2009 Suzuki V-Strom 650 Dual Sport reviews

Like many others have said, I wish I had this bike years ago. It is a better commuter than my cruisers were, and better off road, even though it is not a dirt bike, than any pure street bikes. Excellent at nothing, but good at most. What more can I say? Show less

After my teenager days on a Vespa three years ago I decided to go back into the motorcycle fun. I got myself a Honda Shadow Aero. It was a great bike for two years, but the sitting position was not ideal for me. Someone suggested me to switch to the on/off-road style, because it supports the natural curve of the spine. I looked around, BMW and Moto Guzzi were my first choices but they were expensive. A BMW rider suggested to me the V-Strom. I loved the style and look right away, did some online research, chatted with a few eurodudes who use the V-Strom for commute and long rides. I opted for it. Since May, 2010 I have a gorgeous orange V-Strom 650, new for $6,450.00. After almost 18k miles in one year and three months here is my opinion. Keep in mind I'm not the most experienced biker, I know the Vespa and Honda Aero. I'm fully satisfied with the V-Strom and the 650 engine. My sitting position is great, no lower back issues at all, throttle and torque responds good in town and on highways . Actually this can be a very reactive bike, plenty of torque and 6-speed gear, so use good judgment. Personally I never squeeze the gears or allow the rpm. to high. The CG is high, so I needed to get used to a tall bike. Fuel consumption on the highway riding around 60-65 mph. is around 57 mpg. I've been riding on I-44 between Oklahoma City and Lawton. The V-Strom holds the 75 mph. limit easy, with 5800 rpm and around 48 mpg. The rear tire lasted 14k miles, the front tire 17k. I do occasionally have a passenger. We made a trip from Lawton, OK to Palo Duro Canyon in Texas with no problems at all, including baggage. Our average speed on Texas farm roads and highways was 50 mph. The passenger seat is very comfortable. I lube the chain every 200-300 miles. The original windshield is useless. I added GIVI crash bars, MRA vario wind screen (this is a +++), Motech center stand (a must to ease your lube job), handle bar covers and the Air Hawk 2 cushion seat (this is a +++) and a KAOKO throttle lock. I may add some additional lights from PIAA. Again, I'm very happy with the V-Strom. I don't see a personal need to have the 1000cc engine. I bring it in for maintenance every 3,500-4,000 miles, religiously check my tires for proper pressure and use a bright green vest most of the time. On July 9, I was involved in an accident against a Chevy truck, riding 25 mph. The crash bars did an excellent job and my Nolan 42 helmet did an excellent job. Show less

I have had my Wee-Strom for three weeks now, and have put about 300 miles on it. I have had several bikes over the years, and can honestly say that this is the bike I should have bought a long time ago. It has plenty of power (more than enough to get me in real trouble), good ergonomics (even for my troublesome knee), handles very well, is light (much lighter than any of the cruisers I have had in the past) and makes me smile whenever I ride it. My only complaint is that the seat is kind of marginal, but that should be an easy fix. All in all, this is the best bike I have ever had and plan on keeping it for a long, long time. Show less

I read all the forums on this bike. I came from a Vulcan 750 cruiser. This bike rode smooth like an electric bike. I couldn't tell if it was running at freeway speed! It's smooth, fuel injected, nimble, and has perfect power for touring/city. It gets 50 plus miles a gallon. It's a higher than average bike but it allows me to see through traffic and be seen better. It has an excellent headlight! It is a chain drive so maintenance is pretty frequent for me since I put about 2,000 a month easy. So what, I learn how to clean and lube chains....bought the warranty plan so that all I really need to do now is ride baby ride! The representative at the dealership was really helpful and all about customer service (which is my big pet peeve). He advocates for the customer and doesn't seem like he is out to hustle you. It's an excellent bike for the money. Buy one now that the interest rate is low! Show less

I bought my 09 V-Strom 650/ABS because I broke my right wrist and elbow (slipped on some ice) and can no longer lean forward on my wrist on a sportbike or stretch my elbow out on a big cruiser. I went to the local motorcycle show and sat on everything, looking for a comfortable fit for my bad arm. The V-Strom was a perfect fit, and the 650 seemed lightweight enough so I bought it. I assumed it would not be like my Ducati or my Honda 1300 cruiser...what I never expected is it would be better than both, and better than every bike I have owned over the last 25 years. Obviously, no bike is perfect, and if you need a long distance touring bike for two-up with lots of luggage, or you need a pure dedicated sportbike so you can weave in and out of 55 mph. traffic at 100 mph., of course look elsewhere. But if you want a supremely comfortable bike you can easily tour on, that gets 300 miles between fill ups, commutes effortlessly with great visibility and handling, or attacks twisties with its smooth sportbike motor that easily revs to 10k, all with outstanding reliability, then look no further. This is your bike - and for all it does, it is a bargain. It truly is an incredible, all-rounder. The only problem - it is a tall bike so shorter riders may have some problems. I would have never even considered this bike if I had not hurt my arm - now I look at all my buddies on their crusiers and wonder if there aren't V-Stroms on every corner instead of 700 lb. Harleys. But it is a bit like a cult bike - just check out Stromtrooper.com to see how the rest of the world love these things. I wish I would have bought a bike like this a lot sooner - don't make the mistake I made, don't wait, just do it now. And no, you don't have to thank me. Show less

I bought it new in April, 2010. I primarily use it for my daily commute and I get 57 mpg. on average with my best mileage being 62+mpg. on one tank. It has plenty of power for me and handles well. I like the upright seating position. It's just an all-around fun bike to ride and economical! Show less

I ride in an area that has highways, lots of winding county roads, really narrow beat-up paved roads and unpaved back roads. My two previous bikes were better on highway and paved county roads, but were geared too tall and were too heavy for technical, narrow, paved and unpaved back roads. This bike is tall, not too heavy, geared well, and is capable of touring on the slab, running on twisty county roads and great on technical, narrow paved and unpaved low-speed back roads. It does them all very well. I had a BMW and a Ducati previously and while they were great bikes, the maintenance was a killer if you put on higher than average miles in a season like I do, particularly if you don't wrench yourself and have to take it to the dealer. The Suzuki oil change was $39 bucks!!! Nothing has gone wrong. It's as fast as I want to go, and it is bright orange!!! But I love the bike and it's jack of all roads ability. Show less

I'm 6'1, 235 pounds and 66 years old. My last bike was a Victory Vegas. When I transitioned from the Vegas to the 'Strom' I really felt cramped. I have to get off the bike about every hour and walk around. I get a 'charlie horse' at my leg/thigh area and have a hard time straightening out my legs. Other than that, the 'Wee Strom' is a great bike with surprising power and very good handling. A Harley 88ci puts out 64hp. The 650 Strom is 67hp and weighs 200 pounds less. That should give you an idea of its performance. Show less

After 4000 miles, I have no complaints, especially after I replaced the factory seat with a Corbin/Holeshot seat. There's a remarkable difference - no time/mileage limit to the seat. I must caution, if you are contemplating this seat, the seat height is lower. But due to the increased width of the seat, your legs are splayed apart far more than stock, thus decreasing your reach to the ground. I have a 32" inseam and now can barely have both feet touch the ground. Show less

I decided I wanted something that would be more suited to long rides. Looked at a few others but decided on the Weestrom. Bought it at the Vancouver bike show so had to fly over to Burnaby to pick it up. 660km ride back. So far I am loving it. Much better ride than a cruiser, better handling, and comfy! I find it very easy to ride in slow traffic in town but has more than enough power to get up to speed and stay there on the hwy. Considered the 1000 but happy that I went with the 650. The ride home had everything from rain to slushy snow to deer on the road. Would have taken longer on a cruiser, but then this is a motorcycle and not a fashion accessory :) Try one out. You will be assimilated ;) Show less