Comparison test Versys Vs V-Strom: a full-bodied Kawa or a small Suz ‘ ?
The new Suzuki DL 650 V-Strom 2012 convinced us on the beautiful sunny roads of Croatia. But what about in France in the gray, facing the Kawasaki Versys? Answer in this new duel Site !
A quick tour of the two 650 trails
The new 2012 V-Strom, already available in the, we liked very much during its official presentation on beautiful roads – and under the sun! – from Croatia (read our). Back in France, Site wanted to check if the new DL 650 could transform this first test.
For this, we rode it again for a week in the gray Parisian, measuring it against his compatriot who evolves in the same category "Trail 650": the Kawasaki Versys.
Thanks to its update in 2010 (read our), this erect ER-6 has a "face" – and no longer a skull – via a new lens that is out of the ordinary … or rather d ‘a science fiction movie !
The black color of our test model as well as its optional equipment (side skids at 184 € and "Tourer" pack at 800 € including suitcases and their numerous fixing tubes, vario screen, handguard and tank protector) underlines d ‘elsewhere this raw, almost masculine aspect.
The 2012 V-Strom, on the contrary, plays the card of a more feminine charm: its new headlights look like two big manga chick eyes, highlighted by night lights in the shape of long eyelashes, not to mention a superb saddle.
Unfortunately, this saddle happens to be the only beautiful part that makes up the Suzuki. Admittedly, the finish of the engine cases is satisfactory, but they are decked out with hoses and cables of all kinds. Likewise, rislan threads and collars abound behind the fork crown….
Versys versus V-Strom…
On the Kawasaki side, we note the presence of an elegant handlebar trigger guard, an anodized treatment of the fork – inverted, please! -, hexagonal mirrors and petal brake discs. Attention, sometimes minimal, which can flatter the biker ego.
However, we regret that the footrest protections of the Versys mark very quickly … Similarly, if its right side has a nice bullet-shaped exhaust and an all-aluminum banana swingarm, on the left side, the pot pot and the ugly welds of the reinforced square section arm are much less aesthetic.
Still in terms of the pot, the V-Strom specialists will observe that that of the 2012 model fits better into the bike than on the old version, thus contributing to this impression of lightness – relative, the beast still weighs 214 kg all full facts against 209 for the Kawasaki – which emerges from this DL 650 vintage 2012.
Continuing the tour of the owners, we realize that these two trails neither have a center stand, nor any storage compartments. Two very regrettable omissions on this kind of frames deemed to be practical on a daily basis as during long journeys.
Under the saddle, the finding is hardly more positive … The Versys only accommodates a small disc lock and the V-Strom is doing better by carrying a medium-sized U lock or a rain suit and a second pair of gloves, depending on the program…
Extremely similar in appearance, the dashboards of the two machines are perfectly readable: the main information (speed, fuel level and engine speed) can be identified at a glance. Unlike the Kawa, the Suz ‘does not have a reserve indicator and only the small pictogram of the pump ends up flashing a little too discreetly: beware of running out of fuel. !
Conversely, the V-Strom alone benefits from an on-board computer calculating the average consumption on each of the two partial trips. In addition, all this information scrolls on the Suz ‘by means of a trigger placed behind the left stalk: practical !
Finally for the anecdote, setting the time on the V-Strom is really not easy … and even the Suzuki France staff seems to have given up, leaving the V-Strom to test on time. ‘Hamamatsu (within half an hour …) !
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