I just picked up a gen 1 WeeStrom 2 days ago... 7 years ago I sold my DL1000-had it 6 years.., had a Bandit 1200s and 1250s inbetween.. gotta say, I'm smitten with the 650.. every thing you need-gets down the road just fine, freeway too no problem and a hoot in town... this one has the 3 oem bag setup. I'll add a madstad w/mra vario touring screen as it was the perfect s/u on the 1k.. kinda done with the manic liter+ bikes as I'm 57 and can't afford going to jail because I'm not mature enough to not crank that open class power up ;) on the WeeStrom it's all the fun, none of the drama.. I enjoy the ride, not so much managing the bike the whole time.. plenty of power for sane fun..Highly recommended!
I feel the same way. I bought mine with the intention of upgrading, but i really can't find any good reason to do so. All summer my VW and truck sit idle while i commute play and record roads with my weestrom. Even in the winter I find occasions to ride it. I did wind buying another big bagger motorcycle for the wife and I. But the strom is here to stay.
I just bought a blue '13 650 w/500 miles on her and rode it for the first time about 10 miles in 45F temps. It's so easy to ride, and I laugh every time I read someone's post saying that it's a heavy bike. It certainly isn't as light as my '78 DT175, but it feels lighter (and a whole lot faster) than my Himalyan which it's going to replace. It revs quickly and smoothly and seems to be happiest at 45+ mph speeds. I'm 5'6" and I definitely will look at ways to cut down on wind buffeting -- I'm spoiled by my '94 Kaw Voyager. I have a 29" inseam and the stock seat height is just fine. I'm OK with not flat footing because the bike is so well balanced and not top heavy. I'm excited to do some back road and two lane highway exploring here in MI, and now I've got something that can easily keep up with 60mph traffic and quickly pass a slow semi if needed. I sold my '01 ZRX1200R this summer and although I owned it for 20 years and had no incidents (it was near showroom condition w/9500 miles), riding it legally was never enjoyable, and riding it illegally was a kick but unsafe and illegal, and now that I'm in my 60s I'm more cognizant of taking risks. I suppose it's the same for owners of Hemi Chargers and Corvettes. I have no want or need for anything faster than the Wee Strom, so it's quite likely this one will be with me until my two wheel escapades are over.
Hey ADVo. Great job. Enjoyed your video. Retired now and haven’t ridden in many years. Would like to get back at it and I’m thinking Vstrom 650. God bless. Happy trails.
Great choice but i also like the tenere 700 mostly because of the low maintenance shaft drive. I love my v-strom but if i ever traded it in it would be for a new one or the T700.
Thanks for the tip. I didn’t realize the T700 was shaft drive. My 1st and only bike was a shaft drive. In high school I bought a 1965 BMW R27 and rode it daily for about 3 years until Uncle Sam called. I really loved it. Sadly, haven’t ridden since. I’ll check out the T700 also.
@Ward Roland i must correct my self after noticing my error. The T700 is chain drive, but I'm a huge yamaha fan so i think the T700 is a smart choice. You just have to ride them for the final decision.
I was going to upgrade the seat for long hauls, but i wound up getting a goldwing for the wife and I. Long distance solos I'll use the goldwing as well.
I noticed you had the stock windscreen in some of the video, but also the Givi Airflow. Would you recommend the Airflow? did it make a big difference for you?
Absolutely. It was a great upgrade. You can adjust it riding, and there's good wind protection, too. I accidentally got some cleaning stuff on it, and it permeated into the plastic, leaving a cloudy film that couldn't be removed. I got a Puig windshield, which is acrylic and gives slightly better wind protection. The Puig is not adjustable, which is a serious bummer. Givi Airflow is my favorite windshield so far.
I just purchased a 2021 Suzuki V-Strom 650 ABS and road it for the first time yesterday. Love it.
I just picked up a gen 1 WeeStrom 2 days ago... 7 years ago I sold my DL1000-had it 6 years.., had a Bandit 1200s and 1250s inbetween.. gotta say, I'm smitten with the 650.. every thing you need-gets down the road just fine, freeway too no problem and a hoot in town... this one has the 3 oem bag setup. I'll add a madstad w/mra vario touring screen as it was the perfect s/u on the 1k.. kinda done with the manic liter+ bikes as I'm 57 and can't afford going to jail because I'm not mature enough to not crank that open class power up ;) on the WeeStrom it's all the fun, none of the drama.. I enjoy the ride, not so much managing the bike the whole time.. plenty of power for sane fun..Highly recommended!
I feel the same way. I bought mine with the intention of upgrading, but i really can't find any good reason to do so. All summer my VW and truck sit idle while i commute play and record roads with my weestrom. Even in the winter I find occasions to ride it. I did wind buying another big bagger motorcycle for the wife and I. But the strom is here to stay.
I just bought a blue '13 650 w/500 miles on her and rode it for the first time about 10 miles in 45F temps. It's so easy to ride, and I laugh every time I read someone's post saying that it's a heavy bike. It certainly isn't as light as my '78 DT175, but it feels lighter (and a whole lot faster) than my Himalyan which it's going to replace. It revs quickly and smoothly and seems to be happiest at 45+ mph speeds. I'm 5'6" and I definitely will look at ways to cut down on wind buffeting -- I'm spoiled by my '94 Kaw Voyager. I have a 29" inseam and the stock seat height is just fine. I'm OK with not flat footing because the bike is so well balanced and not top heavy. I'm excited to do some back road and two lane highway exploring here in MI, and now I've got something that can easily keep up with 60mph traffic and quickly pass a slow semi if needed. I sold my '01 ZRX1200R this summer and although I owned it for 20 years and had no incidents (it was near showroom condition w/9500 miles), riding it legally was never enjoyable, and riding it illegally was a kick but unsafe and illegal, and now that I'm in my 60s I'm more cognizant of taking risks. I suppose it's the same for owners of Hemi Chargers and Corvettes. I have no want or need for anything faster than the Wee Strom, so it's quite likely this one will be with me until my two wheel escapades are over.
Hey ADVo. Great job. Enjoyed your video. Retired now and haven’t ridden in many years. Would like to get back at it and I’m thinking Vstrom 650. God bless. Happy trails.
Great choice but i also like the tenere 700 mostly because of the low maintenance shaft drive. I love my v-strom but if i ever traded it in it would be for a new one or the T700.
Thanks for the tip. I didn’t realize the T700 was shaft drive. My 1st and only bike was a shaft drive. In high school I bought a 1965 BMW R27 and rode it daily for about 3 years until Uncle Sam called. I really loved it. Sadly, haven’t ridden since. I’ll check out the T700 also.
@@wardroland270 both bikes are super reliable and the T700 is better off road from what I've seen.
@Ward Roland i must correct my self after noticing my error. The T700 is chain drive, but I'm a huge yamaha fan so i think the T700 is a smart choice. You just have to ride them for the final decision.
I agree with your points about the bike. I have a 2012 wee also and I want to add the front forks start wobbling down by the wheel at 100-105mph
I was going to upgrade the seat for long hauls, but i wound up getting a goldwing for the wife and I. Long distance solos I'll use the goldwing as well.
I noticed you had the stock windscreen in some of the video, but also the Givi Airflow. Would you recommend the Airflow? did it make a big difference for you?
Absolutely. It was a great upgrade. You can adjust it riding, and there's good wind protection, too. I accidentally got some cleaning stuff on it, and it permeated into the plastic, leaving a cloudy film that couldn't be removed. I got a Puig windshield, which is acrylic and gives slightly better wind protection. The Puig is not adjustable, which is a serious bummer. Givi Airflow is my favorite windshield so far.
Love the colour
Thanks. I call it burnt orange.