[TusharK]

According to a media report, Suzuki is likely to launch two new bikes in 2018. The Japanese bike maker will reportedly launch the GSX-S750 and showcase the V-Strom 650 at the 2018 Auto Expo.



The GSX-S750 borrows its design from the GSX-S1000 naked bike. It features a similar front cowl design and fuel tank. It gets upside-down front forks and a conventional box-section rear swing arm. The side-mounted exhaust is larger in size compared to the GSX-S1000.

The bike is powered by a 749cc, liquid-cooled, in-line 4-cylinder engine that produces 113 BHP @ 10,500 rpm and 81 Nm of torque @ 9,000 rpm. The engine is mated to a 6-speed gearbox. It uses 310 mm petal type discs with 4-piston Nissin calipers in the front and 240 mm rear disc with a single-piston caliper. Safety equipment like ABS and three-mode traction-control is expected to be part of the standard package.



The V-Strom 650 takes design cues from its bigger sibling - the V-Strom 1000. The is powered by a 645cc engine paired with a 6-speed gearbox. It comes equipped with on/off road tyres, raised suspension offering higher ground clearance, hand guards and engine protection. In the international market, the V-Strom 650 is available in two variants - V-Strom 650 ABS Adventure and V-Strom 650XT. According to sources, this bike will be priced similar to the Kawasaki Versys 650.

Both the GSX-S750 and V-Strom 650 will most likely be imported into India as completely knocked-down units (CKDs). However, there has been no official confirmation from Suzuki yet.

Source: Bikewale

Link to Team-BHP News

[mail4ajo]

Must say this will be a great step for Suzuki provided priced sensibly. The GSX S series are great for our Indian conditions and the 750 will make it more accessible.

Not everyone wants a Hayabusa or Boulevard. Had an opp to ride the 2017 model 750 non ABS and was super impressed. Very smooth and well balanced unlike the Yamaha MT09.

I will still prefer the Z900 and STriple over this for lower weight, better quality and value for money which could be biggest challenge for Suzuki in India. Both brands are well-established in the Indian big bike scene.

Suzuki needs one powerful advantage and I can only see price.

[mobike008]

Wonderful move by Suzuki and it's about time it woke up and started smelling the coffee in India!!

I had an opportunity to ride the latest Suzuki Vstrom 650 in Thailand for about 1000kms and was extremely impressed with this motorcycle

It is the perfect competitor for Versys 650 and is better than it in quite a few parameters too

Only key aspect would be pricing and if they price it 75,000 to 1 Lakh more than Versys 650 only then they will succeed.

However, the sweet spot to topple the massive success of Versys 650 in India would be to price it exactly similar to Versys 650. If this happens, I would choose the Vstrom over the Versys any day due to the higher equipment levels as for most of the parameters they are almost identical

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by mobike008

I had an opportunity to ride the latest Suzuki Vstrom 650 in Thailand for about 1000kms and was extremely impressed with this motorcycle

It is the perfect competitor for Versys 650 and is better than it in quite a few parameters too

Hi,

One specific question. In terms of the "tall" and "heavy" factor, how does the V Strom 650 compare to the Versys (or the Tiger 800 for that matter). Is it shorter, taller etc? How did it feel. Just asking because the Tiger 800 is accessible by a really wide range of riders while the Versys really can be a bit too big for many.

Thanks

[anandpkumar]

In my opinion, Suzuki should also consider bringing in the SV650 to India. This is a fantastic entry level superbike (by Indian standards), and can compete with the likes of the Kawasaki Z650, Benelli 600, HD750 etc. Price it a notch below the Z650, and this one could be a real seller.

Having owned both Suzuki and Yamaha superbikes when I lived in the US, I feel that Suzuki makes very competent products, but are not pushy when it comes to sales & marketing. The 20K odd miles (32K km) that I used my Suzuki Katana (750 cc) were absolutely hassle free, and did not cost me much in terms of regular maintenance. Was definitely a 'fill it-shut it-forget it' kind of bike. Never let me stranded anywhere - except for punctures!

The SV650 is a proven bike, and has gone through some major overhaul this year to make it a more compelling proposition against the likes of Kawasaki Z650, Yamaha MT07 etc. An ideal time for Suzuki to consider bringing this to India. Would love to see Suzuki taste success with their bigger bikes in India.

best,
anandpkumar

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by Axe77

One specific question. In terms of the "tall" and "heavy" factor, how does the V Strom 650 compare to the Versys (or the Tiger 800 for that matter). Is it shorter, taller etc? How did it feel. Just asking because the Tiger 800 is accessible by a really wide range of riders while the Versys really can be a bit too big for many.

Have you read my comparison report of Versys 650 vs. VStrom 650?

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/superb...ml#post4248463

Honestly, Do you seriously think someone who can ride a Tiger 800 cannot ride a Versys 650?

Is the seat height only aspect to look at for shorter riders to be comfortable? There are plenty of 5.5 height Versys 650 and some of them I know personally and they are clocking some serious miles.

One of them has even completed 40,000kms in 1.5 years of ownership

Versys 650 is 840mm seat height and Vstrom is 835mm whereas the Tiger is marginally lower at 830mm.

I do agree that flat-footing gives additional confidence to a rider but, If the rider is skillful enough I dont think that 840mm seat height is a deal breaker

To answer your specific question, VStrom 650 seat height is taller than Tiger and wheelbase is longer than the Versys 650 (as you can make out from the pictures) and it should be "slightly" more comfortable with respect to flat footing it than the Versys 650

It does not have a peppy engine like the Versys 650 but, other than that it is hard to tell any difference or highlight any downsides about the Vstrom 650

We did the famous Mae Hong Son Loop which has 1864 curves and in those riding circumstances, VStrom 650 power itself was an overkill. Perfect bike in my opinion to do this loop is the Honda CBX 500 (as seen in pic) to tackle those mind-blowing curves which was sweet to ride

I did this loop on VStrom 650



Spotted this Versys 650 owned by a Thai Military Officer near Don Inthinon Park Military zone and just for a comparison took these pictures. Check out the wheelbase. VStrom is longer....







A few more pictures along the ride

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Have you read my comparison report of Versys 650 vs. VStrom 650?



http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/superb...ml#post4248463

At the time i asked - No. But this post, while it describes several aspects of the ergonomics doesnt give specific data on ride height.

Originally Posted by mobike008

Honestly, Do you seriously think someone who can ride a Tiger 800 cannot ride a Versys 650?



Is the seat height only aspect to look at for shorter riders to be comfortable? There are plenty of 5.5 height Versys 650 and some of them I know personally and they are clocking some serious miles.



One of them has even completed 40,000kms in 1.5 years of ownership



Versys 650 is 840mm seat height and Vstrom is 835mm whereas the Tiger is marginally lower at 830mm.



I do agree that flat-footing gives additional confidence to a rider but, If the rider is skillful enough I dont think that 840mm seat height is a deal breaker

I havent said anywhere that flat footing is a must to be comfortable. (I dont flat foot even my striple). But general ride height its certainly a factor, along with the seat width, inherent balance of the way the weight is distributed as well as the weight itself.

There is also always a certain height with which someone is comfortable and a level beyond which one is less comfortable. If you are tippy toeing on a really heavy and tall ADV, then that is certainly a factor you wont ignore.

Tiger XRX is 810 mm on low seat setting while the Versys is heavier AND 840 mm. I am 5 ft 3.5 in - so at that height, the 30 mm is a significant difference in comfort. Will I be able to ride a Versys - sure. Will I be significantly more comfortable riding a Tiger XRX - ABSOLUTELY!! Would that be a key factor (not only factor, but key factor) in any purchase decision of similarly priced ADVs - 100%. In fact, I have ridden a GS 1200 which is certainly taller than the Tiger and was very comfortable on it. I didnt feel the same comfort on the Versys though - I dont know why that is. Just something about how beautifully balanced the GS felt to me.

Cheers,

[anandpkumar]

Originally Posted by Axe77

But general ride height its certainly a factor, along with the seat width, inherent balance of the way the weight is distributed as well as the weight itself.

There is also always a certain height with which someone is comfortable and a level beyond which one is less comfortable. If you are tippy toeing on a really heavy and tall ADV, then that is certainly a factor you wont ignore.
Cheers,

You are quite right about that. While an experienced short rider will be able to handle a taller bike, a lot depends upon the width of the seat (narrow seats helps) as well as the weight distribution and even the weight of the bike

As an example the Suzuki Katana 750 that I had (in the US) has a seat height of 790mm, but is a heavy bike at around 225 kg. I (at 5' 6'') could flat foot the bike, but the weight of the bike was always something I felt - especially at slow speeds and while moving the bike with my legs. In contrast, the Yamaha R1 that I bought after selling the Katana had a seat height of around 830mm, but was much lighter at 170 kg. Even though I could not flat foot the yamaha, and only half of both my feet could touch the ground, I was far more comfortable with the yamaha than the heavier suzuki.

In my opinion, the weight and the weight distribution of the bike is a big factor for shorter bikers. As you said, a tall heavy bike will be difficult for shorter riders - but a tall lighter one should be manageable.

best,
anandpkumar

[Bhatman510]

Originally Posted by anandpkumar

In my opinion, Suzuki should also consider bringing in the SV650 to India.

I regularly commute on a SV650S (Faired Version) and also have ridden the older versions of the V-strom (USA has had the V-twin bike since 2002). Does not ever feel to need more power on the Highway. For India I think it should be an ideal product to deploy due to the simplicty of the bike and its usage (other countries use it a beginner bike)

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Bhatman510

I regularly commute on a SV650S (Faired Version) and also have ridden the older versions of the V-strom (USA has had the V-twin bike since 2002). Does not ever feel to need more power on the Highway. For India I think it should be an ideal product to deploy due to the simplicty of the bike and its usage (other countries use it a beginner bike)

Same can be said about the Kawasaki Z650, but then - the sales numbers show that it has not become as popular as the (more expensive) Ninja 650 and the Versys 650 options. I feel our country is not yet ready for such products which neither look retro, nor feels special - and the Japanese twins surely lack character as well.

GSX-S750 is an interesting proposition on the other hand IMO. Kawasaki has priced the Z900 at 7.68L, whereas Honda has priced the CBR650F at 7.3L. Both are inline4 machines and have their fair share of takers - with the Kawasaki being seen as more value despite being a naked. Will be interesting if Suzuki can undercut these two - and become the cheapest Japanese inline4 option in the market. It already looks like a mini GSXS1000, so will do rather well in terms of street acceptance too.

[volkman10]

Suzuki to launch India-assembled V-Strom 650; Kawasaki Versys rival.

Suzuki is planning to launch a new adventure bike in the Indian market. It’ll be the high-end V-Strom 650 but with an affordable price tag. This is because Suzuki plans to assemble the bike in India. The company already builds the high-tech Hayabusa at its Manesar factory by first importing completely knocked down (CKD) kits from Japan, and assembling these kits into finished bikes in India. Something similar will happen with the V-Strom as well.

link

[Hammer & Anvil]

This is as good as rumors get.
The XT model will be the only one coming to India. The bike is being showcased at the AutoExpo and will be on the roads by April/May. The pricing is going to be about a Lakh or more than the Versys650.
The pricing for the nearest big boys, the F750 and F850 from BMW will be starting from 11L onwards and wont look back, which gives Suzuki all the place in the world to brag about being about 10-odd HP more than the Versys650 (70 versus 59). That then they will leverage to say that we are a better all-round bike, being a newer version too.
The naked Versys 650 coming in for 8.1L OTR in bangalore, when I last read/checked, with no competitor till 11L makes me reasonably sure that the VStrom650 will hit the roads at over 9L.
Suzuki VStrom 1000 sold an dismal 14 bikes in Maharashtra (unless someone really comes with better verified figures) they were out done by the Africa Twin at 62 all over India. This makes me wonder, if the companies are like 'satisfied' with entering this market and selling something just to drizzle on the grass?
Himalayan is desperately trying to breathe life into the revamped Himalayan, and with the now very visible noise about quality and design concerns wrt the 650 twins. No one else is making a tourer, and my complaint seems to be wallowing in the bad roads, with no help in sight.
Triumph made hay while the sun shone and only off late the BMW GS family has managed to swipe some sheen off their sales- albeit in small numbers. There is a very dedicated Suzuki family in India and if they come out with some ridiculous tag (9+) and a dismal number of bikes, like 100- I would be very disappointed that India can offer the 2L Himalayan or the 13-14L+ Tigers.
The disappointment will stem more from the fact that we have such beautiful destinations- Lonar Crater, Gurudongmar lake, the dethroned Cherrapunji rain king town, that the quick and good way to tour would be back to some bike that will take forever to reach the foothills to most of the nations population.
I await Suzukis pricing.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Hammer & Anvil

which gives Suzuki all the place in the world to brag about being about 10-odd HP more than the Versys650 (70 versus 59). .

Sir, the versys 650 makes a healthy 68 hp and will give the v strom a run for its money in the canyons.

Zuki service for big bikes is not their bread and butter. I would think very hard before buying one.

[Hammer & Anvil]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Sir, the versys 650 makes a healthy 68 hp...
Zuki service for big bikes ...

For some reason, I was pretty sure about the HP being lower than 68... maybe some documents at ARAI- Anyway, I stand corrected on that.

1. Having owned a few Harleys and the odd Ninja 650, I find that riders from Bangalore, for example, are very happy with the Kawa family bikes. Mumbai has had a lemon for the Kawasaki A.S.S provider, with the court cases and the shutdown of the store, followed by the KTM/Bajaj v Kawa service divorce.
Well maintained bikes of this category really dont need servicing and spares, and owners should be mentally ready for some bad luck (meaning 2 or 3 months of just plain wait), should something go wrong.
2 Talking of ease of service, a HD is the easiest to service with an oil+filer change, whereas- reaching an air filter of a Ninja650- is something you should try at home. At the same time a rear tire on a HD fatboy, should you need to remove and refit, would be a herculean task, just as Triumph has decided not to give you a '17 ka pana' to remove your front tire in case of a puncture. So, yes, every bike has its + and -, and am sure if the owners know their bikes they will be ok with the 'subtle nuances' of their bikes.

The summary of the above two is- even though the number of Vstrom 1000s sold is low, the number of bikes for sale across India, when I last checked was ONE, in Bangalore. The number of VStrom 1000s stuck for spares or service is ZERO. Which means that while I note your point on the 'poor' sales and service backup, its not necessary that it should have any bearing on the performance of the vehicle or its sales for that matter.
Harley has 21 Stores across India and I can assure you that 11 (if not more) of those would have to resort to some 'jugaad' to fix the bike should a problem arise.

While aware of the poor Suzuki network, all because of some tie up with an entity to handle the same and their refusal/stubborness to get into large format stores (atleast like Honda, if not Kawasaki), I would approach the bikes with what some rider summed up about the Vee-s'
"Regular maintenance would need to change the Oil, oil filter, check the radiator hoses + coolant, brake pads, chain lube- and a chain and sprocket every 35000Km would be all you need to keep your Vee going forever."

This is what the 100-odd 1000 owners are doing in India.

[Nilesh5417]

Originally Posted by Hammer & Anvil

Well maintained bikes of this category really dont need servicing and spares, and owners should be mentally ready for some bad luck (meaning 2 or 3 months of just plain wait), should something go wrong.

I agree with this - no matter what make you go for, if you have a local mech / garage that can stand as a decent back up (esp. for cases where you can manage to get parts / spares for small odd jobs), you can keep the bike running. I think that is true even for Ducati or BMW which have limited sales & service network. For tough / complicated jobs, its best to go to the A.S.S and irrespective of the make, they will take for ever to source spares. I know someone who rides a Versys here in Pune and gets all his "maintenance / upgrades" (mostly cosmetic like screen, guards etc) done with Kunal and all his "service" done with Kundan Kawasaki. He is extremely happy with this arrangement cause it keeps both his warranty and bike working like a charm.

This opinion is based on my ongoing research before i take a plunge next month so am glued to any discussions on maintenance ease / cost.