For sale before I take it to main dealer to p/x as that's what I've been offered against a new Ktm Bike will be gone in two weeks
I'm very pleased to say I've sold this pile of shit, it has to be one of the worsted bikes I've ridden I've rode a few, hey who am I to say what's good what's bad as long as you enjoy yours that's the main thing,
Sounds like someone got a bargain for £3000. Pity the bike doesn't suit everyone, but nothing does. I've rode a few bikes too, and for me it's one of the best.
This is my exact feeling. I've rode a few bikes myself, all of them dual-purpose due to my height, the last and greatest one being a DL650, and I've to say that aside the gearing (too tall and not as smooth), the Strada hands down beats it. It handles better, particularly in slow corners, it brakes better, and the engine is just more fun, as HPs steadily increase with the RPMs, when the v-strom's engine, while smoother, pretty much becomes flat over 7000 RPMs. I'm pretty sure that the 1200gsa is superior in every aspect as a touring machine, but for my needs (urban commuting, occasional weekend getaway) the Strada is a blast, and at a fraction of the cost.
??? That's where the fun really starts (on a DL650, that is....on a DLK, you're just hanging on for dear life at 7000rpm). Must have a crappy 650 by the sounds of it, our DL650s go like stink upwards of 7k. 6-10k is "whoopee" country!! And no , a 12GS is not superior in most aspects. They've got their good points...and quite a few bad ones! Had a few rentals (near new bikes) for weeks at a time over the last few years, which has put me squarely off buying one. Crap seats, crap fuel injection, crap top-end, crap luggage....awesome front-end, great brakes (for what it is), great bottom-end.
When I said that the engine becomes flat over 7000 rpms, I mean that there is not much increase in power over that point. The fact is that with the v-strom I tend to shift before 7000 rpms despite myself, in part for the short gearing, in part because the engine has already expressed its best in terms of torque at that point. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy running it up to 9500rpm from time to time, it's just that's it's not as enjoyable as the TR650 when it goes from 4500 to 7500 rpm, despite having less power.
