First ride: Suzuki V-Strom 650XT

Suzuki's V-Strom 650 is turning 11 this year, and over the journey it has been an extremely solid performer for the Japanese company. In 2014, it was the third biggest selling bike in the adventure touring segment behind the venerable Kawasaki KLR650 and Honda CB500XA, and in front of thoroughbred adventure fare like the BMW R 1200 GS.

Of course, the V-Strom is not a BMW beater wheel-to-wheel, but at half the price you get a lot of motorcycle for your money. Suzuki has been slowly tweaking the V-Strom over the years, and in 2011 Bikesales hit Croatia for the latest major update (HERE). Now there's another version to add to the mix: the harder-edged 650XT, complete with spoked wheels.

The XT is very cool. It's been visually enhanced with a beak, modeled from the 'Dr Big' DR800 that Belgian legend Gaston Rahier raced in the Paris-Dakar way back in 1987. The spoked wheels also give the bike a serious lift in the style department, producing an off-road safari look. The body work has been redesigned to add to the rugged appearance — but functionality hasn't been left in the dark, though.

It's slimmer around the waist, which is where you need it to be, and the cooling has been enhanced with new air ducts. Our test bike was supplied with Pirelli Scorpion Rally tyres, which topped off the adventure look perfectly — and set the scene for a little off-road work to boot.

The bike still carries the same twin-spar alloy frame, 645cc V-twin, suspension, and electronics — although creature comforts like traction control aren't available like on the higher-spec adventure offerings.

I enjoyed the Suzuki from the moment I pulled out of Bikesales HQ in Melbourne, and it only grew on me from there. The strengths are obvious: it's a 650 so fuel consumption is miserly (I averaged 4.8lt/100km for a range of about 400km per tank), it's light and easy to maneuver at low speeds, and it looks like a bike that's worth double its $11,490 (plus on-road costs) price tag.

When testing an adventure bike you need an adventure, so I started at 7:00am in the fog and headed east from Melbourne towards Sale. My aim was to put at least 500km on the bike in one day, combining both tarmac and off-road work. About 30 minutes into the ride I learnt a very important lesson: I should have requested the optional heated handgrips! There are hand protectors fitted standard which do provide a safeguard from the weather, but I still found myself stopping at a servo and having to sheepishly warm my hands up in their pie oven around 8:00am.

With the air temperature displayed on the dash — it can be alternated with the clock — I kept myself amused for the 100km watching it creep up from six to about nine degrees when my hands returned to normal. No complaints about the screen though, which provides great upper body protection. The screen is adjustable with an Allen key but I personally would like to see a more automated system so you can change it without tools and on the fly.

There is no option for a comfort seat — but you don’t need one! I am super surprised at just how comfy the standard seat is. I could have done double the kilometres and still felt like I was sitting in an arm chair.

The ergonomics are spot on and the reach to the bars versus footpeg height suits me well. I normally find myself in the afternoon of most rides hanging my feet off the pegs to give them a stretch, but not in this case.

There are good points and some areas that could be improved with the bike's handling. The general steering, line-holding capability and stability are absolutely top notch, but like the 1000 V-Strom the forks are a bit harsh on bumps. If I owned the 650 I would take it to a tuner and get a kit put through the forks which would definitely make the bike handle as well as any in the class.

The rear shock works well on and off-road, which provides the pilot with plenty of confidence. Meanwhile, I inadvertently tested out the anti-lock braking on an off-camber fire trail after I was swooped by an eagle bigger than the bike and jammed the anchors on. Even with the low traction available the bike tracked straight.

There are plenty of accessories available with the V-Strom 650XT, including panniers, top box, fog lights and bashplate. For all the options available, click HERE.

I always try to keep the retail price of a test bike as an unknown until I have finished riding it, as I like to estimate first. I estimated $15K for the 650XT, so it was more than a pleasant surprise to find out it was $3500 less than that. And if you get the LAMS version of the 650XT, it's even cheaper at $10,990! Not only does that help me to understand why the model has sold so well over the past decade, but also why the XT has already sold over 100 units in the first half of 2015.

Did I miss the power of a 1000cc adventure bike on the 650XT? No, and as I said to a tradie when we crossed paths, how fast do you want to go: 240, 280km/h? For me, 110km/h is fast enough if you want to complete your trip around Australia without kissing a kangaroo or making the front page of the paper.

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 67.7hp (50.5kW) at 8800rpm
Claimed maximum torque: Not Given

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Clutch: Wet multi plate
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Aluminium spar
Front suspension: Conventional 43mm form with spring preload
Rear suspension: Monoshock remote preload adjuster
Front brakes: 310mm dual discs with Tokico four-piston calipers, ABS
Rear brake: 260mm disc, ABS
Tyres: 110/80-19 front, 150 /70-17 rear

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed weight with all fluids except fuel: 215kg
Seat height: 835mm
Wheelbase: 1560mm
Fuel capacity: 20

OTHER STUFF
Price: $11,490 plus on-road costs
Colours: Matt Gray or Pearl White
Bike supplied by: Suzuki Australia, suzukimotorcycles.com.au
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres