Some updates...

I haven't had much to write lately. My new position doesn't afford me the scheduling latitude I once had, so some of my recreational riding time has been eaten up. Plus, since I've been treating myself unkindly (poor eating habits, lack of sleep), I've been pretty tired. I am working on this.

The V-Strom has proven itself to be a juggernaut. In just 3 months, I've accumulated 10,000 miles on it! (500+ miles weekly in commuting alone). It has yet to give me a complaint. Some bikes would take years to rack up that many miles.

It's also been upgraded. With the sale of my beloved DRZ400SM, I was able to spend some cash on the DL. So... it got the long awaited Caribou luggage, and some nice Givi engine guards. I am regretful, to an extent, that I used the little DRZ to do this. I miss it, it was a lot of fun. But it was limited in it's use. In the future, I will replace it with another like machine that's set up for real off-roading.

Some recent photos:

If you've been considering either farkle, both are highly recommended. The cases are bulletproof. I actually tipped the DL over (because I'm graceful) on one of them and it held the machine up without a scratch. The rack is nice, but the paint/powdercoating is a little flaky. I will write Caribou with this little gripe, but it wouldn't keep me from purchasing them again.

The engine guards are solid. There is a rattle/buzz from the joining point in front of the exhaust header in front of the motor. I have isolated it, and I'm coming up with a plan to rectify it. But rattle aside, I feel confident that they will help save my motor should I decide to toss the DL one day.

More to come when something interesting arises, but not much right now. However, summer is getting short, and that means big riding season is here for me. Autumn is riding heaven. Cooler temps and low humidity. I can't wait.