[Sebring]

The aux light fitting has been very tricky and we got it right finally, after many iterations. Just give me some time, as my ownership experience is in the assembly line. Detailing out every accessory - custom made, and how you can do that as well. You can see that I have fitted a bottom guard for the engine as well (GIXXER PART modded to suit VSTROM)

Originally Posted by Full_Minchingu

I see that you have fitted the aux lights below the front lip and the front suspension is already short at 120mm. Has the aux light setup given any trouble to you at times by banging the front mudguard?

Originally Posted by TheHelix0202

Could you share a link for that mobile holder? Been seeing it on the forum a lot recently, wondering what it is.

[SkylineGTR]

V Strom seems to have bigger, better instrument console. Hope they bring that to the Gixxer 250 twins, the current consoles are a disappointment. In fact they should have given a TFT display on VStrom considering its price.

[TheHelix0202]

Originally Posted by SkylineGTR

V Strom seems to have bigger, better instrument console. Hope they bring that to the Gixxer 250 twins, the current consoles are a disappointment. In fact they should have given a TFT display on VStrom considering its price.

If they gave it a TFT console, they might as well have gone all in with an off-road mode and selectable ABS for starters. But nope, the bike's a better tourer than it's an ADV.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by SkylineGTR

V Strom seems to have bigger, better instrument console. Hope they bring that to the Gixxer 250 twins, the current consoles are a disappointment. In fact they should have given a TFT display on VStrom considering its price.

In the showroom, the VStrom's instrument cluster was more appealing than that of the Gixxer and SF250. However, while riding the bike, I found that the console space that is wasted / invested on the bluetooth connectivity, serves no real purpose. 99% of VStrom owners will have a mounted phone for Google maps. Hence, I prefer the simpler layout of the SF250 which provides less information, while being more readable.

Cluttered console on the VStrom 250


Basic console on the Gixxer SF 250

Picture courtesy - Suzuki India website.

[drt_rdr]

^^ I agree. The tacho is so small on the V it felt I'd need to take my attention off the road to see what's going on there. Maybe one needs to get used to it, but as someone who looks at the tacho often, I didn't like the V's display at all.

[vvs29]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

I hope both of you have tried adjusting the preload on the rear suspension. That should sort things out.

Yes, I got the preload down one step. It's actually perfect when riding with a pillion and solo rides are also better now that it has broken in a bit.

[TheHelix0202]

Some interesting performance upgrades are out already-

[Sebring]

I have BMC free flow. One question; Does flash module work with halogen bulb?

Originally Posted by TheHelix0202

Some interesting performance upgrades are out already

[TheHelix0202]

Originally Posted by Sebring

I have BMC free flow. One question; Does flash module work with halogen bulb?

Do keep us updated about the air filter’s performance (however negligible it may be). Yours is the only V-Strom that’s in the process of being kitted out, and I love that! Stock bikes are boring.

About the flash module, it’s best to run it with LEDs. On my Gixxer with the same Halogen bulbs, the accessory shop guy recommended the basic hazard light switch + wiring combo, nothing fancy, since I didn’t want to swap the indicators for LEDs. You can do the same. I don’t like the flashing patterns anyway, I just prefer the plain old simple hazards.

[Sebring]

The original filter is very thick and many times I felt the bike was struggling to 'breathe'. BMC is a good upgrade

[neil.jericho]

Here is some good news for potential VStrom 250 owners. Suzuki is offering a jacket free with every VStrom 250 purchase for the month of August. Its a mesh jacket that comes with two liners. I got to try it out and quite liked the fit and finish.

[Sebring]

Its a good jacket. And Neil, I finally posted my review

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Suzuki is offering a jacket free with every VStrom 250 purchase for the month of August. Its a mesh jacket that comes with two liners.

[neil.jericho]

Some of the issues regarding the VStrom 250 that I have heard owners complain about include
- Water getting into the headlights. The dealerships are replacing them under warranty. Multiple owners have reported it.
- Bluetooth connectivity dropping after 15 minutes. Multiple owners have reported it.
- Dodgy behaviour after pressure washing the bike. This appears to be a switch gear related issue. So far only one owner has complained of this but he never had any issues with his 150cc Honda, in similar conditions.

Potential buyers of the VStrom 250 SX should watch this informative and unbiased comparison video. In a world of spec sheet readers and superlative hurling Youtubers, these gentlemen are a breath of fresh air. Their experience and honesty shines through in their content. I found that their comparison largely mirrored my thoughts on the VStrom 250 and its competitors.

Video

[SoumenD]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Potential buyers of the VStrom 250 SX should watch this informative and unbiased comparison video...

Well I guess its an established fact now that the SX250 is the least-adventurish out of the available advs under 3L and more of a adv-styled highway tourer. I would consider myself as one of the potential buyers and thats mostly because Himalayan is heavy for me and KTM is too tall again(already tried and gave up, am 5'7"). So SX250 is more of a compromise. Xpluse again is superb but for the engine, a little more poke and that would be the choice.

Imagine what a Xpulse 300 can do. It will literally take on everything from SX250 till KTM 390 adv and shake up the whole segment. Hope Hero gets it ASAP.

[drt_rdr]

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Well I guess its an established fact now that the SX250 is the least-adventurish out of the available advs...

Yeah, it's a Roadbike Plus.

Then again... the Vstroms, all across the lineup, are designed with more road usage in mind. They're all disappointing in terms of suspension length and ground clearance, but people like them because Suzuki tends to make their bikes very usable despite defecits in specs. And for average usage, suspension travel just equates to how much you have to slow down for bumps and whether you can take them sitting down or not.

So, personally, I don't think I'd mind the low suspension travel. It does have good ground clearance. I just wish suzuki had kept the wheelbase lesser for livelier handling at non-highway speeds.

Imagine what a Xpulse 300 can do. It will literally take on everything from SX250 till KTM 390 adv and shake up the whole segment. Hope Hero gets it ASAP.

Honestly, I have serious doubts on whether Hero can pull off a desirable bike (for me atleast) with this one. The xpluse300 (or 400) that was leaked a couple weeks back doesn't look like it's dirtbike-based, but rather more like a typical adventure bike. I hope it'll be atleast the same weight as the 200, but it'll probably be a heavier, bothersome thing with compromises to suit more road-use, just like all the other advs. I wager it'll just be a middling product being offered at a nice price.

I keep wishing that makers would just make bigger bikes as light as the Impulse or lighter. I kick myself at times thinking I should've atleast bought two impulses when I had the chance now that I see nice bikes being a minimum 150 kgs.