I can't get away from the DL650

This bike will do nothing to piss me off. My worthless 1st gen Shinko 705 was starting to delaminate so I pulled the rear wheel and went down to Guido's flat fixer. The tire swap was only $20. It needed no weight to balance and was back on the bike within minutes. Chain needed no adjustment.
Looks like maintenance is done for the year. POS Weestrom. I wish it would wash itself.

If you leave it outside...it does that too.

Then it dries itself......

What tire did you replace it with, or was it just a patch situation?

Do they make the later gen Shinko 705 to fit your wee?

I have them on a 2nd gen KLR, love em, and they are cheap.

I was at a motorcycle dealer open house on Saturday with another ADV inmate. I keep seeing the all black "adventure ready" Wee with the black cans, great windscreen, crash bars, etc. Pretty much ready to go, I think the quick release and top box might be part of it, that would be something I would want to, and maybe some driving lights and a GPS.

But that bike is pretty realistically priced, and has certainly proven itself. They had the 2012 down to about $9,600 decked out. I dont like the burnt orange one. Reminds me of the 1970's, which I am trying hard to forget.



I think it's realistically priced for a great all around bike, an adequate twin cylinder for trips and such. As I get older, it's more about the destination, who you made the trip with, and the fact that your bike was Swiss Army knife reliable and fairly versatile. Affordable is right in there too. "Boring" translates to me as "less tickets".

Great orig. post topic. I owned a 2008 KingQuad ATV and the thing never needed anything but gasoline, even that requirement was rare because of the fuel economy. I spent very little time in the Suzuki dealer after the purchase.

Not the case with a KLR.... the parts guys have my credit card number memorized. Hell, I have my own bar stool at their parts counter. I do love the KLR, it's great to get my frustrations out on. It also fits the bill for "artistic expression". What other bike looks good with PVC farkle matter. I do crave a "Sunday bike" or longer trip bike and I think the "adventure Wee" could be it.

The first generation shinko 705 bias ply is crap. Mine like many started to split at a seam on the tread. It is too risky to take it on a long trip. I put my old bridgstone back on. I am shooting to wear out the back and front at the same time and then replace the pair.
The DL650 just gets it all done without drama. Even the battery is stocked at Wal-Mart.
I would love a new bike but this Suzuki is too good to let go.

same here. my tires last atleast 10,000 miles and factory chains and sprockets last 20k. I dread valve checks and adjustments, but otherwise this is a terriffic overweight little machine.

I got a '12 Adventure for $8700. It was sitting at the dealer for a couple of months and they wanted to move it. the KLR was starting to kill my old bones on long road rides. Now have 8k miles on the wee and love it. Confy on long rides and nimble enough in the twisties. Keeping the KLR for dirt mostly here in AZ, and the wee for touring, great combo..

If you really need help convincing yourself that you need an upgrade from the wee just take a test drive on something better. More often than not that's all it takes to go: wow... this is so much nicer, I "need" this!

But... I don't recommend it, because if you really like your bike and want tno headaches, there is no reason to tempt yourself. The longer you can keep it, the more $$$ you end up with in your pocket.

I'm pretty convinced I'm keeping my Suzuki M50, but I am also pretty convinced my Victory Hammer is getting traded for a '12 wee or a '12 tenere.

It depends, I've spent months testing more expensive bikes and felt that none really filled the DL650's shoes as an all rounder for someone without a car.

That isn't the most common use for a bike, though.

Ever drag knee on a Shinko? Do yourself a favor and buy some Michelins. I may be a bit of a snob, but i will not cheap out on tires.

I got 45K out of a DID chain and Sunstar sprockets. I only had to replace them because the salt rusted the chain and it kinked. Its a little spendy, but it lasts.

After smashing one DL, i think i will buy another. I'm just torn between the power of the 1k or the looks of the new 650.

They are intoxicatingly awesome bikes once you get to know them.

I just looked for my Wee's maintenance log to see how long ago I put on my Shinko 705 rear tire. Unlike all my other vehicle maintenance Excel files, it didn't show up when I clicked on "Open Recent" ... I haven't had to do anything since last July. Anyway, my rear 705 just turned over 10K miles today ... radial, almost worn but no delamination/chunking/bubbles etc. My 705 front has about 13K miles and lots of tread and even wear (no scalloping like my Tourances). These tires stick just fine on wet or dry pavement or mild dirt. I have a new one sitting in my garage to go on the back soon. If I was honest with myself that I really only need street tires, I'd go for the extra security of Michelin PR3's. But to be equally honest, the Shinko has been a fine tire so far, just as good as an Anakee or Tourance, for much less money.

-dman

I have to agree,I aquired a 650 Strom on a trade, Ive ridden bikes with good suspension and good handling,I tend to push bikes harder then maybe they should be.
The Strom kicked like a mule on freeway bumps,bottomed on normal bumps,wallowed in corners,I could see the front fork down through the fairing and it didnt move at all on sharp bumps,rock solid at speed.
Im sure it would have run forever but life is too short.

I also enjoy having a bike that's artsy or racy to look at,Strom is more the frigidaire sort of thing.

If you dont make many demands of the bike,and dont care what it looks like then a Strom would be ok. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Ive drug the pegs on my DR650 with 705's on it,never a hint of sliding,seem like a great tire for the money.

That sounds like a description of the ´older´ (2004-2011) Wee? The new 2012-> model does not come with a top of the line Ohlins suspension either, but almost everyone, including me, seems to agree, that it has taken some leaps forward. More stable at speed, better handling on bends, and does not bottom out on bumps as easily.

For demanding riders, the Wee has not-so-good OEM tyres. I don´t consider myself as a demanding rider, but I put Michelin Pilot Road 3´s on my 2012 when new, and I must say, that this made it a better bike for the street.

...I bought my 2004 DL650 V-Strom "Wee-Strom" used, with only 1,700 miles on her, for only $4,200 from a friend of a friend.

I now have 30,000 miles on her.

I installed an Elka shock and .90 Sonic springs with Ricor valving in the forks.

I also installed Michelin Pilot Road 3 tires and changed the gearing with a 16 tooth front sprocket.

I'm a "Road Warrior", my Wee never really sees any dirt (Save the barbs about THAT for another topic) and she just RAILS now.

FWIW, I own an RC51 and a Ducati Monster, so I know what sport bike handling is like. This Wee with the above mods is amazing!

What people who don't own a Wee don't seem to "get", is that the Wee is in a class by itself.

Let me 'splain, Lucy.....

While on paper, the Wee is bunched together with the Versys and other "Adventure Tourers", TDMs, S10s, Togers, et al, that's missing some key differentiators of the Wee from the rest of the pack.

The Wee has OVER 200 mile tank range.

The Wee can handle like a sport bike when set-up right.

The Wee's twin headlights light up a moonless, rural highway like nothing else short of the new BMW K1600GT with optional tilting lighthouse.

The Wee can be fitted with a Barn Door of a windshield for wind and weather protection.

The Wee has a SUPER comfy riding position that fits everybody and can easily be modified to fit YOU.

The Wee has as much aftermarket support as a Harley.

The Wee can get 60 MPG.

The Wee NEVER breaks down. EVER.

The Wee NEVER breaks down. EVER.

The Wee's chain and sprockets last forever.

The Wee's operating costs are super duper low.

The Wee uses the same size tires as other "Adventure" bikes and therefore the tire choices are Top Shelf.

The Wee cab be bought used for $4,000.

The Wee can accept every type of luggage, hard or soft, on the planet.

The Wee has a huge payload rating. This is key. You can load the Wee like a pack mule, with huge cargo racks and tons of real estate to take everything and the kitchen sink if you desire.

The Wee has a huge plastic nose that is ripe for custom stickers and paint jobs.

The Wee has unlimited space to mount GPS, radar detectors, heated grip controllers, electronic chain oiler controlers, Go Pro cameras, etc.

The Wee can mount highway pegs and crash bars and you can look like Ewan and Charley.

The Wee can cruise all day on the Interstate at 90 mph and then you can turn down that gravel road you always wondered about and skinny dip with your girl friend at that secluded waterfall.

The Wee can be had with ABS, but without being burdened by other, possibly more failure prone and finicky customizable electronic riding aids.

You can buy a used Wee for $4,000 like I did, and then you can drop $6,000 worth of mods on her, and you have a bike that smokes any other $10,000 bike on the planet.

Even if you leave her stock, that $4,000 used Wee will bring more smiles per mile than anything else for your money...and this is key...with ZERO HEADACHES over the life of ownership.

If you just want to ride, all day, everywhere, and never stop for anything, get a Wee.

They just keep going and going and going and going.......


V-Strom@TexasBorder by Shooter158, on Flickr

I freakin' loved this bike. Best bike I've had to date. After a 4,000 mile trip out west this past summer, my right arm was numb for a month. I tried many things before the trip to quell the bar vibes, but was not able to eliminate them, only reduce them. The frequency they vibrated on the highway did not agree with me and sadly, I decided to sell it.

I feel like going outside to raise a Suzuki flag and salute to it!

Abraços,

Linhares​

please be sure to add our atars and stripes to it.

This is what I'm talking about. I would love to get another bike but the wee trumps everything for all practical purposes.

yep. pretty much nails strom ownership.

sure it has shortcomings but you can address those.
yes the looks are polarizing, but what adv bike is not?