One of the great attributes of ADV bikes is their relatively tall centers of gravity, which makes it easy to flick them from side to side. True to the breed, the V-Strom is athletic and nimble, its somewhat corpulent 545 curb weight disguised by easy manners and neutral handling. Coupled with its narrow-ish seat, upright ergos, and wide aluminum handlebar, the V-Strom immediately reinforces why these gangly-looking ADV bikes are so lovable. The Spanish teenagers on their GSX-Rs and CBRs may have looked the MotoGP part—what with their one-piece leathers and Euro-femme haircuts—but there’s no way they weren’t just the least bit flustered craning their necks and squinting around blind corners. The only cyclist that appeared to be having a more relaxed go of it on these twisty roads was the requisite Spanish farmer on a scooter. But he and his kind were going very, very slowly, making do with poor jetting and low horsepower, and feeling the lingering lethargy of one too many breakfast Riojas, it’s easy to imagine.