Wee-strom LAMS review - 2 months in

[Duncan74]

Quck scene setter for context, newish rider with 6 months of restricted experience on a 250 scooter before buying. 193cm 105kg lump of 40's rider as ballast. Wanted a bike for touring, some weekend rides to enjoy the ride not compete to the most speeding tickets / first to the morgue, and to commute on - by that meaning trips from TGA to Hamilton and Akl with laptop, suits and gym kit.

I had a look at second hand and nothing that was LAMS looked too appealing, too 'roady', too cruisey, or too adventure. So I spent some time reading every review there was on the t'interweb, and what it boiled down to was that in NZ LAMS spec there was bugger all. So I was thinking of hanging on for another 6 months and then post full license having a lot more choice. However, I had time to kill over xmas (see other post - week to kill - north island tour), so I thought I'd try the wee-strom and see what I thought. I actually tried a couple of bikes, but the GSX650 wasn't comfortable for me (too tall, hurt hips after 5 mins) and sounded a bit revvy for long rides. So then in a total downpour then I tried the wee-strom. And it was great. Comfy, didn't kill me despite brand new tyres and semi-flooded roads, but had enough on the right grip to make it 'interesting'. Fast forward 4 days and it was back for it's 1000km service after trips round the coromandel and taupo. $250 service, and got the top box plate added to match the givi v35s I had titted from day 1 and I was ready to carry some loads.

So the north island trip I was riding 6hrs+ a day and the only discomfort was from my lower neck / top of shoulders, but that was after 2000km in 4.5 days. Plenty of space to carry tent, sleeping bag, camera and clothes. Fully loaded then you notice the weight, and being fair then overtaking uphill at 100kph+ wasn't going to happen. But I was touring on a fully laden LAMS bike and so I'd suggest that's pretty much th e point of the restrictions..... But I've never really felt that I needed more power - the bike is easily more capable than I am, and is still easily capable of getting to 100kph in second gear and goodness knows what at full whack.

So onto the bike review proper. I've really valued the ABS a few times, both in wet and dry. However the back brake is pretty pathetic which means that on gravel you're relying on the engine braking to slow you. And that's fine as this was the thing that took me the most to get used to, the 650 twin does provide a lot of engine braking if you've been used to a scooter without engine braking.... Ive found the screen fine, not as protective as the scooter, but even at my height it's 'fine'. Rest of the equipment ditto, with the twin trip computers really handy - one for recording the actual trip mileage for touring or expenses, and the other for distance since refuelling. And on that then I'm getting 22-24km per litre, and feel fine planning for over 350km before needing to look for a BP.

The standard tyres have been fine on both tarmac and gravel, and after 6500km have another 3-4k left in them according to the shop yeterday. Either a testament to their quality or my nanna riding. I suspect the latter. The suspension needed a few cranks to cope with my weight, and that of my clobber to reduce the nose diving and the rear bottoming out on fast compressions at the bottom of valleys / bridges.

The bike is really quiet. You still need plugs for day long rides, but even when leaving at 5am, then it's not going to annoy the neighbours unless you deliberately give it some twist.

What don't I like? Well bit nit picky, but:- The blue dash light for main beam is too bright and distracts when riding in the dark. The underseat storage gets wet. Occasionally the shift from 3>2 needs the clutch releasing a little and a second go - possily user error, but the rest are very positive. No power outlet, even my scooter had one - so added one under the seat at the 1k service and that meant I could charge my phone whilst riding. The bike is long. With the bags on then it's not one for lane spltting and where the scooter fitted in the corner of the car park with no problems, I've been asked to park elsewhere on the wee-strom as it was poking out into paid parking spaces. There's a bit of surging at 3750-4750rpm, and that wouldn't be a problem if that wasn't where you sit when cruising at 100kph. Not terribe, but initially unsettling and then just occasonally frustrating after several hours.

So in summary, if you want a LAMS bike that will carry loads of clobber and a bike guy in comfort then this is it. If you want to win at a track day, or skip between queues this won't be the right bike.

[Bikemad]

whats the HP difference between the LAMS and not LAMS.......

[Tazz]

Fully loaded then you notice the weight, and being fair then overtaking uphill at 100kph+ wasn't going to happen.

This is interesting. I wouldn't have expected that on a twin that size. Even my wee 250 would hammer down to overtake on hills with my panniers and tramping bag full of all sorts of shit. I would like to take Wee Strom for a blat one day.

Nice write up though. Chur!

[RGVforme]

whats the HP difference between the LAMS and not LAMS.......

I think its Based on power to weight per make and model bike......The more weight the more HP you can have.

DR650 46hp to 150kg dry weight.....Lams

Rgv250 60hp 130kg dry weight.....Not lams.

NZTA have a list of lams bikes online I was surprised at some models on here.
Good news for all the 6L riders but blew the arse right out of the 250cc market for sure.

[Bikemad]

I think its Based on power to weight per make and model bike......The more weight the more HP you can have.

DR650 46hp to 150kg dry weight.....Lams

Rgv250 60hp 130kg dry weight.....Not lams.

NZTA have a list of lams bikes online I was surprised at some models on here.
Good news for all the 6L riders but blew the arse right out of the 250cc market for sure.

yeah i get all that thanks.......but was curious to know the HP difference between the two v strom 650 options...........cant seem to find the HP difference
info on the net

[Duncan74]

This is interesting. I wouldn't have expected that on a twin that size. Even my wee 250 would hammer down to overtake on hills with my panniers and tramping bag full of all sorts of shit. I would like to take Wee Strom for a blat one day.

Nice write up though. Chur!

I'm perhaps being a bit harsh re-reading, but I was talking about steep uphills where you've got someone doing a reasonable pace not far off legal, but you'd sometimes like to spring past them. You'd certainly build to well over legal if you wanted, but there's not the 'kick' I was used to without all the laden gear, or on the flat. So it's more that it made me consider the locations I was going to overtake on, and make sure there was long visibility, not relying on being out and back in via naughty speeds in a blink. As I say, that's kinda the exact design of the LAMS rules though, so no problem.

Regarding actual horsepower then I don't believe that Suzuki publish it. And I don't think that it's the sort of test a lot of places bother doing. However, you could work it out pretty easily as it will be a hair under the LAMS KW/kg limit, and they do advertise the weight.

In reviews then those that have ridden both suggest that in normal round town riding the torque is the same, so you can't tell between the two. However, add weight, add gradient, and be up at the legal limit that's where the gaps show more.
Trust me, it's a lot quicker than my old 250 scooter, and even that kept up on sunday club runs when people were behaving.

[varminter]

The Wee is rated at 66hp, the V at 98. Believe it or not.

[Duncan74]

Weight = 220kg. So at 150kw per tonne, this means max power can be 33kw = 44bhp. So 2/3rds of the non LAMS version if they've gone to the limit. I Suspect in reality then they will have been fractionally conservative, and so possibly 42bhp?

[Ender EnZed]

I'm perhaps being a bit harsh re-reading, but I was talking about steep uphills where you've got someone doing a reasonable pace not far off legal, but you'd sometimes like to spring past them. You'd certainly build to well over legal if you wanted, but there's not the 'kick' I was used to without all the laden gear, or on the flat.

There's probably a bit of relative expectations going on. I never had trouble passing at typical open road speeds (plus a little more) on a 250 with a tent on the back but I would always be in the lowest possible gear and never ask anything less than everything.

The restricted V-Strom probably has a lot of lazy power going on at lower speeds that create a contrast at higher speeds that didn't exist on old, smaller learner bikes.

[Duncan74]

The restricted V-Strom probably has a lot of lazy power going on at lower speeds that create a contrast at higher speeds that didn't exist on old, smaller learner bikes.

Spot on. To get the 'go' then you'd need to drop from cruising at 100kph in 6th (about 4500rpm) to 3rd, which would then let you nip past. But that would all be a bit frantic for touring. Wheras on the flat, or without the added weight of touring clobber then there would still be the torque to nip past staying in 6th, or perhaps dropping jsut one cog.

[nudemetalz]

yeah i get all that thanks.......but was curious to know the HP difference between the two v strom 650 options...........cant seem to find the HP difference
info on the net

I read that the LAMS one is 35kw (47hp) and the full power is 50.5kw (68hp).

[Old Steve]

Weight = 220kg. So at 150kw per tonne, this means max power can be 33kw = 44bhp. So 2/3rds of the non LAMS version if they've gone to the limit. I Suspect in reality then they will have been fractionally conservative, and so possibly 42bhp?

LAMS is 150 kW /tonne, but the weight is the weight of the bike plus 90 kg for the rider.

So the Wee-Strom is 220 kg, add 90 kg and that is 310 kg

Suzuki don't state engine power, but max power allowed for the model to meet 150 kW/tonne would be 46.5 kW or 62.3 hp wouldn't it?