[Full_Minchingu]

Yes, the story began in mid-April 2022, when Team-BHP posted information about this bike. After more than a year of waiting, after around 9 test rides in multiples Suzuki showrooms in Bengaluru and after renting it for a day, I've finally purchased this bike, increasing my passion and love for motorcycling by many folds. As we go forward, I will explain why I waited so long.

With this short introduction I would like to welcome you all for the ownership review of – My 2023 Suzuki V-Strom SX 250.



Currently I have clocked just over 500 kms. Engine is still in break-in condition.

Likes –

• Smooth engine and linear power delivery.
• Love the looks and styling.
• Light weight and easy handling.
• Easy maintenance, service costs are not heavily priced.
• Good pillion comfort.
• Great milage.

Dislikes –

• Priced a bit high. Say 15-20 thousand more.
• Gears shifting are hard (Hopefully the first service should solve this).
• Seat height (835 mm), I’m 5’10 and I can flat foot. Issue is while I am on the bike, the foot pegs hit my calves when I pull it behind.
• Shocks are moderate (not to the level of Xpulse or Himalayan).
• Cleaning is not an easy task, there are lot of nooks and corners. Need more time to dust.

Which bike did I own previously?

During my college and engineering days, I was using TVS Scooty and Kinetic Nova. Soon after my graduation, my first motorcycling journey started with Karizma-R, used it till November 2015. Next was my Royal Enfield Classic Desert Storm which was the riding companion till August 2023.
As I write this ownership review, I realize a Storm (Desert Storm) has been replaced by another Strom (Suzuki V-Strom).

If you observe I have downgraded the bike capacity from 500cc to 250cc, however, I have upgraded in terms of safety features, reliability, comfort and so on. So, no regrets here.

Yes, with a heavy heart I had to bid farewell to my previous bikes. But was happy that the older ones were getting replaced with newer ones.

Picture taken during the Madikeri ride.



Shot during a ride to Magadi Town via Kommaghatta and Tippagondanahalli Lake



Breakfast ride to famous Nani Hotel, Vijayapura.

How did I select Suzuki V-Strom SX250 and what other bikes were considered?

During the purchase of my older bikes, I had no specific requirements to purchase, it was just an impact buy, MTV roadies and Hrithik Roshan made me buy Karizma-R. Having a motorcycle with plastic parts constantly rattling and failing made me want to own an all-metal Royal Enfield bike. Initially I had booked Classic 350 (maroon colour), waiting period was 3 months, I waited for 15 days or so. Later found that the Desert Storm was available immediately, so I made the full payment without hesitation.

Booking confirmation form of Classic 350 (Maroon)



Together with my two ex-bikes.



However, during the purchase of V-Strom, I made sure I know why I am buying a new bike and had made a list of requirements and considered many bikes which falls in my conditions. This is one of the reasons (reason #1) why I waited for more than a year to buy this bike. I did a through research, read multiple ownership reviews in Team-BHP, watched YouTube videos of many bikes to conclude on one bike.

My usage type is mostly inclined towards city usage and once in 2 months a day ride on highways. Percentage wise I’d say 80% city and 20% highway. Never did any off-roading or trails. No plans of doing it in the future as well.

Following were my requirements– if you see the requirements, except for couple of points rest were all the negative points of RE Desert Strom.



Bikes considered –



With these details it was easy for me to sort out the bikes which falls out of my requirements. For example, the tubed tyre ones were clear out of the contention and bikes which are more than 3 lakhs were never considered.

For some point of time, I had some inclination towards Dominar 400 as the specs were looking great on paper, except the weight rest other features are in my range of requirements, I did give a visit to the Bajaj showroom. I stay near to Dr. Rajkumar road Rajajinagar and every other bike showrooms are in my vicinity. The showroom I visited had no Dominar 400 for TD, the showroom’s front desk representative did not respond in the way I’d like. I did visit after few days, again this time the same behaviour, luckily there was a senior sales executive and I asked him about this bike, for which he said there are no TD bikes, but he was ready to offer me a bike which had come for service. For which I plainly rejected and did not even sit on it to have a look and feel. This shoddy behaviour made me think twice. I did not venture for a different showroom, after purchasing, there is a possibility that I must visit the same service centre near my home, which I would not enjoy.

Test drove the Hero Xpulse as well, though it was for short duration of time and kilometres, I kind of liked it, such a plush suspension and light weight. I would have considered this bike if I was fresh out of college (meaning I felt I am little older for this stylish bike) or if I already had a bigger capacity bike and used this as a second bike for city commuting. I felt a little underpowered compared to other bikes in the list.
Adding to the above, the service feedback in this Hero service centre is pathetic, it was one of the things I struggled with when I used to drop my Karizma-R off for service.



You may be surprised that why I have not added the new kid in the block, Triumph Speed 400. Well, by the time this new bike was in news, my focus had almost narrowed down to V-Strom. Moreover, since this was the new entry of Triumph with Bajaj, I wanted to know the long-term response.
I also did a TD of this bike, as soon as I saw this bike, I felt it was small compared to V-Strom (purely personal experience). Bike’s performance, handling and power was top notch, no doubt it is a great bike, but somehow as soon as I saw this bike - Dil Mein Guitar Nahi Baji (did not ring the bell in my heart). Eventually, this might be my next bike, assuming all the horror stories about Khivraj and Keerthi Triumph are resolved, if not this, at least another from Triumph.



My love for Suzuki V-Strom started to grow more and my requirements were almost matching with the V-Strom. As I said, I also rented this bike from Royal Brothers during July 2023, used it for a whole day in the bumper-to-bumper traffic, highways and broken roads. There was never a moment where I disliked this bike, every kilometer I rode was fun and much better compared to my RE Classic days. It was this decision that ultimately led me to purchase V-Strom.

How was the booking and purchasing experience?

There was no booking involved, yes, you read it right, it was direct deliver on the D-day. Let me get into the story, before that much thanks to the bike section sales manager Mr. Manjunath Naidu (henceforth referred as Naidu sir) from Sapthagiri Suzuki, Rajajinagar.

During the time frame of June 2022, I visited the Sapthagiri Suzuki showroom and met Naidu sir for the first time, to my surprise, he treated me with the utmost respect and kindness. Till then I had never met someone like him in any showroom, one of the best sales executives.
He gave me the TD bike's key, which was a new, ideally it was just ~1 month old. Took a photo of me on the bike with the helmet on and with the showroom representative as pillion. I couldn’t do a long TD, it was less than 5 kms. Since it was near my home, I took the bike home and showed it to my family, they were fine. They had no idea that how much I loved this bike.



As the days passed, during the month of July 2022, there was small pain in my left knee joint, this started to increase and in a weeks’ time the pain was intolerable. Got it checked with orthopaedic doctor and they diagnosed it as meniscus tear, for which I had to undergo an arthroscopic surgery. So, I lost nearly 3-4 months in getting back to normal, though I was fine after a month's time, that incision pain and sensitivity was still persistent, I did not want to venture out for a new bike with this condition. (Reason #2 for waiting more than a year).

In Jan-Feb 2023, I learned that Suzuki V-Strom was coming out with a 2023 version and it will be with new BS-VI norms. Consequently, I kept checking on the status of the latest bikes with Naidu sir on more than one occasion. (Reason #3 for waiting more than a year).

Finally, I got a call during May 2023 that latest version of V-Strom is available, I did visit the showroom to check the same, I noted the VIN number from the display bike and validated it for manufacturing date and indeed it was a 2023 bike.

Having a spiritual bent, I wanted to buy this bike on an auspicious day and got the dates as Aug 18th, 2023 or Sept 21st, 2023. My request for same-day delivery on Aug 18th was met with some hesitation by Naidu sir because he did not want to give me a false promise. He took a day's time, checked the stocks and he confirmed that he can indeed give me the bike on the same day, so the delivery date was fixed as Aug 18th. A same-day delivery was confirmed with the condition that only insurance would be done on that day, but registration would take 2-3 working days, for which I rightly agreed. It was also my understanding that we could not ride the bike on public roads without it being registered. Moreover, the puja date was fixed on Aug 21, 2023. I had enough time to just look at it in my garage and drool over it. Payment was done in cash by noon and by 4.30PM the delivery happened.

During the PDI, the day before the delivery, there were no major issues to be found, except for a small faded line (~4 inch line) on the front visor, it is something which many may not observe, even the phone camera was not able to capture it, however it caught my eyes, showed it to Naidu sir and he immediately agreed to change the visor. Got it changed after 4 days.

Overall, I returned home as a happy and satisfied customer with a new riding companion.
Please PM me if you need any more details on the dealer or Naidu sir.

Below images are taken during the delivery and puja. It was a very dull and low-key delivery event, throughout that day and the following day, Suzuki's MD and his subordinates visited, so everyone was in a hurry. Naidu sir asked if I could get the delivery from the MD the next day, due to the fact that my date was set for that day, I did not agree to it. So, I was fine with the minimum setup they had. I just wanted my bike that's it!









Following freebies were provided by the dealer and by Naidu sir -

Free insurance for 5 years (~14 thousand INR, 1st year comprehension + 4 years 3rd party).
EOM Crash Guard.
Tank pad sticker.
Full face helmet (Suzuki brand).







Part 01 - Complete

[Full_Minchingu]

How is the riding experience? Positives, negatives and much more...

Coming from a 500cc heavy machine, the light weight and nimble nature of V-Strom was fully attractive, I thought this bike is made for me. It is a motorcycle that I found so fascinating to ride because of its beautiful engine and it loves to be revved.
The refined 250cc engine is very easy to control or to deal with, I can travel at lower speeds in the city without having to make too many gear changes.
However, at the 4K to 5K RPM range the bike lacks a strong punch, while casually riding, I'm fine, but if I need to overtake, a downshift is necessary.
I can feel the buzz in my foot pegs at 4.5K RPM range that should eventually go away after subsequent oil changes, because the bike which I had rented had clocked ~13,000 Kms and I did not observe this behavior there.



Gear shifts are hard, especially while at 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear. The loud thud sound irritates a lot, I hope this settles after the first service.

Brakes are adequate, my usage will be 70% front and 30% rear, I am wary of the fact that the brake shoe tends to wear out too quickly, will keep an eye on this and update the thread with the details. I was hearing a squeaking noise from the rear brake especially when I take it out during mornings or after parking it for longer periods of time. Got it checked from the service center, they opened the brake shoe and cleaned it, for couple of days I did not hear that noise, but it was evident again. The issue was resolved when riding the bike during a heavy downpour with flooded roads, I guess there were probably dust particles accumulated and they got washed away in the rain. Nothing to say about the front brakes, they do what they are supposed to do.

Rear brake pads when removed at service center.





The suspensions are adequate and does its job as expected, I am neither fully satisfied nor unhappy, potholes are gobbled at ease. Occasionally, though, I find that speeding over humps causes me to miss my seated position. I will get the rear shocks adjusted during the first service.

The knuckle guards are a fancy addition, they are hard plastic without any metal support. It may divert shrubs, but it won't shield you from hard hits.

The front visor is an another USP on this bike, I liked it a lot, however, I can feel the air blast on my helmet visor, an extension is something I am contemplating.



I am not a big fan of fancy instrument console, my requirements are very clear, it should be a basic one which shows time, trips, tachometer and speedometer. Since I will calculate mileage by tank full-to-tank-full, the mileage numbers on the console do not matter. Rest other features available are all bonus for me. But for someone who is looking for more fancy looks with TFT, then this is a big disappointment for them.
To be frank I have used the turn-by-turn navigation only once to get a feel of it. Due to its cumbersome process, I think I will never use it in the future (this is purely personal experience, opinions from other riders may vary). Again, gear indicator is an added comfort for me.

RPM limiter is a good feature to have, from the factory it was set to 8K for my bike. I changed it to 4.5K (as per manual recommendation is 5K) till the 1st break in which is at 800 Kms. Next, I will change it to 7K till 2nd break in phase, which is at 1600 Kms, recommendation is also 7K. After break in, I will change it to 10K. The RPM backlit starts to glow if we cross the limiter value and the warning is quite visible and prominent.



The first time when I took the bike in the night, I observed that the headlights were pointing to the face of the opposite riders, I got it rectified at the service center. After this change the light spread is satisfactory for city usage, need to check the performance in the highways. Right now, I think I may not need any aux light support.



Rider’s seat is comfortable, as of now I am fine and have not faced any issues as such. Not to forget the best-in-class pillion comfort. During my previous bike ownership, which lasted around ~34,000 kms, my better half may have accompanied me for not more than 200 kms. She used to hate the pillion seat to the core.
With the new bike, she is more comfortable and loves taking the pillion seat. Although she felt a few jolts when I rolled over a couple of potholes, however, it didn't matter if I was moderately slow on broken roads and speed brakes. The pillion seat is slightly stepped up compared to the rider, but they are broader and softer.



This bike is silent compared to my Karizma-R's K&N filter exhaust note and the RE Desert Strom's famous thump, however, there is nothing more addictive than hearing the low grunt of this engine as soon as I fire it up and set off. It almost becomes silent once I reach higher speeds.


Mirrors do their job perfectly, zero vibrations seen on the mirrors. My previous bike's rear-view mirror was as useless as the second shift button on the keyboard, the bar end mirrors saved me from this disaster.
On this bike if mirrors are set properly, they give a good visibility of the things behind me. It is so broad and clear that I can easily predict the Bhavisya (future) of the people behind me.
One thing I observed, I did not see the usual message which I see on most of the rear mirrors “Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear”?



The half clutch crawling in 1st gear is next level, this is very useful in traffic, I use it almost all the time when I am in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Bike is definitely a looker, at least once in a day I will get queries from the people around me in traffic signals about cost of the bike, mileage etc.



I find it difficult to reach the console controls while riding, they are placed a bit out of reach. Moreover, the buttons are hard, I need to apply more pressure to toggle it. Day by day I am getting hold of it.
I sometimes feel that Suzuki engineers purposefully designed it this way, so the rider should not interfere with the controls while concentrating on the road.

If I switch off the engine using the engine kill switch in the traffic signal, the head lights will still be glowing, though they are LED the battery keeps draining, correct? I need to turn off the switch key to get the head lights off. I don't know if this is designed that way or is it a unique feature of Suzuki bikes, I have no prior experience on DRLs in bikes, need more advice here, please.

It is possible to lock the handle either turning left or right, I know this is not new, many 2-wheelers have this feature, new for me as my previous bike did not have this comfort. I find this is extremely helpful when parking my bike in compact areas.

The front indicator’s head oscillate rapidly like a tuning fork between 2.5K to 4K RPM range in 2nd and 3rd gear, it’s evident even on broken roads and rumble strips. This is very annoying.



In the front and back of the switch keyhole, there is a huge gap (around 4 inches). In case any small items, like keys or something falls at the front then it directly drops on the road, however, if it falls back of the switch keyhole, if you are lucky then it will fall on the road or else it will fall into a black hole. Getting it back requires removing the entire front assembly.



The horn on this bike isn't among the best in class. Sometimes I giggle when I honk, it’s that funny. I use it hardly ever and no plans of changing it, hence keeping it as stock.

The satisfaction of feeling your motorcycle hum in delight. Filling up the fuel tank for the first time.
Speaking about the mileage, first tankful-to-tankful returned me the mileage as 38.8 kms/ltr.



First ride in rain.



In conclusion as per the manufacturer’s tag line, Is this a “Master of Adventure”? Definitely not. I would like to rephrase the famous saying and term this bike as “Jack of many trades, master of some”.



Note: The observations above are based on the initial few hundred kilometers. As my riding experience progresses, these may change. In this ownership thread, I will ensure to record any further changes.

Anything else?

List of accessories installed –

Waterproof Bike cover from amazon.in (Model name - WEGATHER). Simple and basic one, servers the purpose. 99.99% dust will be kept out. Fits the bike perfectly.



Rubber gear shifter. I found it somewhat useful, planning to get a better one.



Paint Protection Film (PPF) from “The Detailing Mafia” from Rajajinagar. I got the auto healing UltrashieldX film applied on the tank, whole front fairing, visor and instrument console. Though it costed a packet, I wanted to have this at any cost. Too many touch points make them easily vulnerable to scratches. Also, the front visor is an easy target for scratches and markings while cleaning or wiping the dust.





The workmanship was too good and highly professional at this store, initially I was in a hurry to get it done, but when I saw their work, I left them unbothered and allowed them to take their own sweet time.

Are you done?

Yes, almost done, I want to sincerely express gratitude to the Team-BHP and the motorcycling fraternity of Team-BHP for their inputs, feedbacks, suggestions and reviews. I would have had an uphill task without this.
Special thanks to - neil.jericho, Sebring, sukiwa, VijayAnand1, drt_rdr, girimajiananth for their ownership reviews, honest and unbiased feedbacks.

Lastly, I am grateful to many YouTube channels from whom I have been learning a lot about motorcycling, namely – MotorInc, Bosky (from Big Bear Customs), Helmetdude, Typical Kannadiga, FalconRiders etc.

Disclaimer: Few images used from the internet are for representation purpose only. Image copyrights with their respective owners.

Yours Truly,
-Badri

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[DivyanshuDiv]

Congratulations, Badri.
This is such a beautiful looking machine and a gem of an engine. I hope you record some amazing experiences with this bike.

Have a happy and safe ride.

[Kashief]

Congratulations on your new purchase Full_Minchingu. Wish you happy and safe riding. Your determination on finding out right vehicle is excellent.

Originally Posted by Full_Minchingu

How is the riding experience? Positives, negatives and much more...

If I switch off the engine using the engine kill switch in the traffic signal, the head lights will still be glowing, though they are LED the battery keeps draining, correct? I need to turn off the switch key to get the head lights off. I don't know if this is designed that way or is it a unique feature of Suzuki bikes, I have no prior experience on DRLs in bikes, need more advice here, please.

Yes this is the case with few modern vehicles. Hope the manufacturers taken into account of battery usage while provisioning this setup and I don’t think it will cause issue in long run.

[Aditya]

Exceptional, unbiased & detailed ownership reviews of bikes have started going to our homepage reviews box. It's the ultimate stamp of trust from Team-BHP (as a platform) because lakhs of visitors every month check out reviews from there & make purchase decisions.

Your review has also been included here. Thank you so much for sharing .

[red250SX]

How are you finding the USB charging point? I'm noticing that is charges very slowly.
And when using the GPS for Google Maps it doesn't keep up the charge but goes backwards.
What are your thoughts on this?

[Castro Gunner]

Congratulations on your ownership Badri. Wishing you a lakh kms of fuss free ownership.

I can see that you have bought from Saptagiri Suzuki, Rajaji Nagar. If that showroom is nearer to you, I would highly recommend you to service with them. The service manager: Arun is an exceptional guy and their technician: Saleem does one peach of a job.

And you took the five year engine warranty?

[thunderlads]

Congratulations Full_Minchingu on the new ride. The hard gear shifts will get better after your first service and completely vanish after your second.

Originally Posted by red250SX

How are you finding the USB charging point? I'm noticing that is charges very slowly.
And when using the GPS for Google Maps it doesn't keep up the charge but goes backwards.
What are your thoughts on this?

It is a basic usb port with 5W power delivery. With modern phones coming with larger screens and bigger batteries, this power output seems inadequate.

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by Full_Minchingu

I find it difficult to........

FM, a neat heart-out post delivery tale, and let me be the one to congratulate you once again on your new acquisition and welcome to the Strom club.

In their chronological order

1.

I find it difficult to reach the console controls while riding, they are placed a bit out of reach. Moreover, the buttons are hard, I need to apply more pressure to toggle it. Day by day I am getting hold of it.
I sometimes feel that Suzuki engineers purposefully designed it this way, so the rider should not interfere with the controls while concentrating on the road.

The console buttons require a wee bit extra pressure than we're used to owing to the thick rubber press-pads coupled with the actual switch being recessed deeper which makes a sweat-job at times, but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy. With respect to reach, I have no trouble reaching the console from the seat, though it's a little far forward set. Again, takes a little getting used to, but you'll get there.

2.

If I switch off the engine using the engine kill switch in the traffic signal, the head lights will still be glowing, though they are LED the battery keeps draining, correct? I need to turn off the switch key to get the head lights off. I don't know if this is designed that way or is it a unique feature of Suzuki bikes, I have no prior experience on DRLs in bikes, need more advice here, please.

This design could have been thought out better. When the ignition is turned on, the headlight, tail lamp and license plate lamp all turn on in unison and if the engine is turned off with the ignition on, all three will power up and eventually drain the battery if not IGN is turned off. Suzuki should have designed it in such a way that it should light up only when the engine is fired up which saves battery life and the lamp units' lives. My bet, cost cutting.

3.

It is possible to lock the handle either turning left or right, I know this is not new, many 2-wheelers have this feature, new for me as my previous bike did not have this comfort. I find this is extremely helpful when parking my bike in compact areas.

The bike's handlebar locks in both the directions, so that's a plus

4.

The front indicator’s head oscillate rapidly like a tuning fork between 2.5K to 4K RPM range in 2nd and 3rd gear, it’s evident even on broken roads and rumble strips. This is very annoying.

The entire front fascia unit along with indicator stems buzz is common with all the Stroms I've personally encountered. Simply, there's no solution to it. As you've pointed the buzz is at the extreme low end and once the bike crosses 5k they settle down. The buzz/vibe doesn't induce any unduly rattles/squeaks as such, it's just that they vibrate and it's sometimes a lousy sight to behold. The hard gearshifts will progressively settle post the first and the following services. Hard gearshifts too are common with all the 250s from Gixxer to Strom, once they settle, the gearshifts are click-precise and spot on.


Hope it helps!

Cheers!
VJ

[thedarkriderVII]

Congratulations! I have purchased Vstrom SX 250 today as well. Great to be part of the Strom Family.

[MeanMachine]

Halfway through reading the blog I noticed that my list of the bikes is identical to yours! Eliminated the CB350 because I'm not much into the classic looks, yezdi's service centre experience was abysmal, xpulse was not enough powerful.

It was neck & neck competition between Himalayan, VStrom & Dominar.

On driving the Himalayan the bike was good but I couldn't see myself driving one, it felt too tall, and honestly the bike simply did not clicked like the Vstrom..

While test riding the Vstrom i noticed the headlight unit was vibrating too much. At that point I could see into the future and the thought of rattling headlight unit like old gen scooters steered me clear. The bike's power was enough for me coming from my 2012 Apache RTR180. In the end the taller seat height broke the deal, me and my wife being on bigger size I wanted the bike on which I could be flat footed. Bit lower seat height and a bit more power would've sealed the deal.

Enters the Dominar 400. That bike just felt right and I liked it right away. Looks are 'modern', standard accessories looked good, more than enough power that I'd ever use and what more the wife also liked the pillion seat of the Dominar more than the Vstrom.

Alllll the stars were aligned and went ahead with Charcoal Grey Dominar 400!

[sukiwa]

Originally Posted by Full_Minchingu

After more than a year of waiting, after around 9 test rides in multiples Suzuki showrooms in Bengaluru and after renting it for a day, I've finally purchased this bike, increasing my passion and love for motorcycling by many folds.

Congratulations. As Shumi had said in one of his videos, this bike needs multiple test rides to decide.

Seat height (835 mm), I’m 5’10 and I can flat foot. Issue is while I am on the bike, the foot pegs hit my calves when I pull it behind.

Need to understand your use case of sitting on bike while pushing it behind. With your past knee injury, it's better that you get down from bike before pushing it back.

Originally Posted by Full_Minchingu

Gear shifts are hard, especially while at 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear. The loud thud sound irritates a lot, I hope this settles after the first service.

I strongly feel that Suzuki doesn't ship the bike with fully-synthetic oil. Old adage of engine running-in with mineral/semi-synthetic oil. It doesn't make financial sense either as oil needs to be drained anyway at 800-1000 Kms interval. Once changed to fully-synthetic oil in first service, gear shift experience should be better.

To be frank I have used the turn-by-turn navigation only once to get a feel of it. Due to its cumbersome process, I think I will never use it in the future.

Same for me, I use it very rarely.

The first time when I took the bike in the night, I observed that the headlights were pointing to the face of the opposite riders, I got it rectified at the service center.

It's a miss during dealer PDI.

I find it difficult to reach the console controls while riding, they are placed a bit out of reach. Moreover, the buttons are hard, I need to apply more pressure to toggle it.

Agree, more so when you have to reset trip meter.

I need to turn off the switch key to get the head lights off.

It's a loose implementation of mandatory AHO (Auto Headlights On) from 2017. Very few manufacturers(TVS) implemented it well.

The front indicator’s head oscillate rapidly like a tuning fork between 2.5K to 4K RPM range in 2nd and 3rd gear, it’s evident even on broken roads and rumble strips.

It's bike's way of saying NO :-). Either lower speed/gear or move away from the spot quickly.

I would like to rephrase the famous saying and term this bike as “Jack of many trades, master of some”.

Perfectly worded.

I got the auto healing UltrashieldX film applied on the tank, whole front fairing, visor and instrument console.

Very good. When I had enquired with couple of detailers in Pune, I was told that PPF mayn't stick that well on few matte areas on tank. Good that it has worked out for you.

[Full_Minchingu]

Originally Posted by DivyanshuDiv

Congratulations, Badri.
This is such a beautiful looking machine and a gem of an engine. I hope you record some amazing experiences with this bike.

Have a happy and safe ride.

Thank you DivyanshuDiv for your kind words.

Originally Posted by Kashief

Congratulations on your new purchase Full_Minchingu. Wish you happy and safe riding. Your determination on finding out right vehicle is excellent.


Yes this is the case with few modern vehicles. Hope the manufacturers taken into account of battery usage while provisioning this setup and I don’t think it will cause issue in long run.

Thanks for your wishes. Yes, this time I wanted to select the best vehicle for me, but not the best of the best in the market.

Originally Posted by Aditya

Exceptional, unbiased & detailed ownership reviews of bikes have started going to our homepage reviews box. It's the ultimate stamp of trust from Team-BHP (as a platform) because lakhs of visitors every month check out reviews from there & make purchase decisions.

Your review has also been included here. Thank you so much for sharing .

Thank you so much Aditya ji for featuring my report on the homepage, it is such a pleasure to hear that my efforts have been paid off.

Originally Posted by red250SX

How are you finding the USB charging point? I'm noticing that is charges very slowly.
And when using the GPS for Google Maps it doesn't keep up the charge but goes backwards.
What are your thoughts on this?

Good question, I should have added this review in my initial report.
To be frank I did not find any issues, at home during ideal condition it would take 15 min to charge 20%, while on bike it would take 28 min to charge 20% with google maps running. So no complaints here, definitely it is not going backwards while using the maps. I use the OEM cable for charging in bike (fast charger one), I'd suggest you to try charging with a fast charging cable and let me know the feedback.

Originally Posted by Castro Gunner

Congratulations on your ownership Badri. Wishing you a lakh kms of fuss free ownership.

I can see that you have bought from Saptagiri Suzuki, Rajaji Nagar. If that showroom is nearer to you, I would highly recommend you to service with them. The service manager: Arun is an exceptional guy and their technician: Saleem does one peach of a job.

And you took the five year engine warranty?

Hello Castro Gunner, yes, I stay very near to this showroom and of course yes, my first service just got done from them and I am preparing the report for the same, coming up by this weekend. Arun and I met on the day of bike delivery and had a pleasant discussion. Saleem is one famous technician, I got to know about him a long time ago from this forum, and will not have anyone else work on my bike except him.
Yes, I took the 5 year engine warranty as well.

If you live nearby, I'd appreciate meeting up with you. I will PM you my phone number.

Originally Posted by thunderlads

Congratulations Full_Minchingu on the new ride. The hard gear shifts will get better after your first service and completely vanish after your second.

It is a basic usb port with 5W power delivery. With modern phones coming with larger screens and bigger batteries, this power output seems inadequate.

Thanks a lot thunderlads for your wishes. Good to know that the hard gear issue will be settled.
Do you really feel the power output is inadequate? I am interested to know more, because I did not face this issue. If this is common among the V-Stromers then I need to be prepared with power banks. My one of the main requirement was to have a decent USB charger port. I hope I am not disappointed with this USB port.

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

FM, a neat heart-out post delivery tale, and let me be the one to congratulate you once again on your new acquisition and welcome to the Strom club.


Hope it helps!

Cheers!
VJ

Hello VJ, thanks for your wishes. As always, your feedback has helped me a lot, not only with this review but with others in the past.

Originally Posted by thedarkriderVII

Congratulations! I have purchased Vstrom SX 250 today as well. Great to be part of the Strom Family.

Thanks thedarkriderVII for your wishes, Welcome the the family and dont forget to post your bike's pictures.

Originally Posted by MeanMachine

Halfway through reading the blog I noticed that my list of the bikes is identical to yours! Eliminated the CB350 because I'm not much into the classic looks, yezdi's service centre experience was abysmal, xpulse was not enough powerful.

It was neck & neck competition between Himalayan, VStrom & Dominar.

On driving the Himalayan the bike was good but I couldn't see myself driving one, it felt too tall, and honestly the bike simply did not clicked like the Vstrom..

While test riding the Vstrom i noticed the headlight unit was vibrating too much. At that point I could see into the future and the thought of rattling headlight unit like old gen scooters steered me clear. The bike's power was enough for me coming from my 2012 Apache RTR180. In the end the taller seat height broke the deal, me and my wife being on bigger size I wanted the bike on which I could be flat footed. Bit lower seat height and a bit more power would've sealed the deal.

Enters the Dominar 400. That bike just felt right and I liked it right away. Looks are 'modern', standard accessories looked good, more than enough power that I'd ever use and what more the wife also liked the pillion seat of the Dominar more than the Vstrom.

Alllll the stars were aligned and went ahead with Charcoal Grey Dominar 400!

Thanks a lot MeanMachine for your wishes. Congratulations on the Dominar, a beautiful bike. Sad that I couldn't get my hands on this machine. I take a look or two when ever I spot this bike in the traffic. I just love the exhaust note.
Why don't you prepare a ownership report for the same?

Originally Posted by sukiwa

Congratulations. As Shumi had said in one of his videos, this bike needs multiple test rides to decide.


Need to understand your use case of sitting on bike while pushing it behind. With your past knee injury, it's better that you get down from bike before pushing it back.

Very good. When I had enquired with couple of detailers in Pune, I was told that PPF mayn't stick that well on few matte areas on tank. Good that it has worked out for you.

It was a pleasure to hear from you, sukiwa san. Thank you so much.
While I have parked the bike or while I take it out from my garage I prefer sitting on the seat and pulling it behind. Habit which I developed from my previous bike. I should start learning the way you have mentioned.

I think I should have told this clearly in my initial report, I have not got the PPF applied on the matte areas of the tank, even the dealer suggested not to have it as it would not stick properly. It is applied only on the metal parts of the tank.

Regards,
-Badri

[thunderlads]

Originally Posted by Full_Minchingu

Do you really feel the power output is inadequate? I am interested to know more, because I did not face this issue. If this is common among the V-Stromers then I need to be prepared with power banks. My one of the main requirement was to have a decent USB charger port. I hope I am not disappointed with this USB port.

What I meant was that for some phones with bigger batteries, it might take more time for full charge. With google maps actively running with full brightness, it may consume more power and hence could not keep up the charge.

Is there any Bangalore V-Strom whatsapp group?