Suzuki V-Strom 650XT Test Ride Review – All-Rounder

Ergonomics – At 835 mm seat height, the Suzuki V-Strom 650 is not easily accessible. But due to the design of the seat, a person just as tall as 5.8 can hop on and ride along. You get centre-set footpegs and the handlebars are quite high. All of this adds up to very comfortable ergonomics for an adventure motorcycle. The seat is quite long and there’s a lot of space for the rider to find the best riding or seating posture. Even the pillion stays very comfortable as cushioning is soft and the footpegs are not too high. The rear-view mirrors look quite tacky, as they are square shaped. But they come in very handy as the rider can see what’s behind even with the jacket on and the top-box mounted on the bike. The only ergonomic flaw I could find was the seat height for shorter riders but Suzuki has an accessory option of a scooped seat which will bring it down to 815 mm, a 20 mm reduction.

Performance – The Suzuki V-Strom 650XT is powered by a 645cc V-Twin motor. This liquid-cooled powerplant produces 70 BHP of power and 62 Nm of torque. This twin revs freely and redlines at 10,500 RPM. However, there is a low spot between 2000-3000 RPM post which the motorcycle picks up pace is no time. Power delivery is linear throughout and you feel the liveliness right from get-go. As this middle-weight adventure-sports machine is loaded with some tech, it also gets 3 levels of traction control. This is the same system that does duty on the V-Strom 1000. I rode it mostly with the traction off as the feedback from the engine was so perfect. But it’s best to ride at level 1 as it intervenes but not much. Level 2 traction has the maximum intrusion and is advisable only in wet riding conditions.

V-Twin engines have a peculiar exhaust note, rough and engaging yet soothing to the ears when revved hard

The Suzuki V-Strom 650XT gets a 6-speed gearbox. While the shifts are crisp, there were just two instances in the 300 km ride that it went into false neutral. Obviously, I didn’t shift right as it was handling clutchless shifts very well. The clutch feels light and the V-Strom can hit the ton in the second gear itself. First gear tops out at 85 km/hr while the second manages to go up to 110 km/hr. With the empty Jaipur-Delhi at hand, I was able to clock a top speed of 175 km/hr but then kept things in control. The V-Strom could do more and didn’t lose any ground at all. The vibrations are very well contained and there was no harshness at all. However, the V-Strom could do better with a louder exhaust but the norms have had a way to keep it calm.

Riding Dynamics – The Suzuki V-Strom is a tall motorcycle for a fact but it isn’t too tall. For a short rider like me (I am 165 cms tall), I could get on the motorcycle and ride it without a fuss. However, at times when there was a standstill, the 835 mm seat bothered me a little as I had to tip-toe around. The comfort, on the other hand, was just formidable. I was glued to the seat for the first 40-50 kms and was just enjoying how relaxing yet engaging the dynamics are, the bike is easy to flick and inspires confidence to push around corners. Finding the comfortable spot is the rider’s duty while the V-Strom also has the hardware, a soft and comfortable suspension! The front telescopic suspension has 150 mm travel and the rear link-type monoshock has an adjustable rebound damping. It doesn’t get any better or does it?

An adventure motorcycle which can go anywhere and yet the V-Strom is easy to live with, best of both worlds

The V-Strom inherits the twin spar frame from the previous generation but it’s now more rigid and light. The curb mass is just 216 kgs making the V-Strom quite manageable. It sports a ground clearance of 170 mm which isn’t much for an adventure class motorcycle. But it does manage to go off-road without scratching its belly. The V-Strom 650XT comes equipped with Bridgestone Battlax adventure tyres, with a 110 section front and a 150 section rear unit. The tyres may seem thin but as the overall motorcycle is sleek, they look good and provide an adequate amount of grip. At the front, twin 310 mm discs handle all the braking while a single 260 mm disc at the rear manages for some extra stopping power. The braking feedback is brilliant, however, ABS is not switchable making it difficult to have fun off-road.