this horrific cop-cam capture is of a rubbernecker who literally mows down a biker at a traffic light.
this is exactly why I split lanes or flash my brake lights with hold on the clutch until there is a stopped car safely behind me. if only our helmets had eyes.
AGF image note: you may have to open and close the image window if it does not start playing
they get so many more options, from colors to new models.
for instance, the DL650X which is not offered to America:
The new non-ABS VStrom 650X has arrived on the scene to complement the range, still with the versatility to switch from urban sprawl to country lanes, but with the punchy and flexible v-twin engine.
It comes with alloy skid plate, engine bars, hand guards and black sports screen, in Candy Sonoma Red or Matt Black for a fantastic price of £5,149 [~$8375].
for that price, and all those sweet addons (farkles) it’s a hellva deal! I paid around $8k for mine after taxes, registrations & fees…ugh! plus all the addons I’ve put on thus far: madstad bracket, handguards, center stand, givi luggage, crampbuster, buell signals. and I still want to get a givi windshield and engine guard, skid plate and maybe that black sports screen the 650X has for the summer time. at this rate, I doubt I’ll ever be “done” farkling my wee. not to mention all the costs of repairs I’ve incurred and still have yet to do! classy motorcycling is simply not for the poor man’s pocket book - tis a pricy way of life.
p.s. the germans get *four* colors to choose from for their v-strom ABS model… More…
I broke the right turn signal after dropping my vstrom for the second time ever (and in two days!)
(actually, this pic was taken after a little emergency electrical tape was applied… it was too heartbreaking to capture though!)
fuck, I thought, not the “upgrade” I was planning anytime soon. but fortunately, peoples of the internets came to the rescue and delivered onto me this mod: a well-built yet cheap pair ($24) of buell turn signals fit the vstrom almost perfectly. just a handful of washers, a little due-diligence, and I’d be right as rain for half the price of one OEM suzuki vstrom signal ($43!!)
(took a few trips to the hardware store to get the right parts, even though this helpful howto listed them all…)
success looks a little something like this:
(though not my bike, the bonus is that this image makes up for last friday’s lack o’ AGF!)
this time of the orange variety… I have a feeling we are going to be seeing a lot of these, and not just because they are eye poppingly orange! (this one belongs to stromtropper E-Nigma)
this post is a follow up (of sorts) to 09 vstrom’s arriving at U.S. dealerships.
update 9/3/08 — replaced the dansstorm strom pictures with those taken by e-nigma, (sorry) quality is much better! I am really starting to like the orange… plus, less need to wear high visibility clothing. ;)
this fine specimen of the Suzuki DL650 is the 2007 version outfitted for the man.
I particularly like the luggage bags - utilitarian minimalistism yet stylin’. and while I think the flat black model would look better as a police vehicle, the befitting expression of the boys in blue makes up for it.
[via this stromtrooper thread]
update 9/5/08 - found a black and white one:
according to this stromtrooper thread, the new suzuki wee strom’s have hit dealerships in Texas. a couple lucky stromtroopers have already purchased theirs.
here’s a couple shots of stromtrooper energywhiz123’s new ‘09 650 gray beaut’:
msrp pricing for this bad boy is set at $7,199 for non-abs and $7,499 with.
first, understand that it needs to be done at least every 600 miles. second, realize that you just hit 2k miles on your new vstrom, and as far as you know, it has yet to be done… third, do it, now.
- to clean, use kerosene. I used a clean (rag) towel soaked it and scrubbed the exposed chain. since I do not possess a center stand, I had to roll the bike forward to expose more chain. rinse repeat until the entire chain had been soaked. a soft brush would be effective for those who require OCD-type clean - I did not have one thus did not reached such unsullied nirvana. there is a lot of evidence surrounding the adverse effects of using WD-40 in cleaning a chain - it is a penetrant and can wreak havok on the o-rings of chains. the suzuki owners says use kerosene, so that’s what I did.
- to check chain tension: simply push or pull on the lower part of the chain. suzuki recommends between a 0.8 and 1.2 inch give. mine was on the high side; I plan on tightening it next chain lube session. this involves moving the rear wheel back.
- to lube: use chain lube. due to availability, I chose Napa autoparts Chain and Cable spraycan lube. suzuki of course recommends their own brand, but I could not get it now. I performed the same rolling the bike forward stunt as before spraying lube on each link until satisfied.
- done? I went for a short ride around the neighborhood to ensure all felt well. it did. when I returned to the stable, I discovered a fair amount of oil fling around the rear tire and other nearby to the chain parts. a quick yet thorough wipe down ensued.
- for future: get (or make) a center stand or swing arm rear stand. this job would be much quicker may even enjoyable with the back tire free from ground contraints… continually standing then rolling the bike is a monotonous and rather time consuming task. and, probably get a better (less flingy) can of chain lube.
- good references in my quest: webbikeworld’s Motorcycle Chain Lube part one and part two, two contains a significant amount of insightful reader/editor discussion. calsci’s how to clean your drive chain article - however it contrarily suggests ye’ol’ WD-40 to clean which I would not do.
this suzuki enduro color scheme inspired wee belongs to stromtrooper user Surrlibrumm.
this look makes the yellow and new orange wee subtle by comparison.
here’s an suzuk’ enduro in not-so-suave action:
perhaps they were burned one too many times by those pesky uber high speed sport bike utilizing criminals.
and how handy, high speed tear gas deployment! it reminds me a bit of The Dark Knight’s new two-wheeled ride…
general info:
adjustment:
whist riding my my v-strom six fiddy (’08) over the past 2k miles (that’s all of them by the by, including break in and a majority of commuter miles) I have averaged 54 mpg. my fill up habits tend not to push the envelope - as it can potentially cause fuel pump failure - the liquid gas cools the pump! this means I get between 220 and 250 miles per tank - then dump between 3.5 and 4.5 gallons of petroleum based black gold.
I’m ok with this, because even though I live in California, which has the highest gas prices in all the land by far, I still pay just ~$20 per fillup. and while it’s cheaper than public transport, I am trying my darnest to keep on the goin’-green-goal for the month of july/august and possibly beyond. now if only they’d hook me up with a bus seat suite… or at least let me drink my fucking coffee!
photo update 8/1/08:
I thought this was an interesting topic, since many find they must choose one over the other (including myself.) because each bike has essentially the same *heart* (engine,) how best to distinguish them? I came across this stromtrooper thread discussing the very subject.
** technical spec comparisons:
DL650:
** visual comparison:
DL650:
** anecdotal comparison:
Stromtrooper user Xavier6162 summed it up best in saying:
“The SV is more like a Fighter plane. Very light, more flickable and maneuverable in a shorter amount of space because it is always on the verge of instability. Manuvers like a bicycle at very slow speeds.
Compared to the DL it is twichy (short wheelbase), not very forgiving and very easy to get yourself into trouble. Great track bike, great street fighter or great for an aggressive rider……and young foolish squids. Poor highway bike. Very uncomfortable over a 30 minute ride. Very Painful after an hour. Dead numb-paralyzed butt after 1.5 hours even with a seat upgrade. Very cramp riding position compared to the DL. Very cheap to buy (Dime a Dozen) and easy to find. Twice the insurance cost of the DL.
The DL is more of a Cesena. Very stable and forgiving.”
1200 miles in, I love it. I even like the model name, DL650K8A.
Current mods: painted exhaust shield, madstad windshield bracket/mount, and oem knuckle guards.
53 average MPG on my daily 70 mile commute, 90% freeway at speeds ~70MPH. actually kind of low compared to some other peoples milage reports - reporting high 50s low 60s! I guess I like to ride hard, maybe I should’ve got a DL1000… :)
related: 700 mile observations of new 2008 v-strom 650
update july 16th, ‘08: finally took a semi-decent shot using a decent camera.
after an extended lane splitting adventure past multiple accidents on Northbound highway 101 yesterday, including a brief inconsequential encounter with a CHP biker, I figured I should find out exactly what the law states.
(as ignorance is never a valid excuse)
California Highway Patrol’s website states:
Can motorcycle riders “split” lanes and ride between other vehicles?
Lane splitting by motorcycles is permissible but must be done in a safe and prudent manner.
so it is entirely up to the officer to judge your technique. just hope you don’t split past an officer having a bad day, because they can make up anything to smack it to ya.
