So I’ve been seeing tons of folks asking about the Vstrom 650 lately, especially first-time buyers. Figured I’d throw together a no-bullshit guide based on my own wrench-twisting adventures with this beast.
Where I Started
Grabbed my helmet and hit three local dealerships to crawl over display models. Sat my ass on each bike for like 20 minutes pretending to ride – got some weird looks but whatever. Noticed right away the 2020 model’s seat felt like concrete compared to the cushy 2022 version. Made mental note: seat comfort changes yearly, gotta research that.
Spec Hunting Chaos
Dove into forums digging for maintenance horror stories instead of shiny brochure numbers. Found gold:
- Weight matters way more than horsepower: Manual claims 470lbs wet but threw mine on a truck scale – 503lbs with full tank. Liars.
- Service intervals ain’t suggestions: Talked to a guy who skipped valve checks at 15k miles. His repair bill screamed louder than a revved engine.
- Accessory black hole: Blew $300 on crash bars that wouldn’t clear my aftermarket exhaust. Lesson: always mock-up before buying.
The Test Ride Truth
Badgered a dealership into a 2-hour demo ride. Cruised highways, murdered gravel roads, even did grocery runs. Real discoveries:
- Wind protection sucks at 80mph – had to hunch like Quasimodo
- Stock tires slide in wet grass like buttered toast
- That 650cc twin vibrates so much at idle my phone nearly danced off the mount
Final Checklist Creation
Combined my bruises and receipts into a buyer’s cheat sheet:
- Check for oil weep around clutch cover (common on ’18-’19 models)
- Demand service records like your life depends on it (it kinda does)
- Test every damn button – my ABS light was just unplugged when I bought used
Ended up writing all this on a greasy pizza box at 2am after installing my third set of handguards. Should’ve just bought the taller windshield first.
