Low back pain SUCKS! Shopping for lighter bike, Vstrom?

Message

mark bennett · Mon Oct 02, 2006 2:41 am

It's been 9 weeks now since I injured ( ruptured L5 disk ) at work, which means I haven't been able to ride my bike or atv since August 3rd, hell, it's only been 2 days now that I've been able to walk more than a couple of minutes.
I hate to do it but today, the wife ( she will lift the gas container while I supervise ) and I will be putting fresh gas and sta-bil into the tanks for their long winter nap.
At least 1 of our atv's has a snow plow on it so I get to play on it come snow time.
Needless to say, I've been thinking of a new bike to buy ( the wife gave her blessing for a new bike

).
I want to keep the weight down to 500lbs or less, be like a standard, UJM bike, no sport bike lean, the back couldn't take that, be able to do some fire/logging roads and cost in the neigborhood of $7500 or less.
any suggestions?

Mon Oct 02, 2006 6:32 am

V-strom dl1000. You can find a 2006 for that price range.

jstark47 · #3 Unread post by **jstark47** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 7:05 am

storysunfolding wrote:V-strom dl1000. You can find a 2006 for that price range.

...or the DL650. Lighter, lower, and cheaper than the 1000. My co-worker who owns one says it still has tons of power for everything except carrying a pillion at 90 mph up a mountain.

Mon Oct 02, 2006 7:16 am

jstark47 wrote: My co-worker who owns one says it still has tons of power for everything except carrying a pillion at 90 mph up a mountain.

Is that true? The answer to that is one of the few things keeping me from buying a new bike. I tend to hear it both ways that it does have power and that it doesn't have power...

mark bennett · Mon Oct 02, 2006 1:08 pm

Vstrom, DL 650, I hadn't thought of those models, thanks for the suggestions.

Mon Oct 02, 2006 1:17 pm

I'm buying either the 650 or the 1000 this winter. I just need to find out if there's enough juice to run my electric jacket and hand grips off it.

jstark47 · #7 Unread post by **jstark47** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 1:23 pm

storysunfolding wrote:
jstark47 wrote: My co-worker who owns one says it still has tons of power for everything except carrying a pillion at 90 mph up a mountain.
Is that true? The answer to that is one of the few things keeping me from buying a new bike. I tend to hear it both ways that it does have power and that it doesn't have power...

Googling around I find this spec: Horsepower: 66 at 8800 rpm Torque: 44 lb-ft at 6400 rpm. I believe its a re-work of the SV650 motor. You have to spin it to get the power, but it's short stroke, it doesn't mind. That's not huge power but more than adequate, especially as the bike only weighs 417 lb. My co-worker is used to riding 700 lb v-twin baggers (HD's & Yamaha's), he says he's afraid to wring it out on the interstate because it's too light!

roscowgo · #8 Unread post by **roscowgo** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 1:29 am

storysunfolding wrote:
jstark47 wrote: My co-worker who owns one says it still has tons of power for everything except carrying a pillion at 90 mph up a mountain.
Is that true? The answer to that is one of the few things keeping me from buying a new bike. I tend to hear it both ways that it does have power and that it doesn't have power...

The way i look at it, is...its got the sv-650 engine. tuned down a bit yes..... but i havent heard people whining and carrying on about no power from that bike. You can always change a sprocket or two anyway.

Gadjet · #9 Unread post by **Gadjet** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 2:00 am

mark bennett wrote:Vstrom, DL 650, I hadn't thought of those models, thanks for the suggestions.

one and the same bike. the two models are:

DL650 V-Strom
DL1000 V-Strom

mark bennett · Wed Oct 04, 2006 3:54 am

OOPS, forgive my ignorance, you are right.
September issue of Cycle world had a test on the Vstrom 650 vs Ducati 620, they raved about the Vstrom and picked it the winner of the 2.
I am very interested in the Vstrom 650 now, I didn't even know it existed having been riding v-twin cruisers for the last 20 years.
I have a 1998 Honda Shadow ACE Tourer 1100cc that I bought new May 1998, I plan to keep that as the wife likes it for long trips, I'm just looking for a lighter bike for me to take to work, errands and the blasts around the back roads when I ride by myself.
The 2008 spec Kawasaki KLR 650, the Suzuki Vstrom 650, the Triumph Bonneville. are in the running right now, although I haven't even thrown a leg over the Vstrom yet and the '08 KLR is not in the showrooms yet.
I have to heal up from this back injury anyways, but it will be fun bike shopping over the winter, I haven't "Seriously" bike shopped since 1998 so this should be fun.
Thanks for your input guys and keep your ideas coming.