And a fine one it is...
The extra e part is a must as this thing is so fun! Wow so where do I start...woke up at 6:30 am today (Sunday!!) because I was more excited than a 5 year old on Christmas Eve. When I finally got my bike and started it up, put it in gear and rolled off, I couldn't find my footing for a second...guess I was so used to the forward position of the M50 and it's been awhile since I rode anything "sporty." It was sorta embarassing since there were a few people standing around waiting to pick up their bikes...oh well
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First impressions, this thing feels light, regardless of the 418 lb dry weight, it feels alot lighter. The steering is super light and turn in is sharp and crisp. The bike has alot of ground clearance (to me anyways) and it likes to lean. I admit the skinny 110 f and 150 r tires didn't convince me initially that they'd grip the road but I was wrong. This bike is also very stable at speed, potholes don't upset it in the slightest bit. I was purposely going through cracks and potholes in the road to find out what would upset this thing, the same potholes that jolted me off my M50's seat on several occassions. Well this rode them like a lexus...smooth. The motor is very smooth too, almost too smooth haha, and the exhaust note is low and very quiet, again to the point of being too quiet. But all that just exemplifies what the v-strom is...smooth yet powerful with excellent handling and road manners.
My coworker summed it up best, it's the motocycle version of the porsche cayenne. Sure it may be ugly but it goes like hell (i wasn't even pushing it hard due to the break-in period but i can already sense how quick it is), turns sharp and grips tenaciously. Yet despite all the on road performance it doesn't seem afraid to enter any dirty stuff. I can literally stand up while riding, it's great. Ergomonics are excellent, among the best I've ever sat on as far as bikes go. The windshield is also excellent, being adjustable is just a plus. Next to no buffeting.
I made the wise decision to sell my M50. My fears would have been correct if I just bought the strom and had 2 bikes...the M50 would not get much seat time. Also I find it funny, with my M, I wanted to rush and customize it with exhaust, intake, etc etc. Even with the sv, I was wanting to do the basic mods and what not to have it stand out. The strom just doesn't call out such a response from me, in fact the only mods I'm looking at are the crash guards, center stand and luggage. It's so good as is, the thought of putting an exhaust or anything out of the ordinary "essentials" doesn't seem proper. The strom is just that damn good. Potential buyers beware...this thing is addicting...makes you just want to get out and ride.
