Thinking of adding a Weestrom | Page 4 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Thinking of adding a Weestrom

Apparently

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Now a Wee owner....
$_20.JPG

Fit like a glove and less turbulence than the Burgman which is weird.

Palm throttle yup
Cruise yup
Adjustable windscreen yup
engine guard and crash plate.
new chain

Literally the guy must have been the same size as me. Mirrors everything were in the right place.

Sat on a stock one - bars were a tad far forward with the big tank...
One I bought of course had risers on it. ...of COURSE it did...:rolleyes:
Bark busters yup.

It just fit and I'm flat foot on it - with my mesh riding pants I think it might be easier to get on than the Burgman.

My top case will fit with a $50 plate I picked up there.
Ready to roll tomorrow morning.

Quite pleased. :D

Congrats, that's a sweet ride. The Strom has always intrigued me...
 
Hmmmm is the adjustable windscreen stock? Really wanting to bite on one now after that great speech from Tom.


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Aftermarket - Givi touring screen with Madstad brackets.

The MadStad Adjustable Windshield Mount gives you total control over the windshield height, angle, airflow and comfort, regardless of the windshield you are using. Does it solve the turbulence problem? Here's what one of our customers had to say: "The absolute best farkel .... period. Little, little money; and for me an absolutely tremendous improvement for the bike. ... Should be the very first farkle for any new v-strom owner. I am quite serious when I say this, and I am in no way affiliated with Madstad; other than of course being a very elated; happy customer" - Jim, Huntington Beach, CA
No V-Strom should be without it! To see just how it works and how easily it adjusts, simply play the video below. If you are looking for a great windshield that gives you smooth airflow and better protection than the short stock shield, you can now get the MadStad Adventure shield to go with your MadStad brackets. This shield is shown in the first picture in the gallery above and it is available in 20" and 22" sizes (500mm and 550mm) clear, light gray, medium-smoke bronze or dark smoke tint. Click here to see Windshield Tint Options. You can get the shield by itself at any time, but you get a special discount price if you buy it together with the MadStad brackets.

[video=youtube_share;_yyqQgjl-3I]http://youtu.be/_yyqQgjl-3I[/video]

http://www.madstad.com/s.nl/sc.7/category.750/.f

I think mine has an aftermarket side stand foot as well. Noticed when I parked it.

Have to locate the 12 volt outlet for my iphone nav set up.
Scrounge a tank bag from the kid. I will miss the front storage but a tank bag is better for camera gear.
 
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Well that was cool...TD Insurance lets me cover both bikes for $937 versus $631 for one.
No brainer. Even happier now.
Wee for touring
Burgman for groceries.
 
Madstad is great, especially the new one with tool less adjustment. I have the old one, only problem is that one setting doesn't do everything and I find I have to adjust it a bit for various uses. Off-road I want the windshield down a bit so I can see over the top for obstacles, on the highway I want it up to block wind and depending on where the wind is coming from it may not be as effective sometimes.
 
That's Great Macdoc!

Be careful though next thing you know you'll be selling the Scooter and getting a dedicated (Garmin???!!!???) GPS.... :)

Too bad you are a week late.. last week a bunch of us met up in Bancroft. Even though the morning had pouring rain there were at least 12 Stroms there, seems like most rode a couple of hundred or more km's to get there.

Have you joined Stromtrooper yet?

..Tom
 
By the way the single best thing you can do to that generation of Strom is to lower the front of the bike/raise the forks about half an inch (if the bike is at standard height right now.) This one change will make it much more stable in cross winds (I have ridden hands-off in 80 kph gusts and the bike just stabilizes itself.) It also makes it turn in much nicer in the twisties and in almost every situation makes it a better handling bike. (The only time it might not be the best is for riding in deep gravel. Some have said the reduction in trail makes it harder although I had no issues.) It is easy to do, just do one fork at a time and there are three bolts per fork. If you don't like it it's fully reversible.



..Tom
 
I had the original which had the wingnuts on my 2006. Madstad offered a retrofit kit that had the knobs on it (and of the course the Madstad on my 2012 has the knobs as well.)

..Tom
 
Be careful though next thing you know you'll be selling the Scooter and getting a dedicated (Garmin???!!!???) GPS.... :icon_smile:

Cold day in hell for either :D.
For $300 extra a year having two rides....good stuff and the Wee is perfect for the kid in winter to get to work.
I can turn off the avoid gravel roads in the TomTom

The only issue the kid identified is a long clutch - what's the adjustment for that so it engages sooner?

Kid enjoyed riding it back....btw stay out of the Forks,.....it's nuts - too many people and cops - some sort of festival.

Have not joined Strom forum.
 
Questions

Came with one key...best place to get more cut. Dealer says any key place...is this true?

Range at touring speeds? - 100-120.

How accurate is the speedo? ( horrid on the Burgman 10% off )

How accurate is the gas gauge. ( decent on the Burgman )

Synthetic versus mineral oil?

It's got a centre stand so I'm skipping the auto-oiler my kid has - got some lube that is supposed to stick.
How often to check.

What tire pressure? front and back ( I have real time TPMS ) so will figure out which bike needs it more ( I suspect the Burgman but will take it with me touring the Wee as it's just a matter of moving the valve covers ( or maybe ordering a second set )

Any quirks I should know about??. I'm very happy with the Burgman 650 lights....can I assume the Wee is similar?
 
-I set the tire pressures higher than many.. around 42 rear and around 40 front.
-I've never cut a key but I don;t think there are any electronics in the key, If the blank was right it should work.

Speedo is 8% optimistic if it is stock. You can get a facplate that makes it perfect from a guy. I think if you goggle "raceratb" you should find him. It is easy to switch the face plate. He doesnt alway make them though.

I don't know how accurate the gauge is as I have never run out. The tank is 22 liters on your and the most i put in my 2006 was 21.302 liters.

It is a long argument. I use Shell Rotella 5w40. There is a guy that has 260,00+ km and he used Shell Rotella 10w40 non-synthetic. Using synthetic makes me feel good so I use it. I change oil every 6,000 km and filters usually every third oil change.
I use Wurth HHS 2000. I lube with every tank of gas and after every ride in the rain. I never clean the chain. I get 70,000 to 75,000 km and should be able to get 80,000 km. Messy but then Stroms are meant to be messy.

I have found both my Stroms and most other Stroms have had the two headlights pointing different heights .they work much better if aiming the same height. Mask one off, see where it illuminates and then mask the other and set the height if the other the same. After that it is just a matter of getting the light aimed the right distance for you ince yo ucan turn the adjuster the same amount to stay synchronized.

I'm just leaving work and my Strom is waiting..

..Tom
 
Mine is the older model but I will answer for my bike:

Came with one key...best place to get more cut. Dealer says any key place...is this true?

Yes there is nothing fancy in the key. Local locksmith did my spare.

Range at touring speeds? - 100-120.

Around 400km before I start looking for a gas station.

How accurate is the speedo? ( horrid on the Burgman 10% off )

120kph actual, 130kph on speedo

How accurate is the gas gauge. ( decent on the Burgman )

Reads low. Normal have about 4L left when it shows I'm out.

Synthetic versus mineral oil?

I use Shell Rotella 15w40 dino. Works well

It's got a centre stand so I'm skipping the auto-oiler my kid has - got some lube that is supposed to stick. How often to check.

I check every time I fill up...350~420km

What tire pressure? front and back ( I have real time TPMS ) so will figure out which bike needs it more ( I suspect the Burgman but will take it with me touring the Wee as it's just a matter of moving the valve covers ( or maybe ordering a second set )

I run 37F/41R on Shinko 705's. Don't mind the Shinko's but they are a bit loud. Love them on gravel roads.

Any quirks I should know about??. I'm very happy with the Burgman 650 lights....can I assume the Wee is similar?

Not really. Lights are good, I put aux light on mine by the front fork reflectors just so I get seen more. All around amazing bike and you have all the must have farckles already. I commute roughly 160km a day, every day, March to December. Had mine since 2007 without any issues at all. Suggest you join www.stromtrooper.com
 
Listen to V-Tom, the dude is all about the weestrom! Has a crazy amount of kms on his bike (and the weestrom before that) and is a very experienced motorcyclist.
 
Now a Wee owner....
$_20.JPG

Fit like a glove and less turbulence than the Burgman which is weird.

Palm throttle yup
Cruise yup
Adjustable windscreen yup
engine guard and crash plate.
new chain

Literally the guy must have been the same size as me. Mirrors everything were in the right place.

Sat on a stock one - bars were a tad far forward with the big tank...
One I bought of course had risers on it. ...of COURSE it did...:rolleyes:
Bark busters yup.

It just fit and I'm flat foot on it - with my mesh riding pants I think it might be easier to get on than the Burgman.

My top case will fit with a $50 plate I picked up there.
Ready to roll tomorrow morning.

Quite pleased. :D

Was looking at this exact bike on Kijiji.... looks like you got a good deal!!
 
Yeah - there is another 2010 without a number of the farkles and seller wants $7400!!! I'm very happy with the bike and value.
Much easier to move around than the Burgman ( a constant complaint tho I don't mind it much....it can at times be annoying as the ECVT puts a drag on paddling it ).

Thanks for input fro everyone.
Already missing the easy storage of the Burgman tho and trying to avoid the side bags for day to day rides.

Tank bag
There is one of these available...looks like it will do the job - fit the lappie and my camera
gear.
Looking forward to having the camera handy.
t483srgivitankbagforenduros.jpg
http://www.giviusa.com/givi-products/soft-luggage/silver-range/sv205-silver-large-enduro-tank-bag-detail

I see why the original owner skipped the top case...much easier on and off the bike for old joints but I'm used to a bit of contortion on the KLR as it has a top case as well.
Have a work around for now with an old tank bag that I use on the pillion seat. I can clear it okay ( need the stretch anyways ) and it fits the lappie and a couple of layers.
If I had that 25 litrs and the 25 on the tank that should be good day to day without the panniers.

Any suggestions for large tank bags that can also be waterproof?

I do miss the Burgman backrest - with the highway pegs this might be the ticket
I never ride two up.
vstromdl650%20bike.jpg


•••

Canuckistan eh??

DSCN4578.jpg


What top case is that
 
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Missed my heated grips this morning tho Bark Busters kept my hands warm. Just used to having the warmth get my circulation moving. Easy enough fix with some glove liners.

Bike is enjoyable, noisier than the Burg by a substantial factor. - Burgman is whisper quiet in the helmet at speed - fair bit of mechanical noise on the Wee. That is a bit of a concern as I'm used to the quieter ride. Seems to come up under the helmet as I noticed my neck was cold as a well. But no helmet buffeting which is nice.

Might get that Sargent seat sooner than later....it was "okay" on the stock seat but I'm doubtful on distance comfort.

Figured I'd hit the Forks before the mob arrived. Still prettu busy up here but just nice atm.

Legs chillier of course but given I'm all mesh just now - the ride up at 15 degrees was fine.

Tsilbag set up worked okay for now...can get my leg over and fits lappie and rain jacket.

Have to figure a spot for the iPhone - think it will fit over the Barkbusters.

Bike more nimble tho not much more mid-range than the Burgman with the Power button on.

Really a mix across the the Burgman to the KLR - bit of both. Half asleep still - got up too early....:rolleyes:
 
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That's a pic of my old bike taken off Ravenscliffe Rd. That top case is a flight box with a pressure valve. As you can see it has two buckles for closure on each side and one on the front and back. It was very strong, heavy and awkward for packing things into. I liked the profile of the case, but much prefer the Givi V46 I have now for ease of use and functionality. The side cases are slim Ammo cans mounted on Givi racks. I eventually replaced them with Givi E41 side cases which I also liked much better. Many more pics of that bike at the link below.
http://shanekingsley.smugmug.com/Other/2006-V-StromDL650/14273303_zkRdSW

Spare keys can be cut from the Locksmith shop on Queensway near Kipling. http://www.generallockservices.ca/contact_us.html

A fork brace helps to stabilize the bike in heavy cross winds and for me it makes the bike much more planted in higher speed cornering. There are a few good models out there.

I like the Kawi Z1000 mirrors better on our bikes than the stock ones - these are higher quality, are adjustable, have much less turbulence when riding at speed, have better field of vision and are better matched for the lines of this model. I used to have KTM Duke mirrors, but the Z1000 mirrors are much better in many ways.

As VTom was talking about lowering the front, I raised rear instead. This provides somewhat the same cornering benefits as he was mentioning while still good on gravel. It also makes the bike slightly taller for me when riding 2up and fully loaded.

Using the center stand will help you with getting on and off the bike, if you are tall enough to roll it off while seated on the bike. Or you can start the bike while riding it and just get on it while it's in motion - an easier technique for the vertically challenged.

I use fully synthetic oil and change every 8000km. Even with hard riding I have very rarely needed to add oil between intervals.

When touring at 100-120km (actual), I am getting minimum 450 km a tank and if at 100km/hr then 500km/tank. I find the gas gauge very accurate and when the last bar starts blinking, I regularly have 4l left in the tank. Asides from the 2 times I ran out of gas, the most I have ever put in is 21.434L.

Like Skip, I run 37f/41r psi and and increase the rear slightly when fully loaded or 2up. When running gravel or dirt for extended periods, I have lowered the pressures to 25f/30r.

For chain lube, I used to use the Wurth HHS200 for many years, but it is so damn messy, I stopped. It's really good lube because it's so thin and I can't sleep at night because I stopped using it. For the past 3 years, I'm now using the Dupont Teflon and it seems to be decent, but I'm not getting the same life out of my chain's as with the HHS2000. The HHS2000 is 2x the price of the Dupont and like Tom, I try to lube my chain every fill-up and no less than every other tank of gas.

I now have adjustable levers on the bike, which helps for fit and feel. I also adjust them depending on what gloves I'm wearing. They are also shorty levers which are not going to break when I drop the bike.

A different ATV or dirt bike style handle bar is much stronger than the stock and gives a much improved feel with better fit for tighter maneuvers (even though you said you have risers already). Pro Taper makes a bunch of different ones. This bike handles very well in tight city traffic now and is much easier to control when standing on the pegs.

Tank Bags: I have 4 and my go to bag for touring is the MotoPak GT35. It has a built in waterproof sack and is already water repellent. It is 3 separate bags (2 of which are expandable) that can zip into each other for maximum versatility. It also has back pack straps for off the bike and fits a 14" laptop.

Backrest: I used to use the Joe Rocket Recon tail bag that was on that pic of my bike you posted. It was an awesome backrest and doubled as storage.

I think you have talked about your sore wrists before - you can use a Kaoko throttle lock or a throttlemeister. Works excellent with stock bars. I just bought a universal Vista Cruise throttle lock for my next trip, which is easier suited to the aftermarket bars I have on.
 
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