Opinions on V-Stroms

[RandyO]

No, it's not. But 3 weeks later I'm doing my 10th week at Deals Gap, so this doesn't need to be a trip just for riding. It's for food, friends, riding and seeing parts of our country I've never seen.

when I did BBG back in '09 after my straight thru ride to Joplin, MO, I meandered thru southwest MO into OK, AR Ozarks to Texarkana then spent the night in Vivian, LA then worked my way back to NH, did a bit of the Nachez Trace and some secondary roads in northern Alabama, but once I got to TN, I booted it back up 81, got to see some nice country, would like t go back and spend more time

[Stromper]

Tom Tom Rider 2 would route you pretty much avoiding all urban areas

[TheIglu]

Only reason there are cities on the trip is for lodging. Crashing on couches/spare beds in Carmel New York, Jim Thorpe PA, Cantonsville MD, Raleigh NC and possibly in New Orleans. I'll be avoiding highway when possible. Still trying to figure out the trip back, maybe go through the Ozarks or follow the Mississippi River north.

[nhbubba]

I hear there is actually some real good riding in SE Ohio right near where you stopped. And central PA. A coworker did a tour through there last summer. I can get you route numbers and highlights if you like.

[RandyO]

Only reason there are cities on the trip is for lodging.

Plenty of lodging outside of major cities, less expensive as well.

I highly recommend the Ozarks, just hope for cooler weather than I had, 106°-110° daytime, 95° evening (3rd week in June timeframe)

[RandyO]

I hear there is actually some real good riding in SE Ohio right near where you stopped. And central PA. A coworker did a tour through there last summer. I can get you route numbers and highlights if you like.

One of my trips back from Deals Gap,I stayed in Marietta, OH, RT 26 from Marietta to Woodsfield is nice smooth up and down curvy, scenic

[TheIglu]

Plenty of lodging outside of major cities, less expensive as well.

I highly recommend the Ozarks, just hope for cooler weather than I had, 106°-110° daytime, 95° evening (3rd week in June timeframe)

Not cheaper than free. Like I said, those stops are to stay overnight with friends.

[RandyO]

Not cheaper than free. Like I said, those stops are to stay overnight with friends.

yes, but I also see several cities not listed in your bed crash post

Crashing on couches/spare beds in Carmel New York, Jim Thorpe PA, Cantonsville MD, Raleigh NC and possibly in New Orleans.

I have planned trips using google maps and delorme paper atlases, for getting to a specific destination quickly, google maps seems to work better, for enjoyable exploring, the delorme paper atlases worked better, but when I did my BBG, the only planned part(route & fuel stops loaded in GPS) was Newington, NH to Joplin,MO the rest, I just winged it with a general idea in my head, I brought my delorme atlases along and studied them the evening before I was in a particular area, when I was ready to call it quits for the day, I just did the "find lodging" thing on my GPS

[markbvt]

I hear there is actually some real good riding in SE Ohio right near where you stopped. And central PA.

You hear correctly. Some great roads in both regions. North central PA especially took me by surprise.

--mark

[TheIglu]

Savannah I was thinking about getting a hotel in, going to be gorging myself on shrimp and grits. Then the two nights on the way back I have idea about, not intent on hitting any cities along that route, just was trying to use them as landmarks to get an idea of how much distance per day.

[RandyO]

Savannah I was thinking about getting a hotel in, going to be gorging myself on shrimp and grits. Then the two nights on the way back I have idea about, not intent on hitting any cities along that route, just was trying to use them as landmarks to get an idea of how much distance per day.

your route takes ya right past Bayou La Batre, where Forrest Gump keeps his shrimp boat.

[nhbubba]

You hear correctly. Some great roads in both regions. North central PA especially took me by surprise.

I've driven through parts of central PA and always wished I were on 2 wheels.
The Ohio bit blew my mind. I've cut through on the interslab and the experience was awful. We couldn't wait for that state to end.. and it isn't even that large. When the guy showed me the pictures of his trip I was shocked.

[maxim_X]

I got two new Michelin anakee 3's, madstad windscreen bracket, airplay mirrors, shorty levers, suzuki gel seat, a fork brace, the moose luggage system, and moose 40l hard cases ready to go on the wifeys V-strom. Hopefully it becomes my commutecycle this summer.

[Rossco]

While we're talking farkles, what are people using for center stands? That would be one of the first mods I plan on doing.

Yes, I know I don't currently have a strom but the Bandit's going bye-bye and I plan on having a Wee in my stable before this year is out.

[nhbubba]

SW-Motech. It works. I have no complaints.
I honestly wonder some days if I shouldn't take it off. It isn't the cost, it's the extra weight.
Grats. I hope you like it.

[Stromper]

MUrph kits sometimes has them for like 100

[TheIglu]

I've never been wanting for a center stand for my Wee. Took it off of the KLR when I had it too.

With a ScottOiler, the need to jack up the ass end is significantly diminished.

[nhbubba]

It's pretty handy when storing the bike.
That said, a quality rear-stand costs about the same and doesn't add to the (already massive) weight of the machine.

[RandyO]

I've never been wanting for a center stand for my Wee. Took it off of the KLR when I had it too.

With a ScottOiler, the need to jack up the ass end is significantly diminished.

same here, took the center stand off my XV920R, it was always the first thing to drag in corners, and with enclosed chain, there was never any need for chain maintenance

[Garandman]

That's somewhat for looks and somewhat for my personal needs. I get some dents on my oil filter from my normal commute (you've seen the best of my roads) due to rocks and crap. I'd like to get some protection under there. Being a Vstrom, it's not a dirt bike like an SV is, but I do ride it on rough rutted washed out dirt roads with lots of loose rocks bouncing off my front tire.

I had the Hyde Racing plastic one. It worked well for that and was fairly slippery so if you hit a rock or log or something you kept going. It had a spacer and some insulation to keep it off the exhaust pipe.

[nhbubba]

My love for the mighty DL was tried today. Today I started the first shim under bucket valve job(s) I have ever done. All my previous bikes had old-school jam-nut adjusters. There is some irony in that I went from an air/oil cooled Bandit to my water cooled, fuel injected, ABS V-strom because I thought 4-cylinder bikes were "too complicated". It turns out the swing arm, ABS pump, and every frame boss and wiring harness you can think of is in the way of the cam chain tensioner you need to remove to do the valves on this thing. What a pain in the ass.

40k on the clock and all four of my exhaust valves were too tight. Hopefully I'm doing this right.

[TheIglu]

I didn't run into any snags doing mine, cam chain tensioners are tough to get to but easy enough with some extensions/u-joints/ratchet-wrenches.

I needed to change a few shims. Exhaust typically get tighter as the miles progress.

[TheIglu]

I did an oil change and mounted up my new-to-me SW Motech skid plate and crash bars along with a set of Givi luggage racks.

[nhbubba]

You're either better than me, don't have this massive ABS box in the way, or both.
I got very creative with my use of extensions and such and got-er-done. But it was a bigger pain in the ass than I ever expected. And I don't even have the tensioner back in yet as I need shims.
My little magnetic "shit I dropped something" tool is my best friend in life right now.

[TheIglu]

I've got a ton of shims if you need some.