My Bike

I think my bike deserves more than a little credit. It has been heavily relied upon since April of 2007 when I purchased it new. We have been through a fair amount together. I have used it as my primary mode of transport through an entire year, "harsh" New England winter included, just to see if riding in the winter is a viable option (and because I don't own a car)

The Bike is a 2007 Suzuki V-Strom (DL650). Over 4.5 years of use it has accumulated 63000 miles. Half of these miles are commuting miles. The other half are from trips it has carried me (and sometimes a second person) through over the years. Did I add that it was cheap! The year I got this bike it was just a hair over $6000 of the showroom floor. Not bad for an ultra reliable bike. 

While the smaller 650cc motor may not be considered to be the ultimate touring weapon by some, the truth is it gets 45-55mpg whether fully loaded carrying 2 passengers or just out for a high speed burn around the local twisties. The V-twin motor makes only 65 horsepower but creates loads of torque so you are tricked into believing you have a more powerful bike. This low horsepower makes for a manageable bike that is not overly maintenance dependent and is relatively easy on rear tires($$$). The only shortcomings of this bike as a high mileage tourer is that it tends to feel busy during extended highway travel. But highways are bullshit and you should avoid them while riding if at all possible. Unless you want to miss everything?

In short, this is the perfect bike for someone who needs to cover a large amount of miles with minimal maintenance input and very high fun output.