What have you done with your V-Strom today?

[Barbel Mick]

Cheers Dave, hope you've had a good trip & enjoyed Derbyshire?

Martyn, I put the bike away when it started raining, put a few things away in the garage, dashed back to the house in the rain & 10 minutes later the sun was out! I didn't bother getting it out again I'll fill up in the morning now. 

[Brockett]

 

[NeilM]

Having got a good deal through a YouTube channel I subscribe to, I recently got myself an Aoocci C4 camera setup... or two.

The first install was onto my Beemer and that was a nightmare because.... it's a Beemer, next it was the VStrom's turn.

First I installed an Oxford Junction Box, that I bought for the Beemer, but let's not go there eh?

I used the tail light switched supply for the trigger to the box, then it was just a matter of wiring up the feed to the controller / recorder unit, finding a location... at the back of the tool tray and running cables forward and aft to the cameras.

I used a fish wire to pull the cable under the tank and over the radiator and the rest was easy.

A quick whizz around the block and a review of the footage front and back and that was that. Probably no more than a couple of hours for the whole install, and much of that was getting the junction box sorted.

Let's hope I never need the footage from the cameras, but it's nice to know they are there.

[Barbel Mick]

What's the recorded quality like Neil? Can you post an example please? 

[Rixington43]

Had some new shoes fitted, 3rd set of Anakee Adventures now.
Got 8.5k from the 1st set but changed these out at 7.5k. Would have gone another 500 miles maybe but, with ABR festival in a couple of weeks and a week long tour straight after, I didn't fancy grassy fields and dusty trails on a rather smooth and square looking rear boot.
As tradition dictates, almost threw it into the inside ditch on the first proper corner as she now falls over like a centre forward in the 6 yard box.

* The price of tyres now, Jesus wept, I swear the only thing more costly than replacing rubber is forgetting to wear one ;)

[graingerblaze]

Love that analogy 

I fitted Anakee Adventures to my 1050 and the front is sound but the rear is squaring off already after less than 2k… less throttle I think as I got 8k on the rear on my 650!

[NeilM]

Barbel Mick. Looking at the playback on the phone and with the protective clear plastic still on the lenses, the playback clarity looks fine, with number plates of vehicles around me clear and readable.

I will see if I can work out how to download some footage to my phone and then how to post a link to it here.

In other news.

Having ridden my GS a couple of days ago and then the VStrom yesterday, it became very apparent, very fast that the front brakes on the VStrom needed some attention, so today I pulled off both calipers, cleaned everything up and replaced the pads.

There was still meat on the old pads, but they have been on the bike a few years and quite a few miles and were looking distinctly tired.

While giving the calipers a good cleanup, I found that the little rubber boots on both calipers are intact, but need replacing. I had a look on Fowlers web site to get part numbers.

They don't have them in stock so an internet search came up with quite a few options and I was wondering if anyone has a favourite supplier.

Obviously I'll replace all four of the boots while giving the sliding pins another good clean and relube.

[Rixington43]

Wemoto are great for oem and quality pattern parts, especially small items like brake caliper boots, I've used them for rears and then got a full TRK rebuild kit from them for the fronts.

[NeilM]

Advice took.

Order placed.

[johna6968]

Mainly removed the AX 41 front tyre and fitted the more compatible AT41  👍

[Rixington43]

Barring the obligatory surface finish on the water pump housing, that is a bloody gorgeous gen1 in a great colour. I still think they've aged quite well style wise.

[graingerblaze]

Plus they had the best seat comfort, only other bike I’ve had that came close was my BMW R1100S, but back when these were new that would have been twice the price or more.

Great colour, I’m partial to blue but then I’m biased 

[vstroman]

I wish Suzuki hadn't gone down the beaked/stacked headlight design of the Gen3 650, even if they had now redesigned the 650 like the modern 1050 with the square headlight it would have been a much nicer design imo.

[johna6968]

Really appreciate the positive comments re the Orange 650X. Yes the water pump paint falls off even if you look at it the wrong way    MY silver engined SV 650 was exactly the same. Ill get round to that. Like a lot of folk my bikes always seem to be ongoing projects and as soon as they are finished people usually take them off my hands. I enjoy the tinkering now more than I do riding to be honest. Its a 2009 one owner bike with 13k miles. The pannier racks and genuine colour coded boxes are all in the loft.

[nigel s]

Out at 5.30 ( my favourite time to do miles ) today with a plan ( such as my plans are ..tenuous at best ) to do 4 counties.

The Chinese have a thing called " masugata " ...it is a way of putting corners in a road to stop demons ,who will only travel in straight lines..........
I don't know about all that ...but not many demons make it from Sudbury to Sible Hedingham , judging by the road in ,where I stopped at a working water mill.....hell of a road.

Carried on to Camdridgeshire and Westley Waterless popped up on the Zumo..Waterless ??? worth a look.
Found a lovely spot near a farm pond ( so much for waterless ) and spent a nice 20 mins watching the Swallows feeding.
An old girl in her late 70s came mooching up with her dogs and asked if I was alright, " don't get many people up here " , she said.
Turns out she was the farm owner now , after her bike riding hubby passed 2 years ago.
We talked about farms , bikes, horses and.... Trump 
She was sharp as a tack and not much of a Trump fan.
She pointed out a church and said it was worth a tour round ?......hmmmm.
Church of St Mary the Less...?
Life size brasses , Knights Templar coffin lids and War Graves from both wars. 
I thanked her ( people are mostly nice , I find , and she was a good laugh ) , popped some cash in the collection box.

Back up to Castle Acre, not quite hitting Lincolnshire for 5 counties and back home.

Got Nowhere on the way back.....
Ho Hum

[graingerblaze]

Father’s Day duties and rain stopped any riding today, but managed an hour in the garage to finish my pannier support plates. Couldn’t use the laser cutter at work as maxed out, so out came the drill and hacksaw. Not as good but they will pass… just no close inspection. They work a treat though, bags felt solid in place. The exhaust silencer is a little close, but I have a titanium Dominator silencer on its way which should give more clearance than the OEM dustbin. Can’t wait for the ABR festival, almost ready now!

 

[Rixington43]

183 miles out to Woodhall Spa for a cup of tea in the sunshine.
Got the new tyres scrubbed in and she's feeling back to her best.
47mpg and now only 15 miles short of the 40k mark.
Roll on that ABR Festival, fingers crossed for good weather.

[johna6968]

Contrary to popular belief I wasn't polishing the Orange 650X    174 miles added to the clock and got to ride on the four main Peak District passes. 10.03 litres used. Unless I have done something wrong (very possible) that would be around 72mpg UK.

[Upt North]

Checked the pressures, oil, lubed the darn chain (I miss my shaft) and got the map out. "Ethel, where do you fancy"?
Tour de Yorkshire it is then, starts tomorrow.
 
Upt. But not as Upt tomorrow.

[nigel s]

All the best laid plans..........
Seeing the forecast , I decided to get a jump on the heat on early run down to Ipswich on the Strom and my 4th nearest Waterstones.
Left at 7.30.... 21c ...OK , nice.
Got to Ipswich  9.00  ..24c..hmm..
Left Ipswich 10.00...27c...sweating..
Got home just now ..30c...bloody hell....
Enough of that for today.......
Bring on November 

Ho Hum