[stevewz]

I've put 43,000 miles on my 2007 DL650, the vast majority of it on paved roads. I've gradually been taking it off-road more, national forest roads in the Oregon Cascades mostly, and have enjoyed that. One of the biggest things I like about the V-Strom, however, is how flickable it is in the twisties. I've given sport bikes some serious run for their money on many curvy West Coast roads.

The V-Strom is the single best 'bang for the buck' bike available today, IMHO. There are other bikes that are better at certain things, and maybe even better all-around but certainly not for the price. It's a versatile bike, but I think I may want more specialization. More on that below.

The V-Strom can be farkled in a couple of different directions. You can customize it to be a real bad-ass machine for off-road adventures. To a lesser extent, it can customized for better paved-road performance and handling, although not as extensively as you can for off-road performance. So far, I've customized mine mostly for general and off-road use -- skid plate, crash bars, hand guards, etc.

However, I'm coming to the conclusion that I enjoy carving up a delicious run of paved twisties far more than I enjoy taking it on unpaved roads. In fact, I love the maneuverability of the bike but wish it had about twice as much mid-RPM acceleration (I don't need high top-end speed). So I have a conundrum:

Do I switch my bike's farkle specialization to get more performance on paved roads, knowing I'll never get the acceleration I truly crave? Or do I sell the bike completely and get something more road-oriented? If so, what bike do I get? Keep in mind, if I switch bikes, I want something that is as easy to corner as the V-Strom but with about twice as much acceleration (preferably without having to get into the 5-digit RPM range to do it). Also, I enjoy 2k-3k mile multi-day road trips (one-up) so touring endurance is important. I don't want a bike that has to be trailered to the twisty roads; I want to be able to ride there.

A third alternative is to keep the V-Strom as-is and get a second bike that is specialized for carving up the twisties. The spousal unit probably wouldn't go for that from an expense standpoint so that's my last-desirable option.

 

[Yak]

Mine is farkled up for off road/adventure touring. All I did to make it more twisty friendly was to switch to Conti Road Attacks from Tourances. I can give all my sport touring friends a run for their money in the twisties - usually with them chasing me! If I went all out pavement only, I would switch the bike to a GSX1250F or a Triumph Sprint 1050 GT

 

[BrownMichael]

Strom alternatives

Hey Steve,

Many of my Strom trips start in Sandy, because my riding buddy lives there. He rides a 2005 DL650.

We have both pretty much decided that the DL650 does not make a very good dirt bike (for us anyway) and almost always stick to the paved roads. Well, except for Ophir Pass in Colorado!

If you want to get a better bike for twisty paved roads, there are plenty of choices. Can you tell us how important the riding position is for you? I know that I really value the comfortable riding postion of my Strom.

And what is your price range? Are you looking for a new or used bike?

Take Care,

Mike Brown
Vancouver, WA

 

[stevewz]

If you want to get a better bike for twisty paved roads, there are plenty of choices. Can you tell us how important the riding position is for you? I know that I really value the comfortable riding postion of my Strom.

And what is your price range? Are you looking for a new or used bike

1. "My butt never hurts unless I'm riding in a straight line." It's a kitschy saying but it's true. When I'm really hitting the curves hard I don't feel pain or discomfort so riding position isn't overly critical. I do tend to lean off my bike at times, especially when I'm in the zone, so I'm not opposed to a true sport-bike riding position. Although, that contradicts my desire to have a bike comfortable enough to put in 300+ mile days touring.

2. Price range? As little as possible. I'm not opposed to a used bike, although I want one new enough to have fuel injection. In general, I'd say I don't want a bike that would cost more than $14k USD new.

 

[Twill1356]

Ducati MultiStrada. You get to keep some of what you like about the strom, and add that extra oomph at the flick of a switch.

 

[John V Strom Jr.]

We have both pretty much decided that the DL650 does not make a very good dirt bike (for us anyway) and almost always stick to the paved roads.

I would be in this company too. I'll admit I have little to no experience riding dirt bikes (although I did have one a long time ago), but I recently crashed my DL650 in the dirt and Sunday took it back out on a "paved" road that was mostly loose stones. I was not very comfortable after totaling it once. Hardpack would be different. Anyways, my thoughts are yes, there are a lot of dirt mods/accessories for this bike, but the obvious strength of the bike is still the road. Since you might not find a much better handling road bike, you might be better off going the other direction; get a real off road machine for your dirt forays and keep the Strom for why you already like it.

 

[stevewz]

Since you might not find a much better handling road bike, you might be better off going the other direction; get a real off road machine for your dirt forays and keep the Strom for why you already like it.

I considered that alternative, getting a Honda or Suzuki dual-sport/enduro, but it doesn't solve my problem of wanting 2x more acceleration when riding the Strom on paved twisties, and I don't ride off-road enough to justify having another bike devoted to it. If I were to have a second bike it'd be street oriented, not dirt oriented.

 

[happypuppy]

If you like the upright searing of the Strom etc ., and really only do road riding not touring look at the FZ-1 or a Bandit. Both I think would fit the bill and are not too $$.

 

[xDownSetx]

Have you test ridden a DL1000? If you like the ergos of the Strom but want more power than the 650 it seems like a good answer.

 

[bikefree]

Check out the Tiger 800. Not twice the strom but an impressive motor and you can still take it off road.

 

[John V Strom Jr.]

but it doesn't solve my problem of wanting 2x more acceleration when riding...paved twisties

I know what you mean about wanting the acceleration. But I actually went the other way; my beloved Sprint is up for sale and it's way faster and better looking than the Strom, yet after almost four years on it, I feel as though I am done with it. I was ready for something different, only I didn't realize how much until I actually bought and rode the Suzuki. I never would have believed I'd prefer a Wee over my Sprint, but truthfully, the Wee is more fun in the twisties because it handles better, at least to me. Perhaps I should keep my Triumph and will miss it, but I am feeling like that will not be the case. Good luck in your search; there are lots of good choices. The Ninja 1000 would be a good one I think; I took a short spin one on and it's a versatile rocket.

 

[PTRider]

Blair at svracingparts.com can give you good info about modifying the 650 engine to get the power at the rpms where you want it. He recently posted about using certain SV650 cams in a wee. He can also give good advice about suspension and brake upgrades. A Tiger 800 is certainly a good choice, but costs a whole lot more than upgrades to the wee.

 

[jva118]

That seems to be the only down side to the strom. The lack of power. Its powerful enough, but lacks that slide you back on the seat and tighten your grip power of a larger cc bike. The newer concours' are great bikes with plenty of power and very comfortable to ride. A friend recently bought one and his only complaint is its too comfortable. Some prefer a little shake and vibration to let you know youre on a bike and not in a recliner. If you cant tell your riding a motorcycle, whats the point?

 

[John V Strom Jr.]

I have a new outlook since getting the Wee. Maybe it's really an old outlook but it's this: Not all exhilaration is acceleration or if you prefer, they don't always equate on a motorcycle.

 

[DougInKY]

I've put 43,000 miles on my 2007 DL650, the vast majority of it on paved roads. I've gradually been taking it off-road more, national forest roads in the Oregon Cascades mostly, and have enjoyed that. One of the biggest things I like about the V-Strom, however, is how flickable it is in the twisties. I've given sport bikes some serious run for their money on many curvy West Coast roads.

The V-Strom is the single best 'bang for the buck' bike available today, IMHO. There are other bikes that are better at certain things, and maybe even better all-around but certainly not for the price. It's a versatile bike, but I think I may want more specialization. More on that below.

The V-Strom can be farkled in a couple of different directions. You can customize it to be a real bad-ass machine for off-road adventures. To a lesser extent, it can customized for better paved-road performance and handling, although not as extensively as you can for off-road performance. So far, I've customized mine mostly for general and off-road use -- skid plate, crash bars, hand guards, etc.

However, I'm coming to the conclusion that I enjoy carving up a delicious run of paved twisties far more than I enjoy taking it on unpaved roads. In fact, I love the maneuverability of the bike but wish it had about twice as much mid-RPM acceleration (I don't need high top-end speed). So I have a conundrum:

Do I switch my bike's farkle specialization to get more performance on paved roads, knowing I'll never get the acceleration I truly crave? Or do I sell the bike completely and get something more road-oriented? If so, what bike do I get? Keep in mind, if I switch bikes, I want something that is as easy to corner as the V-Strom but with about twice as much acceleration (preferably without having to get into the 5-digit RPM range to do it). Also, I enjoy 2k-3k mile multi-day road trips (one-up) so touring endurance is important. I don't want a bike that has to be trailered to the twisty roads; I want to be able to ride there.

A third alternative is to keep the V-Strom as-is and get a second bike that is specialized for carving up the twisties. The spousal unit probably wouldn't go for that from an expense standpoint so that's my last-desirable option.

Take a look at a Honda ST-1300. It will give you all the acceleration that you heart desires and carves corners very very well. A close friend of mine had one (he sold it this past spring) and I rode it a couple of time. OUTSTANDING bike!

 

[Stromin'Nroman]

Have you test ridden a DL1000? If you like the ergos of the Strom but want more power than the 650 it seems like a good answer.

That seems like the obvious answer.

 

[garandman]

I've put 43,000 miles on my 2007 DL650, the vast majority of it on paved roads. I've gradually been taking it off-road more, national forest roads in the Oregon Cascades mostly, and have enjoyed that. One of the biggest things I like about the V-Strom, however, is how flickable it is in the twisties. I've given sport bikes some serious run for their money on many curvy West Coast roads.

The V-Strom is the single best 'bang for the buck' bike available today, IMHO. There are other bikes that are better at certain things, and maybe even better all-around but certainly not for the price. It's a versatile bike, but I think I may want more specialization. More on that below.

The V-Strom can be farkled in a couple of different directions. You can customize it to be a real bad-ass machine for off-road adventures. To a lesser extent, it can customized for better paved-road performance and handling, although not as extensively as you can for off-road performance. So far, I've customized mine mostly for general and off-road use -- skid plate, crash bars, hand guards, etc.

However, I'm coming to the conclusion that I enjoy carving up a delicious run of paved twisties far more than I enjoy taking it on unpaved roads. In fact, I love the maneuverability of the bike but wish it had about twice as much mid-RPM acceleration (I don't need high top-end speed). So I have a conundrum:

Do I switch my bike's farkle specialization to get more performance on paved roads, knowing I'll never get the acceleration I truly crave? Or do I sell the bike completely and get something more road-oriented? If so, what bike do I get? Keep in mind, if I switch bikes, I want something that is as easy to corner as the V-Strom but with about twice as much acceleration (preferably without having to get into the 5-digit RPM range to do it). Also, I enjoy 2k-3k mile multi-day road trips (one-up) so touring endurance is important. I don't want a bike that has to be trailered to the twisty roads; I want to be able to ride there.

A third alternative is to keep the V-Strom as-is and get a second bike that is specialized for carving up the twisties. The spousal unit probably wouldn't go for that from an expense standpoint so that's my last-desirable option.

Same quandary. I Sam looking at the BMW R1200R and the Suzuki GSX1250FA (with suspension upgrades).

 

[timbo813]

Here you go:

2011 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 First Ride - Motorcycle USA

That's what I would buy with $11,000 for the riding desires you described. A used FZ1 or VFR800 would also be worth a look.

 

[U.P.Strom]

I say just get another bike. As one can never have enough. And one bike can truly never do it all, atleast thats what I tell the misses.:argue:
I agree the wee handles very well for what it is, no supprise as its built on the sv platform and the latest sv platform is based on earler gsxr technology. When the road gets twisty the wee really is a wolf in sheeps clothing. Weight is the single biggest difference with our bikes and there forefathers, with the extra weight high on the bike. But IMO I will take all day riding comfort for a few extra pounds. I think you should go ride a used sv1000. It would make a great stablemate to you wee, and has a lot of the canyon carving traits you are looking for. Good used ones are all around and inexpensive.:thumbup:

 

[stevewz]

[The DL1000] That seems like the obvious answer.

Not to start a flame war, but I doubt the Vee has 2x more power than the Wee.

Additional question: Is the FJR 1300 'flickable'? It meets my criteria for touring comfort and acceleration, plus it comes with an optional thumb shifter, which is nice because after nearly 30 years of programming my ability to work a clutch all day long is weakening (I installed an EZ Pull clutch assist on my V-Strom and love it).