Vstrom, chains and valves

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Jolsen
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Re: Vstrom, chains and valves

Post by Jolsen »

Just a chisel and a hammer, or a grinder. I we poor so yeah.

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Re: Vstrom, chains and valves

Post by NE_FL »

Stopped in at a dealer yesterday and took a look at a new Vstrom 650. Sat on it and couldn't flat foot it like I can on the VS1400. My inseam is 30 inches and I had to tippy toe it, but the salesman said they could install a lowering link which would bring the rear down 1 or 2 inches (2 settings). The front could also be brought down another 3/4 inch. That would probably be OK for me.

Asked about a test ride and he said it wasn't their policy to do that. I said it wasn't my policy to buy a bike I haven't test rode. I'll probably have to find a used one to ride, but I'm in no hurry.

List price at that dealer was $8500.

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Night_Wolf
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Re: Vstrom, chains and valves

Post by Night_Wolf »

NE_FL wrote:Stopped in at a dealer yesterday and took a look at a new Vstrom 650. Sat on it and couldn't flat foot it like I can on the VS1400. My inseam is 30 inches and I had to tippy toe it, but the salesman said they could install a lowering link which would bring the rear down 1 or 2 inches (2 settings). The front could also be brought down another 3/4 inch. That would probably be OK for me.

Asked about a test ride and he said it wasn't their policy to do that. I said it wasn't my policy to buy a bike I haven't test rode. I'll probably have to find a used one to ride, but I'm in no hurry.

List price at that dealer was $8500.
Does it have to be a new bike or would you look @ buying used? The 1st generation Wee Strom is lower to the ground. I have a 32" inseam & have trouble with the new Strom.

Buy the 1000 if you ego needs it only. The 650 has no issues keeping up with the big boys as a friend of mine found out when I chased him down on his 1000. Hauls me & the little lady around very nicely. I have almost every damm farkle you can install & some that were not meant for the bike (Rumble Road speakers)

Maintenance is easy; put 45,000km on my first one in 18 months (remember we have a long winter here) & the guy I sold it to, put a further 20,000 km on it before he sold it after buying a Yamaha Tenere (something he still regrets doing) Oil & filter was the most maintenance performed, replaced the chain & sprockets (around 26,000 mi. as I had them in my possession & I was moving & didn't have a new mechanic at my destination) once, he did have the fuel pump go ($$$$) ran an Avon Venom front with an ME880 rear and managed 30,000 km (18,000 mi) on one set.

Picked up the 07 Wee & have about 40,000 km on her now; think I'll replace the chain this winter once I find a job (just finished school) & luckily for me my little lady aka The_Filly, loves both of my bikes :bow: She also knows & understands the formula for motorcycle ownership is N + 1 with N being the number of bikes I currently own plus 1 more :naughty: Nobody in their right mind would spend the cash I have on my 06 Intruder, & I'm not done & she supports it all :smoke:
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Re: Vstrom, chains and valves

Post by NE_FL »

Yeah, I'd like to start fresh with a new one or almost new. Glad to hear you like riding your 650. You must, or you wouldn't have bought another one after selling the first one. [emoji106]

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Re: Vstrom, chains and valves

Post by Night_Wolf »

NE_FL wrote:Yeah, I'd like to start fresh with a new one or almost new. Glad to hear you like riding your 650. You must, or you wouldn't have bought another one after selling the first one. [emoji106]
I had the 2nd one ordered before I sold the 1st :smoke: & I didn't own an Intruder when I purchased the 2nd one. The Strom accelerates harder & faster than the 1400 but has almost the same top speed. I love the locking luggage I have on my Wee Strom, love the riding position (it's tall so you see over most cars/minivans); it's comfy enough for 750+ miles in a day & I even did a 500 mile day 2 up with my lady on the stock seat (have a Corbin on both bikes now)!!! I tend to ride it far more aggressively than I ride the 1400 :evil: Many complain about buffeting from the windshield (first gen version) but I had just about perfectly clean air & could ride with the chin bar up on my Flip Face helmet & have a smoke going down the road. Where my Intruder is polished within an inch of it's life, the Strom gets washed when I get caught in the rain :evil: although I do clean the windshield & headlights of bugs & try to keep the chrome Suzuki "S" looking good :rag: The 5 gallon tank has great range but if you are twisting the throttle hard, it can lose some range but should still reach 180 miles to a tank even under aggressive riding :evil:

My lady loves both the Strom & my 1400 & is the BEST passenger I have ever had. I can lean the Strom over on ramps far enough that she can reach out & touch the ground (chicken strips are less than 1/4") No regrets buying the first or the 2nd one :cheers:
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Jolsen
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Re: Vstrom, chains and valves

Post by Jolsen »

I have noticed that I don't lean near as far on my 1400 as my gs550 l. Older and wiser? Nope I just go till sparks fly lol.

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Re: Vstrom, chains and valves

Post by old time rider »

On regular master link chains you can take a small dermal and grind out the point the link goes in and slip it out and move mater into it.Allways point open ends of snap lock with tails going other way from rotation.Lots use a new snap but I never had trouble on reuse even on drag bikes.I just never ran a chain I ever took more than two links out of the 10,000 or more I ran them.Must have been doing it all wrong.Would have liked to have watched you :big grin: .

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Re: Vstrom, chains and valves

Post by Jolsen »

You work with the tools you have...

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Re: Vstrom, chains and valves

Post by old time rider »

My 650 Vstrom has 53,000 at four years old and still like it.Did the 10,300 mile Alaska trip with 0 troubles.It did have a stator go at 40,000 and now has been down two months as I look for a used front wheel.Coming back from a trip it had a front wheel bearing go and hub bad now.Cheap is not the word.$455 best price found on a new one.Two that ride in our old bunch have the lower kits and love the bikes.At least ten of our old bunch have been to Alaska most on a Vstrom. They are so great to stand on the pegs for miles and feel good.Three of us old coots or on a second one and at 53,000 and pricr of low mile used ones I may get another and use this one for parts or trade front wheel back and forth as need be [emoji2] .Have the extra warranty on this one so at least six months still on it.Valves never been adjusted and same spark plugs and battery still in it.

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Re: Vstrom, chains and valves

Post by jonnycando »

Chains don't stretch actually, the roller bits wear, and the sprocket teeth wear, and the whole mess just goes slack cause it's worn out. Last chain drive I had, I replaced the sprockets with every other chain. One good thing about chain drive, is you can play around with final drive ratios. Just get sprockets with more or less teeth.

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