The bikes
I’ve been through 5 bikes finally landing with the ‘05 Suzuki DL650 V-Strom and the ‘96 Triumph Thunderbird. The DL650 is a swiss army knife type of bike that’ll do most of anything while the Thunderbird is a bit of nostalgia but with a lot of punch from it’s 885cc 3cyl engine.
The DL650 reminds me of the Pareto principle (known as the 80/20 rule) which states that 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. I’ve owned a 1500cc V-Twin, the mighty 1300cc V-4 from Yamaha and others in between and I’m constantly pleased with what comes out of Suzuki’s 90 deg V-Twin 650 on their V-Strom. Where 650cc is more than 20% of some of the bigger engines on the market it is still much smaller than some of those behemoths. It is a great example of “less is more.”
With it’s stock seat replaced by Suzuki’s taller touring seat my 36″ inseam fits better than any other bike I’ve owned. The bike’s response to your commands are so effortless you often forget about the bike completely letting you get absorbed in your surroundings. Outfitted with removable Givi hard luggage, the bike makes a great commuter, tourer, and even gets along a bit on dirt roads. The standard placement of the foot pegs under you hips will probably cause me to never own a laid back cruiser again. My lower back is far too happy this way to ever go back.
My ‘96 Triumph Thunderbird is ceratinly a unique animal. Never park anywhere but your driveway with a bike like this unless you have the time to talk to people who owned a Triumph years ago that have lots of questions for you. Actually, even when riding it you can have issues like the time I had a car delibrately positioning itself next to me down a stretch of an interstate just to check it out.
This bike screams “Triumph” with its retro-styling but packs their well known triple engine which is only found on their touring and urban sport bikes today. (in a larger size) If its looks aren’t unique enough on American roads the sound of it’s “Triumph Off Road” pipes will turn some heads. They are called “off road” because they’re not street legal in the UK but that’s not the case in the US.
Stock, the engine came pretty corked up especially during the first few years of production. A rejet and a replacement of the restricted carb rubbers unleash an extra pack of horses which is clearly noticeable. The bike is a trip from the past with an engine boasting a unique blend of low end torque along with decent high end speed. It comes out on top in the pure “fun” category among all the bikes I’ve owned.
