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Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT in the driving report

Small travel enduro freshly lifted

Fluffy, light and relaxed – the small Suzuki V-Strom 650 has always been extremely good at this. Hard to imagine: The new one drives even finer, even rounder. And freshly lifted, it now looks very neat.

AT.As a professional tester, you tend to be into big things. In other words, machines with plenty of cubic capacity and power that knock out merciless drifts at the exit of bends and pull powerful power wheelies on the straights. But there are definitely other qualities that inspire us. Anyone who knows all motorcycles knows how to appreciate really good material that offers fine driving pleasure and maximum cornering pleasure. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be the power bike.

Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT in the driving report

Small travel enduro freshly lifted

Small V-Strom is the most successful

But that was twelve long years ago. Times changed, the V-Strom stayed. Suzuki sold large numbers up to the end of 2008, up to 20,000 machines found their owners worldwide every year. To date, the Japanese have produced more than 170,000 copies of the small V-Strom, while the 1000 series has "only" sold around 65,000 times. In 2009 came the global crisis and a slump in sales, and in 2011 a visual update brought some momentum back to retail.

Now one might think that the time is gradually ripe for something completely new and revolutionary. After all, the environment has changed a lot. BMW has the F 700 GS to offer in this segment, Kawasaki brought the Versys 650, and Yamaha last came with the Tracer 700.

There are only substantial changes in terms of appearance

Can little Suzi still hold out? Because the third version of the V-Strom 650 does not require any far-reaching technical modifications. Sure, Euro 4 required a new engine setup. Suzuki took the opportunity to largely adapt the engine to that of the SV 650. It now has the same camshafts, which gives it a minimal performance bonus of two hp and two Nm. 10-hole injection nozzles are supposed to make combustion cleaner, while at the same time improving the response. The aluminum chassis remained unchanged.

The only thing that was really substantial was the design. First recognizable by the fact that the silencer has been lowered. While the basic version and the XT version previously differed in terms of the duck’s bill, both versions are now visually matched. Incidentally, BMW did not invent the Schnabel – as many today believe – but Suzuki with the enduro single DR Big 750. Furthermore, the new 650er was styled more streamlined with applications on the tank that protect it in the event of a fall. The headlights are now arranged one above the other instead of next to one another. Incidentally, they continue to shine conventionally with incandescent lamps, Suzuki does without the LED daytime running lights that are popular today. At least there is an LED light in the back that was adopted from the 1000 V-Strom.

Reduced step arch length

The 650s also became narrower in the waist, i.e. in the tank / seat area. The reduced stride length brings
Short-legged more stability. Long-legged people like the author feel quite deep in the motorcycle, so the 20 mm higher seat from the range of accessories would certainly be advisable. As before, you sit quite passively on the V-Strom, which is also due to the unchanged high handlebars. The thin pipe antlers are not particularly elegant, only the 1000 series has currently been upgraded with the Fatbar version. The entire rear area has been completely redesigned. This looks chic but has been specially designed for
Tourists also have tangible advantages. Because cases can now be latched directly to the machine without a carrier, which saves a lot of width compared to the previous one. In addition, the sight of an ugly pipe frame, in case no suitcases are attached.

XT with spoked wheels, belly pan, hand guards

Suzuki only presented the XT variant to journalists near Tarragona. Which certainly has reasons. Because you want to sell significantly more of the 600 Euro more expensive variant – and that will probably work. Because the XT package includes – as before – pretty spoked wheels, now also a front spoiler, which packs not very attractive attachments, and practical hand guards. In addition – and this was only found out when asked – there are only brand new tires for the XT, namely specially developed Bridgestone Adventure A40 instead of the previous Trail Wing, with which the basic version still has to be content.

Satisfied not because the old tires are so bad, but the new ones are so extraordinarily good. On the curvy, grippy roads in the Spanish hinterland, they stick even to damp spots until the nipples of the notches touch down. The A40 convey a lot of trust and crystal-clear feedback. With the new tires, the V-Strom is also a little rounder and more precise. Here’s a tip: if you want to speed instead of traveling, you should pretension the rear spring on the handwheel a little;.

650 runs a tad more sophisticated

Whether heating or cruising, the engine goes along with every gait as before. As before, the Suzuki-V2 inspired with the finest manners, of course with manageable but even thrust in all speed ranges. Technicians and aesthetes enjoy the expensive and elaborate "real"V-engine, which unfortunately has to hide behind the wide profiles of the aluminum frame.

Little has changed in terms of performance. Two more horsepower are certainly hardly worth mentioning. It is more likely that the 650 runs a bit more cultivated. As before, there are always three courses to choose from, all of which fit perfectly. Which is due to the enormous speed range as well as the smooth engine running. Maybe also a little bit because the driver still hardly notices acoustically anything from the engine. Nobody misses a ride-by-wire. The V-Strom does not need different mappings or riding modes anyway.

Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT with traction control

One can certainly also discuss whether such a mid-range motorcycle needs traction control. But first of all you can switch it off with the V-Strom, which would be more advisable offroad due to the early intervention. And secondly, the traction control adjusts extremely sensitively in both stages, almost imperceptibly, usually only recognizable by the flickering of the control lamp. In stage one she works very defensively, and in stage two it is still quite early. Suzuki technicians speak of around ten percent slip. But better too early than too late, that should be the basic requirement for every traction control. The last setting is saved, even after switching the ignition off and on. At least that’s what professional testers find practical.

Back to the initial question: Can a slightly revised V-Strom 650 still keep up in today’s environment? There is only one answer: definitely. With her excellent all-round qualities she is at the forefront of music, even if the competition got stronger. There aren’t many small travel enduros any more; current competitors have tended to move towards crossovers with 17-inch tires. On the other hand, the Suzuki is a real adventure enduro, with limited off-road capabilities, but high touring comfort, also with a pillion passenger and luggage.

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