ak85lp
(Paul)
Well after 7 years of owning an ST1100 and 3 years with the ST1300, it was time to try a different ride. Last summer while riding out of our trailer park site, I wasn't sure if I was going to get out the gravel road after a big rain without a big tip over on my ST1300.
I sold the ST1300 last month and I'm the owner of a 2018 Vstrom 1000 XA with only 8500 kms on it and some factory warranty left
. It came with a center stand, hand guards, lightweight skid pan cover, aftermarket exhaust, aluminum side cases, and 2 seats. Many of these items were stock with that model.
So now onto a review of riding it for about a month and 500 kms or so. I will try not to compare bikes as they are 2 totally different rides. I just want to focus on likes/dislikes.
First, this bike is over 200 lbs lighter than the ST which makes it easier to move with your feet when parked. Also gone is the annoying heat from the ST. I know others have tried modifications to fix that but I never bothered. On a 25C day you would feel like you were in a sauna. The V has a bit of heat coming back to let you know the motor is working but that's about all. My V has been lowered by the previous rider but I am going to raise it back up very soon. I bought the Givi Airflow windshield which does make a big difference and an Air Flow seat cover that I tried out yesterday. I bought some mirror extenders from Rick at Adventure Tech as I was looking at my shoulders. I have yet not been able to find the top case I want, as the area between the side cases is narrow.
Since the suspension is still in the lower position I haven't bothered to adjust the sag in the front and back. The ride feels stiff to me which could be the lowering and or me being a heavy rider so I hope that can be sorted out soon. Other folks like the Wee but I did not want a 650 as my wife has one and I prefer more power. This one has plenty of power for passing and just general fun!!! I love the ease of how it turns without any effort at all and the clutch lever could be easily be used with 2 fingers. Brakes are excellent and the motor is very smooth at all times. Riding at 100 km/hr results in about 3600 RPM in 6th gear. I think the ST was around 3500 RPM.
I have only ridden some gravel roads for a short time and did not feel like I did on the ST where I wondering if I was going to get through to the end due to the weight. Gauges are very easy to see and provide all you need without having to flip through the modes on the handlebar. I averaged 55 miles per Imperial gallon (2 tanks) so far with mixed riding. Since the ST used premium fuel also that didn't bother me at all. Oil changes will be very easy too as everything is easy to get to underneath.
Likes - less weight, no more blasting heat from the engine, nimbler handling, better suspension (I hope soon), excellent ABS brakes, lots of power, nice upright riding position, smooth engine, just the right amount of extras like the12 volt outlet and 3 level traction control
Dislikes - very susceptible in a cross wind, stock seats are brutal as most OEM seats are, mirrors are too close together
Overall I am happy with it so far but it will take some getting used to after riding STs for over 10 years which I knew would be an adjustment period.
I sold the ST1300 last month and I'm the owner of a 2018 Vstrom 1000 XA with only 8500 kms on it and some factory warranty left
. It came with a center stand, hand guards, lightweight skid pan cover, aftermarket exhaust, aluminum side cases, and 2 seats. Many of these items were stock with that model.So now onto a review of riding it for about a month and 500 kms or so. I will try not to compare bikes as they are 2 totally different rides. I just want to focus on likes/dislikes.
First, this bike is over 200 lbs lighter than the ST which makes it easier to move with your feet when parked. Also gone is the annoying heat from the ST. I know others have tried modifications to fix that but I never bothered. On a 25C day you would feel like you were in a sauna. The V has a bit of heat coming back to let you know the motor is working but that's about all. My V has been lowered by the previous rider but I am going to raise it back up very soon. I bought the Givi Airflow windshield which does make a big difference and an Air Flow seat cover that I tried out yesterday. I bought some mirror extenders from Rick at Adventure Tech as I was looking at my shoulders. I have yet not been able to find the top case I want, as the area between the side cases is narrow.
Since the suspension is still in the lower position I haven't bothered to adjust the sag in the front and back. The ride feels stiff to me which could be the lowering and or me being a heavy rider so I hope that can be sorted out soon. Other folks like the Wee but I did not want a 650 as my wife has one and I prefer more power. This one has plenty of power for passing and just general fun!!! I love the ease of how it turns without any effort at all and the clutch lever could be easily be used with 2 fingers. Brakes are excellent and the motor is very smooth at all times. Riding at 100 km/hr results in about 3600 RPM in 6th gear. I think the ST was around 3500 RPM.
I have only ridden some gravel roads for a short time and did not feel like I did on the ST where I wondering if I was going to get through to the end due to the weight. Gauges are very easy to see and provide all you need without having to flip through the modes on the handlebar. I averaged 55 miles per Imperial gallon (2 tanks) so far with mixed riding. Since the ST used premium fuel also that didn't bother me at all. Oil changes will be very easy too as everything is easy to get to underneath.
Likes - less weight, no more blasting heat from the engine, nimbler handling, better suspension (I hope soon), excellent ABS brakes, lots of power, nice upright riding position, smooth engine, just the right amount of extras like the12 volt outlet and 3 level traction control
Dislikes - very susceptible in a cross wind, stock seats are brutal as most OEM seats are, mirrors are too close together
Overall I am happy with it so far but it will take some getting used to after riding STs for over 10 years which I knew would be an adjustment period.
