clarke

Unlike my 1300 which I threw loads of extras at, I'm going to keep this minimalist. As the missus doesn't like being on the back I'm going to solo it. I may fit either a fender rack or a bib and maybe some running lights. No desire to add much else. When I first moved from the XVS125 I was picking between the 950/1300 and preferred the handlebars of the 950, but I swapped the 1300 ones with the RSTD bars which were much better. Here's my thoughts after riding the 950 today: It doesn't seem as plush as the 1300, eg you feel the vibrations more through the boards and the suspension seems very firm over the bumps (I need to check the settings on rear shock). The brakes are ok, the engine pulls well, it handles much better than my 1300 both in turning in and filtering so it's more of a fun ride in that respect. The boulevard (tiny) screen above the headlight does a good job of keeping wind off you too. I'm going to have to get an open face helmet as I can only see 90mph without looking down (0-50mph is 6 o'clock to 9 o'clock). Whilst I prefer the 950s speedo looks, the 1300 is more user friendly especially with all the speed cameras on my way to work. I think the 950 is perfect for shorter runs ie a few hours each way though I'd swap the seat. Going longer distance the 1300 engine would be much more comfortable.

I don't think I ever took my XVS125 passed about 40mph in 3rd... I bet yours is squealing "kiiiiillllllll meeeee" at 55mph in 3rd

That's a cracking deal. I'll have to bring your cousin along next time I buy a bike...!

Well, the bike ride was a non-starter as my brother came through but rather than go out he decided he wanted to clean his bike (VN900) then put it away as he didn't want it getting dirty - gimp! Anyway, I've decided what the hell and will go to work on it tomorrow. In the meantime here's a pic As for the floorboards, the pegs are quite expensive (no OEM ones). Unsure why the boards are mounted so low. Yamaha's website says the 950s minimum ground clearance is the same as the 1300s but I'm not convinced as I rarely scrapped the 1300 (though I found that turned in slow)

Oh dear...

My first breakdown on my 2 stroke scooter was me running out of petrol. Felt like a right prat as knew it was low but decided to drive past the petrol station. 2 mins later it splutters to a halt. Pushed it back (15 mins) filled up but wouldn't start. Ended up pushing it for an hour before abandoning it overnight. Eventually started the next day after I assume the oil drained off the spark plugs. hope you're back on the road soon...!

Well, Colin Appleyards in Keighley where I purchased the bike from are escalating this through the ranks of Suzuki. Fair play to them as it's nothing to do with them really as it all stems from Suzuki being backtracking gits. I still like the bike but am annoyed that following my 1st phone call to Suzuki when they said I had 3 year warranty/breakdown I could have found myself with a flat tyre in the middle of nowhere next summer & realised I was stranded as I didn't have breakdown cover. Gits! I'd still use Colin Appleyards in Keighley but think I'll stick to Yamahas in future

How long til supermarkets replace meatballs with dog bollox as that won't be tested for when they routinely test for horses

Ha ha ha, you're right, that should have been October 2012...! Teach me to write when I'm annoyed! What is frustrating about this is that I was perfectly happy with Suzuki until this point (and their lack of customer service) & was planning to upgrade the 650 V Strom to the 2014 1000 V Strom due to be released soon, and I'd been saving for a M1800CR Intruder. My brother was extremely keen on buying a Gladius, until this debacle we'd have quite happily gone ahead. Shame really. Still, my brother can go for a Honda Hornet instead and I'll look at Triumph Tigers/BMW GS and maybe something like the new Moto Guzzi Cali...

After missing my old XVS1300 (and the other half refusing to let me buy another one - women!) I replaced it with an XVS950. Not ridden it much due to the weather, but I was impressed with the responsiveness of the engine and how easy it is to turn into the bends compared to the 1300. Only issue I have so far is I turn in too much and managed to drag the boards the same amount in one day on the 950 as I did on the 1300 in 3 years... The other half now tells me she prefers the pillion position on the 1300 to the 950, but I'll probably solo the 950 and just use the V Strom for ferrying her around. I'll post some pics this when I can get to a computer (rather than fight my phone) and will give more of a review after I've got back out on it this weekend.

The document I signed to purchase the bike does not mention warranty lengths etc. This was a Suzuki promotion which they confirmed I had and are now going back on. All I can do is warn you all of my experience. It seems the letter Suzuki sent me on 15 August is not worth the paper it's written on.

It does on the letter from Suzuki dated 15 August 2012...

I mentioned that, however they're saying the promotion only started after I'd bought the bike, but given on 4th Feb I was told I was covered by the deal I'm not impressed at all. I would have thought whether Suzuki was right or not they would honour it as an act of good faith regardless. I can't see 2 additional years road assistant would cost Suzuki that much as they'll have a corporate contract with the AA, and as far as warranty, everyone knows Suzuki's reputation for being bullet proof. What concerns me is the posting about design flaws with the wiring loom on the bike (sourced from a Suzuki dealership mechanic) which I can only presume is why Suzuki has begun sending out these letters. If it was a genuine error last year and they had contacted me August or early September last year I might have accepted it, but to go about it in this manner 6 months later, give me conflicting information and not even apologise for not getting in touch, I certainly won't buy a new Suzuki again.

Avoid Suzuki and stick to Yamaha, a brand you can trust!

All I can say is don't buy Suzuki. You may remember I bought a new Suzuki V Strom last summer, after which Suzuki wrote to me welcoming me to the Suzuki brand and confirm I had 3 years warranty and 3 years breakdown cover. All was going well, the bike being great & I couldn't be happier until January this year when Suzuki started sending letters to owners saying the 3 year warranty/breakdown cover was an error and should be 2 year warranty and 1 year breakdown cover. At the same time posts began appearing on a V Strom forum of a potential design flaw with the bike. Other owners started posting they had contacted Suzuki who said the 2013 letters were in error & to ignore them. When I received a letter I phoned Suzuki customer services who said their system showed my bike had the 3 year warranty/breakdown cover and it was only bikes purchased after October 2013 that we're mistakenly informed of 3 year warranty etc. I was told they would be in touch to confirm. Yesterday I called Suzuki to chase confirmation of the 3 years as had no confirmation & they're now stating I don't have the 3 year cover and are refusing to honour their agreement. I sent them a complaint and they still say the same thing & are telling me to take it up with the dealer. I am planning on escalating this to Suzuki's CEO as it's disgusting they are backing out of something 6 months later, and I will seek further advice. My dealer said they will petition Suzuki on my behalf but I don't have much faith they'll get a better response. In the meantime I would strongly advise you (& your friends) to go elsewhere for a bike as Suzuki are likely to go back on their word half a year after you buy a bike!

go to insurance as I guarantee you'll get a solicitor's letter soon wanting compensation. If you admit liability ie pay for the damage your insurance company will refuse to cover it & you'll have to.

My Fazer was great when I had it, so good I almost bought another one in December last year.

Depends what style of bike you want for a 60 mile commute? Best bet is to get on autotrader and see what's available in your budget then go and see them.... I'd suggest something with a bit of front fairing/ screen for wind protection and to help keep the rain off. Some bikes worth looking at: Yamaha XJ6 Diversion F/Fazer, Suzuki V Strom/Bandit, Honda CBF600 or Hornet...

What bothers me is these new laws target bikers, but nothing is done to limit engine size/power etc for new car drivers. So a 17 year old can only ride a 125cc/15bhp bike but then can jump in a 4.4 litre/313bhp range rover and thats ok...? Of course the powers that be know only too well there'd be uproar from voters and car manufacturers if they brought in changes to restrict car engine sizes etc so they stick to targeting bikers as it'll only effect a small section of the population & possibly deter others from doing such a silly, annoying and thuggish activity as ride bikes. God forbid they actually train car drivers to pay attention when driving a 1 tonne plus weapon! Anyway, sorry to hear you have to sell the bike, good luck finding a suitable replacement!

Maybe get some heated gloves? £50 Keiss inner glove liners or £99 for their standard (outer) heated gloves. 10 mins to install max then just plug n play. I'd recommend outer gloves if using on their own as waterproof & comes with in built heat control (no heat control on inners). You can also use gloves on more than one bike

Looks that way but for some unknown reason they've reduced the top speed of 50cc mopeds/scooters

Two things spring to mind, 1 bad fuel or possibly water in it if it's been stood for a while - the injectors won't like that. File up and see if that solves the problem. Second thing is riding in the wrong gear. The 1300 is quite tall geared e.g. around 30mph feels like it wants to be in 3rd but it struggles with it. I'd suggest if the petrol doesn't help try leaving it in a lower gear for longer.

Are you talking about the O2 sensor mod? If so this will explain it better than me... http://vstar1300.pbworks.com/w/page/5760698/Jack's%20O2%20Mod The exhaust sounds much better than stock. I just need to convince the other half my 950 needs one (might be a while for that!)

I can recommend G4. I got the G4 powerset from an Italian website which was about £150 cheaper than UK. G9 has since been released.

I always use earplugs. I sometimes listen to music from my phone via scala rider bluetooth headset. The scala rider adjusts volume with speed and I can turn music on/off, volume up/down and select tracks. It has an inbuilt radio too though the reception isn't great. If I do listen to music I tend to have it so it's just audible so I can still hear traffic around.