StromTrooper banner

'05 DL-1000 question (s)

2K views 15 replies 10 participants last post by  VSteeBoy 
#1 ·
Hi, all!

Thanks for letting me join! I'm pondering an '05 VStrom 1000, being sold by a local fellow. Its mileage is in the 40k range, and it *seems* to be in pretty good shape. My primary question is about 'seat height'. I'm a bit on the small side (5' 9" and-a-half) and it would seem that the current seat-height would put me on the balls of my feet at a red light. Can you suggest other seat options for this bike that might put me in 'flat-feet mode'? (I'm coming from a 2014 Triumph Tiger, which I had to sell last year to pay for some surgery. REALLY miss that bike!) Also...is there an after-market gear-shift indicator that would be good for this bike? Thanks so much, all!

Matt
 
#2 ·
First remove the 4 rubber bumpers on the bottom of the seat pan. That gives you between 1/2 and 3/4 inch drop.
If that's not enough, SeatConcepts makes a lower seat cover. Next step up in price is a full custom lowered seat from Terry Adcox or RDL.
 
#4 ·
Lower it!

You can lower the front and the rear of the bike. At the rear the "dog-bones" that connect the rear shock to the the swingarm can be changed easily. There are some that are fixed length and others that are adjustable to some extent.

For the front you can slide the fork tubes up through the triple trees. My 2003 DL1000 has has both done to it lowering it about 1 inch. The fit is fine for my 31 inch inseam legs being able to flat foot at the stop lights without issue. As a side note there doesn't seem to be a degradation to the ride quality.:smile2:
 
#7 ·
Move on and get a 2014 or newer 1000 or any model year 650, otherwise get ready to be asking us all for help with the issues you'll be having down the road. Browse around the 02/12 1000 section.......you'll see. :)
 
#8 ·
You want to shop for a 2004-2011 DL 650 seat. These are interchangeable with the DL 1000 seat. They are quite a bit lower! Then take the rubber cushions of that one too and you will lose a substantial amount of seat height.

Yes, there are some things that owners tend to complain about on the 2002-2012 DL 1000. But some bikes have almost no issues and the worst ones are easy to fix. And at the price these bikes sell for now, they are a real bargain!
 
#10 ·
Clutch basket issues, which I have a fix for.

Fueling issues, which can be addressed but some bikes are just going to be better than others on fuel mileage, and the tendency to hiccup or backfire at low rpm/throttle openings.

Throttle Position Sensors tend to cause problems more in the 1000 than the 650 for some reason. But again we know the symptoms now and replacing them isn't expensive.

Some complain about rear chain alignment. Which can be fixed by two methods.

Rotor magnets tend to come loose on these. But there is a cheap fix known as the JB Weld Fix that eliminates that problem.

Otherwise these are not any more likely to be a problem than other bikes. In fact, I would say they are a more reliable bike overall when a few things are addressed than the 650 or about any other bike. The suspension is much better to start with too. Brakes are the same poor brakes as the 650's have.......
 
#11 ·
Beerman, there are older VStrom 1000s with hundreds of thousands of miles on them. They run and run and run. Mine is an '06 with 60,000 miles. And I've had the problems that Realshelby speaks of and they're not that bad to take care of. His clutch works great. You can get the stumbling issue resolved easily with a flash of your ECU or a PC Fuel Controller. I like my brakes. I've replaced the rotor because of loose magnets. This over a period of 12 years. Not bad, really. For better fuel mileage, get a 4 degree ignition advancer. It's worth a few MPG and a little performance. It's a good all-around bike. I use mine occasionally at the drag strip, track days and long trips. Two-up and alone. What more can one ask?
 
#12 · (Edited)
You can always lower the bike to tailor it to your needs. It is easy and inexpensive to do. No matter what you do just know these bikes do need certain items for sure. Power Commander is definitely one of them. I haven't experienced any clutch noise nor battery charging issues with mine, but they do seem to occur in many V-stroms. Both issues are well documented in this forum and not that hard to deal with.

I haven't had any issues with my 05 and has been a great bike. Feel free to check it in the for sale section ;).
 
#14 ·
A TRE only affects the power the engine is capable of in 5th and 6th so that people don't ride it faster than the geometry of the bike is designed for. I use a TRE and can't really tell the difference. I made a few changes at the same time, so I don't know what worked well and what didn't. A TRE provides quicker passing at highway speeds without shifting down. The ECU is programmed to limit air intake to the injectors and some ignition changes. It's not something that most Strom riders need or have a use for at all. The ignition advancer (4 degrees) and velocity stacks and TEKA tuning device are at Factory Pro in Northern California. I just looked at their web site again and while it's awkward, go to Suzuki products and you will get some good hints on increasing power. They also make a good case for eliminating the secondary butterfly plates in your injectors. It's an interesting performance site. Enjoy. Bobby
 
#16 ·
Factory Pro Website - I agree. Not exactly user friendly, especially on an iPhone. May be better on a device with a larger screen?
Anyone here actually do the mods recommended for the 14+ dl1000s? Those are some pretty substantial claims for hp increases, particularly so for the removal of the secondary butterfly plates. I thought I read a post in another section arguing that secondary butterfly plate removal was not a useful mod with the V2. Not being particularly mechanically inclined it didn’t really register at the time, but having seen this site I’m curious.
Also curious about the Shift Star kit - does it really improve shifting as claimed?
Anyone with real-world experience with these mods on the V2?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top