The Suzuki 650 V-Strom was entirely updated by Suzuki. The design is now very similar to the one of its big sister. The front panel is beaked to the front with the large round light, the tank was also completely updated and now blends narrower than ever on the seat over to its tail. Everything from scratch, the only thing Suzuki took over is the 650 engine. The V-Strom is powered by the well-known 650 block from Suzuki, with 71 hp, 65 Nm of torque at around 6500 revolutions (RPM). There is quite a bit to say about the engine. The engine runs very smoothly. There is very little vibration and you go with higher gears than with other models. As to the sound, the V-Strom 650 doesn’t sound that bad. Someone who is not familiar, might confuse it with the bigger 1000 V-Strom.

About suspension, in the front, we have a standard in Telescopic shock absorbers without any adjustability. The suspension is a bit on the firmer side. So, for all those Enduro fans who like to ride off road, the chassis could be a bit too hard. On the rear suspension, you can change the spring preload, this serves those who carry passengers or heavy luggage. The fender on the rear goes down far enough, which is very good to prevent dirt from getting on the radiator and the cylinder head. Same principle goes for the rear, there we also have a plastic cover that reaches up to the spring and prevents the suspension from getting dirty easily. Suzuki has attached this plastic part to hide electronics from the ABS.

The handling and the steering behaviour of the Suzuki V-Strom are outstanding. This is probably due to the combination of the new lighter aluminium rims and the narrow tires, with 150/17 and 110/19 to the front. Even at higher speeds the V-Strom is very stable. The combination of a 19 inch and 17 inch rim is the perfect combination for Off-road and On-road. Let’s get to sitting position on the V-Strom. The back is quite straight and you put little pressure with your hands on the handlebar. The knees are very slightly bent and in a comfortable position. There is only one thing that is not good, namely that the clutch lever is not adjustable.

About the seat, the new seat of Suzuki, the riders surface is very soft and comfortable. The passenger area is slightly harder though. With a sitting height of 835 mm the V-Strom is definitely one of the higher machines. However, the narrow design ensures that everyone is able to reach the ground with their feet. Initially, the brake of the V-strom 650 seemed a bit too weak. But that this is actually an advantage of the brake. If you have to brake in turns the sudden lock moment is very low. Apart from the ABS the V-Strom 650 even has TWO further electronics to help. One is the traction control and the other is the LOW RPM Assist. The traction control can be set to three different levels. First, we have the “Off” setting Then 1 and 2. The first level should be used for sporty rides or for commuting. The second level is way too intrusive and therefore it should (only) be used on very slippery roads or for your first off-road experience. The LOW RPM Assist helps you to drive easily away, just put in the first gear and the electronics raise the engine RPM by 500 rpm, helping you to pull away very easily.

The wind shield of the Suzuki V-Strom 650 can only be adjusted with tools and there are three different levels. At the moment it is on the highest setting. Like this you have very few turbulences What we liked Is that it has a traction control in this price range there are not many bikes that come with a traction control system. The handling and steering also are very good, it has a very soft and comfortable seat and finally the engine runs very smooth. Now what we disliked: It’s a very heavy machine for off-roading (only soft off-roading) and the suspension was a bit too stiff in my opinion.

• Engine Type: Liquid-cooled, transverse V-twin, DOHC, 4 valves per cyl
• Displacement: 645cc
• Bore x Stroke: 81.0 x 62.6mm
• Transmission: 6-speed, wet constant mesh clutch
• Final Drive: O-ring chain
• Wheelbase: 61.4 in.
• Rake/Trail: 26.0 degrees/4.3 in.
• Seat Height: 32.7 in.
• Claimed Wet Weight: 213 Kgs.
• Fuel Capacity: 20 Ltr.