V-Strom Center of Gravity

[N_Jack]

Does anyone know why this bike so top heavy? i got on a kowasaki vulcan and it just seemed like there has to be a reason why suzuki engineered so much weight to the top, when that vulcan feels 2 or three time lighter. I've got 500 miles on my v-strom now and i'm starting to get used to it but it still seems like if it had a lower center of gravity it would handle both the wind and the gravel (I live down about two miles of gravel road so its inevetable) quite a bit better.

[Clint]

Suspension travel, ground clearance, chassis height. If you wanted a cruiser....

[Ext1jdh]

I thought it was widely known that cruiser-style bikes had a much lower CG than sport-styled bikes...

Would the reason for this not be performance related?

[stp1971]

The V-Strom has a five gallon fuel tank. All of which is up top. The V-Strom has a 7" ground clearance. The V-Strom is designed for dual sport applications. Which means it has to be able to clear certain obstacles. Not that this is the ideal bike for off road purposes.

The V-Strom is just a tall bike and unfortunately the Dual-Sport purpose also dictates that it needs a little more fuel than the average cruiser rider needs. In case they are on a backroad for hours and no fuel stops, etc.

So you have to calcualte the two factors in and there ya go. I find it to be pretty stable myself. Although I am 5'11" and have no real issues witht he height of the seat.

[GregR1]

i'm pretty sure that a high center of gravity makes a bike more nimble and easier to lean into turns, which is precisely what you'd want in an adventure bike. sportbikes all have a fairly high CG as well, and they're raced much more than cruisers are.

in contrast, a low CG is better for cars as it keeps them more stable.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by GregR1

i'm pretty sure that a high center of gravity makes a bike more nimble and easier to lean into turns, which is precisely what you'd want in an adventure bike. sportbikes all have a fairly high CG as well, and they're raced much more than cruisers are.

in contrast, a low CG is better for cars as it keeps them more stable.

And I'm pretty sure that nobody designs a vehicle and purposely moves the CG up! Unless maybe it's a trade-off for increased ground clearance.

The "lower lever" of a bike is taken up by transmission, suspension and wheels. As you add things like bigger engines, tanks, seats and radiators, etc. about the only place they can go is UP. (OK, opposed piston designs are kind of an exception but some of that new mass still tends to go up too).

[Clint]

I agree, E_R. A higher CG is a function of other design elements. Manufacturers are constantly trying to lower it, but everything's a compromise.

[N_Jack]

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

If you wanted a cruiser....

/\ I am Jack's 20-20 hindsight!/\

Thanks for the input, everybody. i'm thinkin on putting a few more miles on and then if i still don't like how it handles maybe trading for a cruiser, the gravel is gonna be tough on the chrome but What can ya do?

[Rickster]

Bikes with a high CG, have a more nimble feel to them, and are easier to flick from side to side at speed, Cruisers have a more solid , planted feel to them at speed, and when it comes to slower speed maneuvering, a low CG bike can feel lighter, and therefore give the rider a sense of confidence.

It's like the difference between driving a Cadillac, or a sports car, the Cadillac is more comfortable, and confidence inspiring at all normal speeds, but when you start picking up the pace a bit, it doesn't take to long before the sports car starts pulling away from the Caddy.

I suspect you are riding that Strom a bit timidly on that gravel road, and if that the case, you will feel more comfortable on a cruiser style bike, but when your confidence level gets a bit higher, you will find that the Strom will ride circles around any cruiser style bike, on any road you chose.

The V Stroms arn't a performance bike, in the same sense that a GSXR is, but they still shine when they are pushed a bit. If you are the kind of rider that never wants to push the envelope, maybe a Strom isn't the best bike for you. Please don't take this the wrong way, I'm not trying to say you are a woos, I'm just saying that everyone enjoys a different style of riding, and if your thing is slow & easy, more power to you.

If your offended, just tell me to &*^$ off, and I'll go away, but if you really want to find out what that Strom will do,,,,,, I'm just up in St Paul..... We can meet in Zumbrota some day, and ride HWY 60. I'm always up for meeting people that love to ride.

I'll be back from my trip by the 4 of July.

[N_Jack]

No problem, i've only been riding for about half a year so i'm gonna be a wuss till i get a few more miles on this thing.

how much have you taken your strom on gravel? The best i've been able to do is around 45 in normal conditions ( not incredibly loose), but 35-40 most times. I'm out in the country a ways so the townships don't always have enough money to do a good job on upkeep.

Is there any place in the cities that has a good parts department? most everything around here takes two weeks just to get the wrong part..

[Rickster]

Originally Posted by N_Jack

No problem, i've only been riding for about half a year so i'm gonna be a wuss till i get a few more miles on this thing.

how much have you taken your strom on gravel? The best i've been able to do is around 45 in normal conditions ( not incredibly loose), but 35-40 most times. I'm out in the country a ways so the townships don't always have enough money to do a good job on upkeep.

Is there any place in the cities that has a good parts department? most everything around here takes two weeks just to get the wrong part..

Parts arn't usually in stock at most metric dealers, a 10 to 14 day wait is normal in the cities too.

How loose the gravel is will dictate your speed, on a good gravel road, I've not had a problem with triple digits. Keep in mind, this is a road I am familiar with, and have just checked for any new problems. Sliding through sweepers at 50 mph is fun!!

I've even taken mine off road for short rides. I go at a much slower pace than when I'm on my KTM, but except for deep sand, or mud, it will go just about anywhere.

The place where the Stroms really shine is on twisty back roads that have an uneven surface. Sport bikes, and cruisers with there short suspension travel, can't even hope to maintain the kind of pace the Strom will do.

Based on your description of where you live, it sounds like you are on the best bike for the job. The only thing that might work better for you would be something like a Kawasaki KLR 650, but they arn't nearly as comfortable on the highway as the Stroms, and have a higher seat height, and a higher center of gravity.

[stp1971]

+1!!!!!!

[intimid8er]

And when you park in front of the local Best Buy on an adventure tourer, that deep suspension allows you to pull wheelies and jump off the curb instead of backing down the wheelchair/cart ramp when you're ready to leave.

Or if you're hunting for a good parking spot somewhere, and you see one two aisles over, you can just drive over the curbs and through the landscaping, and scoop that spot. Let's see them wiseacres on their Gixxers do that....

(Did I type that out loud?)

[stp1971]

I can't say I've done that. Yea Right!!!! How about the riding in to work on the interstate and as pass the exit ramp and come around the bend to see the interstate at a dead stop then turning right and going up the grassy hill to climb back onto the exit ramp.

Or the thinking you found a really neat short cut that "NO-One" knows about that goes by Six Flags Over Georgia only to find that there is this chain and bar setup across the road separating you from the freedom of the open highway. Thus making you turn around and drive the five minutes back the way you came,,,or.................. just jumping the curb and then riding across the front lawn of Six Flags and throwing your middle finger into the wind at the Smart People who came up with that idea.

Gotta Love the Adventure Touring aspect of the bike. Really love that 7" ground clearance!!!!!

[Rickster]

Or when your riding partner runs out of gas on the interstate, and you have to ride across the grass covered, rutted up medium to do a u turn, so you can get to the gas station 1/2 mile back

[stp1971]

+1!!!!

[Boomhower]

Hey N_Jack, I too am a new Strom owner. I also live on a gravel road and found the bike to be very unnerving on gravel - really wants to dance around a lot on loose rocks.

Until I found a solution - simply crank up the rear shock preload to maximum. It really plants the front end and makes the whole bike feel much more stable on rocks AND in these fierce winds we've been having - like today's wind!

If this doesn't do it for you, you can loosen the triple clamps and slide the fork tubes UP about 1/4 to 1/2 inch. That's tilting the bias even more to the front end.

For some reason, the engineering from the factory seems to provide too much rear weight bias. This bike needs to have it's suspension tuned to your individual preferences just like the roadracers.

As far as C of G is concerned, I feel the 90-degree V-twin of the Strom is WAAYY better than that of an inline-four powered bike. My DL 1000 feels much more balanced and less tippy than my old GS 550 that weighs about 40 pounds less. But it also is not as good as the V-twin cruisers. I do not know why these bikes can't be made to be somewhat lower to the ground by an inch or two. I think with lowering links they'd make some great flat-tracking machines.

[N_Jack]

any downside to just adjusting the forks like you were saying?

[Boomhower]

Sorry for the slow response, N_Jack. No, i don't think there's too much of a downside with the exception that you don't want to raise the forks more than an inch as the front fender then might crash into the bottom of the triple clamps.

I suggest you try cranking the rear shock preload to maximum first and see how it rides on the rocks. If it feels OK but you think it could be better, then raise the forks about 1/4 inch, then maybe another 1/4 inch.

I've only done the rear shock preload and that was good enough for me! The bike feels much more stable, especially after the county put new rock on the road this past week.

[stp1971]

I tell ya,, one of the things I was talking to"J" about this last weekend that while alot of of BS around here. There is still ALOT of good info provided when you need it.

On the trip to Gatlinburg I asked Rickster if he knew what the maximum amount the rear preload would adjust and would it drop off after so many turns. I have checked all in the manual and nothing about the rear preload adjustment range.

He then told me it stops after so many turns and that with the stock shocks and the front forks setup for stock that I ought to try adjusting the preload all the way up. Especially with a passenger on the bike. I ended up cranking it up 11 more notches and then it stopped.

The Wee handled 120% better than before and I was impressed with her on the twisties and the irregular pavement we hit. Little more harsh on large bumps but it was great.

He told me that with the stock setup the maximum preload setting is really where it should be set for a solo rider. That if I installed a new rear shock and changed the valving and a little heavier oil in the front forks then the bikes preload could be cranked down for a solo rider and then when a passenger rode with me I could crank it up and make the bike where it would handle just as well as a solo rider does now.

So try the preload and if you are not happy with it maybe changing to an aftermarket rear shock and changing the front fork valving and oil.

I also installed a front fork brace which really tightened up the front end and made it alot more stable across rough terrain and handles better in the twisties.