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Sevulturus wrote:

JWF505 wrote:

High_Side wrote:built in anti-theft protection

huh?

JWF

It's so ugly, no one would ever steal it.

'dats where I was going.....

That's where I went!

Oooooooooo

Eww... that things ugly, the front wheel/fender looks too detached from the rest of the bike, and that windscreen is just god-awful.

The V-Strom is not a dual sport in the KLR sense. it could handle a gravel road well enough, but dont expect it to handle any tough trails. excellent bike for solo touring.

The strom is an adventure tourer, the fancy term for a more pavement biased dual sport.

I think you would like the strom better than a KLR. Will be a better ride on pavement and will be a step up in power vs your previous ninja 500. The KLR would be a step down in power vs the ninja but has credible off road capability

On my last adventure into the bike dealer I sat on one. I must say for my long legs it was quite nice. On my GS when I'm flat footing it, my knees come up to the same spot they are supposed to be when I'm riding it. So in that sense I loved the VStrom. Plus, as has been said, the 650 motor is a good one.

Me likes

If you would drive your Dodge Neon down it, you can ride your V-Strom down it......

17' wheels.... with street tires
Excessive weight....carried very high
Suspension geared for hiway comfort....not for squared off hackers and roots
Street geometry... not dirt angles
Fat as Opra on a binge cycle...
You paid how much for it? And you want to do what with it??

All reasons it's not a Dual Sport. Can you ride it down a creekbed? Sure. Did I ride my RD350's on MX tracks? Sure. Is it a good idea? No. Will you pay for it in pain and parts? Yes...... Did that stop me?..... Should it have?

One of or local mags did a compare with the KLR, the BMW 650 and the V strom. The V strom came out as the best dual with the KLR and BMW doing better of road but being under powered on road. One journo said" I would like to ride the V strom to where I am going and then swap it for the BMW for the tough stuff" The tough stuff in Africa is, no roads just ride through that bush and watch out for the rhino's

I ride an 05 V-Strom 650. This is my first bike and as such I can't offer any sort of comparison to other bikes.

Here's what I can tell you though. It is top heavy, though this may be exacerbated somewhat by my height (5'8"). The top heavy nature has proven to be the most difficult aspect of the bike for me to deal with. I have a 30" inseam and can put the balls of both feet on the ground, I believe the seat height is somewhere in the neighborhood of 32". I averaged 50MPG last year over the 1400 miles I was able to get in before winter hit. Power delivery is smooth and predictable. The brakes are progressive and seem to provide good feedback.

Coincidentally, today was the first day this year I've ridden to work.

I'll try to answer any questions you've got.

Protesters?

CNF2002 wrote:Protesters?

protestors in the streets and closing the highways to protest the bill that will criminalize illegal immigration.




JWF