Two years ago, I bought a 2014 Suzuki Vstrom 650. I just graduated from college and had no money at all (in fact, I had credit card loans to pay off), but I convinced Dad to front me the money so that we could start riding together. Dad bought and currently rides a beautiful BMW GS1200:

Dad and his 2012 BMW GS1200 GSA

My first street legal bike was a 2007 KLX250, and it was a blast to ride both to class and on the trails:

I rode this KLX to class in high school and on the trails with Dad

I wanted to get a bigger bike that would more suitable for longer distances on highways. The KLX was fine at lower speeds, but it doesn’t fare well over 60 mph, especially when there is a wind. I would feel seriously blown around due to the low weight and higher center of gravity.

At the time, I was choosing between the KLR and Vstrom, and probably would have picked either depending on the bike that was available on the used market. I stumbled upon a 2014 Vstrom 650 Adventure with quite a few mods, and was able to snag it for $6000:

Loading up the Vstrom after exchanging six grand with the previous owner

The bike came with the following nice mods and upgrades:

• Vstrom Adventure package, which includes crash bars, rear racks, side boxes, and top box
• Madstad windshield mount
• Kaoko Throttle Lock
• Center Stand

The bike was set up for road riding, so I began to transform the bike into more of an adventure configuration. My first purchases were from Yann at Enduro Guardian, and I bought.

• Skid Plate
• Radiator Gaurd
• Highway Pegs

Sadly, Yann closed down his business (based on this post), so you can’t buy his stuff anymore.

Modifications

Skid Plate - Enduro Guardian

A skid plate is a requirement for an adventure bike. On the Vstrom, the oil filter is exposed

Barkbuster Storm Handguards

Handguards both protect your hands when your bike is motion and your bike if you drop it. The Barbkuster storm’s have an aluminum bar that screws into the handlebar ends and is secured to the handlebars.

Barkbuster Blizzards

I have these set up over my Barkbuster storms, and while I secure them with zip ties which isn’t very elegant, they provide an extra level of protection from wind and cold.

Fork Brace - Adventure Tech

Rick from AdventureTech sells a fork brace, which is supposed to improve stability.

Pivot Pegz

I found the stock Vstrom foot pegs insufficient for off riding. They are too narrow, and this affects the connection you have with the bike when standing up.