Suzuki V-Strom 650 ABS - First Ride

Too many bikes and not enough garage. Haven’t we all had this problem at one time or another? The solution is simple: a do-it-all machine that can tour, commute or get gnarly on Sundays, so we can also make room for our car, quad, riding mower and fold-up ping-pong table. Suzuki has for a few years offered just such an all-around bike-the V-Strom 650.

As ever, power comes from the same fuel—injected, liquid-cooled, 647cc 90-degree V-Twin that was first used in the SV650. It is, however, re-tuned to better suit the Strom’s mission as a dual-sport/enduro-tourer. The motor hangs in a blacked-out aluminum-trellis frame that–when coupled with a 61.2-inch wheelbase and 19-inch front wheel—makes this 456-pound bike look bigger than it actually is.

A lot of that impression of size also comes from the big fairing and gas tank, both of which make the bike great on long trips. Just having a windscreen on a bike in this price range is a treat; having one that manually adjusts to three positions over a 2-inch range is even better. Unfortunately, testers found buffeting problematic in each of the three settings. We’ve said it before: time for a new windscreen.

The 5.8-gallon fuel tank and the engine’s good fuel efficiency (occasional 50 mpg or better) allowed for easy 200-mile stints in the well-padded saddle. Couple this range with the big luggage rack (plenty of tie-down points) and you are ready for the long road. Your passenger will be, too, because of the wide seat and roomy stretch to the footpegs.

Sportbike-riding friends might laugh at you when you show up at Racer Road on a V-Strom, but the laughs will turn to tears when you sneak past them in bumpy, technical turns, where the long-travel suspension somehow seems to mash bumps flat. The high, wide bar offers good leverage, and while the Strom isn’t exactly nimble with that big front hoop and long wheelbase, it still steers easily and predictably, all the way to peg-scraping lean angles.

It is hard to think of a sweeter-running midsize engine in any class. In fact, brisk street riding is a joy, and the midrange-weighted power delivery means that frequent toeing of the slightly sloppy gearbox isn’t really necessary on winding roads or even during freeway passing.

Braking is just adequate, as the old-tech, sliding-pin, two-piston calipers feel numb and weak compared to better-quality brakes on pricier equipment. The ABS on our $7199 tester did, however, save me from myself at least once (that I’ll admit to). Maybe you can stop better than an ABS system, but can you say that all the time? For $500 over the cost of standard bike, ABS adds a safety factor that makes the V-Strom an even better commuter.

So how good can such an inexpensive bike be? Ask anybody who rides a “Wee-Strom” and his response will be a variation on this theme: “It’s all the bike you need.” Even if your garage were full, it won’t be an issue. The V-Strom 650 is likely to spend very little time there.

Sound off! What’s another underrated bike?