The Suzuki V-Strom Adventure bike was first launched way back in 2002 as arguably the ugliest motorcycles of the decade, but it had one redeeming feature; a sweet V-twin engine.
A couple of years later, the 650 came along, and lo and behold, Suzuki managed to make it even uglier, but it still came with a sweet V-twin! Unlike every other Japanese manufacturer in the industry, who have all favored the parallel twin layout for their middleweight motorcycle offerings, Suzuki have persisted with their tried and tested V-twin configuration.
Although it most certainly is the party trick that makes the V-Strom stand out, that most certainly isn’t all it has to offer, it actually has a lot more going for it than most people give it credit for.
10 Love: Low Seat Height
As far as adventure bikes go it was fairly slim pickings for the vertically challenged in the 2000s, for over a decade it was the V-Strom that has filled that void with a relatively approachable seat height of 32 inches.
There is now more competition than ever before in the middleweight Adventure bike market, but the V-Strom still stands tall (excuse the pun) among the competition from all the other brands that have entered this market segment.
9 Wouldn’t Buy: Ground Clearance
To achieve that approachable seat height, sacrifices have to be made in some areas, most notably in the suspension.
Not only do you have to take a hit in getting a more rudimentary conventional front fork, but you lose out in suspension travel too. Although the rear features remote adjustability, it has a fairly limited range. This means its soft underbelly is left exposed and rather close to the ground.
8 Love: Affordable
The base model of the V-Strom comes in at under $9,000 which is just incredible value for a motorcycle like this.
At this price point it is pretty much unbeatable, but if you look to the used market you will find even more value as the typical V-Strom owner simply does not abuse the bike, and you will likely get all the necessary mods for free.
7 Wouldn’t Buy: Necessary Optional Extras
Therein lies the problem, the base model V-Strom is very much the blank canvas of the Adventure bike world. In fact, you could make a decent argument that it isn’t an Adventure bike at all in base trim.
If you want it to be an off-the-shelf Adventure bike, you will either need to check several options boxes, or simply start with the more expensive 650XT Adventure. Even the 650XT and XT Adventure still come with street oriented tires.
6 Love: V-Twin
As far as peak power figures go, Suzuki is indeed outgunned, but the way the engine delivers its power is what truly sets it apart.
The 90 degree V-twin is naturally smooth as all vibration is canceled out by the two pistons, the bike revs freely and can easily keep up with just about anything on the road as its superior torque helps it accelerate quickly.
5 Wouldn’t Buy: Heavy
Fully fueled and with some basic luggage attached you are looking at a 500 pound motorcycle, and although it is pretty light and nimble once you get going, it is not going to be an easy bike to pick up when you drop it.
Dropping a bike is not something all motorcyclists want to talk about, but it is always a possibility and if you are going to take it on a trail, it is a certainty. The bike is affordable because Suzuki paid for their tooling years ago, both the engine and chassis are dated, which means they are a lot heavier than the more modern opposition.
4 Love: Reliable
Dated doesn’t always equate to bad, it is a proven platform with proven reliability and a robust aftermarket.
It is a real Japanese machine that will go on forever as long as you take care of basic maintenance, the only real complaints people have is that the exhaust takes a bit of a beating and that exposed oil filter will give anyone nightmares off-road.
3 Wouldn’t Buy: Ugly
Since it was first launched right up until now, the V-Strom has worn a face only a mother can love, it is one of the few objectively ugly bikes out there.
For the thousands of V-Strom buyers that is the least of their concerns though, with most buyers more interested in putting miles on their ugly bike than looking at it.
2 Love: Touring Monster
This bike was pretty much designed from the ground up to soak up highway miles, it is as comfortable as any of the bigger tourers on the market, even its 1050 sister.
If you are after a bike to do touring on then the V-Strom offers unbeatable value, it is comfortable, reliable and more efficient than just about any other motorcycle.
1 Wouldn’t Buy: Limited Off-Road Ability
Unfortunately where the V-Strom falls apart is as an Adventure bike, this, no matter what modifications you make, will always be compromised off-road.
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For the growing contingent of Adventure bike enthusiasts who are interested in getting a bike that can do both highway and trail duty, there are several better options out there.