So the VX was not a good fit for my son, especially after he crunched the front wheel.  What's a dad to do, but make sure he has a bike that fits him, right?  It was just his bad luck that his height came from his mom's side of the family...
His mother was pretty adamant that if he were to start riding, he would need something else.  I obliged.  
When my son took the MSF basic last weekend he came home grinning ear to ear after riding a 250 Rebel.  His main comment was "that bike fits me so much better than the VX."  So I was began hunting for something with a very low seat height.
I personally wanted a CBR250R, and was inches away from buying one when I was saved by the wheeeeee-strom.  He didn't really like all the plastic, wanted something more classic looking.  For the most part that left the Yamaha Star V-Star 250 and the Suzuki TU250x.  My local dealer had both for the same price so that wasn't an issue.  Low seat height - check.  Mostly favorable reviews - check.  Cheap insurance - check.
It was going to come down to looks.  I threw the boy in the car, had us some breakfast and coffee, and headed to the dealership.  All they had was the Star on the floor.  Crap.  But I must admit, its a good looking little cruiser.  I don't dislike cruisers at all, but most of them anymore are giant barges that look really heavy.  Not my cup of tea.
I asked about a TU.  "We sold it Saturday but we have one being built in back, we can you you riding this after noon."  

One look and I was sold.  I liked all the pics I had seen on the websites, but wow, in person this thing is awesome.  The fit fit and finish is way better than I expected on their budget-est bike.  The one that had sold was also in the back room so I, uh, we, were able to sit on one before pulling the trigger.  It fits like a glove.  I'm sure on a long trip I'd be wanting more legroom.  But for just buzzing around town its just fine.
Performance report:  It made me grin like I was hopped up on happy gas.  It accelerates at a leisurely pace, but  I did reach an indicated 70 on the short strip of highway I had to go on before jumping back on a city street.  It will do highway speeds, but it isn't the best tool for the job.  For want he wants/needs (zipping back and forth to work and school) it is perfect.  

This might be the best part of the deal: I told him after a few thousand miles under his belt he can swap for the VX if he is ready for a heavier, thirstier, less reliable machine.  I can't decide if I want him to swap or not...
 

162 miles on this tank so far.  This all commuting miles, 6 to 12 miles at a time.  The speed limits on the roads I was using are 40 - 45, and I was staying pretty close to that.  I've found that on the slower end (35-40ish) 5th gear seems to deliver better mileage than 6th.  
Now, this isn't typical.  I noticed about 1/2 way through the tank that I was getting about 55.5mpg and I thought I'd start driving for mileage just to see ho high I could push it.  Not to say I haven't been having fun, but I certainly haven't been eligible for any state issued "performance awards" either. 

Nothing exciting to report.  Last fill up was 52.5 MPG.  I'll take that.

The little V-Strom continues to impress me.  I recently took it on an 8 day adventure encompassing 2200+ miles.  On the highway when I was running 75-85 I averaged "only" around 47-49 MPG.  Riding through some twisty bits in NC I averaged near 60.  That was after 150 miles or so of mostly 3rd gear, 6-9k RPM, wide open throttle, back on the brakes type riding.  That day I had just the top box on.  When I got the "low" mileage on the highway I had top box plus the super-wide Hepcko Becker bags on.  

i must admit, though, that I'm not in love with the seat.  t is great for 150 miles or so, but then it turns.  It turns ugly, and it turns ugly fast.  Like someone flips a switch fast.  One second its fine, the next I'm thinking about ways to improve the seat.  I did put my Alaskan Leather sheepskin on it, and it dulled the pain, but didn't make it a whole lot better.  I might have to look at the aftermarket offerings next year.

Overall for me the DL650 is still a fantastic ride.  The engine just sings.  It doesn't sing loudly, and doesn't have a very deep voice, but its a hard worker.

Personally, I don't like the word panniers.  It just sounds kind of frou-frou.  Anyhow, My dealer FINALLY (almost two weeks ago) got my luggage racks and cases installed.  The cases are 30L (exhaust side) and 40L by Hepcko and Becker.  The mounting hardware is provided courtesy of SW Motech.  It makes the old girl have a fat butt, that's for sure.

I've also installed a Bestem top case.  Terrible picture, but you get the idea.

Since my much beloved Fulmer helmet turned 5 this year I thought it was time for a new lid.  I bought the Vega V-Tunes Bluetooth enabled helmet.  It paired up no problem with my HTC Rezound, but boy howdy does the sound quality suck.
Clever boy that I am, I came up with a fix for that.  I decided I'd steal the drivers off my Koss KTXPRO1's.  These el-cheapo headphones have a surprisingly nice sound.  I will buy more to replace this set I had to scavenge from.
Anyhow, pull the padding out the helmet, unplug a single plug from the actual bluetooth device and start cutting and splicing.  Easy peasy.
Note how tiny the originals are compared to the Koss drivers.  

The sound is 100% better.  Still don't how it'll sound in motion.  I haven't actually used the helmet yet.  I might hate it, but I hope not.  Now I just need to find some earplugs that will block out the highway wind whistle freqs whilst letting Ramona Falls come through loud and clear. 

Filled up a couple days ago and calculated 55 MPG.  I'm pretty sure that whole tank was with the luggage installed.  So far, the bags don't seem to be hurting mileage.  There is a pretty good chance that will change running 70+ on the highway.  

My new 2012 DL650 V-Strom is a great all-rounder.  The only qualm I had with it, and it was pretty minor, was that it was just a hair taller than I was comfortable in all situations with.  Mainly duck walking it around the garage, driveway, or a parking lot was a challenge.  I had dialed back the rear spring preload and that did help, but it made the rear to squishy.  My goal was to lower the rear enough that I could put the right amount of preload back in.
I bought the 3/4" lowering links from MurphsKits.com.  They arrived quickly, aren't expensive, and look like a quality hunk of metal.  If you need the butt of your DL to squat down just a little, I soundly recommend these.

If you have someone willing to jiggle the tire up and down while you pull the bolts out and then put them back in, this is a 15 minute job.  Tops.  Its just two bolts for crying out loud!
When I was through I raised the forks in the triple tree about 3/8".  just trying to balance out the changes out back.  With front and back lowered, but preload added back to front and back, I think it might be 1/2 to 3/4 lower.  It still leans on the kickstand.  Might be a couple degrees more upright, but not enough to worry about for now.
I don't have too many miles on this mod yet, but it feels pretty good.  Between getting lowered, adding the center stand, and adding side bags, I worry a little about clearance.  I'm not out trying to prove anything with late apex cornering prowess, so I should be ok.

Me and the Wee-Strom spent the past two days taking the MSF entry level course.  I've been a licensed rider for 5 years, but still learned from it.  I believe just about anyone can probably benefit from the course.  Even if all the skills are old hat to you, being forced to perform the maneuvers correctly several times helps develop that all important muscle memory.

Take the class, get better, enjoy riding more, save on insurance.  Sounds like a winning plan, no? 

PS: I passed the scored portion of the course with a perfect score :-)