StromTrooper banner
21 - 40 of 41 Posts
Ive got a Weld86 alloy skid listed for sale here. Its not very heavy & bolts up easily.
Got some Hepco Becker crash bars too..but not sure how theyd look on your 2020.
& you didnt mention it...but...I hava Givi 20ltr tank lock tankbag listed too
Tire Fuel tank Wheel Vehicle Automotive lighting
Hood Automotive design Wood Automotive tire Bumper
 

Attachments

Aluminum skid plate may also protect the bottom of your engine in case you scrape or hit one of those short and tall speed bumps found around shopping Mall's.
That's funny. :LOL:

It's also true. VStrom has 6.4 inches of ground clearance. Barely more than a sportbike. Surprisingly though, you rarely run over a rock bigger than that unless you're really taking some rough trails. The biggest concern is the FRONT of the engine. Having nothing to shield it on Base VStrom's, that's a huge exposure to rocks. I've found the OEM lower cowl does a great job of protecting the lower front and sides of the engine (not the underside).
 
It's also true. VStrom has 6.4 inches of ground clearance.
strom 650;
Front wheel travel150 mm (5.9 inches)
Rear wheel travel160 mm (6.3 inches)
Ground clearance170 mm (6.7 inches)

so add 200-250lbs and 60+lbs in luggage, that 6.7" quickly becomes 5.2" :rolleyes: (a can of Coke is 4.8")
 
  • Like
Reactions: PlugnPlay and OCL
6.7 inches actually better than other sources I found. Maybe that's why I don't bottom out too much.

Regardless, three issues I have about the VStrom for off road use:
The suspension is too harsh. Probably just due to the 6" of travel, but I feel like compression damping is a bit strong?
Ground Clearance is limited. This is always a concern and I often ride very carefully because of this. Perhaps for my own benefit as well as the bike.
Steering likes to get caught on soft terrain and knife in. I believe it could benefit from an adjustable steering damper off road if you like riding in soft sand.

The above are not bad things. It is a VStrom after all. 80%+ pavement. 20% of light off road work. Ridden within these parameters, it is a great motorcycle. Really love my 650.
 
6.7 inches actually better than other sources I found. Maybe that's why I don't bottom out too much.

Regardless, three issues I have about the VStrom for off road use:
The suspension is too harsh. Probably just due to the 6" of travel, but I feel like compression damping is a bit strong?
Ground Clearance is limited. This is always a concern and I often ride very carefully because of this. Perhaps for my own benefit as well as the bike.
Steering likes to get caught on soft terrain and knife in. I believe it could benefit from an adjustable steering damper off road if you like riding in soft sand.

The above are not bad things. It is a VStrom after all. 80%+ pavement. 20% of light off road work. Ridden within these parameters, it is a great motorcycle. Really love my 650.
all true, my second year with my strom650XA is all "Love and fun" and such an awesome "bang for a buck" value (some Electric assist bicycles cost more) ...very limited for some more technical trails, which is probably a good thing, so I don't get tempted to challenge some "motocross/quads only" trails... 80% - 20% is probably right...I think I pushed mine to about 50/50 but after the "broken frame thread" I'll take it easier on those big rocks and dips.

But for those that are big into Off roading a much better choice would be Africa T, Tenere700, and other "more dirt" oriented machines...GSA's, Multi's, KTM1290's, Versys and such should be for road touring.
 
  • Like
Reactions: OCL and PlugnPlay
Hey there folks, brand new V-Strom owner here. Just bought my 2020 DL650 a couple weeks ago, and I am absolutely in love with the bike! Most fun I've ever had on a motorcycle. I think you'll catch me hanging up the handlebars before I ever sell it.

At the moment I'm thinking about a few things I may wanna add to her - hard saddle bags, some crash bars, eventually a new seat. Nothing too crazy, since I love the way it rides, so I don't want to change that too much, and she'll be nearly exclusively on the street. The previous owner decked it out quite a bit with a lot of extras already anyway - heated grips, center stand, bark busters, and aftermarket trunk.

Right now I think my priority is something to protect that oil filter from small rocks/road debris. I've been looking around but I've only found a couple options:
1. Aftermarket steel/aluminum skid plate.
2. OEM plastic cowling meant for the 650XT I believe

Option 2 is ideal for me, I think. I don't need (or want) all the extra weight that a full heavy duty skid plate would come with. But purchasing options for a brand new OEM cowling runs $200-300 from what I can tell. I was hoping someone might have one they'd be willing to sell, if a more adventurous spirit has replaced theirs with a more heavy duty offroad ready skid plate. If anyone has one they're willing to part with, or other options, please let me know.

Any other upgrades you guys think are worth considering? Like I said, I pretty much only plan to ride on the street; commuting, canyon carving, occasional touring.

Obligatory pics. Ain't she purdy?

View attachment 304031 View attachment 304032
She is definitely a beauty! Glad you appreciate her as much as I love mine. One of the best bikes I ever owned for sure and vastly under appreciated IMO. Welcome to the forum, I think if you never intend to go off road and only do normal gravel roads I think that the OEM would most probably work just fine. I modded my own 2019 650 XT up pretty well (maybe excessively) and put on SW Motec crash bars, low seat, Shad 3P mounts and SH23 side cases, etc. But I found that off road adventure was not in the cards for me, especially on a such large bike, but I am glad for the crash bars just in case of an inadvertent drop. Not sure you would need to spend good money on an aftermarket seat as the OEM low seat works just fine for long days in the saddle so you might want to wait to see on that issue. Informationally, I used a lot of accessories I got from Adventuretech (lights, controls) and think it is an honorable company with fair prices and good products (I am not affiliated, just think highly of them). My 2019 XT650's OEM cowling is brand new since I pulled it off right after getting my bike to mount an aluminum one made by Ravetech. You are welcome to have my OEM cowling as my gift to you as a new fellow V Strom lover, but you will need to pay for the shipping from Encinitas, CA 92024 area. My gift to you. You can email me direct: william3124@sbcglobal.net and we can figure out getting it to you. Here's my beauty!
Tire Wheel Fuel tank Vehicle Automotive fuel system
 
Like I said, I'm open to other ideas. Just don't want a stray rock from the front tire to leave me stranded and leaking oil on the side of the freeway. Not totally opposed to a metal one, it just seems a bit much
Wheel Tire Fuel tank Vehicle Plant
for street use is all.
Love my Hyde racing plastic skid plate. Cheapest, can bash into a curb, lightest, most ground clearance., no additional engine noise. Crap mounting hardware though.
 
You are welcome to have my OEM cowling as my gift to you as a new fellow V Strom lover, but you will need to pay for the shipping from Encinitas, CA 92024 area. My gift to you. You can email me direct: william3124@sbcglobal.net and we can figure out getting it to you. Here's my beauty!
Take this offer. It won't come around often.
 
But for those that are big into Off roading a much better choice would be Africa T, Tenere700, and other "more dirt" oriented machines...GSA's, Multi's, KTM1290's, Versys and such should be for road touring.
I'm jonesing for the Suzuki DRZ400 for 50/50 riding. I'm really liking the 50/50 thing, primarily because there's so much of it near where I live with limited highways in between. I think it would be a great compliment to any ADV bike.
 
I'm jonesing for the Suzuki DRZ400 for 50/50 riding. I'm really liking the 50/50 thing, primarily because there's so much of it near where I live with limited highways in between. I think it would be a great compliment to any ADV bike.
Picked this up for doing that! Lighter, less expensive, more forgiving
Tire Wheel Fuel tank Automotive fuel system Vehicle
 
Hey there folks, brand new V-Strom owner here. Just bought my 2020 DL650 a couple weeks ago, and I am absolutely in love with the bike! Most fun I've ever had on a motorcycle. I think you'll catch me hanging up the handlebars before I ever sell it.

At the moment I'm thinking about a few things I may wanna add to her - hard saddle bags, some crash bars, eventually a new seat. Nothing too crazy, since I love the way it rides, so I don't want to change that too much, and she'll be nearly exclusively on the street. The previous owner decked it out quite a bit with a lot of extras already anyway - heated grips, center stand, bark busters, and aftermarket trunk.

Right now I think my priority is something to protect that oil filter from small rocks/road debris. I've been looking around but I've only found a couple options:
1. Aftermarket steel/aluminum skid plate.
2. OEM plastic cowling meant for the 650XT I believe

Option 2 is ideal for me, I think. I don't need (or want) all the extra weight that a full heavy duty skid plate would come with. But purchasing options for a brand new OEM cowling runs $200-300 from what I can tell. I was hoping someone might have one they'd be willing to sell, if a more adventurous spirit has replaced theirs with a more heavy duty offroad ready skid plate. If anyone has one they're willing to part with, or other options, please let me know.

Any other upgrades you guys think are worth considering? Like I said, I pretty much only plan to ride on the street; commuting, canyon carving, occasional touring.

Obligatory pics. Ain't she purdy?

View attachment 304031 View attachment 304032
 
Wow! You got a lot of replies, perhaps even including my idea, so I apologize if this is redundant:

I simply covered my oil filter with a strong magnet and a steel can formerly used for soup or whatever.
It stays aboard, and looks OK (painted) and has prevented damage to my oil filter for 90,000 miles of travel through 42 states and 10 provinces. I don't do much off-road, but I got up to 60 MPH on gravel near Colinet, Newfoundland, and the can stayed aboard. So did I, and I slowed down quite soon & didn't do it again!

I am glad that you are so pleased with your ride.
Keith
 
21 - 40 of 41 Posts
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