Suzuki V-Strom 650XT 2015 — Specifications

Is it still possible, in 2015, to offer a credible adventure motorcycle around a simple 645 cm3 V-twin and 69 horsepower? While the segment explodes with increasingly imposing and technological machines, Suzuki plays the card of restraint, almost anachronism, with this V-Strom 650XT. Yet, approaching it, one feels that it has something extra. This duckbill grafted to the front, these 19-inch spoked rims at the front, these discreet tubular protectors, all give it a much more determined look than its standard little sister. It no longer seems to wonder what it is doing there, it wants to see what is beyond the tarmac.

The heart of the beast remains this famous V-twin, an engine that we know by heart and which serves as a reassuring old acquaintance. With 69 Nm of torque available fairly early, it pulls relentlessly, with a linearity and smoothness that make it an inexhaustible road companion. One will not seek the frantic peak power of a triple, but this progressiveness is a major asset for loaded travel or traction on dirt. The chassis, of exemplary clarity and neutrality, completes this picture by offering robust stability, whether in a windy straight line or in winding hairpin turns. The 835 mm seat may be impressive on paper, but the slim fairing allows you to place your foot firmly on the ground.

But then, is this Suzuki V-Strom 650XT a true adventurer? It is necessary to temper the ardor. Its weight of 215 kg fully fueled and its ground clearance of 175 mm make it more an excellent road bike comfortable on dirt roads than the reverse. It will not rival on rough terrain with a Tiger 800 XC or a BMW F 800 GS, more agile and better suspended for true off-road. Its 20-liter tank, although correct, also sometimes leaves one dreaming of the ample autonomy of some competitors. Its strength lies elsewhere: in its accessibility and absolute pragmatism.

That is where the question of price makes sense. What is the price of a Suzuki V-Strom 650XT? Around 8600 euros at its launch, it positioned itself as a remarkably intelligent option. For this budget, one obtained a reliable, economical machine, already well equipped as standard with its ABS, and on which it was possible to graft a complete accessory raid kit without blowing the counters. It is this economic equation, more than exceptional performance, that has built its legend. It is aimed at the pragmatic globetrotter, the one who travels more on asphalt than on track, but who wants to have the option of venturing without breaking the bank. An honest machine, without excessive pretension, which does the job with remarkable efficiency. Proof that adventure, sometimes, does not need crazy horsepower, but just common sense and an indestructible engine.