Newest addition to the stable...

 Lo and behold...my 2015 Suzuki Vstrom:

Purchased Aug 13, 2026.

This will be my final attempt to enter the "ADV" scene (remember the "Funduro"? probably not since I wiped every last mention of it from this blog...) and expand my horizons.

First impressions are favorable so far...it is a low-mileage offering, although the rear tire shows signs of needing replacement soon...and falls within the span of years that are considered "good" models, as every type and model of M/C has its flaws...(remember the DR650?)

So despite my vows to never own another Suzuki...here we are. All of my research has depicted this model as one of "the most trouble-free motorcycles of all time", so I went ahead and did it.

Preliminary tests have been good; this thing has more power than I should ever need or want. A quick trip on the highway shows that it is capable of achieving highway-speeds within seconds...and I hadn't even shifted into 6th!
As always...time will tell as to whether this was a good investment or not. According to the odometer, it will be due for a valve-check and coolant replacement some time next Spring...we'll see how involved those tasks are.

 

 

 

 

Whether the weather will improve...

 Not much to report today...I just received my Stearn's ATV seat-clone and it doesn't look too bad. 
I've stuffed by usual foam cushion underneath like I did with the old '01...and it adds some necessary width to the seat as well as another inch or so of height. Now all I need is some decent weather to try it out. May end up covering the whole thing with a chunk of sheepskin that I have...for that extra layer of comfy!

As far as the setup goes...she seems to start easily enough when cold and the #128 Main seems to be a bit more forgiving if I don't let her warm up "fully"...

Took a buzz out to Harrison last week and aside from being cold (weather-wise)...she performed well.

Weather is supposed to clear up for the rest of the week...with any luck!

The long, long ride...

 Watched a YouTube video the other day of another TW owner who lives close by, and his trip to White Rock.
This got me thinking...and on Monday, April 6th...we took the trip.

The route was simple enough...get to Vye road and follow it until it meets with Hwy 11, then two blocks north to 16th avenue and follow that all the way into White Rock. We left at 10:15 and arrived at around 11:45. That's an hour and a half to go 50 miles. 
Coming home was about the same time, although we did make a brief detour/stop at Albert Dyck park near YXX. Total mileage...175 km. One thing is for certain...that seat needs some work!

I had been planning to do some maintenance so later that evening, I prep'd the bike by removing the gas tank and cleaning the area around the valve covers.
Since that didn't take long, I thought I'd take the opportunity to pull the carb and install the new "extended fuel screw" that I was salivating for when I saw it on the ProCycle website.
While in there, I also swapped out the stock #126 main jet for a #128...pilot jet was kept stock.

This didn't take long, so I thought I'd start her up and check out how the new fuel screw performed...what a disappointment! While it is quite "extended"...the timing chain tensioner sits directly in front of it, effectively blocking access to it! 
It is not possible to get the fingers of ONE hand onto the knurled knob...I had to adjust it with both hands. At first I thought I could get past this...but in the end, I pulled it out the next day. At least with the OEM screw, my homemade mini-screwdriver can be used. Sure, it takes 2 hands, but I get a better visual as to what position I am in. 
Could I have made the extended screw work? Probably. But I don't like mods that I have to "make work"...they should just work.

Nothing much happening....

 
At first, the weather was the biggest issue with getting any riding done but now...it is personal injuries.
I may have mentioned a while back that I'd hurt my back last January while trying to wrestle my TW in the garage...this has been an on-going problem for over a year now and it's something that I don't wish upon anybody...the level of pain I experienced at the onset was horrendous...nerve pain that I've come to know so well is an awful, awful thing.

If that wasn't bad enough...I also over-extended my left arm to the point where it has created a knot in my neck...that has been on-going for over a month now, but it dwarf's in comparison to the pinched nerve I currently have on the right side of the same neck! Every winter seems to be the same thing...laid up for months with a self-induced injury - I'm getting sick of this. Being in pain 24/7 is not how I intended to spend the rest of my days.

Last Thursday (March 05, 2026) I received my first series of spinal injections and at this time I 'd like to say that they've made a difference, although with these other issues I've been having...I'm not jumping for joy yet. Will be seeing my Physio next week and hopefully she can set me straight...again!

Bike news?
Managed to get out for a brief ride a couple of weeks ago...before the "stinger" appeared. 
Still haven't done any major maintenance to either of them, although the CT90 parts arrived and I've been doing piece-meal stuff whenever I get bored.
Bought the parts at Fortnine of all places...should have ordered a couple of spokes to replace the broken one from last year, instead of the Amazon knock-off.

 

2025 in a nutshell....

Since I mentioned it in my October post...I thought I might as well make a page for it.
 

So if you want to see a real brief edition of last year's rides...go HERE.

 

Still winter....

 Although we've had some fantastic weather over the past 2 weeks...it is indeed still winter. This was made clear when I tried to take a few rides lately. 
Even though the temperatures have been as high as 12°C in the afternoons, going over 60 kmh reminds you of the effects of wind-chill. Riding anywhere in the shadows of the daytime sun also reminds you that is still just January.

Nonetheless, I have been able to get out a few times...nothing worth noting...no real destinations or goals, just keeping in riding shape! 
My extended fuel-mixture screw arrived last week and I will put it into use when we return from our vacation in February. Am also thinking of replacing the main jet again...we'll see if that pans out.

 

 

Again...too long between entries!

 Once again I find myself lagging behind, but events in my home life has meant that more time and attention was spent on other factors/family/interests etc.

After the last entry, I awaited patiently for my parts to arrive from Yamaha Canada and when they did, I got right back to work and replaced the float seat and needle. Now, it seems as though my days of leakage are behind me...<touch wood>

Since then, I have winterized BOTH rides but I still go out and start the TW periodically. The other day, I watched a YouTube video from Project Farm where he went over the many different types of fuel stabilizers and additives. This is where I lost all faith in my go-to product: SeaFoam.
After watching some of his results, it became clear that although SeaFoam may be a decent interim carb cleaner, it fails miserably as a stabilizer/protector, so I decided to end our relationship and move on to something else.
This same video showed the wonderful results of STABIL as a fuel stabilizer and protector of internal parts, so I bought a small bottle of it today and put it to use. As for carb/fuel system I will probably be leaning towards one of the many products that have PEA as an ingredient, since it is proven to be more effective than just plain solvents.
After Christmas, I discovered that ProCycle has an extended fuel-mixture screw for this model now, so of course I ordered one! Going to be picking it up on Monday and hopefully installing it soon.

Cheryl Tiegs has also been winterized, although since I pulled the battery...I wasn't able to give it a decent STABIL treatment.
Maybe I'll give her a good dose of PEA in the Spring. Until then, the NEW battery gets topped up every 3 weeks or so, just to keep it healthy.