New ride for me (V-Strom 650)

[hppants]

I've heard nothing but good news about the V-Strom.  The mechanic at our Honda shop owns one.  I too noticed that it sits high for a "Street Bike".  The mechanic turned it into a dual sport and it is his daily ride.

[Brumbie13]

Thisweek the temps have been around 60, yes sixty, in the daytime, perfect for riding.

Don't say that... 

[m98]

Sorry Adrian! Got that petcock yet?

[m98]

Sold the V-Strom this morning. A gentleman from Prescott, AZ. was in Las Vegas this
weekend and saw it on CL and came by and purchased it, great for me, not so great
for the casinos

Anyone considering a V-Strom I can only give it a thumbs up. Great for riders of my
age with an aching back. Changed the stock handlebars to a set of ATV Hi-Bars (cost
$ 25) and was a perfect fit for me.

I still have to sell my '85 GS 700 and then I will buy one bike as replacement. Not in
a hurry to find another one, bikes are plentiful on CL these days.

Cheers,

Paul

[vert]

I do not plan to sell my DL650 though.

[m98]

vert, good catch! We had a politician in Denmark say he had a point of view until
he decided on a new one, put me in that category

Paul

[luckylindy]

Any idea of your next bike will be?

[m98]

Luckylindy, I am interested in Suzuki SV 650S (fairing model), Honda CB 599 (scarce),
Suzuki Bandit 600. I still have my '85 GS 700e but I have a buyer for it already. I am
not in the business of selling bikes, but the buyer who is interested knew I was riding
and asked if I had one for sale cheap.

I was going to sell the GS 700 regardless, even though I have not ridden it. No offense
to 80's bikes, I have had my share of them, but for city riding in Las Vegas, the brakes
on those bikes are marginal. My son will be coming back for the summer from college and
since I sold "his" 750 Nighthawk to a board member, we need a bike to share and my son
likes a standard bike. So those are the plans for now, they might change according to
the above statement, you never know:)

Paul

[luckylindy]

Paul-All sound like good choices.  Motorcycle Consumer News tests give the SV high marks in braking.  That would make a great city bike.

[Brumbie13]

Ahem... Maybe this thread needs an update Paul. ;)

[m98]

Slow day at work Adrian?

Yes, I did buy another bike. It is a 2001 SV 650S, with 53000 miles. It has a Penske rear shock,
cartridge emulators and upgraded springs up front, LSL handlebars for a more upright position,
remember my age:)

Bike runs really good, only been riding for a couple of short distances so far. My son is doing
most of the riding so far and he loves the bike. My son could not understand why I was not
so impressed with the brakes on our Nighthawk, well, he understands now with the SV650.

Here is a picture. Feel free to comment and ask questions.

Paul

[fortyhourdays]

Looks good It seems lately that Suzuki has put out most of the newer bikes I would be interested in VStrom/Bandit/SV650 etc...

[luckylindy]

Nice.  How does the seating position compare to a NH?  Brakes are quite strong huh.

[m98]

Lindy, your knees are bent more on the S-model. The previous owner put Buell footpegs
on which are an inch lower than stock. Since I have only ridden a couple 3-4 mile trips
cannot really tell for sure yet, but the handlebars fit me good though. The SV has more of a
growl when revving the engine than my V-Strom. The S-model weighs around 370 pounds
dry, has 70 horsepower, so it does accelerate really quick. The V-2 engine slows quickly
when letting off the gas, something I like. I will say the seating position on a Nighthawk
is more comfortable. There are two double discs on the front and one in the rear, however
just using the front brake it brakes really well.

[OhCrap]

The SV looks great, congrats!

They're a lot more fun to ride than the V-Strom's imo, and way better looking too if I'm honest

[krotor]

I'd love to hear why you decided to sell the DL650, and ended up with a less comfortable bike w/ basically the same motor (just tuned differently). I've always liked the SV's but never pulled the trigger on one. Now I'm looking hard at the Stroms. They just seem to be a very well rounded bike, and my wife is requiring some decent passenger seating. Though if I had the funds I'd skip the Strom idea and straddle a KTM 990 SMT.

[m98]

krotor, the V-Strom had lost its luster with me. The Strom is very comfortable and I
can only recommend it. However, I wanted to try another bike and always wanted
to own a SV, and this one came available at a good price. I thought I could use the
V-Strom for a little trail riding around Las Vegas on some of our fire roads, but the
Strom is just too top heavy for me. I am looking for a Suzuki DR 650 next:)

[krotor]

I can understand that. I've told my wife more than a few times, "I can't own 'em all at once, so I'm going to try one at a time"
I picked up my DRZ400SM thinking it'd be fun on the pavement, and capable on the dirt. And it is loads of fun on the pavement (below hwy speeds). I've since decided I desire a higher top end then the 400 offers, so I thought briefly about the DR650. Then I got a chance to ride my buddy's, and lost any desire for it. It just seemed very lack luster and I didn't really enjoy riding it. I don't plan to seek out any dirt roads, but don't want to avoid them either. I'm still having trouble with the DL's looks, but form follows function, right? If nothing else it may hold me over until I can get the KTM.

[luckylindy]

krotor-do you ride the dr any in the dirt.  I've thought about a supermoto-dr or klx250sf would be a ton of fun.  I've seen people put knobbies on the kaw and ride in the dirt.

[krotor]

I've ridden it down some gravel FS roads. It's not as stable as I'd hoped on dirt. The front end has a tendency to push out in the corners. I'm sure if I ran different tires (Avon Distanzia on there now) it'd probably do much better, but then it'd suffer on the pavement. Don't get me wrong... it's capable off the pavement. And I'm sure with more saddle time (not like I had much 2 wheel dirt experience to begin with) I could get use to the quirks and really push it.

[luckylindy]

Thanks for the info krotor.