Last Sunday was the day of the great resurrection of the V-Strom. It had been steadily collecting dust for several months while I rode the Aprilia. It wasn't entirely the allure of the Italian that relegated the Strom to its sedentary state. The early 2002 Stroms have some sort of design flaw in the drivetrain that resulted in an extremely annoying vibration under certain engine load conditions. This became known among Strom owners as the dreaded "chudder". Not all Stroms were affected equally, but mine gradually became very unpleasant to ride. It got to the point where I lost confidence in the bike. Suzuki eventually updated the clutch basket with thick metal sleeves around the springs which seemed fix the problem. Because of my phobia of dealer service departments, I ordered the parts myself, and let them sit in my garage for a few months. On Sunday, I finally performed the install, and all went well. I've since ridden the bike to work a couple days this week and it is, in fact, much improved. Pretty much as smooth as when I bought it. I'm not entirely over the moon, because I'm still getting reacquainted with the bike. It's big, heavy, and slow compared to the Tuono, of course, but it is quite comfortable. The nice wide seat, and tall windscreen is very welcome during the commute. I'm still nervous that the "chudder" will suddenly return at any moment, but the confidence is gradually building.
If you want to see what's involved in the repair procedure, Dan O'Brien has some nice pics.
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