convince me to buy a wee-strom

[shadowtrekkor]

Looks to me as though the weestrom is the way to go. I like the bulletproof reputation it has going for it. And since I am a man of means-by no means, with this baby I can be king of the road. I am going to check out the 2013's. I will not make the zero % deal. Too much Christmas. This bike is my next step! Thanks for the reports

[BornAgain]

Now she thinks a bigger bike would be more fun on our trips

Very wise woman you should listen to her. When my wife climbed on the back of a Vee on the show room floor and pronounced it comfortable. I knew it was a done deal.

[mmonce]

I never heard of the Wee until this video review below. I was interested also in a BMW 1200, however I did not need that expensive of a bike, yet.

I took a test drive and was immediately impressed. My other bike is a '78 BMW R100, so the newer ride was more refined.

I use my Wee mainly for commuting and tag runs. I have three younger rug rats (8 and under), so my days away haven't begun yet.

I hardly rode the BWM. I ride my Wee all the time. I love it. FYI, it is the 2012 base model so I can farkle myself.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/vehi...strom-650.html

[oldmanb777]

The Wee is easily the best grin factor for the $$$$$. It's not the highest tech, it's not the fastest, it's not the best suspension, it's the best anything, it's just very good at everthing. Very versatile,very capaple machine. It's not a trail bike, but it carries all my camp gear down the highway, and into the woods and back again very well. And if the dollars count (no unlimited budget) then it can't be beat. You can buy at least 2 of them ,well farkled, for the price of anyting else. Then you have the extra money to actually enjoy some trips. Yes some farkling is in order, but easily doable, and low budget stuff.
Does this look like something you want to do?

[BigToad]

I have only had the DL 1000 and now ride the GSA however my riding mate rides the wee. The wee is bullet proof and very smooth, check out how many bikes Suzuki uses that engine in ( for many years) , it's a proven motor beyond any doubt. Plus it gets great mileage and will have no problem keeping up with the GSA's.

I have no doubt you will be very happy with the wee!

[8trackmind]

Originally Posted by shadowtrekkor

Is this a bike that can handle an adventure? I want a bike that is light enough to be nimble, but big enough to bolt on some jesse boxes and disappear for a month. Looking to hear the good, the bad , the ugly about it.

If you want a soul stirring, passionate bike with looks and brawn, no.
If you want a two wheeled Swiss army knife, with all the personality of a dishwasher, yes.

The Good: In the last 14 months I've put 14,000 miles on mine with nothing other than tires and oil.
The Bad: I had to reset the clock for daylight savings time.(which was a pain in the ass)
The Ugly: It's ugly! (2012 and up, not as ugly though)

I've done 500 mile days, visited multiple states, drug pegs, been off road a bit, and tossed it a couple times in the dirt.
I LOVE my Wee (2011 DL650A) and should it come up missing or damaged, I would buy another to replace it without a second thought.

(check out the Tennessee Plates thread in my signature to see what Me and the Wee have been up to this year)

All the best,
8TM

[DSTEVENS]

Originally Posted by shadowtrekkor

My wife calls this my mid-life crisis, I told her the crisis is over referring to the last 22 years of raising 3 children--teenagers I am presently riding my Honda XL 600r, she got me back into riding, and looked enough like a dirtbike that my cautious wife was ok with it. Now she thinks a bigger bike would be more fun on our trips I like the looks of the GS's but I can only afford one with 60,000 on the dial. I looked at a vstrom 650, and was impressed. I could have a brand new one for a hundred bucks a month Is this a bike that can handle an adventure? I want a bike that is light enough to be nimble, but big enough to bolt on some jesse boxes and disappear for a month. Looking to hear the good, the bad , the ugly about it.

Hey Shadowtrekkor, I bought a new 2008 and rode it over 4 years, including 4 trips to Big Bend in Texas, and lots of dirt roads. It needed lots of tires during that time but other than oil and air filter changes, never missed a beat. Very good bike, best for the money IMO. Good luck. D.

[coast range rider]

Once the suspension, windscreen, and seat are upgraded, you might get stuck with it:
I've been wanting to upgrade for several years now but can't seem to find another bike worthy of the upgrade cost.
Simply need light weight, comfort, reliability and more power.
So the Wee miles pile up, over 80,000 now without a hitch...

[shadowtrekkor]

I am hooked. I have put 5000 miles on my XL600 since June. Now it is calling again, damn snow. I am looking into a heated liner to get back on two wheels. I hope the stator can keep up with the extras. I am convinced that the Strom is the way to go. Great posts, thanks guys. The video review put it all in perspective. And yes to the inmate from Colorado, That is exactly what I want to do. Hit the road, adventure around the countryside,sleeping in a tent and dining on MRE's and the occasional bed and breakfast, or classic diner . AWESOME

[Gadget Man]

I love this thread, I have been asking myself this question for over a year now. I have read everything possible on this great bike, both on line and in all the MC magazines. The Wee Strom ranks up at the top of every bike comparison test.

I just had the discussion with my brother (KLR 650) and my wife yesterday. I told my wife I was selling both my 1999 Yamaha Road Star Silverado 1600 and my 1997 BMW 650f and I'm buying a 650 Strom. I just want one bike now and the Strom is going to be it.

My brother is thinking of selling his KLR to go with a Wee. Once I make the change, he will follow.
I know we will both get more out of the Wee than the bike we presently own.

Gadget Man

[Pecha72]

Get the 2012-> model, if you can.

Right now I've got a 2007 ABS, and the new one, and while the older one is largely responsible for the good reputation (because it's been around longer, naturally), the updated model is better in many small, but noticeable areas. After my first short test ride on the 2012 I remember thinking, that it really feels like it's more than the sum of its parts should be on paper. The older one (which I also bought new) has served me really, really well, but didn't create that feeling right away.

But these are only my personal experiences, and differences are not huge, so it probably also comes down to money, too.

[ultrarnr]

I have had my 2012 DL650 about 11 months now, turned over 27,000 miles yesterday coming back from the NC coast. So far it has only needed the usual tires, chain, sprockets, gas, oil. Like others have said here it isn't the fastest/best at anything but does a lot very well and if you really prefer riding to waiting for your bike to get out of the shop it is hard to beat. If there is one thing that I really do not like about the DL650 it is the alternator capacity. Somehow Suzuki has not heard of things like heated gear! It you try running a full set of heated gear (max setting) for a long time (over 7 hours) you can drain the battery to the point of the bike won't start. If you have heated grips on at the same time this can happen in a few hours. And if it is also dark and you like your high beams it gets ugly pretty fast. I have a volt meter to keep track of battery level. I also carry a set of jumper cables and a spare battery just in case. Lithium batterys are not cheap but really light and the piece of mind is worth it to me.

[Pecha72]

Alternator output was increased for -08, and possibly again for -12 (could be wrong on that, can't remember)... and basically it's true, that this kinda bike could still use some more. But 1st time I hear high beams only, without any electric accessories, and when you keep the engine running, could drain the battery. I have noticed though, that the battery can drain quite fast, if you leave the lights on after shutting down the engine. This bike's got one of the best headlights on the market, no wonder if they eat a bit of current.

edit. Ok, re-read your post & see you meant high beams with heated gear.

[ultrarnr]

Pecha72,

I guess I could have wrote it better but what I meant is if you are running high beams in addition to heated gear and heated grips on high setting you can quickly drain the battery. I realize it isn't very often you would require this much juice but when the temps are in the 30's and you are on the interstate for hours on end it is pretty easy to need a lot to stay comfortable. And it sure is interesting to watch the volt meter when you have everything turned up high.

[tremor38]

Originally Posted by Pecha72

Alternator output was increased for -08, and possibly again for -12 (could be wrong on that, can't remember)... and basically it's true, that this kinda bike could still use some more. But 1st time I hear high beams only, without any electric accessories, and when you keep the engine running, could drain the battery. I have noticed though, that the battery can drain quite fast, if you leave the lights on after shutting down the engine. This bike's got one of the best headlights on the market, no wonder if they eat a bit of current.

edit. Ok, re-read your post & see you meant high beams with heated gear.

That's a step in the right direction. I chose the Tenere in 2011, and among the key criterea was having enough electrical capacity to handle any heated gear your throw at it. The Wee and Vee were also on the short list, but they fell quite short in that regard. Did the issue with magnets coming loose from the flyweel ever get fully resolved?