After a flying rock delivered a debilitating blow to the oil line fitting of my beloved red '06 Wee last weekend, I picked up a brand new white '11 Wee with ABS yesterday.
I paid $7,250 to the dealer, and $521 to the State of Minnesota, for an OTD total of $7771. They set it up out of the crate and I received a checklist with a lot of checkmarks, indicating that important tasks like "installing the front axle cotter pin" had been duly executed. Which means we can safely assume that the filling in of the checklist is only remotely related to actual work performed...
Then it was off to a little 100 mile break-in run. Everything felt good but not overly exciting. Instinctively, jumping from something '06 to something '11, I probably expected some kind of hike in power, sound, or potent feeling, even though the specs told me otherwise.
In terms of riding, it seemed to me that the '11 turns in a little more willingly than the '06 -- not sure if the longer wheelbase makes any difference or if it's just imagination. The unfarkled V-Strom was a bit of a "back-to-the-roots" treat, too, almost felt like a naked bike. Proper windscreen is by far the #1 add-on required, followed by center stand, hand guards, and heated grips.
Compared to the '06 you can tell that the original V-Strom was a clean, wholistic design, whereas in the later years there are more nooks and crannies from squeezing in stuff that wasn't meant to be there in the first place (like extra spark plugs, coils, or ABS). After much searching, finally found the coolant reservoir hidden under the fuel tank... what were they thinking?! Well, let's hope that the revamped '12 V-Strom will bring back a more streamlined design.
So now I'll spend a weekend or two swapping over the farkles from my '06. Realized too late that the heated grips aren't compatible so have to wait for new ones...
Here are a few pictures:
Still the best color ever made -- '06 red Wee...
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... unfortunately with a little problem now:
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Take over at the dealership:
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Roadside stop at the Minnesota river:
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I paid $7,250 to the dealer, and $521 to the State of Minnesota, for an OTD total of $7771. They set it up out of the crate and I received a checklist with a lot of checkmarks, indicating that important tasks like "installing the front axle cotter pin" had been duly executed. Which means we can safely assume that the filling in of the checklist is only remotely related to actual work performed...
Then it was off to a little 100 mile break-in run. Everything felt good but not overly exciting. Instinctively, jumping from something '06 to something '11, I probably expected some kind of hike in power, sound, or potent feeling, even though the specs told me otherwise.
In terms of riding, it seemed to me that the '11 turns in a little more willingly than the '06 -- not sure if the longer wheelbase makes any difference or if it's just imagination. The unfarkled V-Strom was a bit of a "back-to-the-roots" treat, too, almost felt like a naked bike. Proper windscreen is by far the #1 add-on required, followed by center stand, hand guards, and heated grips.
Compared to the '06 you can tell that the original V-Strom was a clean, wholistic design, whereas in the later years there are more nooks and crannies from squeezing in stuff that wasn't meant to be there in the first place (like extra spark plugs, coils, or ABS). After much searching, finally found the coolant reservoir hidden under the fuel tank... what were they thinking?! Well, let's hope that the revamped '12 V-Strom will bring back a more streamlined design.
So now I'll spend a weekend or two swapping over the farkles from my '06. Realized too late that the heated grips aren't compatible so have to wait for new ones...
Here are a few pictures:
Still the best color ever made -- '06 red Wee...
... unfortunately with a little problem now:
Take over at the dealership:
Roadside stop at the Minnesota river:
