Custom parts for my V-Strom have just arrived from Washington state. Richland Rick, or Rick from Richland, mills custom parts for the V-Strom through the popular forums dedicated to the bike. I took some pictures of the sets of rear wheel spacers and mirror extenders I unwrapped this afternoon. I am really impressed with the finish on the mirror extenders. Here are my first new parts of 2009:

V-Strom 1000 rear wheel spacers

There is quite a debate on whether or not a 2mm adjustment to the rear axle assembly is needed to smoothen the DL1000’s drive train. This modification sinks the spocket 2mm deeper into the rear wheel hub by changing the widths of two spacers on the axle. My 2004 has a rough shift from first to second, and a few people on the internet have said this modification has fixed this particular issue. I am excited to give it a shot. Working with Rick has been fantastic, and I really enjoy buying parts designed by some friendly motorcyclist here in America instead of some accessories outlet that manufactures parts overseas in bulk.

Rick’s parts threads on the VSRI forum

• DL1000 rear wheel spacer exchange program
• Rear view mirror extenders for DL650 and DL1000
• Rick’s auxillary shelf
• Rick’s Fork brace
• GPS mount