Is this the reality of a V Strom, why it is "Almost the perfect bike". It is very reliable and really,it needs no modification, even though you could analyze and improve the whole bike, you bought a V Strom, not a BMW, Honda, Yamaha, KTM or anything else, it's a V Strom.
The Strom does everything you need of it but, Hello! It's not an off road bike. Don't be taken in by the hype. You can take a Yamaha R1 around the world or to Timbuktu (if you really want to know, read the book. Someone will have one if you ask) but, it's a road bike, race rep, what ever but it's not a off road bike.
I have left the tarmac many times on many bikes but, my V Strom stays on tarmac unless, it is totally necessary to travel off road, on really easy stuff. To be honest, I wouldn't even want to scratch the bottom of her belly pan.
So, I won't give Nick Sanders a race to Timbuktu but, I would leave him for dead on Devon/ Cornwall roads, somewhere where there are not to many straits.
So, I guess the reason it's not quite "The Perfect Bike" is because, some parts of it are made to a tight budget and, in my view, I would put the cost up by £500 and put all of that £500 into some more quality without changing the bike , different color scheme at most but no extra cost. Then it would be perfect and now, even more value for money.
But what else is wrong with it, that other little thing that could take the edge off it, that thing that stops it being, perfect?
Well, now I read that the parts cost a fortune? Please tell me, that's not true.