How much do you like your wee

[Stuart]

Had my 10 plate, 650X out for a short run (to be MOT's & serviced) on Friday. While I was watching the mechanic work on it, I suddenly realised just how much I really do like this bike!
From my previous police ST1100 Pan, which was nice & smooth, powerful, comfy, but a bit of a beast in town, heavy & clumbersome, & a pain to push backwards into the shed, the wee is a delight!
I actually love how it is what it is...does what's expected, and a pleasure to ride.  Okay, so the finish might not be top drawer, but that can be attended to fairly easily...otherwise it's a 'wee' dream!  

[tallpaul]

I have to agree. As bikes go I think the Vstrom is a really 'together' all-rounder.

[WeeStromer]

I love my Strom! She does everything I ask of her, and so far she's been trouble free.
Every now and then I crave a little more power, but once you get to the twisties, she' has no problem keeping up with the sports bikes.      
If the price of a new DL1000 drastically reduces I might be tempted to change her. Until then it's death do us part.

[MartinW]

I love it.

If you have never had more power, then you cannot miss it.

[Andy M]

Sure I'll be shot down in flames, this is the Wee love-in site after all, but I'm into the last year of ownership (will trade before the MOT is due) and while I totally agree on the efficiency and general all round good handling (plus good range and decent lights) there are reasons I won't be trading the Wee for a Glee:

1. It is top heavy and pretty big still. OK, coming from 1100cc BMW's it is at the bottom end of this but you still can't be as laid back on the road as you can with something Bonneville shaped and it won't do mud like an XT600. This is the downside of the compromise design.

2. The fairing and service requirements are a PITA. I can live with 5000 mile intervals but not combined with the thousand cheese screws needed to get at the plugs and filter.

3. There is a certain lack of lack of rider engagement. 70 HP is actually too much. I suffer the same problem with the Wee I had with BMW's, they are too happy at illegal speeds.

Haven't decided what will be next but I want to be able to use 99% of the performance on every other ride.

Andy

[mr_diver]

Well I'm trying to get off the piss drinking habit... but sometimes I fall off the wagon.
Couldn't help myself after reading the title... I'll get me coat.

Still love my bike. I've had others but the vstrom is just so versatile that anything currently on the market just doesn't cut it for me, apart from the obvious glee update.
Some are more suited to my commuting but lack personality.
Some have better performance but I just won't buy a BMW or trumpet.
Some are bigger cc's but that just adds weight I don't need to deal with.
The 650cc v twin in the vstrom gives enough power to tour 2up without adding another 30kg, economy,  but still revs high and has that split personality when it wants.
Then factor in the price

[Iggy]

I've had the Wee for around five and a half years now and its one of four bikes I've currently got on the road.

Its not the biggest nor the fastest. It doesn't have the best handling or brakes nor is it the best finished or easiest to work on.

It seems to need an overhaul of the brake calipers about as often as it gets a wash... about twice a year then.


However:

It is the most comfy, the smoothest and the most dependable. Back-to-back high mileage days two-up are no problem although mine does use a bit of oil in these situations.

It hasn't seen the inside of a dealers workshop since I got it so its really cheap to run (don't know how much dealer servicing would alter that). I can get a couple of big two-up trips plus the rest of the years riding out of a set of tyres too......

what's not to like ?  


Iggy

[kirky1298]

Stuart,
Got to agree 100% mate. I came over from a BMV R1150GS with 100,000 miles on the clock and have no doubt that the Wee will do that mileage too. I had a few teething troubles with tyres and suspension but after spending a few bob on the Wee it's now spot on. The finish is typical of Jap bikes but nothing that a liberal coating of ACF50 won't fix, it's every bit as fast as the Bavarian tractor and returns 71.9 mpg when kept below 5000 rpm, the seat is uber comfy and the bike is great for all day touring although the bars hurt my wrists slightly after a full days riding but this is something that can be fixed easily, it has good weather protection and the MRA screen is fantastic at reducing buffeting. What's not to like ??

[frez]

A wee love-in...

OK, I've passed my 2011 model onto my son having done 60,000 miles on it. I wouldn't say I loved it, but I liked it a lot and it did me proud.

I didn't like the frequent service intervals. I didn't like the average weather protection. I sometimes didn't like the lack of power. I didn't like the soft suspension. I didn't like the poor finish on the water pump.

I did like the fuel economy. I did like the riding position. I did like its value.

[Juvecu]

Love my Wee so much I decided to restore it when it hit 105k miles. I had the option to sell it and buy a KTM990 SM T ABS or something similar instead. In slept on this for months and then decided that the Wee does everything I want it to do and that I have it set up close to perfect for me. I'd already spent on front fork springs,  a rear fork spring, different handlebars, an aftermarket exhaust, a Madstad bracket, some SW Motech Engine bars and various other bits and bobs to make it just the way I like it. I could buy a fancy bike, but I would feel sorry for it when it's dirty, not take it down dirty little twisty back roads, will care if I stretch the service interval a bit too much and would always have a niggling worry that it might break (something I never have with the Wee.) I've kept the Wee and I will part with it if it's broken down so badly that it will cost too much to fix. I ended up with a 2nd bike, a DR-Z400SM for the other kinds of riding I like to do When I end up wanting something bigger and "better" than the Wee I'll still keep the Wee and just add the another bike to the stable.

[jonH]

My DL650 does everything I want it to and I thoroughly enjoy riding it.

35 mile round trip to buy a new Suzuki means I'll be buying something else when it comes to be replaced

[S2Rgar]

Yesterday, to help a mate, I said I would be 'tail-end-charlie' to a group of 20+ bikes, blokes & girls he knows from a forum he's on. During the run I was looking at all the different bikes and thinking.. nope, wouldn't have one of those.. and nope, had one of those and wouldn't have another. There was some real trick machinery there too but one by one I ruled them all out... I couldn't find any other bike I'd rather have than my Glee.

Then I got speaking to some of them at the smoke/coffee/lunch breaks (most of whom had come up from England for the weekend for a blat round the Highlands). The conversations had 2 main theme's.... great roads you have up here mate and when will we stop for petrol ?? That got me thinking about my bike, I had filled it up at 7am and when I got back home last night at 7.30pm I had covered 271 miles and hadn't needed to refuel at all. No other bike managed that (I don't think anyway).

When I was sat eating my (reheated) dinner I thought of the 8 different bikes I've had over the last 11 years, all more powerful than my V-Strom but I don't miss any of them. I actually love this bike.... I have no idea why... I love how I was able to hustle & flick it through the twisty Duke's Pass http://Scotland.forestry.gov.uk/forest- ... dukes-pass when some of the bigger Pan Euro's, RT's were bolt upright. Thinking back when I had my FJR I'd have been as cautious as those blokes too..... It was a lardy-arsed thing.

I've no doubt I'll sell my Glee one day, but as it stands... it'll be for another exactly the same.

Gary
(a very happy owner)

[Stuart]

Ahh...the Dukes Pass!  My Pan was just a heavy, clumbersome beast on the Pass.  Too heavy to control the decent & enjoy it, didn't want to turn into the bends without running wide.  My wee...that's another matter! Loves nipping up to the top, and is great on the decent where it'll be perfectly happy & far easier to control if things go a tad pear shaped.  I've mates who like their heavy super tourers (BMW RT's etc), don't see the point in Adventure bikes...then moan about how they can't take theirs down any wee back tracks like wee owners can!!  Aye...this bike really is a joy!