I Bought my V-strom July 2017, it was used low km on it. I have ridden various motorcycles before, mostly twins, a Supersport Ducati 750, a Super Tenere 750, a Moto Guzzi NTX 650 and even an old Triumph 650, but prior to the Suzuki I had a Vespa PX 200 for a few years but eventually I started missing motorcycles after the cool and weird Vespa scene had faded off. So, I looked around a bit and was real hung up on the V-strom, it was rather cheap to buy, and looked the right choice of affordable transportation to the University. As far as I know, some components are more or less the same from gen 2 (2012–2016) to gen 4 (2020+), for ex the chassis geometry is similar, and the engine too is relatively the same power plant.

First Ride: I felt right home on the 2014 V-strom. It pulls nicely from super low rpms, with a torquey engine. The DL650 engine is a nice exemplar from Suzuki. It’s smooth as butter, you only feel it’s alive but nothing bothersome or tiresome. Initially fuel consumption was around 25km to 1 L. Another thing noticeable right away, is its straight line stability, even on windy days. For me it is a must for a tourer.
What is the V-strom? Street bike? Adventure tourer? Touring motorcycle? Depeche Mode wrote “Get the balance right” and Indeed the V-strom gives a balanced package. It’s a road oriented, and going off-road (for me at least) isn’t fun, unless off-road means white trails. Deep sand? mud? gravel? rocks? You’ll sink like a stone or fall…better off get a KTM 690 or a Suzuki DR650. The V-strom is too heavy. But, on paved roads the 650 V-strom feels at home. It’s got a fairly good seat, high with an upright seating position, you have lots of room (I am 1.80, 90 kg). The straight line stability pays off in highways. On the twisties this stability also pays off, although you have to work a bit to get to flic it from side to side when the pace gets fast.
The 650 engine puts out about 65 ponies. That may not seem a lot, but it’s very torquey and enough to keep you going fast. 0 to 150 is quite fast. If you’re looking to accelerate 150-180 get the 1000 (Which I’ll mention later). I rather keep my driver’s licence. Besides, these are not the bikes to ride ultra fast. Riding two up is fine. I heard some say that if you ride two up regularly, you might as well get the 1000. Again, it depends what you tend to achieve. Just a note, I don’t know many people who like to ride 170 kph on the back of a motorcycle, not to speak wives.
The strong sides of the V-strom 650
- The V-strom is a well balanced motorcycle. It can do almost anything.
- Its engine is one of the smoothest, it gives lots of bottom end power. With a larger front sprocket (16 instead of 15) I often shift 1 to 3 to 5 and 6th gear.
- The gear box is fine, no mis-shifting or gear jumping and it’s fairly smooth.
- The clutch is actuated by a cable, but very progressive with lots of feel, with surprisingly easier pull than the 1000.
- It’s very comfortable and spacey, it has a fair seat for short-medium trips (while longer trips will be uncomfortable).
- Fuel tank is large, about 24 litters which can give you a range of minimum 360 km in real life.
- The dual front lights are excellent. I really don’t understand why the switch to a single beam (New models) has been made.
- It’s not a small bike but still, it lets you ride in highly congested traffic as well as in highways with comfort.
- The engine is reliable and likely capable of lasting hundreds of thousands of kilometers. The valve clearances tend to stay within tolerance for a long time—in my case, at 72,000 km, four exhaust valves needed replacement, even though they were still within the lower end of the acceptable tolerance range.
The weak sides of the V-strom 650
- The brakes could be better. It will stop but you will have to squeeze the lever to get that stopping power, where as the 1000 takes much less the effort. Braking will also cause the front end to dive dramatically.
- It does have ABS but no cornering ABS. IMO an experienced rider can live with that
- No Traction Control but again, an experienced rider can live with that.
- Suspension is good for everyday riding but is less capable in sport riding or offroad.
- V-strom does not have a slipper clutch, and you feel it straight away with a very noticeable engine braking. Slipper clutch prevents the rear wheel from locking up during aggressive downshifts by allowing controlled slippage. It enhances stability and safety in some conditions: especially in wet, slippery or when leaning into a corner and closing the throttle while leaning.
- Starter button tends to fry itself to death at some point, because the electric current of the front lights flows through it and burns the electric contact points, the solution is to use a RELAY: when current flows to the relay, it closes a circuit for the headlights using current straight from the battery. You can take an after-switch electricity from the connector on the right front side near the turn signal).
- Valve adjustment is a bit complicated, with twice the job to do for each cylinder. You need to release the front radiator to get to the front valve case, and the rear cylinder cam chain tensioner is a bit hard to reach.
- Suspension is simple, not a lot adjustments available.
- No technology whatsoever: no keyless ride, no self canceling turn signals, no cruise control, no heated grips, no different riding modes (rain, road, sport, offroad).
- Wind protection is ok, but highway speeds of above 120 are not fun, even with a Givi Air flow screen.
Get the 1000 or the 650?
At one point I mistakenly thought that the V-strom 1000 would be a better 650. I took a test ride on a 2018 1000 and I was a bit disappointed. Yes, the brakes were much better and the front suspension felt more sporty, but I did not go GAGA over it. I expected a big adrenaline rush and a killer engine, and it wasn’t. I could even say that the 650 did not feel much weaker in city cruising. I did not like the engine vibrations on the 1000, always noticeable.
Being a participant in several V-strom groups, the 650/1000 “competition”, is probably 100% subjective. While some describe the 650 as a scooter compared to the 1000, I think the 650 will not feel much weaker most of the time. Some say that if you ride mostly 2 up, you are better with the 1000, while I think the 650 is more than capable for the job. I guess it’s a matter of what you expect from a motorcycle and how emotionally you get attached to it. Bottom line, the displacement here is a negligible parameter in choosing any of the bikes because they are completely different bikes, sharing the same name.