Suzuki V-Strom 1000 reviews

After 15,000 miles in 2 riding seasons I have yet to find anything but good things to say about this bike. Superslab or twisties - it's great. Cruise easily at 80mph all day. Very comfortable. The longest day was 850 miles. While it does very well on gravel roads I have not done any trail riding as I think it's rather large for that. It's not a dirt bike. The seat height could be a bit high for shorter riders but is fine for me with a 31 inch inseam. Mileage at 70mph is about 50mpg. You can't find a better all around bike for the price... it's a steal. Show less

I've had my bike for more than two years now and keep trying to find something that would justify buying a more expensive bike. So far no luck. No matter what I want to do with the Strom, it always meets the challenge. The only complaint I had was how it handled long sweepers. I never felt comfortable in them until I added some bar risers. Now I think I've become too comfortable because the bike seems like an extension of me. The only other minor thing is that I wouldn't plan on doing any serious off-roading with it. Overall the bike is bulletproof, versatile and tons of fun. Show less

The last bikes I owned were: Honda's 750F (80), GS750(82), and the GSX-R750(86). Well 20 years later I bought the V-Strom DL650. It is everything you need and more. With a 10,500 rpm redline, if you want untamed rocket, fast shift @ 10,000 and hold on. If torque is your thrill, at any speed, in any gear at a modest 4,000 rpm you feel the engine just waiting for the command to take-off (roll-on power will make you grin). The upright, motocross riding position is the ideal position for nimble, quick turns, commuting in the city or the burbs: these attributes will save your life! The bikes reaction time is as fast as your ability to tell it which way you want to go. Pulled up next to an 1800 Boulevard, the rider looked over at me at a red light and shouted, "Wow! Awesome! What kind of bike is that?We rode together for a few miles but I couldn't take that slow cruiser style riding so I gave a head nod, down shifted two, wheeled-up, and took off. This 650 looks and feels like a big brother, but can be as tame and gas conscious as a scooter. At 40 to 50 mpg even my wife could not argue with the logic of riding again. This bike is perfect for the newbie as well as the seasoned pro. Tracking into corners like a train on a rail, your confidence will grow with every sweeping turn. The bike is smart too, turning it on with the key allows the on-board computer to make sure you're in neutral, the kick stand is up, and the thumb switch is on. Cool! Easy LED read-outs are icing on the cake. My wife and son agree the passenger seat is welcoming and comfy. Highway miles are smooth as silk. 6th gear lets you cruise @ 70mph, at only 5k rpm. Duck behind the wind screen and it drops to 4,500. Wow! Nice. Check the upgrade list for making an awesome bike - spectacular! Show less

We are very impressed! We bought the bike to ride dirt roads in the Rocky Mountains as well as lots of highway and to work on paved roads. It cannot be faulted for any reason. Fully loaded we are getting 55MPG! Yep, you read that right! With lots of hills it drops to 50ish, but never the less. It rides over bumps smoothly and corners great even overloaded with two. We road the Cook City highway this summer passing lots of slow, loud bikes on our way up and down. It's everything we wanted in an all-around bike. Our other bikes have been staying at home more often! We LOVE the 650. Show less

I bought my V-Strom 650 about three weeks ago and love it. After much research, the 650 seemed to best to fit all my needs. It's small and nimble enough to make a great 'around town' transporter, yet big enough to take on the open road for longer trips. Power is good and maintenance fairly easy. I have absolutely no regrets with this purchase and highly recommend the DL650 V-Strom. Show less

I've had this DL650 for 2 1/2 years. With 13000 miles consisting of mostly 100 to 300 mile weekend rides, as well as some short commuting. All of this time the bike has been 100% reliable, with absolutely no mechanical flaws. I'm very pleased with this, the only glitch I've found was cosmetic; the little plastic cones at the top of the mirror stalks have cracked a bit. The engine is peppy from about 4K rpms and up to about 9K rpm, with plenty of power for me, a quick downshift and a twist of the wrist is all that's needed to pass most cars traveling at normal highway speeds. It will run out of steam at about 110 to 115 mph. I gave this bike a 4 star rating for comfort since the seat will start punishing your rear after about 2 hours, and there is quite a bit of wind noise and some helmet buffeting for the rider. Both of these issues have been addressed by the aftermarket, many options are available. The upright seating position is very comfortable and natural, although I sometimes find my knees getting crampy, I don't think it's the bike's fault. Handling is excellent, and this bike really shines on twisty roads with rough pavement. There is ample lean clearance to use up all of the available tread on the tires; if you grind down the peg feelers on this bike, you are either good, crazy or both! Fuel mileage hovers in 50ish range, and the large tank will allow you to travel well over 250 miles between fill ups. Show less

I left SC on May 15th, 2007 on my DL650. For two solid months, I ran the snot out of my Vstrom and put over 17,000 miles on it. 1500 were on dirt roads in the Yukon and Alaska. I ran the entire trip without any routine service and ran 8,000 miles without an oil change. Crossing Montana and North Dakota, I ran the bike for hours at 80-90 MPH and never got a rise in water temps. The only thing I did was lube the chain and change tires. On the 1100 mile round trip from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay (Alaska), I ran the DL650 with an oil cooler completely covered and clogged with mud....the motor looked like someone had turned a gunite cannon on it. Everyday I was amazed at the abuse and outright neglect this machine could endure. I can afford to buy any bike I want...including a BMW 1200GS and I can tell you, that the DL650 will keep up with any of them. Show less

The first 8 years of our marriage my wife and I rode 2up. Then the children came. We quit riding for 24 years. During this time I searched for the ultimate bike. One that would ride 80% street and 20% dirt roads. When she finally said o.k. she bought me a 2007 650 V-Strom. I have had it for 11 days and it has not failed me. I am 275# and my son is 250#. We ride in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mts. 2up. This bike pulls the grades all day long at any speed you desire with power to spare and I am still not revving over 7g. The only change is going to be a smaller sprocket for the front. I don't need to go 110mph but the 0 to 60 in less than 4 sec. is nice. Good luck. Thank you honey!!! Show less

I took delivery of my 650 on March 15th. Prior to that I had a very nice Kawasaki Vulcan 500. This was a peppy light weight cruiser. It was very maneuverable and did 0 to 60 mph in 6 seconds and was a great commuter bike. However, it was uncomfortable after about 45 minutes of riding. It didn't have a tach, fuel gauge nor a clock and required high octane gas. On one day while driving to a local bridge game, I had to struggle to pass a SUV. I constantly had my eye out for a faster cruiser had didn't weigh more than 500 pounds. Then one day last November while visiting with the inactive and totally bored motorcycle salesmen at my local shop, they showed me the two Vstrom models. Wow, two very peppy motorcycles that I could still ride in an upright position! Then I had to decided which one the 1000 or the 650, and I could easily afford to pay cash for either. Then I did a lot of research on the web about these two Vstroms. The extra power of the DL1000 was nice but the power of the DL650 is more than adequate. But what was more important to me was the maneuverability of the 650. I use the bike primarily for short trips around the Washington DC metro area. I haven't really gone on a ride of more than 250 miles in one day yet, but I could. The dealer made me a sweetheart deal on accessories; 15% off of list price with free installation. Thus I had the DL configured as per the attached file. The 32 inch seat height was just too unmanageable so I had it lowered by two inches with the lowering links. The center stand I had to have the dealer remove because it was now scraping the ground if I carried a passenger and I don't have the strength to get the bike up on the center stand in the first place. I don't take my 650 off of the pavement. I just think of it as a very light, agile and fast cruiser! Show less

Purchased '05 new at end of season under MSRP. Have put 13.5K miles on in 1.5 yrs. So far no problems. Ride mostly on pavement with a litte on gravel roads. Only problem so far as been the electrical connection to clutch coming loose during washing...easily pluged back in...but if you have a bike that won't start check this connection at the left grip. It inserts from under the grip so has gravity working against it and may come loose under some conditions. Love the power, handling (stable on highway at 80mph with guts to pass fully loaded with three hard bags and great on twisties), gas mileage (50mpg), outstanding headlights, large gas tank, comfortable seat and price. This is a relatively tall bike so may not be for short people. I've checked the chain and find no wear on chain or sproket at this point...I'm keeping it clean and lubed but still expected more wear at that point. Original tires lasted 11K miles replaced with Anakees which are great in rain. I would recommend this bike for anyone wanting to do touring mostly on pavement with some gravel....have not done really bad dirt, mud, sand....doubt if this bike is the one for that....get a Honda XR650L for that. Show less