My first water crossing w/ the Strom - two up.

My wife and I were out today. And, after a few hours and a belly full of ice cream, she just wanted to go home, so I took a shortcut on backroads to cut across and avoid the traffic.
Well after traveling about five miles down one of those backroads, we came to a road closed sign. I rethought other ways to get home, but this was the best and shortest so decided to see what was behind the sign. After all the Vstrom IS an adventure tourer. A little ways beyond the sign we saw why the road was closed. With all the rain/hurricanes we have had lately there was water all over the road and the pond had flooded the road completely for around 80 yards. There was a father and his young son wading in it and it was up to the father’s knees. He was off to the side though, so I felt it was not as deep at the crown of the road. The urge beckoned me. He was making gestures as to how deep it was and then waved me on. It IS an adventure tourer I told myself again, and hit the gas. 1st then 2nd to keep momentum, while sitting down and riding the yellow line of the crown.

Well as the road went a little further, it got deeper, so deep it was almost up to the bottom of the gas tank and my boots were fully submerged. A solid sheet of water was cascading OVER the windshield and OVER my helmet and getting my wife wet. I could not see, and my mouth was full of water. It was as if I was plunging in with a submarine. I held my line and kept the throttle on. I think the bike may have hiccupped once, but it kept going right up and out the other side. There were some people out in their yard on the other side when I came up, and out the woman had a look of WTF? I beeped the horn twice and on we went on to try to dry off, I did not want to stop the bike. The motor was pretty much submerged; hope I didn’t mess anything up.

If I had realized how deep it got I would have stood up, but I also did not want my timid wife to panic.

We haven't laughed so hard in a long time!

I told her, “I bet that kid is telling his dad he wants a motorcycle!”