Meh:serious: most of us are too busy enjoying our bikes to be bothered doing some serious bodywork. I see your point but it's a bit like cropping dogs ears.
I know whatcha mean, beak be gone, that headlight too, it give me double vision, those turn signals are so ugly, just gotta be changed, barn door mirrors, are you kidding me, outahere, gold forks, what were they thinkin', they don't go with any color scheme especially the red, oh and whatever you do, please don't buy a Givi Airflow, ouch!!
Seriously, my advice to you would be to buy a cafe racer, now there's a real adventure bike!!
I wonder if there is a function of the beak that should be considered. It could improve cooling by scooping air and directing towards the radiator. I would leave it. Your resale could be affected by removal.
I think in colors other than black, the beak increases visibility too. My white beak is always the first part of the bike I see while walking out to it. I prefered the look of the black but feel safer parking in lots and riding with the white. Perhaps it's my justification of spending the extra dough for a '15..
I've ridden 1000+cc BMWs in some very rugged terrain. Not my idea of fun. The V Strom as you've described it is exactly what I've been looking for. Just bought a 2014 V2. If I want to ride a dirt bike, I'll buy one.
My only experience has been at a couple of GS events, one in Oregon and one in Hollister, CA. Although I was plain about being a beginner with the organizers, they said just take it slow and I'd be okay. Well, it was pretty hard going for me, but I finished the course and made it back with a bike that was ridable back home, both times.
Not everybody could say the same. A lot of broken bikes on those rides.
I saw some guys doing just flat out amazing stuff. They had been riding off road for a lot of years and many of them had highly customized motorcycles. I was coming at it from a place of total non-experience. I'd never ridden off road on any motorized bike before and the learning curve was, shall we say, steep. I'm glad I did these things, but at this stage of my life, I don't plan on doing it again. I like the V Strom's styling, its nimble handling and more than adequate power. It's my first liquid cooled bike, which I think I like. I like the availability of custom bits and accessories. I like the idea of being comfortable on poor roads, fire roads, gravel roads...that kind of thing.
I sincerely hope I've ridden my last steep muddy single track strewn with rocks, however. I have other things I like to do for fun these days.
I hated the beak when I saw the early press photos. I don't even think about it anymore. In my mind the bike is not "pretty," it's competent and functional. Competent and functional means a lot more to me than pretty. Still, it gets plenty of compliments for it's looks. However, a new mother's friends will tell her that her baby is just soooo cute no matter how ugly it really is!
Regarding off pavement use, I ride my Vee2 on dirt road and gravel two track every time I ride. My Vee2 also outpaced the other riders on a 40 mile forest road trip by 20 minutes. All were on previous models of V-Strom. And, I had the stock Battlewings.
The bike is much more competent off pavement than Suzuki's press department wants to admit. It may be that they think their target audience is more pavement oriented and want to emphasize the street competence of the bike.
I plan to plasti-dip my tank and beak one day. Just to change up the color for something new. I took the tank off for the first time this weekend. So I know I can get that sprayed. I'm hoping the beak is easy to remove so I can paint it too!
I don't know about that. The old did have those Godaweful wing shaped eyes. But then I guess Suzi hired a bunch of Anamai artists who came up with the Woodpecker and there ya have it. "Cute" is big in Nippon. Still not a fan but don't really notice it any more. Yet I may still be the first to hack it off.
I sure liked the look of those dual exhausts, especially with Staintunes!!
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StromTrooper
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