2006 suzuki vstrom 1000cc

[cookiedough]

only 21K miles up for sale somewhat locally I may go test drive tomorrow night.  Have NOT told the wife yet, but the price seems right asking 3500 in today's market.  Looks well kept and hard side bags and tall windshield/luggage rack in back.  

I just want to 'test' drive it to see what I think of it.  Owner is 2nd owner had 3 years only put on 1K miles or so and age 70.  He told me today time for him to give it up he bought 3 years ago in hopes to go cross country with it but he said he will never do and has a smaller cycle to putz around on locally being lighter.

I know I will probably not buy it but according to NADA is a good buy at 3500 low retail is 3400 and high is 4400 full msrp way back in 2006 was 9K.    Condition is everything want to see how it 'fits' me, but highly unlikely I will fall in love with it.

He said he is only 5'10" like me and can go flat footed on it so maybe aftermarket lowered seat or lowered rear shocks?

read prior reviews/thoughts and sounds like a decent, reliable cycle similar to the kawi versys?   Not a fan of chain drive though but I think has nice huge 5.8 gallon gas tank and very lightweight around 520lbs. and 6th overdrive gear with newer tires/chain he said as well.  Is a Vtwin though but fuel injected.

Wife would kill me if I offered 3K and owner accepted it?  

Also found last night online for the kids a 2016 genuine roughhouse 50cc 2-stroke scooter only 3K miles for 500 bucks NOT running he said currently, locally as well.  Really wanted to look at that ASAP first since price seemed cheap,  but owner texted me said someone picked it up already sold and gone posted 1 day ago.  Sucks that WORK gets in the way of going wherever you want to in order to get good deals ASAP.  

anyone still have an older 2006 or so vstrom 1000cc? thoughts?

[LTD]

be careful cookie you might be handing over the cash if you test ride. You might have to make more space in that crowded garage for another bike.

[GWS]

Before I bought the Valkyrie I had a V Strom 1000. I was getting back into riding after a 30+ year absence. I was advised that "everyone was riding adventure bikes now", so I found a good deal on the Suzuki.
For a while I had both the Valk and the V Strom and had to decide which one to keep and which to sell. Two completely different bikes, so comparison is pointless. I will say that if I kept the V Strom I would have added gel grips. The 1,000 cc twin vibrated my hands numb after a relatively short ride. The biggest problem, though, was the stock seat. It's an absolute torture device. I couldn't ride a mile before the family jewels were screaming. You'll find that most of these bikes have aftermarket seats. I took the stock seat off mine and added some of the old foam from my pickup truck seat that I had just replaced, then had it reupholstered. It put me up a few inches higher, so I added a Laminar Lip to the windshield to keep the air off my helmet.
The stock seat has you lower and "in" the bike, where an aftermarket seat has you higher, "on" the bike. It's a tall bike to begin with, so shorter riders need to keep a stock seat. At 5'10" you should be OK with an aftermarket. I think you'll need it!
They're famously bulletproof bikes and $3,500 is a great price. Definitely worth a test ride if you're looking for an adventure bike. Good luck.

[cookiedough]

interesting to know about the vtwin vibration and hand grips and seat.  Will keep that all in mind if I remember to go look at it tonight. 

[cookiedough]

be careful cookie you might be handing over the cash if you test ride. You might have to make more space in that crowded garage for another bike.

just told my wife,  she said NO very LOUDLY not until I sell something else in the garage.  Seriously,  there is NO room in my 2 car garage between lawn mowers, fishing boat, and 2 bicycles and 3 cycles already.  I am already hearing it from her about this winter with no room for her SUV in the garage will have to sit outside in the cold.  Just to squeeze in between the boat and cycles is tough to walk thru.  Just to get out a cycle,  a mower and both bicycles have to go outside in the driveway first.

[GWS]

Ask her for a bigger garage. 

[cookiedough]

Ask her for a bigger garage. 

we 'chatted' tonight briefly she wanting the fishing boat or else GONE by winter use to put her SUV inside garage.  I said I already know what I want in backyard 12x24' pre-built storage shed delivered for around 7 to 8K.   She said NO to that also.   I could put boat outside in grass but need to use like camping poles bowed upward to keep the heavy snow from sagging into since has nice carpeted deck in boat not want to get ruined over the winter.   Tight heavier duty tarps might work flat across as long as snug fit and I brush off the snow ASAP after each snowfall???

anyways,  drove vstrom 1000cc not my cup of tea at all.  Had aftermarket seat never heard of and was like 32 inch seat height was on my tippy toes and could barely get leg over the seat was that tall.  Footpeg placement sucked for me about 2 inches behind our Valk footpegs and having short/fatter legs was hard to bend legs backwards a few inches to go on those metal small footpegs to shift.  handlebar placement was good and upright no issues there but everytime I slowed down or came to a stop,  my butt slid forward hitting the gas tank seat leaning forward position is not comfy for me.   shifted, drove fine and for 3500 I coulda easily flipped it for 4 to 4.4K and made a profit am sure.  Wife woulda killed me though buying 1 more gas engine of anything right about now.  Owner age 70 was pretty small and no taller surprised he could get on at all, probably reason he is selling it having 2 smaller, lighter weight cycles 400cc and 650cc royal enfield old school looking.  I felt 500lbs. was super light to me but he said he cannot push it into his garage even so he was definitely not too strong a fella on a fairly level pavement in driveway.  I offered to help him push it in the garage only take 20 seconds but he said he can do it.  He has 2 people looking it over next 2 days am sure it will be sold I told him by Saturday at 3500 price.  Judging by his 1970's baby blue Corvair and other oldies but goodies in his garage, he was not hurting for money.  He seemed honest bought for 3700 bucks 3 years ago drove it under 1000miles and put new chain and 2 new tires on it so 3500 is reasonable for sure.

A comfier more layed back lower seat woulda done wonders for me but the footpeg placement was a NO WAY for me unless the seat set back few more inches as well but then woulda been hard to reach the handlebars am sure.  NO choke was looking around for one and I forgot,  DUH, is fuel injected....  That 6th gear overdrive woulda been nice to try out but was in big city and he had not registered it but slapped on antique plates on it even though was not qualified since only 2006 and antique plates are made for 20 years or older cycles.

That 50cc scooter I found sold ASAP 1st day posted for 500 bucks even though owner told me it did not run.  Woulda liked to try that out and see if it fires up or not.  was a geniune roughhouse 50cc 2-stroke only 3000 miles and from pics being only a 2016 fairly new cannot imagine much could be wrong with it to get it running good again?