I decided last year that my old Ninja 250 just wasn't going to cut it as a sidecar rig, so I picked up a used V-Strom. I got a great deal, the previous owner had ignored some maintenance items, so I got it down way below it's real value. Once new tires, chains, sprockets, fluids and filters had been replaced, I realized that this is a bike that I will keep until there is no resurrecting it anymore.

The bike has been a blast to rise. It's super comfortable, powerful, and still gets over 40mpg with the lower gears I installed.






I moved my luggage from my little Ninja to the Vee. The 46L Givi top box is a perfect fit, but the Nelson Rigg saddlebags left me wanting more storage space.



I stopped putting it off early this year and found someone to build me a custom set of aluminum cases. They are huge, with locks front and rear, and removable lids. The guy built some bungee system into the lid that I haven't used yet, but looks solid enough.



The bike feels like an old friend now after about 8k miles, nearing the 30k mark soon. It does great in all weather and on any road. I may add a sidecar someday, but for now I'm happy with it the way it is.

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