Uly to Wee

Our new buddy, exploring near the Salton Sea.

Finally caving in to curiosity, I sold the Ulysses and got a 2005 Suzuki V-Strom DL650 (aka Wee-Strom). It was an excellent deal, and it came with just about every add-on I could want.

So far I'm thrilled with the bike. While it's got noticeably less power than the Buell, the reduced vibrations and ergonomics make it a bit more comfortable, and despite their weights being about the same, the V-Strom feels lighter. Most importantly, the bike just feels rougher around the edges, like it could survive a huge amount of abuse. Even after putting almost 25,000 miles on the Uly, I still couldn't get the straight-from-the-showroom price out of my head, and was worried about damaging it.

Plenty of space for camping gear.

The following extras were included with the Wee:

• Happy Trails Denali Panniers - These were a huge factor in getting this particular bike. I was used to the Uly's massive cargo capacity, and these are comparable. They're also expensive - I'm not sure if I could have justified buying them if they weren't already on there.
• Givi E52 Topcase - Being roughly the same size as the large trunk we had on the Uly, this case is indispensable for daily use. I can fit a helmet, jacket, and overpants in it, letting me commute with full gear then leave it all on the bike. It can also handle two helmets.
• Hepco-Becker Crashbars - Crash bars add a lot to the bomb-proof feeling of the bike. I would have definitely added these if they weren't already on there.
• Skidplate - I haven't been able to determine the maker of the skidplate, but it's already proven effective. The mounting bracket is bent, and whatever caused it surely would have crushed the exhaust had the plate not been in place. If I ever figure out which make it is, I might replace the bent bracket, but I can't really see much reason to at this point.
• Hot Grips Heated Grips - Having never used heated grips I was unsure about their usefulness, but I'm already a believer. Riding from sea level to 5000 feet in a Southern California winter can mean temperature differences of 40 degrees. Wearing heavy gloves when it's 80 degrees out is almost as bad as frozen fingers; these grips allow me to wear lightweight gloves without going numb in the mountains.
• Auxiliary Lights - One was burn out, they were attached to the crashbars, were huge, and didn't give off much light. I took them off within a week. The V-Strom's headlights put out plenty of light for my purposes already. If they had been PIAA's or something fancy I probably would have kept them.
• A Spare TKC-80 Front Tire - I put this tire in preparation for some dirt riding, and while it performs great in dirt and sand, it adds noticeable vibrations on the highway. Since I've learned how to change the tires at home, I'll probably put this on whenever we head into the desert but otherwise keep something less knobby on the front.
• Tour Master Tank Bag - The Marsee tank bag I used on the Ulysses was helpful, but something was a little awkward about it. This tank bag, being magnetic, is more convenient and the material has more "give" making it more comfortable to carry off the bike. I won't be using it all the time, but it's a great help on camping trips when we need all the space we can get.
• Suzuki Tall Windshield - During the test ride, I was mesmerized by this strange wiggling object in my field of vision. The tall windshield is made out of too-thin plastic, and the top edge bounces up and down, causing a whub-whub-whub sound as irregular air hits my helmet. After adjusting it to the lowest possible position, it was actually quite nice, though I've since picked up a stock screen and am comparing the two. I'm also shopping around for an aftermarket short screen for the hot summer ahead.
• Suzuki Gel Seat - I can't compare it to any other V-Strom seats, but it's very comfortable, and we're already capable of riding longer at a stretch than before.

I'm very impressed with this bike so far, and am looking forward to putting many miles on it.