2006 Suzuki DL650 V-Strom

Much better!

Getting the dry weight of the next bike down from 654 lbs to 418 lbs made a dramatic difference in my ability to keep this bike upright. Too bad it was probably too tall for a still-inexperienced rider.

Nevertheless, this was the first bike I felt comfortable enough on to ride regularly and even leave town for a trip – the whole reason I got into riding in the first place.

The V-Strom had an incredibly smooth motor, torquey, with a nice powerband. I kept this bike nearly a year, put several thousand miles on it, managed a 1,500 mile trip, and only dropped the bike once in the time I had it. Parking parallel to a downhill slope (again!) on the way to a Pashnit Spring Gathering in May 2006 was the culprit. That event caused me to miss the gathering as I then had to go into Carson City for parts.

First Long Motorcycle Trip - 05/2006 - Death Valley, CA

As much as I liked this bike, it wasn’t without it’s issues. The biggest one was a buffeting problem that I couldn’t solved after two adjusters and four different windshields. As a newbie, being on my tip-toes at stops was unnerving, and I had a constant issue with false neutrals between 2nd and 3rd gear.

Switching rides with a buddy one day, I got some time on a Harley Davidson Sportster. I immediately caught the bug, as it felt so much lower to the ground, and more “planted” at speed. After 10 months, I sold the V-Strom and rode home on a leftover 2006 Sportster.