Suzuki V-Strom 650

- as I am only 174cm, and have back issues - I lowered the front forks and raised the handle bars to suit my height and preferred style of riding
- I have now owned 2 650 VStroms , one a 2018 and one a 2012 model …both were outstanding
- powerful
- comfortable
- RELIABLE
- smooth to ride

I am on my second 650 V Strom. First was a 2005; sold at 87k no problems and only ever serviced by myself. Present one is 2012, now with 56k. Oil leak fixed under warranty, otherwise perfect.
Main improvements between the two....gauges, gear position indicator, seat, .
So easy and relaxing to ride. Initially struggled on dirt but am pretty confident now.
Done lots of big trips, loaded right up with both bikes.
Michelin Anarkee tyres, 20k plus.
Farkles I recommend.....centre stand, bark busters, filter guard, fork brace. Givi luggage.
Crash bars.

I'm on my second V-Strom 650, my first one was a 2012 which was farkled with engine bars, skid plate, suspension upgrade, givi screen, bark busters and heated grips. I loved everything about that bike except for the colour and the alloy wheels (it was white - washing machines are white, fridges are white... bikes should be an interesting colour). So when I could I upgraded to a blue 2020 V-Strom XT (the best colour and the gold spoked wheels look great). But riding it showed up how much difference the farkels on my earlier bike had improved ...

As a returning rider I decided to get the Suzuki VStrom 650. It has all the possible extras and is in a good shape. The bike does everything I ask for effortlessly.

I bought my 2016 DL650XT ABS 2nd hand May 2019 with 20,000 kms on the clock.
I have added Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires which are a little noisy on smooth asphalt but great on dirt and gravel roads. They are actually quite good grip on roads too.
The bike goes well and handles better than I ever imagined it would. My longest day riding so far has been 740kms and I had a sore butt at the end of this. I have just completed a 3600kms trip down to Invercargill to the Burt Munro rally and she went like clock work.
I'm getting 22.9 km per litre
I think it might need the throttle bodies synchronized now so will get this looked at shortly.
I have modified the ABS system so I can switch off for gravel roads, works perfectly.

I purchased the 2017 DL650xt version so that I could explore the countryside off road. This bike has been great. It keeps up with anything on the road, is nimble and has great acceleration even fully laden with bags. I no longer have range anxiety as it has a range of at least 400km, more than all bikes I ride with.
It has a couple of faults, its obviously heavy and will never keep up with lighter off road bikes. Its biggest fault however is not being able to turn off the ABS. Whilst this has not been a problem till now, I recently nearly me...

Purchased the first Suzuki 4 stroke GS750 after years of Hondas and was hooked. My 650 vstrom abs 2012 is without doubt the best money can buy. Its seat was a pain in the butt so found a site on the web instructing how to make your own on the standard base and now a brilliant seat. Lift the screen to its top position as cruising is a breeze. We travel two up most of the time and it is loaded down to the gun rails yet it barely notices it. The victorian alps loop over Falls Creek is a blast and the only difference from cruising is using more rev...

Just as the previous reviewer, this is the best bike I had in nearly 40 years of riding. Disregard my suggested areas for improvements that will give it features of a $20K bike - at the price, it is simply brilliant.
Overall impression:
• Power is more than adequate for one-up touring.
• Fuel economy and range - according to my Fuelly database, I'm averaging 3.9L per 100km. That means that I regularly get 450km per tank, with some reserve left.(My previous bike RF900R was getting 180-220km).
• Instrumentation is modern and informative.
• S...

Talk to anyone that knows bikes about the V Strom and you will only hear things like bulletproof reliable dependable handles well and It’s all true.
They tick all the boxes. Very good on the road and soft off road work.
I was going to use this bike as a stepping stone to a BMW 1200 GS but pretty sure I will stay with the 650 V Strom maybe the 1000 V Strom one day if they ever come out with cruise control.
If you’re thinking about this bike just get it at worst sell it and get your money back as they hold there value.
As they have been a...

I bought my V-Strom 650-XT in November 2016, after a quick test ride, only to see why the V-Strom is so popular.
I love the bike even more now than I did back then & this is why:

*Very comfortable for long distances (have done multiple 850km/12hr rides with no discomfort)

*Handles surprisingly well for such a tall/kinda heavy bike (have managed to keep up with multiple sport bikes in corners) & when fully load handling is not at all affected.

*A rather good amount of torque for its displacement.

*Decent fuel economy (I avg 3.9-4.2L/100km general riding, 4.6L with full touring kit fitted & 5L offroading) ...

Fantastic bike. Maybe not the most eye catching bike around but these are brilliant all rounders. Ugliest bike Ive had, but by the far best after 40 years of bike riding. There are 18 others in the garage, but the Strom is the best. Ive found it to be very reliable, easy to service, parts are cheap and available, and for $265 reg in NSW a year its a bargain commuter.

Purchased a 2017 vstrom 650xt with 1600km on the clock a month ago.Previously i had done a lot of research on mid range motorcycles, and this seemed to be the machine for me.
So far i have travelled 2000km,and it has exceeded my expectations, i am delighted with it.It is very easy and user friendly to ride,i use it for touring,as well as around town commuting,ect.
The controls,instrumentation, even down to the mirrors, are well thought out and practical. The seating,for driver,and pillion, is comfortable, and a good riding position, eliminates fatigue.Power,and handling,are good,it feels very sure footed and predictable, one feels really confident,when riding this bike.

This is my 3rd bike and my first Fuel injected machine. I purchased this bike second hand and for the most part it behaves like a new bike, typical Suzuki strong and reliable.

My only complaint would be the MY2007 (K7) non-ABS model does seem to have a known issue with Throttle Position Sensor wear at around 25000km+ (depending on how the bike is ridden) so if you spend lots of time commuting at city speeds you can expect to have to spend a little money replacing a ~$110 part plus labor.

Otherwise an all round good bike, part Street, part Dirt. all Fun. As you can expect its not Hyabusa on the road nor is it a DRZ in the dirt however with the correct application of tyres and will this bike will take you most anywhere.

I love this item. and enjoy using it, it has endless amounts of power.
My son also loves riding it with me, he enjoys the back, while I like to ride up front
it's a great investment and well worth purchasing.
Thanks Suzuki for the great item and a wonderful ride.

I have purchased this bike around 4 months ago and have ridden it 10,000km since then.
The pros:
All round this bike is great. In terms of comfort, the seat is plush and the riding position upright. You can ride several hundred km's on it with no worries. The adjustable front and rear suspension makes it easy to tailor the bike to your weight. fuel economy is ~4.5L/100km on the highway and ~5.5L/100km city riding. Engine is my favourite part of this bike, the 650cc EFI V-twin makes great power all through the rev range and had enough horsepow...