Buyers Guide; first gen V-Strom 1000 for ABR

[nathanthepostman]

Hi blokes,

For my sins I'm one of the staff on Adventure Bike Rider. I've just been on the launch of the new Strom 1000 in Almeria and writing up the review for this issue.

I was hoping to run a buyers guide of the old one alongside it; a case of what to look out for, typical issues, things to check etc when buying second hand Also some testimonials from a few people who've owned and ran the bike. Just something short and sweet. A paragraph or so.

If anyone could help out with any of that info I'd be really grateful. I've cleared it with Andy, he knows I'm posting about it.

Cheers
Nathan

[Firestorm]

OK - here's my small contribution. DL1000 K8 Touring.
Great bike apart from comfort (for me). Improved a little with a Wee Seat. Buffeting fixed with MRA screen and mirror extenders. Original luggage not great so replaced with Givi. Great engine and gearbox but a bit 'snatchy' at low revs and low gears and top gear almost useless below 60mph. Both easily fixed with a TRE and a 16T sprocket on the front. Speedohealer to put the speedo right with the sprocket change. Transformed the Bike in my humble opinion - others will no doubt have other opinions. If it had been as comfy for me as my Glee I'd still have it. Need to keep on top of corrosion as finish not great but no worse than other Suzukis I've owned. Brakes could have been a it better. Easy to look after and a great used buy.

[Brockett]

I had a 58 plate Vee for riding summer 2012 for a year. It did not yet suffer from clutch 'chudder' nor was there any fuelling or rough running issues. Fully loaded with camping gear and 17 stones of me it would happily  stomp around the country without tiring.
Brakes where improved with braided lines but were still not quite up to it.
For me and my pensioner legs I found it carried it's weight high and was difficult to push about ( sloping garden path to bike shed).  So I traded it in for a Glee ( and paved the garden and had a garage built)
I went touring round the west country along with my friend on his Yamaha Super Tenere.  He was very surprised at the pace that the Vee could keep up and yet not use as much fuel as his Yam.

[Fat Rat]

Come on folks, the nice man has asked for your view/opinions on the current and older Vee/Wee. I KNOW you have things to say  

[Gassoon]

Hi nathan, saw your bit on the ABR forum. Haven't had a Vee personally (just the wee). Throttle body boots blowing off seem to have been not uncommon on old 1000's - see this thread viewtopic.php?f=58&t=20758
Lockwiring them on solves it. Clutch chudder (search this forum, again not infrequent) Can happen - probably solved by the new redesign of the clutch for the 2014 bike, but QED   Or is cured by the estimable Mr 'sharealike' of this parish viewtopic.php?f=92&t=20608

[Twiggy]

Only had my K7 for a short time but....
I find the screen good once adjusted, I'm 6ft.
Mirrors are shocking, buffeting and use.
Great low down grunt but as already mentioned top gear is more of an overdrive.
Excellent seating/riding position. Good luggage capabilities but only if you like pockets full of keys. I don't seem to be able to get everything on one key.
Fuel consumption could be better but at 40mpg it's not bad.

[pieman53]

I have had my k6 just on 14 months now with no major problems except -
buffeting had to get an MRA screen to sort that out  6ft 2 that was very bad
mirrors were very poor
seat not the most comfy but you get used to it
braided hoses for the brakes if you want to stop in a hurry,
luggage system locks not very good tend to open when flying down the motorways,
heated grips tend warmer throttle side for some reason
you must keep the rust at bay because Suzuki paint finish is not the best in the world.
not suffered from clutch shudder or any major engine problems.

[nathanthepostman]

Thanks for all the contributions gents. Just been sent this link (thanks mate)

http://www.vstrom.info/Smf/index.php/topic,1928.0.html

... which is interesting. Just starting to put it together now. Any more thoughts please just chip in.


... Just to add, if anyone who has contributed wants their mug in the mag just send me a pic of you and the bike and I'll see if I can't make it in to some sort of rogues gallery of V-Strom owners.

Send to nathan @ adventurebikerider.com

[Abercol]

I've had my K7 Vee since 2009 and I've done just under 20,000 miles on it since then. The bikes been great, very very reliable. The only "failure" was a slightly noisy sprocket carrier bearing I had replaced for £10 at 14,000 miles. I've also had the common issues most folk with Vee's run into....

I had the rear throttle body boot pop off the inlet so I lockwired it on (easy to do as there are convenient lugs on both the engine and throttle body). While I was in there I removed the secondary throttle plates to remove the restriction Suzuki place on the lower 2 & upper 2 gears. More acceleration in the lower gears and a bit more top end, I didn't notice any other issues

The buffeting from the original screen was too much for me, causing headaches it was so bad, so I fitted an MRA screen and mirror extenders and its fine now.

The idle was too low when it was delivered and it used to stall occasionally, a slight turn on the very easy to access idle control screw to raise the idel to around 1200 sorted that.

The seat was a torture device for me, probably due to my lardy bulk...60 miles and I was sore, but 300-400 miles meant I was still sore the next day, so I fitted a Corbin seat & its bliss, all day comfy.

The bike didn't have any vibes or issues when I first got it, it ran like a swiss watch, however, from about 17-18,000 miles its become increasingly vibey and I think its now in need of Sharealikes cluctch basket fix.  The fix is easy and quick thanks to Sharealike's attention to detail.

Handling is very good on twisty roads and very stable. But, once you fit a top box then it can get a weave on at any speed over 90 (depending on wind direction & speed) It never really got out of hand & leaning forward took it to 110ish to appear again, the consensus is the weight distribution and fairing shape conspire to bring the weave on. Lowering the forks and jacking the rear help as does fitting a fork brace.

Its very good on consumables and its been one of the best bikes I've ever had, I normally changed my bikes every 2-3 years, but I've kept the Vee far longer as I just can't find another bike that does everything it does so well for so little. I'm now looking for another bike, but its still odds on that I'll keep the Vee as its been so good.

Corrosion hasn't been an issue for me, a little touch up on a rusty subframe weld but no more so than most other 6-7 year old bikes. I do slather it in ACF-50 though & don't tend to ride it over the winter months, so maybe that has helped.

Al lin all its been a brilliant bike both on back road scratching and continental tours, its never let me down and does all I've asked of it without complaint.

[nathanthepostman]

Thanks Abercol, really appreciated.

I've just tried to send you a pm but don't think I'm doing it right.

Any chance you could email me on nathan@adventurebikerider.com.

I was trying to send you this...

Hello mate,

Just wanted to say how spot on that ''review' of your Strom is. Really, really helpful.

Would you mind me running it almost as it is... with some pics of the bike if you have any?

No problem if you'd rather not, but I just thought it summed up everything that I'd been reading about the bike.

Regards
Nathan

[Fat Rat]

As long as there is a big shiny V-Strom.co.uk logo alongside it Nathan  

[nathanthepostman]

indeed there shall! Do you want to send me the logo to that address mentioned above.

[Juvecu]

I didn't have time to read through all the other replies, but have a few mins to write what I can remember.

Note that the K2 and K3 models had a fixed screen. It's difficult to sort out any buffeting on these. From K4 onwards they had the adjustable screen, same as the old DL650 (3 height positions and an undocumented 4th position.) It's worth mentioning that people shouldn't be put off by the buffeting, a Madstad bracket (for K4 onwards)  or another screen can sort this out quick.

Other common issues is the clutch chudder, there's a bloke on this forum who reworks the clutch baskets to fix the issues permanently.

Emission regulations got in the way and Suzuki remapped them to obey, between ~2500 and ~3500rpm they can run a little rough (lean.) 5 minutes with a Yoshi box and this can be tuned out so it's not an issue (IIRC it needs +5% fuel in low and medium revs, or was that just low?)

At higher speeds (over 100mph) the Vee can get a bit light in the front. Dropping the forks or jacking up the rear a little changes the angle that the headlight cowl cuts into the air and alleviates this. It's not the right bike if you want to go that fast anyway.

The Kawasaki KLV1000 is a K4+ Suzuki DL1000 with orange panels and different stickers, otherwise it's practically identical.

Stock exhausts have been known to catch fire so getting one with aftermarket cans fitted not only saves a lot of weight, it safer That said, it's not a common thing, just occasional, but they are heavy as a pair of bomb shells.

Water pump cover corrosion and clutch slave cylinder seals leaking have probably been mentioned. Both are easy to fix. The rear throttle body rubber boot can sometimes come undone, it will suck in air and pop and fart, pretty easy to fix if you take the panels and tank off. Best to strap them down with some wire/cable ties to avoid it returning.

It's worth mentioning that there is much more right about the Vee than there is wrong with it. Lights are excellent, they are very stable on the road and the ride is comfortable. Fitting a fork brace tightens the steering up and they are a hoot because of all the stomp on tap. You have a very commanding riding position so you can often see over the hedges on little country roads to spot oncoming traffic and the flow of the road where an arse up sportsbike rider wouldn't have a clue what's coming. Pillion accommodation is a favourite among most wives, girlfriends and mistresses. You can usually pick one up for cheap, spend a couple/few hundred quid on them and have a great everyday bike as well as a good tourer. Parts are easy to get and they are still an easy bike to work on. Advice is even easier to get, right here on this forum

[Gassoon]

Yeah, it's too easy to focus on problems, or potential problems and forget that hundrds of owners never experience those issues in years of riding: sometimes they are the silent majority who never need to go on a forum to ask advice, which is how riders sometimes start posting here!

IMO Strom owners tend to be honest and realistic about their bikes failings - and even turn them, strangely,  into a badge of honour - but often praise the bikes' qualities; their character (mostly due to the excellent V-twin engines), reliability and their utilitarian yet fun nature make most weak points more than liveable with.  

[Abercol]

Email and photos sent off, hope all goes OK.

[Mort]

Don't forget to mention the KLV1000 too...that is all  

[Fatbelly]

I never had any of those problems at all. The seat and screen were perfect.

Well, except one - the paint on the water pump cover flaked but the dealer got it fixed pronto under warranty.

[frez]

wives, girlfriends and mistresses. You can usually pick one up for cheap

Not my experience  

[Abercol]

Yeah, a lot of folk seem to like the std seat, but it didn't suit me & the buffeting on the stock screen was the worst of any bike I've ever owned, headache after 20 miles at over 70 on the motorway, blurry vision, rattling teeth stuff...had to be sorted or the bike would have to go...the screen was my first change, followed about a year later by the Corbin (I tried to get used to the seat, aftermarket ones were expensive and I'm an Aberdonian!).

I got the mirror extenders as others said they worked a treat and I was sick of looking at my armpits...

The weave has never been much of an issue for me, but I am lardy, so the weight probably helps. I did notice its stable as a rock at any speed without luggage - the top box must act as an airofoil forcing the rear to squat (empty or full result is the same) and aiding the fairings poor aerodynamics....

No corrosion for me on the engine/waterpump at all, just a wee 10mm spot of rust on a subframe weld on the lefthand side that was there when I collected the bike, a bit of hammerite smooth and its all good to go.

As I said in my e-mail to Nathan last night, it may sound like I'm complaining about all the "faults" but in reality its been so easy and fun to use with its v-twin stomp and unwavering reliability. that's why I've had it the longest I've ever owned any bike, after all, just what would you replace it with that will do all the hard charging twisties, ton ++ motorway blasts and still give you over 8k out of a rear tyre....

[nathanthepostman]

Afternoon gents,

just wanted to thank you all for the help with the buyer's guide, which in the end turned out a little shorter than intended, mainly due to time constrains. But still ended up with a two page spread, mainly featuring the bit written by Abercol, a little bit about 'chudder' and second hand price guides. I made sure there was room for the forum emblem, so hopefully it'll look alright. This edition should be in the shops around about now. It has the new Strom on the cover.

Anyway, thanks again for all your input. Appreciated.

Merry Christmas
Nathan

(ps. thanks for the calendars, got one on my wall)