The most obvious: practice. Just ride whenever you have a chance, you'll get used to how it handles. Slow speed parking lot maneuvers help too. U-turns, figure 8s, etc.

 

Your Yami has a 17" front wheel as well, that also helps with less top heaviness, yeah there is simply less mass to move around and the front end is indeed lighter and with inverted forks. I cannot believe the difference in my Tracer GT compared to the 650 Strom I had, it literally feels like a toy in comparison. I think if you sat on or ride a new 1050 Strom, you would likely feel it's more nimble and planted than even your 650. Practice.....practice.....practice......

 

Don't be afraid to feather the clutch at low speeds if it helps keep things stable. For really slow tight stuff, slide your weight to the outside of the turn ("counterweight") to shift the CG in a helpful direction.

When it comes to packing, you want the heavier things as low and centered as they can get. For me traveling solo, this means my laptop, liquids, and mass of clothing sit directly behind me in a duffel-sized drybag.

 

When I took my advanced rider class I went with it loaded. That's how mainly ride mine so why not practice like it?

PS. My panniers did knock over a few cones.

 

Generally the problems come at slow speeds. Or even pushing it around with the engine off. Mostly you don't want to lean it any more than you absolutely need to. And yes, get used to feathering the clutch at slow speeds, so you can 'catch' it with a slight burst of power if the lean angle develops suddenly. Not a bad idea to drag the rear brake a bit as well during slow-speed maneuvers, which can keep the speed from building up. Much like anything else, practice, get used to how it feels, and be careful.

 

Should I put a lot of stock into a 1050XT being “too big” (stature and power wise)?

I think getting a 650XT/1000XT now is not as enticing as an updated bike like the 1050XT.

 

It's neither.....get the bike you want.

 

Go fast, you won't notice it.

 

Don't touch the front brake at parking lot speeds when turning. That thing will tip you over faster than you can say SHIT!

 

Yup. Just about dropped mine one day coming to a stop in a turn lane suddenly. Wouldn't have been a big deal on my other bike but the vstrom tried to throw itself at the pavement.

 

I haven't ridden the 650, but the power on the 1000 is manageable but also there when you want it. I don't think they are really any heavier than the 650 but maybe a bit bulkier. I imagine the 1050 would be the same.

 

The only time I notice how top heavy my vstrom is, is at very low speeds or when stopped. You just need to be careful how far you tip it, especially if you are short. At 6ft it is still a challenge if I am backing out in my yard and have to be really careful of low spots for my feet. At anything above 10 -15 mph it is no different than my fz1.

 

Practice feathering clutch, revving engine a bit and dragging the rear break and turning. Try to change direction on a short notice ie someone yelling left, right

And when it goes too far, know when to bail. DAMHIK

 

Go on YouTube and look up Motorman Jerry Palladino Ride Like a Pro. He goes into extensive instruction about using the friction zone of the clutch, use of the rear brake and leaning for maneuvering at slow speed, amongst many other things. Yes, his videos are almost exclusively of big HDs, but as he says, these techniques work for any bike. His videos and drills have been a tremendous amount of help for me.

 

My Vstrom feels like a dirt bike after riding my FJR1300 all weekend. You wanna talk about top heavy.

 

Exactly how I feel about my 2003 Concours. The Wee-Strom feels like a Schwinn compared to that fat gal. Especially when that 7.5 gallon fuel tank is full.

 

Get fit !!!!

While getting stronger the bike will become lighter.

 

My .02...

You want to get a good feel for the tipping point.

When you move the bike around (not riding) keep your hip in contact. Lean the bike towards you and you'll feel a point that it wants to tip over. You'll have to muscle it back up.

Once you go past that point usually you can't stop it without hurting yourself. Best to let it fall, get out of the way!

Same with low speed riding. You'll feel it getting to the tip point that's when you want to give it more gas to stand it back up. Slipping the clutch while going slow makes a more gentle throttle transition also riding the rear brake calms the bike.

I had the 650 and now the 1000. The 1000 feels a bit more top heavy mostly because of the greater rotating mass I think. It certainly is manageable. I spend a lot of time waiting in lines of cars that are barely moving. I make it a point to balance the bike (not put a foot down) and work on slipping the clutch and riding the rear brake. I don't have trouble riding at walking speeds.

 

Did any of you guys make a big jump from say a 250cc to a 1000cc?

 

Not me. I went from a perfectly balanced Yamaha FZ1 to a DL1000 (still have both). Their stock wet curb weights are nearly the same (509 vs 520). But the DL1000 carries its weight a lot higher.

 

I feel it more in the mud or loose sand. It can feel like a heavy pig when bogged down and has a mind of its own in ruts.

 

Motonia, the bike I had previous to my DL650A was a Honda CBR300 but i do have over 35years of riding experience (gosh just realized I'm getting old). Just takes getting used to. The only time I feel the weight is when moving the bike around in the garage or backing up. Once I'm rolling the weight quickly disappears, especially as you speed up. Lots of great tips here such as feathering the clutch and apply a little rear brake and never grabbing the front brake when doing slow maneuvers.

 

Hello everyone,

...any tips for handling a 650XT, 1000XT, or 1050XT that differ from standard motorcycle tips....?
Cheers
- Motonoia

Here is a non-standard suggestion:

Half tank of gas.

Full tank is dang heavy. While the half tank will slosh a little more, the lower weight can help if the bike is more top heavy than you like. And you can work up to a full tank.

Ensure your packing is also low as can be at start. Take off the luggage racks and top box and learn the bike unloaded.

Also, get strong enough to pick it up from an "almost drop" also helps. I have now twice brute force stopped a couple drops mid travel with strength alone (once at a stop sign, too much front brake, and once at a gas station where cement was lower on right than expected and foot went lower than balance comfort point and I had to "grunt it back up.")

Plenty of parking lot practice with figure 8s, reversing travel figure 8s, non-flat parking lot practice, and emergency stoping on uneven ground will get you right.

Also, never ever stop with an idea of being "stuck" to the seat in the middle. The trick is to realize the ground is too low ASAP and for you to slide off to a side saddle before the bike starts falling and thus stop the drop before it happens. This way if your foot "wiffs" the ground because it was too low you are already sliding that way to catch the bike.

Now in turns, counter weigh the turn by shifting to outside of turn...this is an advanced technique that can cause problems if you aren't a good rider already.

 

This is all excellent information, thank you for taking the time to share. I appreciate it!

 

Pirate650,
I moved from a '03 Concours to a '06 DL1K. Totally agree the ZG full tank is more top heavy.

 

I share your feeling of the bike can be top-heavy. I have dropped it I don't know how many times, always at low speed or when stopping. It is now a few months since the last time I visited it unintentionally visited the ground.
It has being mentioned but what helped me is:

• Practice riding slow using the friction zone, very useful when riding behind really slow traffic
• slow turns, figure eights, challenging slalom, u-turns from a stop
• add limits to your practices, rarely a tight u-tun is needed in an open space practicing tight u-turns in an open space is not the same as turning around in a narrow road in the middle of nowhere, so practice your turns in between cones.
• practice stopping in dirt, gravel and uneven surfaces
• I can not reach with my full feet, so I practice stopped sliding from side to side on the seat so one foot is on the ground, then the other
• when slowing down make sure you are shifting down to a proper gear, releasing the clutch to accelerate while in a tight turn in 3th, 4th gear will make you fall
• and learn how to pick up the bike

 

Hey! A big thing for me was just knowing to keep the bike upright (vertical) as much as possible at walking speeds and while stopped. Once you get a feel for the top heavy weight distribution, then you'll get used to it.

Like other people mentioned, just ride ride ride, and you'll get it... enjoy!

 

I guess this is a point of view issue. I also went from an FJR1300 to my V-Strom. It doesn't feel abnormally top heavy to me at all. Any bike has a maximum lean angle that you can hold up with one leg. Don't stop at that angle and you won't fall over. If you ride any bike in the dirt long enough you will fall over.

 

There's a specific technique whereby even a smallish person can pick up a large, heavy bike safely. Even us galoots need to learn this so we don't damage our backs.

It came in quite handy when I got knocked off my Vee in a low-speed smush with an errant Ford in a roundabout.

Youtube University should get you a good demonstration.

 

When coming to a stop, keep your eyes looking ahead, not down, and try to keep the front wheel straight.
After riding a Honda ST1300 the V-Strom feels featherweight. 😬