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Feelin out the Vee


2talltim

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Day 1 ..mainly stuck to my regualr dailey roads to get used to the clutch, brakes, controls, ect. Only did about 50 miles.

Day 2...I got a little adventurous, decided to hit a few local twisties, then I decided to hit a couple gravel/dirt roads, then I found a nice cow field with some uneven ground to strech out the suspention. Plus I threw the hard bags on to see if it would change the handleing at all. Maybe another 50 miles.

Thoughts so far, I love the hydro clutch it feels sooo nice(I've always had cables), the seat is super comfey(like riding a recliner..lol), at night I keep turning on the hazzzards when I reach for the dimmer switch(ill get used to that). Riding possition is about perfect for me, but I'm not a fan of the pegs, they are too soft(ill give them more time). The windscreen has to go, way too much turbulance right at my head, already ordered a v-stream from Nate(thanks for the deal nate)supposed to be one of the better ones out there by reviews and its quite a bit taller,hopfully it gets here by Friday. In the twisties I was impressed I was a little quicker into the corrner vs the TL but coming out I'm a little nervous that it would stick, only time will tell. The dirt road was a blast, even when I took her a little too far just getting off the throttle brings her right back in line. Through the field it was suprising, shes no dirt bike but handled the terain nicley. Put the hard bags on before work tonight and I honestly can say I can't tell they were even there, except when I'm climing on, I'm going to have a couple nice bruises on my shins tommorow:nono:.

I've got a 250 mile ride planned with freinds Saturday up to the lake can't wait to see how I feel after a full day of riding.

Edited by 2talltim
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Two more things to add...

Speeding tickets are coming on this thing, too quiet and smooth, dosnt seem like I'm going that fast.was cruising on a county road on the way to work tonight and look down, I'm doing 80..ops

And I haven't located the trolls that keep filling my tank up, almost 100 miles and the tank still say almost full, the TL would have been flashing at me by then..lol

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Sounds like its workin out for you. Judging by the way you mercilessly raped my bike during our trade test ride, I'd say something a bit less aggressive is probably going to extend your life expectancy.

Hell I thought I was going easy on it..lol...you should come down and ride with todd and hutch they make me look slow

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You are slow...relatively speaking. :cool:

I'm glad you like the bike. I won't go back to a hunched bike again. The MTS riding position doesn't appear to be hindering my fun factor.

Mounting the bike is a pita with bags on' date=' but you get used to it. Not sure about you, but I notice the wind likes to push me around a little in the interstate with the side bags installed. Only when it's fairly gusty, though.[/quote']

I am slow, but my toys not so much;).

I got it up to $1.10 last night with the bags but no wind , so that is still to be seen.

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If your strom doesn't have a fork brace you may want to look into that. A brace makes a significant difference in the way it handles and makes it much more stable in cross winds.

more info on this would be appreciated

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Glad you're liking the Vee. Mine has been a tireless workhorse and I abuse it.

On the pegs, if you want a set of wider and firmer pegs, I have a set of aftermarket KLR pegs that are a direct-fit for the Vee. I'll trade 'em for a beer. ;)

The fork braces are great, mine made a difference (where I really notice it is on sketchy surfaces at lean and in high crosswinds). Richland Rick's brace is the most affordable and equal in quality to a Superbrace.

Another thing that will change the handling of the Vee for the better is to go a little stiff on the rear shock and raise the forks in the triple clamp by 5/8". It's a free mod, try it. Helps with turn-in and changes the whole feel of the bike (for the better). Don't go too high in the clamps or you'll suffer some high-speed stability, but a little goes a long way.

Edited by swingset
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Glad you're liking the Vee. Mine has been a tireless workhorse and I abuse it.

On the pegs, if you want a set of wider and firmer pegs, I have a set of aftermarket KLR pegs that are a direct-fit for the Vee. I'll trade 'em for a beer. ;)

The fork braces are great, mine really improved handling. Richland Rick's brace is the most affordable and equal in quality to a Superbrace.

Another thing that will change the handling of the Vee for the better is to go a little stiff on the rear shock and raise the forks in the triple clamp by 5/8". It's a free mod, try it. Helps with turn-in and changes the whole feel of the bike (for the better). Don't go too high in the clamps or you'll suffer some high-speed stability, but a little goes a long way.

Yea im not a fan of the rubber top on them, seems to give too much. If im ever down your way i wouldnt mind checking those out.

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Most folks I talked to couldn't actually tell a difference with and without it, so I never bothered buying one.

Good to know, just trying to gather all info i can.

Also thinking about putting a set of these on http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productview/419/?gclid=CJuq8tjY2rECFQEUKgodAFQA0w

protects, plus i like the utility look of it. I ask nate for a quote but it will be several weeks before i can pick them up.

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Good to know, just trying to gather all info i can.

Also thinking about putting a set of these on http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productview/419/?gclid=CJuq8tjY2rECFQEUKgodAFQA0w

protects, plus i like the utility look of it. I ask nate for a quote but it will be several weeks before i can pick them up.

I have those crash bars on my DL650. They have saved me some damage in a couple of tip overs. However a skid plate is a good idea if you plan much gravel or logging roads as the oil filter is very exposed. And most of those attach to the crash bars with a specific interface. So make sure you can use the skid plate you want with the crash bars you are interested in.

2012-06-12%252018.29.05.jpg

If you want the premium option Alt Rider bars and skid plates are very well made and priced that way :eek:

Craig

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Good to know, just trying to gather all info i can.

Also thinking about putting a set of these on http://www.twistedthrottle.com/trade/productview/419/?gclid=CJuq8tjY2rECFQEUKgodAFQA0w

protects, plus i like the utility look of it. I ask nate for a quote but it will be several weeks before i can pick them up.

The only bitch about the GIVI bars is they're a bit thinner than other makes, and they make taking the fairings off a royal pain.

The Motechs are thicker, and you can get the fairings off no problemo. They also mate to more aftermarket skid plates, IIRC.

I crash tested the Motech bars, hard, and they worked.

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I have the Richland Rick's fork brace and it has really made a difference in the way my strom handles. Cross winds and the turbulence from semi trucks used to be a handful at times. With the fork brace-no problamo. Mine was about $70 IIRC. Now in fairness I also beefed up my front springs and raised the forks which also helped but it was adding the fork bace that raised the fun to scary ratio.

I'm also a heavy guy which may be the reason the the brace made a big difference or bigger than for some riders. The suspension is a little soft for a larger person. I was having a lot of fork dive when braking and some stiffer front springs eliminated most of the dive when braking. If you weigh more than 180 lbs that may also be a mod to consider down the road.

Let me know if I can help you spend any more money on your new strom.

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