Suzuki V-Strom 650XT

The Suzuki V-Strom 650 looks like the larger V-Strom 1000. It has a purposeful design with category-trademarks like protruding front beak and tall windscreen. The pillion seat and rear luggage rack are on the same level, for you to carry larger boxes with ease, and the exhaust is fitted lower than the previous model, for the panniers to fit flush into the bodywork. Panel quality is fantastic with tight panel gaps. The vertically stacked headlamp gets halogen bulbs for lighting while the tail lamps get LED units. 

Here, we get the V-Strom 650 XT variant that is more capable off-road due to its spoked wheels, on-off-road tyres and protective body cladding in the form of knuckle guards and a belly pan.   There are two colours on offer: white and yellow. Of this, the yellow one looks more premium thanks to its gold anodised wheels. The white one comes with black anodised spoke wheels.

The instrument console gets an analogue tachometer with two LCD digital displays. The one on top shows the speed and gear position while the bottom one is larger and quite comprehensive. It includes the fuel gauge, range, instantaneous average, engine temperature, ambient air temperature, two tripmeters, odometer and traction control modes. You also get a 12 volt charging socket on the left of the instrument console.

Suzuki offers five accessories for the V-Strom 650 XT. They are an engine crash bar, main stand, chain guard, low seat and a 55-litre top box that can hold two full size helmets with ease. If bought separately, these accessories with the exception of the low seat costs Rs 89,000. Suzuki is offering these four accessories together as a pack for Rs 77,000. 

The V-Strom 650 is the only ADV below Rs 10 lakh that comes with a V-twin motor. Its 645cc liquid-cooled mill makes 71PS at 8800rpm and 62Nm of torque at 6500rpm.  This is a tractable motor and you can easily cruise in fifth gear at speeds as low as 35kmph. It also gets Suzuki’s Low RPM Assist that allows you to accelerate smoothly from lower revs. The clutch offers light actuation while the gearbox is slick and precise. On the highway at 100kmph in 6th gear results in the engine spinning at a comfortable 4500rpm. The motor feels smooth and revs freely, some buzz can be felt via the footpegs and the seat after 8000rpm. It will sprint from revs as low as 2500rpm to the 10,300rpm limiter in one clean lunge. 

The V-Strom 650 offers an upright seating position, the commanding view and the supple suspension that makes it very capable as an adventure tourer. Suspension setup includes non-adjustable telescopic forks and a linked monoshock at the rear. A handy preload adjustment knob makes dialing the rear suspension for heavier loads - like luggage and pillion - easy. 

On the road, the steering feels light and neutral, so the V-Strom 650 is easy to weave through traffic. The short turning radius is a boon be it navigating narrow city bylanes or a small trail. The windscreen is now 9mm taller than the previous version and is adjustable to 3 levels. It, however, requires a tool for adjustment. Also, we would have loved more height adjustability from the screen as there is a bit of buffeting on the top of the helmet at high speeds.

Seat height is a tall 835mm though riders can opt for the low 815mm seat option. The seat is wide and quite comfortable.

The front suspension’s 150mm travel is decent though not in the league of other hardcore ADVs. Despite this, the V-Strom 650 soaks up road undulations well and the ride gets better with speeds. It doesn’t bottom out easily and when it does, it doesn’t feel harsh.  

The specially designed 19-inch front and 17-inch rear spoke wheels come shod with Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A40 tubeless tyres that perform well on the road and brilliantly off it. The 19-inch front setup also makes it easier to climb over small obstacles off the road. At 216kg it is a heavy bike though you can easily stand and ride the bike over trails thanks to the slim bodywork.

Electronics include a 3-stage traction control (2 modes plus off) that is accessible on the move. Level one is the least intrusive and is suitable for fair weather riding, while level two is suited for rain and other slippery riding conditions. The specially designed 19-inch front and 17-inch rear spoke wheels are designed to accommodate tubeless tyres which improves the safety factor and sense of confidence. 

Braking is via twin 310mm discs clamped with two-piston Tokico calipers and a large 260mm rear disc with a single-piston caliper. It gets ABS that can’t be switched off.