Test fleet: Suzuki V-Strom 650XT

For rewarding him so much, Mossy’s given the V-Strom some treats.

It’s always good to show bikes some love and care. As my V-Strom has been so good to me, I felt it was only right to give it a suitable reward for its efforts. First off, I treated the Suzuki to some new rubber. I was happy enough with the original fitment Bridgestone A40 tyres, and they had plenty of grip and tread left after more than 4500 miles of use. But some slight reluctance to track over road markings and the chance to try some of the A40’s replacements, the aptly named A41s (typically £120 a pair + fitting), was too good to turn down. During the fitting, the lovely chaps at JHS Racing near Bristol (www. jhsracing.co.uk) discovered a flat spot in the Suzuki’s rear rim.

Luckily as the pothole induced damage isn’t too great, within MOT tolerance, and not at all discernible during riding, I’ll live with it. More difficult to resist is JHS owner James Holland’s tempting offer to boost the overall power of the 650 V-twin’s motor. Sometimes I’d love a bit more bhp to nip past traffic more keenly, and James’ claim that his 680cc bore kit and slightly higher lift cams from the 2017 versions of the Suzuki motor offer just that warrants some consideration.

Assessing the cosmetic condition of my Suzuki took no such deliberation, with embarrassment over its dirt-encrusted form prompting me to act quickly. I’ve given the Suzuki a thorough clean and protected it from the worst ravages of winter. The coat of grime from 1000s of miles of all weather riding meant the 650 looked more like a well used commercial vehicle than a motorcycle. Getting it to look a lot more respectable took plenty of time, effort, and trick fluids. Luckily some SDoc100 Gel Total Cleaner quickly proved to be a good find.

Okay it did take a bit more effort and patience to rid the bike of some of its more deeply seated muck, but it all came away readily once a hose was pointed its way. With the veneer of dirt removed, the Suzuki shone more brightly, though some slight corrosion was plain to see on stuff like suspension linkages and a fair few fasteners.

Bearing in mind my intention to continue using the bike in the coming months, undoubtedly involving a few trips along heavily salt-treated routes, protecting metals from further damage seemed wise.

Conveniently, I happen to have had an aerosol full of exactly what is needed lying around for quite a while. XCP Professional Rust Blocker (www.xcp-protection.com) gives me the impression it’ll be perfect for keeping the harmful effects of the road anti-icing at bay. I’ve gone over the whole bike with the corrosion inhibitor and will let you know how I got on with it as time and mileage goes by.

An impending 700-mile round trip up to the north-east on my freshly tyre-shod and squeaky clean V-Strom will give me a chance to assess that and the A41s. I’ll tell all, and no doubt a lot more, next month.