Australasian Dirt Bike — January 2018

http://www.adbmag.com.au JANUARY 2018 | 95

Instruments are clear and compact

on the latest model

Plastic handguards might keep the

cold off a bit, but not much else

Cowling is added to the XT but it’s

not a substitute for a bashplate

offers spring preload and rebound

adjustment with 160mm of wheel

travel. Wheel sizes are 19-inch front

and 17-inch rear and Bridgestone

Battlax Adventure A40 tyres are

standard. Braking chores are

completedbytwin310mmdiameter

frontdiscsandasingle260mmrear

disc, with non-switchable ABS another

standard feature.

There’snomissingthe650XT’s

revisedstylingandbodywork,which

nowincludestheV-Strom1000’s‘beak’

design,whichpaysahugenodto

Suzuki’s DR-Big Dakar Rally bike from

back in the day. There’s a new taller

adjustable screen, new stacked

headlightdesign,newbodypanelsthat

also boost engine cooling, a new

instrumentclusterand12Vpower

EXHAUST
Low-rpm Assist is another new feature
which raises the idle speed when the
clutch is released or when riding at low
revs, to prevent stalling, such as in
stop/start traffic. Suzuki Easy Start
requires just one quick press of the
starter button and the electronics
replace your thumb until it fires.
The exhaust is lighter than the
previous model, with the muffler
lowered to allow for more compact
hard cases that can be better
positioned closer to the bike’s centre,
making for a much narrower rear-end.
In the chassis department, the
650XT features a twin-spar aluminium
frame that is mated to a 43mm
telescopic fork that controls 150mm
wheel travel, while the single shock

outlet tucked inside the fairing, a

redesigned seat and new carry rack.

Pillion pegs are frame mounted.

Finally, vital stats include a seat

height of just 835mm, ground

clearance of 170mm, wheelbase of

1560mm and a claimed wet weight of

216kg. Warranty coverage is 24

months, unlimited kilometres.

WELCOME BACK

It’s been a long time since I punched out

some miles on a V-Strom 650 but it still

felt awfully familiar when climbing

aboard. The seat is low and the bike

feels long, but the new fairing/screen/

bodywork and slimmer tank combine to

offer a more purposeful feel.

The bike still feels comfortable, with

an upright riding position that suggests

Suzuki

V-Strom

650XT

ENGINE

TYPE DOHC V-twin, eight-valve

DISPLACEMENT 645cc

BORE & STROKE 81 x 62.6mm

COOLING Liquid

COMPRESSION RATIO 11.2:1

FUEL METERING

Dual throttle valve EFI

TANK CAPACITY 20L

TRANSMISSION Six-speed

CLUTCH Wet, multiplate

MAX POWER 52kW at 8800rpm

MAX TORQUE 62Nm at 6500rpm

DIMENSIONS

WHEELBASE 1560mm

SEAT HEIGHT 835mm

GROUND CLEARANCE 170mm

WEIGHT 216kg (wet)

SUSPENSION

FRONT 43mm telescopic fork,

150mm travel

REAR Monoshock with remote

preload and rebound, 160mm travel

BRAKES

FRONT Four-piston calipers, twin

310mm drilled discs, ABS

REAR Twin-piston caliper, 260mm

drilled disc, ABS

RUNNING GEAR

HANDLEBAR Steel

FRONT TYRE Bridgestone Battlax

A40 Adventure 110/80 x 19

REAR TYRE 150/70 x 17, Bridgestone

Battlax A40 Adventure 150/70x17

PRICE & CONTACTS

RRP $11,990 plus ORC

WEB suzukimotorcycles.com.au

WARRANTY 24 months,

unlimited kilometres