Howdy Vstrom enthusiasts.
After being on the fence for a while, I recently had a 1050 delivered 2 months ago. Unseen & no test ride (no dealers near me) I threw the dice because it had everything I wanted (specifically for the roads here), reviews sounded good and this new black/grey/blue color is awesome.
I've been an avid Harley (RoadKings mostly) rider for 40 years. The roads here required spendy (hopeless) suspension upgrades with age & heavily scraping in corners brought me too reality. Picked up a Versys 650 & 1000 but suspension was still brutal; hence, the Vstrom. So far I'm good with the suspension & haven't even done my sag adjustments yet. The spoke wheels seem to help. It sounds good, handles good in the twisties, good brakes & electronic aids, ect..
I can't comment on higher speed hwy riding yet since it's just coming out of breakin restraints.
There are some concerns like the topend noise (as bad as the Harley') with cam chain whinning to boot. It's worrisome at times when temps are up. Some other mild things I would like to post about later, but overall I'm still as pleased & impressed as day 1;-)
Thanks for reading & for the forum!!!
V-Stroms are generally very reliable with basic minimal maintenance. I would not worry overly about engine noise - it is normal, and anyway V-Stroms lack full farings to muffle engine noise.
Top end noise. Maybe you are “lugging”it? These bikes like to rev out.Surprised me at first.After you coming from a history of Harley ownership it would seem counter-intuitive.
Rode with some Harley crew who thought 4500 rpm was high on my st1300.
The 650s at least are somewhat famous for 6th gear transmission whine. That is just what they do. There is a theory that this whine annoys or alerts deer, so stroms are safer in that way.
I would love to see evidence for that though.
I too am new here and had my dl650 delieried to me. I had not riden a wee in 15 years. Must say it ride much better than I had remembered. Good stuff here and welcome.
Thailand is a fun place. Mostly nice folks.
40 years on Shovel heads, Evo' & Twin cams, this suspension is great. Not to say that down the road I may get the itch to upgrade, but I bought this bike to ride out of the box. Unlike the Harley' & even Versys, where upgrades were asap. Thanks!
V-Stroms are generally very reliable with basic minimal maintenance. I would not worry overly about engine noise - it is normal, and anyway V-Stroms lack full farings to muffle engine noise. View attachment 305182
Top end noise. Maybe you are “lugging”it? These bikes like to rev out.Surprised me at first.After you coming from a history of Harley ownership it would seem counter-intuitive.
Rode with some Harley crew who thought 4500 rpm was high on my st1300.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could
be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
StromTrooper
A forum community dedicated to all Suzuki Strom owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, troubleshooting, purchasing, reviews, accessories, maintenance, and more!
