Ride Review: 2014 Suzuki V-Strom 650 ABS

2014 Suzuki V-Strom 650 ABS (test ride)

The Wee-Strom rep is of a bike that magically hits that sweet spot of alchemy where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts…something that the larger 1000cc V-Strom never accomplished. It really is a sweet ride that never feels underpowered despite its 645cc displacement. 

It handles intuitively, feels light, taught & well damped despite basic suspension components...feels right sized for my frame size allowing both feet flat footed at stops (Suzuki offers a taller & lower version but is unadjustable)...has a very comfy seat with room to move around on & provides decent wind protection that can be improved nicely with aftermarket windscreens. 

The real jewel is the motor & tranny, which are sublime in feel (clutch take up & feel was superb, despite being cable vs hydraulic) + reasonable performance (providing you aren’t expecting 150 hp excitement)…given the displacement it will never feel big twin torguey (although surprisingly all the big twins I’ve ridden lately need 3+k rpm to dance), but in combo with the superb tranny & free revving, broad power band of the motor, feels surprisingly snappy & punchy (even off idle) with reasonably quick acceleration.

I found it fun to ride & accelerate out of corners & run up the revs while always feeling smooth & refined, fueling was impeccable evening running sub 2,500 rpm in any gear. The motor doesn’t so much produce noticeable vibration, but rather what you feel is more akin to a pleasant mild distant massage…likely owing to the small power pulses & refined balancing of this little gem….it is a pleasant power plant without intrusive mechanical noise & while the exhaust has a nice constrained twin rumble just off idle it would be delightful with an aftermarket pipe allowing a few more db & bass out. 

It tracks naturally thru corners bending in almost telepathically as if on rails. The only chink in the armor is the brakes, which feel soft & spongy with little initial bite, but that might be because this was a brand new bike with few kms on it. 

I like the side by side twin H4 headlights that both light & the instrumentation which has an analogue tach & digital everything else...but no self-cancelling turn signals. 

I think part of what makes the V-Strom 650 so easy to get along with is the smaller twin power pulses vs those of the bigger bore twins that produce increasingly stronger pulses as rpm rises. The Wee-Strom makes up for the lack of brutish power with its overall refinement & broad, but blander by comparison power band that can offer up enough urgency for most in the real world.

It comes in red, white, black & blue & 3 versions of which 2 have bags & top box options (my helmet fit in the left bag & top box of SE bike in pic below)…base model discounted to just $7,999 from the factory MSRP of $9,099. The SE model is about $1,100 more & the Expedition model with 3 metal bags another $700 more than the SE. The base model may be the way to go because the crash bar & both sets of bags are rebranded other manufactures units that can be bought for less, plus I would replace the windscreen with the Madstat or Calsci version & install a real metal bash plate (although the oem plastic wrap around unit on the SE below blends nicely with the lines of the bike & hides the hoses, oil filter & header pipe nicely) & better hand guards.