
The tubes were nearly $1000 Aussie dollars with freight, and my local shop only charged $100 to rebuild the forks. It took me a lot less time to earn the $100 than it would have taken me to do the rebuild!:fineprint:
 
#16 ·
You don't have to smash it to bits, I discovered when doing some maintenance a while ago(I had the fairings off) that it would start and run perfectly happily with the instrument panel disconnected, so I took it for a lap around the block without fairings (or front blinkers).

Getting the side panels off the tank and disconnected from the front fairing is a PITA, but once that's done its really easy to get the whole fairing off. You just have to disconnect the three electrical plugs on the left, undo the two bolts that attach the fairing frame to the front of the bike and the whole thing lifts off quite easily. Getting it back on, there's a bit of fiddling to line up the fairing sockets with the brackets on the radiator, but then its easy.
 
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#20 ·
I made some brackets that will take the old standard screen and that works OK, but is a bit buffety around the head. I will experiment with the Madstad bracket that I retrieved from the wreck and an aftermarket screen when I find one cheap.

Meanwhile......
 

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#24 ·
I like it but started liking stuff you can not hurt in looks after getting my first work bike cheap . Tickets would not be as likely on something old,slow,instead of the flash and fast sport bikes that stayed at home.The 97 mile round trip was lots better with only one ticket on one of the slow bikes the next few years.All so found oil changes,plugs,and lots of other stuff could be doubled time wise with no harm on the mostly high way trip.Had the same rat 37 chevy pu 40 years so not much taste here.
The Vstrom I really like but its still sure not a looker to me. My 1966 Harley I chopped and my 1984 long soft tail drew people around them at every stop.My dirty little Vstrom does often to look at the right box with the critters seen and counted on the Alaska trip not for its good looks :smile2: If you think a vstrom looks good thats special.
 
#30 · (Edited)
Last piece!

My friend finally got the front mudguard painted, after five long months! (The colour looks really washed out here, you'll have to imagine Ferrari "Rosso Corsa"!).

Getting the pre 2011 guard to fit the 2012 fork legs was a PITA, involving hacksaw, heatgun and drill. I stole Chipwidget's idea for the 'fender extender', its a bit of plastic plant pot attached with double sided tape.
 

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#33 ·
My friend finally got the front mudguard painted, after five long months! (The colour looks really washed out here, you'll have to imagine Ferrari "Rosso Corsa"!).

Getting the pre 2011 guard to fit the 2012 fork legs was a PITA, involving hacksaw, heatgun and drill. I stole Chipwidget's idea for the 'fender extender', its a bit of plastic plant pot attached with double sided tape.

Uh... you stripped all the plastic off to make it a naked bike and then put that big honkin' windscreen on it?

:confused:
 
#32 ·
Just out of interest, I weighed my bike just now. Weight includes centrestand, Madstad screen, tool kit and full fuel.

Front wheel: 80
Rear wheel: 122
Total: 202kg

Wet weight is usually quoted at 214kg, so I'm 12 under that not counting the centrestand and screen. Don't know what the stand weighs, but I'm guessing 3 or 4 kg. Pretty happy with that!
 
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