Mark Fattore•24 Jul 2011

REVIEW

2012 DL650 V-Strom

Name: 2012 DL650 V-Strom
Brand: Suzuki

The multi-purpose bike has been a great news story for Suzuki since 2003, but the comfort and performance boundaries have now been extended even more

There’s nothing quite like the excitement of punting along a new road, as opposed to the humdrum of the every day. There’s the anticipation of what’s ahead – the next bend, the next 20km, the next 100km. The cold beverage at the end of a hard day…

That’s adventure touring at its radiant best, a discipline which continues to welcome new devotees in their droves, all with a slew of models to choose from.

Over the last decade, Suzuki’s adventure touring fortunes have mostly been held aloft by the ‘twin towers’ – first the V-Strom 1000 in 2002, followed by the V-Strom 650 a year later. With apologies to the DR650, which has also been something of a warrior for Suzuki, too, but in a more gritty, hard-nosed type of (single-cylinder) way.

Of the two Stroms, the 650 has probably been the one to garner the most affection, based on its ‘bike for all seasons’ versatility, comfortable riding position and the broad spread of useable power from its 645cc V-twin. That’s what has also made it such a go-to choice for the commuter set.

Sure, the styling has been a little heavy on the eye, but it’s certainly not been a natural barrier to sales, with the model continuing to purr along. The 650 has defied the normal product life cycle, and the worst it has got is a lull in sales -- never a slump or a trough. That’s the mark of a bike which is held in the highest esteem.

But even though the 650 is a perennial favourite, Suzuki has chosen to up the ante with an updated model, recently launched to the international motorcycle press in Croatia after a relatively short guerrilla marketing campaign.

Split decision

The V-Strom 650 ABS, which first hit the design studio in late 2008, isn’t a radical departure from the philosophy which has made the old model such a roaring success, and Suzuki’s reasons for developing the new model are quite simple: to further improve its riding performance and comfort, all in a tough and smart package.

That means the sport and enduro monikers once used to describe the V-Strom have all but been abolished – a good thing too, as they were a little fanciful.

There’s no doubt the new bike looks the business, and is much narrower from front to back, and it’s lost some weight too. The side cowlings on the tank, as well as the frame cover and rear carrier, all help to create a lither picture, a quantum leap from the heavy set styling of the previous model. So plenty of conversation points on the new bike already, even before a wheel is turned in anger.

The 300km road ride in Croatia, led by none other than former world Superbike rider and 500 GP winner Simon Crafar (who’s now affiliated with Suzuki for his track day ventures), covered the full spectrum of terrain.

To no-one’s surprise, the V-Strom’s still as versatile as ever, but this time with a much more refined suspension and engine package.

The engine delivers, but it’s not all about the revised power characteristics. There’s less vibration for a start, which was really noticeable when I rode the old and new back-to-back. And the fuel-injection is certainly crisper, especially at the bottom end, which guarantees that throttle response is instantaneous and unblemished – but not too severe. That’s just not the V-Strom way, and why it also makes for such a resourceful all-rounder.

Engine summary

Combine the smooth power delivery with a fatter mid-range and more refined suspension, and it’s fair to say that there’s now a little more sporting bias to the V-Strom, where it really starts to make good torque around 4000rpm, pushing on at a solid clip until it finishes about 9000rpm. The rev limiter kicks in at 10,500rpm.

The transmission is typical Suzuki -- smooth and precise with an extremely light shift. The clutch action also delivers the same positive feedback, so no missed gears on the launch, even when the transmission was under some duress during a few twisty mountain accents.

Suzuki has maintained the same gear ratios on the updated V-Strom, with first gear quite tall. And fifth and sixth gears are below the 1:1 ratio, in deference to producing supreme fuel economy. I must admit that I didn’t use sixth gear a lot on the launch, preferring fifth to punch around slow moving traffic with a little more haste.

On one tight stretch, I was actually torn between two courses of action: banging back through the cogs to first, or slipping the clutch in second to slingshot out of turns. Both delivered immense enjoyment, and Suzuki’s got the fuel injection and mapping so well sorted that utilising first in these situations doesn’t mean the whole show becomes a jerky affair.

There’s noticeably less squatting through the rear suspension, and that has a flow-on effect to the front end, which now has a much more planted feel rather than skating over bumps and other road wrinkles.

At first I begged to differ, as I just didn’t felt totally at ease, especially burrowing into tight corners during a photo shoot. But the roads in Croatia are fairly greasy, and hard braking certainly created a squirmy feel on the block-patterned Bridgestone Trail Wings – but not quite enough to activate the updated ABS, which now weights 800 grams less than the old one.

That’s a good thing though, as I’d prefer brakes stayed involved in the ‘argument’ for as long as possible.

But adventure bikes, more than most, are masters of improvisation, and the V-Strom still managed to deliver a composed ride in the twisties.

The suspension takes on full responsibility for even the biggest bumps, with 150mm travel at the front and 159mm at the rear. It may be fairly softly sprung, even on the stiffest suspension settings, but it’s still capable and delivers a feather mattress ride.

Every time I’ve ridden V-Stroms, I have been surprised just how effectively they handle, without a hint of instability or twitchiness. More of the same here really, and once you’ve zeroed in on the ideal modus operandi – early braking, stabilisation and then a bit of a shove to tip it in – there’s plenty of conviction from the 214kg (kerb mass) machine. And if there’s trouble brewing, the Strom does show plenty of forgiveness.

Chassis summary

There’s certainly nothing massively hardcore in all that, but it’s sporting enough to leave you satisfied, again and again. And it’s simply more precise on tar than ever.

The only time I felt a reason to mark the V-Strom’s card was on a freeway when it started to get a fairly hefty wobble with the accessory panniers and top box fitted. But the planets weren’t exactly aligned, with a fairly string cross wind buffeting the bike and our speed was on the ‘hefty’ side, thanks to Messer Crafar.

Other V-Strom accessories include alumiumium luggage options, a touring windscreen, hand guards, accessory bar, bash plate, heated grips, centrestand, 12-volt accessory socket, navigational bracket, alarm kit, mirror extension and carriers for top and side cases. All look the business, and the quick release bracketing for the pannier carriers is a neat set-up.

I’d love to see the hand guards, bash plate and centrestand as standard equipment on all adventure bikes, and heated hand grips would be nice too. But it’s a delicate juggling act, and Suzuki Australia is committed to delivering the V-Strom at a competitive price point – close to or just slightly more expensive than the current model.

Suzuki is yet to announce which accessories will make it Down Under – the panniers may just be a little too wide to pass local ADR -- but that should be known well in advance of the bike’s release in September or October.

Suzuki is also branching out into clothing with an adventure pant and jacket, which feature CE-approved protectors in all the vital areas. The ensemble was on show in Croatia but still no word on whether the ensemble will make it to Australia, either.

The seat height on the new V-Strom has been increased by 15mm, while the non-adjustable footpegs position the rider’s legs slightly rear of centre.

That’s created a roomier cabin down below, while putting a little more weight on the leverage-affording handlebars at the same time. That appears to be slightly at odds with Suzuki’s increased comfort edict, but there’s no denying the V-Strom is still one of the best bikes in the adventure tourer market for keeping fatigue in check. And it’s still very much a ‘sit-in’ type of bike, which suits a shortie like me just fine.

The new seat, embossed with a V-Strom logo, is a lot narrower than the old one, so the new 835mm feels pretty much like the old 820mm at a standstill. Suzuki also offers both a lower (815mm) and higher (855mm) seat option.

I reckon the old seat was perfectly comfortable with its saddle-like appearance, but the new one is a worthy replacement, and there’s plenty of room for a pillion without helmets banging together.

Suzuki has also repositioned the windscreen, which is three-way adjustable. I tried both the middle and highest windscreen settings, with the latter producing slightly less turbulence and buffeting on the helmet. But there wasn’t a lot in it.

Practically speaking

Even in more high pressure situations, the Strom was getting around 20km/lt mileage, allowing an effective range of around 400km. And the improved fuel economy just about offsets the two-litre drop in fuel tank capacity.

I tried to stand up a few times on the launch, and it’s definitely harder to find purchase with your knees on the updated V-Strom compared to the old model, thanks to the smaller tank and slimmer waist. But that’s a small price to pay for major improvement in other areas

Average fuel consumption is just one of many new features on the revised instrumentation, which is now a lot smaller with the adoption of a digital speedo rather than analogue. All the non-permanent information can be toggled through via a ‘meter’ on the left-hand switch block, which means everything isn’t crammed onto one screen, which simply doesn’t work.

The V-Strom will go on sale in Australia with the choice of two colours: Metallic Fox Orange or Pearl Mirage White. There’s also a Glass Sparkle Black, but we won’t be seeing that one.

The 650 V-Strom ABS is a bike which is likely to keep its owner interested for a very long time. It responds remarkably well to all types of riding styles, and gets you to lots of places with a minimum of fuss and a high level of fluency. That’s what adventure riding is all about and why the new Strom is such a beauty.

SPECS: V-STROM 650 ABS

ENGINE

Type: Liquid-cooled, four valves per cylinder 90-degree V-twin

Capacity: 645cc

Bore x stroke: 81.0mm x 62.6mm

Compression ratio: 11:2.1

Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection

Emissions: Euro 3

Claimed maximum power: 50.5kW (67.7ps) at 8800rpm

Claimed maximum torque: 60Nm at 6400rpm

TRANSMISSION

Type: Six-speed

Final drive: Chain

Clutch: Wet

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR

Frame type: Aluminium twin-spar

Front suspension: 45mm telescopic fork, preload adjustment, 150mm travel

Rear suspension: Monoshock, preload adjustment, 159mm travel

Front brakes: Twin discs with Tokico four-piston calipers, ABS

Rear brake: Single disc with single-piston Tokico caliper, ABS

Wheels: Cast aluminium -- front 2.50 x 19, rear 4.0 x 17

Tyres: Bridgestone Trail Wing -- front 110/80-19, rear 150/70-17

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES

Rake: 26 degrees

Trail: 110mm

Claimed kerb weight: 214kg

Seat height: 835mm

Wheelbase: 1560mm

Fuel capacity: 20 litres

OTHER STUFF

Price: TBA (available September, October 2011)

Colours: Pearl Mirage White or Metallic Fox Orange

Bike supplied by: Suzuki Germany

Local contact: Suzuki Australia, www.suzuki.com.au

Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres

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2012 DL650 V-Strom

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