[theBigPpaz]

I bought my Vee in July of 2007. she's an 07 in black/gray and i've owned her since she came off the truck from Japan. i got her with 37 miles....

i bought the bike after driving a KLR for 5000 miles. that bike was ok, but as a comuter, it had a hard time passing a bus...

she's pretty farkled out, IMHO. side and top cases, pat walsh skid plate and bars, Corbin seat, power outlet, new Givi screen, Staintune slip ons.

she's my comuter, and weekend day trips for lunch in different places.

she's finally got 10,000 on the clock, so i bought her some new shoes. i never realized just how crappy the trailwings were, until i got the Dunlop TrailMax front and rear.

i've read a lot of comments that say the V-strom is not a sport bike, and that it's not very fast compared to "true" sport bikes. well, no. it's not a sport bike. i got my azz handed to me by a kid on a ZF6 within 1000 yards. but that's not what it's meant for. it's meant to ride and ride and ride. and as far as fast goes, i can outrun anything on 2 wheels (don't ask how i know) and most bikes from the milwalkee motor company. it can and does pass a bus on a grade.

and as far as wee vs. Vee goes.... you bought it, ride it. horses vs. weight vs. price vs. flickable vs. torque vs. blah blah blah.... you bought it, ride it. and STFU.

i really love my Vicky. she's gonna be with me for a long time. i can't think of a bike that has everything i want, and does most things very well, for the money. no, not for the money. it does everything i want without the bad parts. it's not an FJR1300, but it doesn't weigh 30% more either. it's not an FZ1, but i can ride it all day every day. it's not a KLR, period.

and that's all i got to say about that...

P.
:beatnik:

 

[SittingDuck]

Your bike came from Japan by truck?

 

[agrippa1]

She really is a very good streetbike--jack of all trades, age appropriate crotch rocket. She hustles through twisties in a respectabke manner and has a comfortable riding position with a POS seat.

Having moved on to a Concours C 14 since the death of my Strom last april I can absolutely confirm that anyone who has ridden the big Kawi ST will never--ever--refer to the Vee as a fast bike again.

That doesn't mean it is not a great daily ride. I've already told my wife that there is a possbility that I'll have one of each in the future.

It's kind of like dogs. I lost a superlative German Shepherd two years ago. The highest compliment I could pay him was to get another one.

'Stroms are like that too.

 

[Banks C]

She really is a very good streetbike--jack of all trades, age appropriate crotch rocket. She hustles through twisties in a respectabke manner and has a comfortable riding position with a POS seat.

Having moved on to a Concours C 14 since the death of my Strom last april I can absolutely confirm that anyone who has ridden the big Kawi ST will never--ever--refer to the Vee as a fast bike again.

It's kind of like dogs. I lost a superlative German Shepherd two years ago. The highest compliment I could pay him was to get another one.

'Stroms are like that too.

Have to agree. While my other ride is an FJR, not quite as fast as a C14 - but adequate none the less, to think a "Strom of either flavor is fast is a bit ludicrous.

'Stroms are so much fun though, and in a variety of conditions, that as long as quality/durability remains high, I suspect like my Arabian Horse, I'll always own one.

 

[Stromin'Nroman]

I bought my Vee in July of 2007........................................

she's finally got 10,000 on the clock, so i bought her some new shoes. ......................................

she's gonna be with me for a long time.

At 200 miles per month, I guess so.

 

[aTuWitty]

She really is a very good streetbike--jack of all trades, age appropriate crotch rocket. She hustles through twisties in a respectabke manner and has a comfortable riding position with a POS seat.

Having moved on to a Concours C 14 since the death of my Strom last april I can absolutely confirm that anyone who has ridden the big Kawi ST will never--ever--refer to the Vee as a fast bike again.

That doesn't mean it is not a great daily ride. I've already told my wife that there is a possbility that I'll have one of each in the future.

It's kind of like dogs. I lost a superlative German Shepherd two years ago. The highest compliment I could pay him was to get another one.

'Stroms are like that too.

That's all a matter of perspective, though. My friend who just upgraded from his Ninja 250 to a Ninja 500 keeps ranting and raving about how fast his new bike is, and how he can't think of the 250 as being fast at all. Someone who comes from a Honda Rebel might think a Ninja 250 is fast.

Having ridden a GSX-R 750 that was dropping 147 hp at the rear wheel, almost everything else I've ever ridden is "slow" by comparison (and, I'd suspect (if I had a chance to ride them), a C14, FJR, and just about anything up to newer superbikes).

However, after riding the Gixxer for several months, I found myself bored with the power, not as impressed day by day, thinking about more, etc. That's human nature- we get acclimated to our surroundings.

I have since lost the GSX-R (and my best friend along with it), and now own a DL1000. Sure, I can REMEMBER that the GSX-R was faster, but I can't FEEL it (kinda in the same way that you can remember that awesome filet mignon at that 50 buck a plate restaurant, but you can't taste it anymore). My bike feels fast underneath me, because I have nothing else I can feel to compare it to. And, in the real world, just about any vehicle that will run into the 11's is ludicrously fast- that's Ferrari and Lamborghini territory.

So there's my two cents. It's all about perspective. Is the V-Strom fast? Yes. Is it fast for a motorcycle? I'd say it's mid-pack, closer to the front than the back. Are there bikes that will beat it? Absolutely. Are there bikes that will beat THOSE bikes? Absolutely again. Just because A is faster than B doesn't mean B isn't fast

 

[happypuppy]

I don't ride fast...fast is bad. I take pictures and do video as well. To each there own. I used to race cars been there done that. I like to chill when I ride and part of the reason I like to ride.

 

[ozart]

I don't ride fast...fast is bad.

Depends on your preception of fast. What's fast for you may not be for me.
Chill'n while ride'n is ok, just don't drift into lala land and ignore your surroundings ... that is bad.

 

[richw]

See you shoulda been smart and bought the GSXR 1000 then you would not have been bored. I had convertibars so it wasn't really uncomfortable but you had to watch it every second or it would wheelie lay down a ***** etc.

Then the LEOS were given aggressive marching orders to collect money on all the main roads. I took the tack of heading to the tiny roads in the back country. It was hypermotard territory and the VEE was the 1st hypermotard and a discount one at that. In the real tertiary roads the VSTROM is the superior weapon

 

[theBigPpaz]

At 200 miles per month, I guess so.

oh, Norm....

for the first few years, i only rode on Fridays, cuz i could wear jeans. never took it to work in winter, because it was a pain to get in and out of my winter gear.

Last year i was mostly on hiatus, due to a back injury. so i might have put 1000 on her last year in total.

this year, i have a new job, and i get to park it in the underground structure. i've been riding every day, so i've probably put 3000 - 4000 on her just this year alone.

P.

 

[JRWalker]

you bought it, ride it. and STFU.

Oh come on Mom, youre embarrassing me. :biggrinjester:

 

[marshallnoise]

Then the LEOS were given aggressive marching orders to collect money on all the main roads. I took the tack of heading to the tiny roads in the back country. It was hypermotard territory and the VEE was the 1st hypermotard and a discount one at that. In the real tertiary roads the VSTROM is the superior weapon

That is :thumbup:. My buddy just told me he bought a DRZ400SM and has had way more fun on that bike than on his CBR600RR he used to have.

I think fun is being able to wring the crap out of the throttle and not lose control of the bike. All out speed is thrilling, but not fun, to me at least.