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The Glee on the Translab

6K views 24 replies 16 participants last post by  PcolaDennis 
#1 ·
I need input from you stromtroopers. After eight years of owning the wrong bikes and dreaming of riding the trans Labrador highway, I am finally going to go buy a leftover new 2013 glee this Saturday. I was 100% ready to pull the trigger until I told my fiancée about my plans to take a 16 day trip to Labrador...

I thought the 650 would be enough for me going forward because we had agreed that she would be riding two up with me less frequently and on fewer long trips. The rationale is that when we are married and possibly have small kids, it's not a great idea to risk both of us being killed at the same time on a bike. I know that is depressing but it's a legitimate precaution.

Anyway, I told her about the Labrador trip and she wants to come! I am lucky to be with a young woman who WANTS to sit on the back of my bike for 16 days in the middle of nowhere.

Is the 650 going be powerful enough? Can the suspension handle gravel roads two up with camping gear. Im 6'4" 230 lbs and she is 5'4" and 150ish I'd guess.

I still don't see us doing trips like this very often. This is probably our last big adventure on a bike together for the foreseeable future. After the trip it'll mostly be solo riding and occasional weekend two up rides.

Would the glee with suspension upgrades do the trick? How much does that cost? I'm already about to drop a lot of cash on the bike and setting it up for adv.
 
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#4 ·
With that much weight and gear you are going to be pushing or even over the Bikes GVWR. A re-spring will need to be done at a minimum if not a whole suspension job.

The bike will still make it if you don't but it will feel like a heavy wallowing pig in pretty much ALL situations.
 
#6 ·
That's my fear and why I intended to do the trip solo. A re spring sounds like a great idea for my weight alone. I'll have to see how this all plays out. I can't imagine gravel being any fun at all with a pillion. If she really wants to come I'll skip Labrador and explore Newfoundland. Otherwise it sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
 
#5 ·
#7 ·
I don't think "power" would be the question to ask for that ride. It's not about passing people when pulling hills at 70 mph+ that you would have to worry about.

For the TransLab the more important question is how much experience do you have riding gravel two up? There would be a lot of that. If you don't have much experience on gravel solo - don't try it two up. If you have good gravel riding skills solo and good skills two up on pavement, then you may make the transition to two up gravel riding OK. If either of those skills are lacking, taking off on a 16 day trip might not lead to a blissful future for your relationship.

If you have gravel and two-up skills, don't mind taking it slower and are willing to re-spring the Glee, then you may find it enjoyable? Any bike (KTM 990, GS1200 or whatever) including the Glee is going to be a lot to handle off pavement and loaded up with camping gear and two people. It's would be up to you whether you would enjoy it or no.

I take my Wee off pavement a lot and load it up with camping gear and I really enjoy it. I know my limits and wouldn't try to take my wife and camping gear off pavement. YMMV

My Two Cents
 
#9 ·
I have a decent amount of experience riding solo on gravel roads, mostly from riding a Bandit 1200 when I lived in Finland. I also had a DR350 at one point. I think it would be possible to do the trans lab two up, but it would be slow going and not enjoyable. I could probably do it two up on a 50cc scooter at a snails pace if I was crazy enough..haha. I've made up my mind not to attempt the Translab if my fiancee comes along.

How much should I expect to spend to re-spring a new strom? I think it's a great idea in general just for regular local riding and commuting considering my weight. It seems to me that new springs front and rear and a fork brace are good candidates for first farkles.

One of the issues that really pushed me to buy a glee and sell my Honda Blackbird is suspension. I finally realized that it made no sense to ride around on a heavy, aggressive riding positioned, 1100cc rocket, when most of my riding is at speeds between 30-60 mph on less than perfectly surfaced back roads in Northern New England. The blackbird wallowed on crappy roads.

As for buying two bikes..that isn't happening. I need to get her to drive a car before I even think about putting her on her own bike. She grew up in NY and I'm pretty sure she only obtained a license because she was sick of carrying her passport around as ID. I can count on one hand the number of times she has driven since I met her.
 
#10 ·
oh no

Depending upon your experience, the weight and the gravel could be the end of a marriage before it begins. Seriously. I've been happily married 38 years and my wife has about 20,000km as pillion.
The 650 is an awesome bike, and I have met couples who can ride the Translab 2-up on a Wee.
I ride a DL1000 and have lots of mileage with my wife aboard.

May I suggest that you check out the ship Relais Nordik and add a beautiful 2 day boat trip into your loop; from Blanc Sablon to Natasquan. You both will get great meals and accommodation and a few quick photographic stopovers at the small outports. Hwy #138 is a good road in Quebec and you can ferry from Blanc Sablon to Newfoundland and south to Port aux Basques and then ferry to Cape Breton.

Booking passage westbound ( upstream ) is easier on the Relais Nordik. The eastbound trip gets so much more traffic with supplies that you would need at least a year's lead time.
 
#11 · (Edited)
is a trailer an option

On a 2012 650 I recently had a big ride, very heavily loaded -- incl on gravel roads. I weigh in at just over 150 lb, and reckon I was at the limit of weight for the unchanged springing set-up on the V-Strom - for balanced handling. Would your mooted springing upgrade along with installing a tow hitch and pulling a small trailer solve your one bike for two-up big trip now -- and solo riding later dilemma. I know nothing about hitches on a V-Strom or towing a trailer I must add.
 
#13 ·
Thanks for all of your help and input thus far. I spent the day at various local dealers and here is what I have come up with. Only one dealer had leftover stroms. Everyone else said the 2014's were due next week.

Option 1) A leftover new 2013 Glee. The dealer will let it go for $7,800. I really want a center stand and the taller option seat and tried to get him to throw those in. The best he will do is 10% off on the parts. I am looking at around $8,200 the way I would like it set up.

Option 2) A leftover new 2012 Vee. The dealer will sell it to me for $7,500 and throw in an OEM suzuki center stand and install it for free. The tall seat is not really necessary on the Vee. I may even be able to knock this price down a little bit. I sensed that the salesman was very eager to get rid of the 2012 and he said Suzuki offers a big incentive to him to move it.

I like the look and updates of the new glee but having sat on both bikes, I could see myself being very comfortable on either. I had previously thought that my fiancee would not want to ride two up much anymore. In the past few years we have ridden everywhere between Gaspe, QC and Virginia Beach, VA. Today she said that she still wants to travel with me on the bike.

I am not too concerned with resale value as I plan on keeping whichever bike I buy for at least five years and many miles. I am leaning towards the Vee. What do you guys think? Be honest I haven't made a deal yet.
 
#15 · (Edited)
I really don't see how you could go wrong with the Vee - and, at that price, it's a great deal. You'll also never wonder if you'll be underpowered for those rare overtaking maneuvers that crop up here and there, and as you know, all the issues (if you can even call em 'issues') with the Vee have been known for a long time (some fix em, some never do). You really have a tough decision, either bike would be great.

My initial thought is, that for essentially the same price, you'd be getting much more bike with the Vee, and since the new model is coming out, all those pre 2012 farkles for the Vee will probably on discount in the near future....Having sat on both bikes, you'd have to agree that the Vee seems to be much more substantial than the new Wee - it just feels like a bigger bike (even if the frames are very similar) and for two up touring, that's better.
 
#16 ·
I'm probably going to close the deal on the Vee this week. There are just a few things that concern me after browsing this forum.

Is it really the case that a brand new 2012 Vee from Suzuki will need a custom spacer installed to correct the misaligned sprockets? I have also read that the bike runs poorly at low RPMs until you fix the mapping of the EFI. Having only ever owned carbureted, I do not even know where to begin. Are these all cheap and easy fixes to get the bike running properly?

It's a bit annoying to buy a new bike and then immediately have to start working on it, but I am comfortable doing it if need be.
 
#18 ·
JenkkiMike,

The sprocket misalignment issue is not something that has to be corrected. The vast majority of Vees out there have not had it done. Not doing it may shorten chain and sprocket life as well as sprocket carrier life but it isn't dangerous.

Many Vees have a lean issue around 3000rpm. 2012 models have a service bulletin out on the subject. If yours misses or backfires in the 2500-3500rpm range. The dealer should replace the ECM and spark plugs for free.
 
#20 ·
my two cents

:thumbup:I just got a 2012 VEE with all the suzuki incentives, have loaded it down with the wife, filled the bags (pushing up to the GVWR limit) running the back roads from North Carolina, to Tennasee and my bike was a BEAST. Never came up short on power and the suspension still held enough travel for a smooth back road ride. Your choice but I would not let that VEE pass you by!!!
 
#22 ·
I ended up getting a completely farkled 2012 dl650 from a private seller. It was cheaper than the dealer was willing to sell me a leftover 2012 vee or a leftover 2013 glee. I was about to pull the trigger on a 2012 vee but chose not to for two reasons.

Firstly, I was able to sit on both bikes back to back and I just liked the feel of the glee more. I liked the fit of both bikes but the narrower glee just felt better. I could be happy with either though.

Secondly, the dealer told me 7500 for a BLACK 2012 vee including a center stand. The bike was stores at a different location so they told me to come back a few days later and it would be there. When I arrived I found a RED bike. I wasn't pleased with the fact that they told me one thing and tried to sell me another. On top of that, when I brought up the previously offered deal of 7500 for the bike including center stand, they denied ever offering that deal. They said that I would have to pay an additional 265 for the stand, and they would install it for free. So in conclusion I walk in expecting to pay 7500 for a black bike with a center stand, but the reality is a red bike for 7765....no thanks.

A few days later I bought a completely farkled out 2012 glee with 5500 miles and couldn't be happier. I also saved over a grand.
 
#23 ·
SOmeone local letme test ride their Glee on Saturday. I was blown away by how much better the engine and fueling felt compared to my 04.
 
#24 ·
I did the TLH last September on my Vee. I'm not sure it's something I would have liked to do two up. There's approximately 530km of gravel from Red Bay to Goose Bay, and it's all paved from Goose to Lab City. Route 389 from Lab City to Baie Comeau has about another 180km of gravel, it's more of a challenge because the road is narrower and it twists and turns a lot.

The gravel on TLH is not like gravel roads elsewhere. It's constantly being graded. You can be flying along at 80-90kph on a smooth section and then out of nowhere, the bike is dancing along loose gravel, or you come across a grader in operation which has plowed a large berm of soft gravel in the middle of the road.

As far as scenery goes it's a pretty boring ride from Port Hope to Goose, unless you like endless trees and bog. The constant changes in the gravel will keep your attention, but your passenger maybe come quite bored. Cellphones don't work, and there are no services for the 410km. If anything were to happen, medical services are a long way off. I wouldn't want to be in the situation of standing over my injured wife on the side of the road waiting 2 hrs for an ambulance to arrive.

If I were bringing the missus along, I'd hit the west coast of Newfoundland and southern Labrador, beautiful scenery.

I don't want to sound negative about doing the TLH, because it was an awesome trip, I'd just think twice about doing two-up.
 
#25 ·
One of the things I read that allayed my concerns about two up riding on the '12 I bought, in general: 2012 Suzuki V-Strom 650 - Review | RideApart

In the section titled A Two Wheeled Taxi Cab, the description of his experience pretty much let me know that I and my petite lady would have no trouble. -As for taking her out on gravel with a lot of camping gear? I think you made the right call, there, to not do it.

The review is very entertaining, if you haven't ever read it.
 
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