Something you really don't want to happen is dropping a hex head driver while fastening the screws for a V-Strom windshield with Madstad bracket. What can happen is - you hear it fall, you don't see it anymore and it's gone through an opening above the headlights. It goes then down between the headlights and sits there and there is no easy way to get it out again ...

Exactly this happened to me yesterday. So we had to switch from a planned motorcycle trip to a practice in taking off the V-Strom instrument panel and fairings. After we found where the thing dropped, we knew we didn't have to take off the instrument panel, but only the lower plastic parts of the fairing, but we didn't know when we started.

I guess it took about an hour. And the construction there is Japanese crap par excellence! Lots and lots of plastic pins that you first don't get out, then they are easy to break and the are a bitch to properly use overall. Typical Jap bike in that respect. Make it cheap, don't make it practical. And give the service guys $100 extra if they ever have to take it off just because it takes forever.

Nevertheless, we learned a bit, lost two washers when putting it back together (in the same place I guess) and couldn't put two rubber anti-vibration parts back in as we didn't know where as those fell off when we rattled the bike and pulled of the fairing. Whatever. One day I'll take it apart again and use the repair manual to put it back together will all pieces in the right places.

After that adventure, we just had enough time for a ride up Page Mill Road and to Alice's Restaurant on Skyline Boulevard for a really good burger with garlic fries (felt like more garlic than fries). Very delicious, lots of fun driving - we took the V-Strom, I was driving, Andrea riding pillion. Another thing we found: the center stand is easy to touch down with some moderate leaning when the bike has lowered links. The lowered links give Andrea a bit better handling at slow speeds, but for me they take away quite a bit of fun as the bike scratches some metal pieces in the corners pretty early now.

Oh, and after close to two month just sitting in the garage, the V-Strom started on the first touch of the starter without any hickups. Great and reliable bike!