[romeomidhun]

It's good that Suzuki launched V-Strom here. A bike with minimalist design and maximum impact.

Though it shares the design language of the bigger V-Stroms, it still looks very different in detailing. Compare it side by side with V-Strom 650 (Red).

And this Red V-Strom - that beak and color combination is an absolute delight to watch.

[Doge]

I am glad that it is here, the competition may have more power and better suspension in the likes of the Yezdi gang, but this is a Suzuki and that is a pretty important usp. I don’t understand why is it at such a premium over the regular Gixxer though? No fat USD forks with more travel or other off-road stuff here then why the premium?
Seems to me that they priced it higher just because they can, just like the crossovers.

[drt_rdr]

^^ I was wondering the same thing.

The bike does come standard with some accessories that's missing on the gixxer, like the windscreen, bashplate (though it's quite tiny), knuckle guards, integrated grab bar-luggage rack, and USB charger (no Type C like the yezdi either). It also gets an updated console with connected features.

There's also some equipment specific to this bike like the flatter seat, taller handlebar, serrated pegs, and 19 inch front wheel, supposedly longer swingarm. I'm sure they must've also modified and strengthened certain parts, especially the subframe for luggage carry. Let me also not forget the humungous saree guard.

The marketing spiel promises good low end torque. The gixxer already has a decent low end. In case the VStrom's got even better low end, I'm guessing it would be running different sprockets.

Also still wondering if the suspension does indeed have more travel than the stated "generous" 120 mm or not. I mean, just how did they get the 4 cm extra ground clearance over the gixxer? Is it all just from the 19 inch wheel and tall profile tyres?

All accounted for, it still has me wondering if the 35,000 rupee hike is worth paying for. I estimate the on-road price would be around 50,000-55,000 higher where I live.

This is looking like a hard sell to me.

[Sudarshan42]

Originally Posted by drt_rdr

^^ I was wondering the same thing.

All accounted for, it still has me wondering if the 35,000 rupee hike is worth paying for. I estimate the on-road price would be around 50,000-55,000 higher where I live.

This is looking like a hard sell to me.

Agree. Now looking at options above and below this, like the 250 Adv above and the 250 nakeds below. Must be said though- very glad that there are more and more options in this 250 segment; this is easily the sweetest spot for those looking for a cocktail of value, performance and reliability. While the 'value' quotient gets diluted for anything with even a mild crossover feel, will wait for reviews of this before making any further decisions.

[Shumi_21]

Originally Posted by drt_rdr

Also still wondering if the suspension does indeed have more travel than the stated "generous" 120 mm or not. I mean, just how did they get the 4 cm extra ground clearance over the gixxer? Is it all just from the 19 inch wheel and tall profile tyres.

This has me scratching my head too. So I decided to look at a similar example of platform sharing in the BMW twins.

The G310R has a ground clearance of 165mm with suspension travel of 140mm front and 131mm rear. While the GS has a ground clearance of 220mm with suspension travel of 180mm front and rear. Similarly the seat height on the R is 785mm and that on the GS is 835mm.

Hence, IMHO, it's unlikely the ground clearance and seat height on the V Strom have increased only because of the 19" front. There's definitely some changes to the suspension travel on the V compared to the standard Gixxers.

Although this might just be confirmation bias from a Suzuki fanboy.

P.S: The VStrom SX is expected to be on display in dealerships in a week or so.

[drt_rdr]

I arrived at the same conclusion using the KTM duke and ADV. But I'm also guilty of being a Suzuki fanboy.

One look at the bike's manual should make it clear once the bikes arrive at the showroom.

Even if it still is roadbike spec suspension, atleast the bike still has the nice ground clearance to shame humps and potholes with.

[Waspune]

Yes the front suspension travel sounds less for a naked bike let alone the ADV but what has intrigued me is that they have put a 19’ front wheels so there ought to be some difference in the tuning of the suspension, even after not changing the travel per se .
CB200X just copied and pasted the suspension and wheels from the Hornet 2.0, not the case with the Vstrom.

Can’t wait to TD it. Of course it’s not a focused off-roader like the Himalayan/Xpulse but it should be at least as comfortable as 250 ADV and TRK 251. And the best part is that it undercuts both with a good margin.

[VijayAnand1]

A vacuum in their portfolio perfectly augmented by a great moniker the V STROM 250 SX. Albeit late to the party, not too late to miss out of the pseudo-ADV segment. From what I can augment from this launch, Suzuki had played it very safe. They've launched a cost effective motorcycle utilizing many of the same parts bin shared with their current gamut.

The motorcycle definitely feels refreshing from the current crop of ADVs. Most of the so called ADVs sold here in India are 70% road and 30% soft/off road biased, which they deliver without any qualms. The gamut that prefer these ADVs are 90% road biased as opposed to the 10% that do both, and that 10% demand can be perfectly satiated by this setup. As the monkier reflects SX, street/cross.

What's a plus with this motorcycle is its superb rev happy 250cc motor, fantastic oil cooling system (best in its segment) BHP/TORQUE figures that are perfectly enough for our roads and riding conditions and a front end that has a unique charm to it, especially the Yellow which just makes me swoon over it.

For a mid segment pseudo-jack of all trades ADV, this is one of the perfect contender when compared to the ADV250 and Yezdi Adventure's on road performance. Easy on pocket, a proven gem of a mill, fantastic looks and decent pricing. My personal hunch is that if Suzuki can get the servicing and spares lead time sorted, they have a thorough and a deserving winner on their hands.

Cheers!
VJ

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by drt_rdr

^^ I was wondering the same thing.
.

Also still wondering if the suspension does indeed have more travel than the stated "generous" 120 mm or not. I mean, just how did they get the 4 cm extra ground clearance over the gixxer? Is it all just from the 19 inch wheel and tall profile tyres?

All accounted for, it still has me wondering if the 35,000 rupee hike is worth paying for. I estimate the on-road price would be around 50,000-55,000 higher where I live.

This is looking like a hard sell to me.

Originally Posted by Shumi_21

This has me scratching my head too. So I decided to look at a similar example of platform sharing in the BMW twins.

The G310R has a ground clearance of 165mm with suspension travel of 140mm front and 131mm rear. While the GS has a ground clearance of 220mm with suspension travel of 180mm front and rear. Similarly the seat height on the R is 785mm and that on the GS is 835mm.

Hence, IMHO, it's unlikely the ground clearance and seat height on the V Strom have increased only because of the 19" front. There's definitely some changes to the suspension travel on the V compared to the standard Gixxers.

Although this might just be confirmation bias from a Suzuki fanboy.

P.S: The VStrom SX is expected to be on display in dealerships in a week or so.

From what I can infer, they cleverly made sure the exhaust setup is integrated and contained the mass perfectly centralized sans the bulbous collector box which is what effectively decreases the flat and perfect ground clearance on many motorcycles, i.e. if you'll observe the side stand pivot, how high it is, coupled with seat height and front wheel dia, the rake angle, all these subtle changes have effectively augmented the lack of long travel with a short travel. What's more interesting is this setup should not affect the bottom out clearance which is what an soft-roader needs.

Usually, most ADVs have long suspension travel, which is good, but this coupled with a softer spring setup makes the bike a pogo stick which the current gen, Hima and X Pulse are riddled with. From what I can infer I reckon it's a 41 mm fork setup that does duty on this STROM 250.

In short, I think it may have its discrepancies, as any vehicle for that matter, but nothing that should prevent an owner from enjoying it to the fullest.

Cheers!
VJ

[Sebring]

This will be a big hit with the college crowd and the colours (Yellow/Orange) reflect just that. Black is neither here nor there

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

the Yellow which just makes me swoon over it.

[drt_rdr]

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

From what I can infer, they cleverly made sure the exhaust setup is integrated and contained the mass perfectly centralized sans the bulbous collector box which is what effectively decreases the flat and perfect ground clearance on many motorcycles...

I'm not sure if I'm seeing what you're referring to. To my eyes, the exhaust system looks the exact same shape as what's on the gixxer. Same shape, same routing, same mounting points. Only difference appears to be that the gixxer has a belly cowl that hides the pipe.

I thought the rake angle had been pulled in too. But it turns out, it's supposedly been pushed out a bit for a more stable ride. Wouldn't that lower the GC a little?

What's more interesting is this setup should not affect the bottom out clearance which is what an soft-roader needs.

From the marketing video, it looked like the bike seems to be setup a bit on the stiffer side, similar to the gixxer. So, yeah, agreed, it shouldn't bottom out easily for average usage. Though not sure what level of aggressive riding it can take.

Originally Posted by Sebring

This will be a big hit with the college crowd and the colours (Yellow/Orange) reflect just that. Black is neither here nor there

Yeah, wish they'd done a grey instead.

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by Sebring

This will be a big hit with the college crowd and the colours (Yellow/Orange) reflect just that. Black is neither here nor there

College! Perhaps yes, but at the price that this thing retails for, not all students will have access to this thing. Personally though I loved the yellow, the red orange and black are truly absymal. They could have added a white livery with streaks of Suzuki Blue or a matte black with shades of yellow, which would make the DR DNA stand out. Perhaps they might! Who knows. I wish for a white and a black decal-ed one, would look dope.

Cheers!
VJ

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by drt_rdr

I'm not sure if I'm seeing what you're referring to. To my eyes, the exhaust system looks the exact same shape as what's on the gixxer. Same shape, same routing, same mounting points. Only difference appears to be that the gixxer has a belly cowl that hides the pipe.

I thought the rake angle had been pulled in too. But it turns out, it's supposedly been pushed out a bit for a more stable ride. Wouldn't that lower the GC a little?

From the marketing video, it looked like the bike seems to be setup a bit on the stiffer side, similar to the gixxer. So, yeah, agreed, it shouldn't bottom out easily for average usage. Though not sure what level of aggressive riding it can take.

Make no mistake, I am not a chassis engineering expert. The points here are my personal illation with respect to these pseudo-ADVs I've owned and ridden.

Let me throw in what I can confer along the lines, to your first para; this clean exhaust setup along with the chassis instrumentation is what has helped them achieve this decent ground clearance. It's not too top heavy, shouldn't feel like a pogo stick or a noodle of a chassis like the Himalayan does and feels.

The rake on the Strom is comparatively relaxed as opposed to the Gixxers. While the Gixxer runs a 17 incher, the Strom runs a 19 incher front. Now two inches is when taken with the front tire sidewall combination can offset the rake angle indifferences/deficiencies if I've understood your expression right, and if you'll notice the swingarm too is longer I reckon. All these translate to a relaxed softroad/tourer setup, which Suzuki is clearly calling for.

The journalists out there will test the mettle out of the Strom and provide their individual and detailed experiences which we all shall look forward to. But again, Suzuki with this product is clearly aiming the cost conscious and a segment that wants something that looks, feels and performs like a true blue ADV albeit in a de-tuned way for the average rider, and I reckon that's not bad.

Cheers!
VJ

[drt_rdr]

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

They could have added a white livery with streaks of Suzuki Blue or a matte black with shades of yellow, which would make the DR DNA stand out. Perhaps they might! Who knows. I wish for a white and a black decal-ed one, would look dope.

Here's your order, sirji + a little side dish of my own. I'd love a white one too.

Hopefully we'll see better colours from Suzuki for next year's models.

[MadRasTan4986]

This bike although a psuedo ADV has been positioned nicely by Suzuki. I think they have advertised it correctly by calling it a tourer. This is a beautiful engine. And Suzuki does suspension well to. I'm hoping with the extra travel, however little extra maybe will be useful and dialled in nicely.

This begs the quesiton, is Yamaha sleeping. They have a solid engine in the FZ250 which actually has been used for donkey years in an off road, dual purpose bike. Why didn't they think of this and bring one.