V Strom Progress

V Strom Maintenance and Upgrades

Engine
Service for Suzuki safety and emissions recall.  Tappet and camshaft excessive wear.

• Serviced, all was within specs. 

Suspension

1: Replace Shock & Spring with Ricor rear shock.

• Completed, seems to be a better fit for my riding style. Easy install.
• Hook-up on accelerations seems much better.

2: Change fluid in front shocks and add Intiminators.

• Completed, no real complications. As usual all came apart ok. 
• Only 16000 miles but not too soon for a fluid change.  Looked real grimy! We let springs and fork drain for about an hour then rinsed with fresh fluid.
•  Cut spacer to allow for new intiminators. 
• All went back together ok with just a couple of oops but recovered just fine.
• Less diving noticed on stops. 

Other Additions / Replacements

3: Install heated grips.

• Completed, Routing the wire was probably the most time consuming. 
• Was able to access the stock connector by removing left tank panel. 
• Grips went on pretty easily with baby powder and heat gun. Dowsed the inside of the grip with baby powder which allowed smooth handle bar insertion to about 3/4 then a little heat allowed remaining to be wiggled on.
• No very cold today (50ish). On hi with work type gloves & liner, hands where warm. I my regular leather riding gloves will take the warmth and retain much better.

4: Replace head lights with LEDs.

Before

After

• Completed, You can see the LEDs are a much whiter light. Haven't had an opportunity to see them in action at night yet.
• Installation was a little tricky. Just getting your hand in and out of the front without taking any piece of the bike off. But, doable. We cut our a bigger hole out of the rubber boot and neatly zip-tied the power modules with the wiring. 

5: Install separate switch for auxiliary lights.

• Completed, Had dealer do it while in for Suzuki recall. 
• Auxiliary lights can now be used with driving lights and or brights. 

6: New chain and sprockets.

• Completed. had some difficulties mushrooming the link pins. Ended up going with clip-ons.

7: New front and rear breaks.

• Decided they where not needed with the mileage currently on the bike. They will be good for the 8,0000 mile trip. 

8: New tires.

• Went with a new Shinko Trail Master E-705 Radial for the rear. Front practically still new. Decided I'll change the front out in St. Louis (about 6,500 miles into the trip)

9: New air filter

• Completed, Had dealer do it while in for Suzuki recall. 

10: Flush and replace coolant.

• Completed. Replaced stock blue coolant with green.