Suzuki fails to impress with its new 2012 V-Strom

Also go to advrider.com and look at the pics of BMWs in SouthAmerica with major internal engine problems. I have encountered many beemers on the road as I put big mileage on my bike, most regret buying the BMW. It's not a fork seal or something minor, it's big and expensive. Put a KLR and a BMW in Alaska, point them toward TDF and see who gets there with the least issues.

I'm pretty sure that the Vstrom can cope with some minor off road adventures and that it is a very capable tourer , commuter and so on . To most people , seems like the perfect bike . But , that bike has something that is very subjective , and will vary from person to person , which is the fact that to some people the bike is awfully boring ! I bought one , 2013 white , regular model , and it was a mistake . I thought that , as that bike could do most things well , it would be the perfect bike . Well , I was wrong . The bike feels cheap , wires showing under the fairings with some black tape on them . Fake carbon fiber . Feels very heavy while parking and at slow speeds . Can barely do 100 miles/hour . Sounds like a lawn mower in low revs and like a tractor in high revs . After 3 months I wasn't even riding it anymore and could barely look at it . It is an utility vehicle : It will take you anywhere , It's comfortable , safe , etc . But it will not make you feel special , it will not excite you . It will not make you happy

I'm amazed you didn't pull this article right away, since it's obvious you had'nt neither seen or driven it before bashing it. Kinda embarrassing it is in my opinion!
I just went from the 2008 to the 2012. No nose dive (old one lots + "clonks" going over jumps), pulls cleanly from 2000RPM (old one 3000), completely neutral even on solid throttle going in and out of curves (old one falling in heavily on gas leave, going outbound on throttle)
Design is WAY better than any (fair) competitor.
Only thing left is the shitty windscreen which can be fixed for a meager 100€ with a MRA Xscreen

Well ..... were do you start ... you obviously did not even take the time to look over the 2012 model let alone take one for a road test. there are quiet a lot of changes to this bike and none for the worst of an already very successfully sold motor cycle . they pretty well perfected an excellent value for money ride in my opinion. I purchased a 2012 vstrom two months later purchased a 2012 990 ktm adventure. I honestly prefer the suzuki for a number of reasons . just push the starter on the suzuki the motor fires into life smooth no rattles and performs when you twist the throttle for its size, awesome.
The KTM from brand new push the starter it fires into life rattling its guts out for a few seconds till the oil gets to where its supposed to be........ awesome ...... NO. the suzuki will last. KTM ? hopefully a long time for what it cost. yeh it handles well and goes ok , and yes one of the best for true offroad adventure, but at a cost. the speedo unit fried itself at 2 months old 4000 klms and i understand a big problem with them from the forums.
At least suzuki would rectify and recall there bikes if it were a common problem.
So roman when you do a article on something that is good value for money and a damn fine ride , actually take the time to reasearch the product dont just run with the best bag of freebies. Your talking about two completely different bikes that arent the same.
I will NEVER purchase another european bike , my first in near 40 years of riding , japanese for me and suzuki tops the list at that.

I bought my 2012 dl650 new in 2012, am 6'-3", 215#, 51 years old now in 2014 and have ridden this bike over 40, 000 miles the past 2 years. Ive ridden it from upstate ny to florida, took a right and 46 hours later had my feet in the pacific ocean, having successfullyridden an iba 50cc. Coming back, I rode this bike sideways, fully loaded on the dirt roads in nevada, ive had the tires a couple feet off the ground on more than 1 occassion, but basically just enjoy the long day rides, or commuting to work. Sure, Suzuki didn't make this into a $16, 000 adv touring bike, that market is all set. I have a couple members in my bike club with the gs650, 800 and 1200s. They just trailered those awesome bikes to the bmw owners trailer event in minnesota. For $8000 Suzuki has made an awesome bike as the midweight touring bike they set out to make for those looking for just that. Mostly Riding, not trailering on the road, with the occassional rip up a dirt road. 2015 will find me heading out to 11 more national parks, forests like yellowstone, tetons, glacier, badlands on a 10 day ride. Keep making great bikes suzuki, and ill keep wearing the tires out, replacing oil, filters and filli g it with gas. The. Bmw boys can pay for their expensive service and trailer their bikes to the places I ride to. 2017 brings mt mckinley and prudhoe bay to me and my dl650.

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Drift mania in rally racing with next-gen mechanics will please anyone. Plunge head on deep into extreme racing action in this great new mobile production. Pick from the most famous GT cars, sit in front of the gears and drop the pedal to the floor. Realistic driving simulator allows you the freedom to prove your driving prowess through plentiful challenges in awesome courses all around the world. Choose your ride from many famous varieties like bmw, bugatti or dodge. Scorch the asphalt on 8 different tracks as you race against the clock. Satisfy your need for speed by racing against other players in multiplayer mode. This overdrive mobile app lets you to compete with the best racers like a professional in NASCAR or Formula 1. Put your skills to evaluation and beat the leaderboards as you push your gt car to the boundaries of your need for speed. Even Need for Speed World was repetitive after a little time which is not the case in this fast and furious spiritual offspring. Need for Racing: New Speed Car even gives you the opportunity to personalize your car by modding it in any way you want. Underground drag championship mixed with csr racing brings the ultimate gameplay experience. The gameplay is arranged to hurl you in the middle of action as you drive through the dust rising from the asphalt overdrive. As 8 playtroughs passed I still don't feel bored by this app.

I have recently come across a fresh driving game for android phones, it's called Real Race: Asphalt Road Racing and it looks really like a simulator with arcade mechanics. Driving through desert dunes and steppes, avenues and lanes, it's like Need for Speed Carbon or Most Wanted, and actually the newest edition, NFS: Rivals.
On a scale of 1 to 10 I'd give it a strong 8. Selection of features is almost overwhelming, and so is its playability. Beating the leaderboards really entangles you and you are instantly drawn in. It really reminded me of Asphalt Overdrive. Overall it's a great, challenging free game.
There are no pursuits with the police, but I suppose it's for the best as multiplayer asphalt gameplay gives great opportunity to verify your unsurpassed underground drag racing skills.
On-screen high speed gives an illusion of literally being there and racing with top drivers as seen in TV. Stress spikes are not far and few.
It boasts very cutting-edge AI and I'm playing it already 6 times successively or so and it's still fun and engaging. It's kinda kewl to race and beat other racers on 6 or so tracks. App feels similar to race with GT cars like race or asphalt.

Sounds like the "reviewer" looked at some pictures, and the specs, and made up his mind without riding the bike. The vast majority of reviewers who actually rode the bike were pleasantly surprised by how the new strom performed.

What a waste of my time reading this article.

I own a V Strom Rhino model 2007. Touring around the country (small) roads gave me an gas / km ratio from 1: 27.62 (litres) The newer is even bettter. That's a great thing i think ! Steering is fine, low revs in 3 and 4 gear is fine, and the bike will do a great job on the freeways. People are smarter than you think they sometime buy bikes for fun AND low costs.

Roman you should remove this article, don't get so defensive with the readers. I know it's hard but take it like a man and take it down with dignity. .. we all have off days and clearly this was yours.

Yes we read it , yes I know you said it was a good bike but boring and not what was advertised and has barely changed etc

But clearly people love it and to the vast majority isn't boring at all!

A guy on here already listed in some depth the differences between the old and new models too , to which your response was ask your girlfriend?? well I took the time out and asked three women who aren't into bikes and all said they looked similar but definitely not identical and all could tell the newer bike and the more they looked the easier it became for them.

Now its your turn to read and listen to the overwhelming majority and take this biased article which is based on little or no fact down.

If the new V-Strom 650 is as good as the old one I will be replacing the old one with the new, rather than moving to the heavier BMW or KTM. I have logged 137,000 km (over 85,000 miles) on mine from east coast to west, numerous times, and from Prudhoe Bay Alaska to New Orleans. It still pulls strongly and is reliable as can be. It has all the power I need. It has done it all with very little mechanical trouble. I will take that kind of boring any day!

Sheesh. This review reminds me of the review of the Corvette. It's one of the cheapest super-cars on the planet, but the reviewer bitches about it not having enough trunk space. Get real!

As a Chief motorcycle instructor and owner of many 'adventure' bikes, from KLR650's to a 1200GSA and many in between (including the 800 beemer) I can say that the best move I ever made was trading my 800 for a Wee Strom! The newer BMW's are over-complicated, over-rated, and (in off road situations) under-performing for the money you spend. My 77 BMW R100 is AWESOME... the newer models not so much! Nobody who knows better (and who isn't a millionaire with a backup team) would ever choose a newer BMW for REAL adventure trips...but LOTS choose the "boring" V-Stroms and KLR's (I disagree totally with the "boring" part, btw!) Let's leave the BMW's to the posers like the author.

Well let me jump in and add my pennies worth, I am over 60 and been riding since 1970 and needless to say that’s a lot of bikes worth, in the last 7 years I have had over 21 bikes through my hands and one of the longest stayers was my Africa Twin RD07, this was my No 1 bike of all time and undoubtably a serious off roader. I have had F800’s with there mad buzzy engine which made me feel like I had been electrocuted and I have had an Electra glide, why? I don’t know, guess I was just trying to find that all round satisfaction, admitted it can carry a house around with you but it shakes every bone in your body, a real wanky bike never again. Still I won’t start writing a list of bike but focus on the issue at hand. I found my V Strom 2012 with 3K on the clock, it struck me in a way the Africa Twin did, tall and proud with great ground clearance. Two reasons I got shot of my AT, first they are seriously heavy, I mean when loaded with panniers they take 2 people to get them on the centre stand that’s no joke, and really if we are talking real adventure 3/4 of the world is tarmac, so whats all this rugged man stuff, if you want something to go flying through the mud on, get a dirt bike. Plus the AT being a bike from 2003 did not have a fuel gauge, ABS etc, which the Strom does. To me the V Strom feels like a modern AT but lighter smoother and you can seriously load them up, this bike stopped me looking for other bikes for the first time in years, I love it. I splashed out on panniers and racks for this bike knowing when I have put some miles on it, I will just get another. The twat that says you can’t tell the difference between the old model and the new one must have had his back to them looking in the sky with a bag on his head, what a nob head, I defy him to find a smoother gearbox than the Strom, such fantastic value for your hard earned cash, thank you Suzuki I now ride in calm and peace, it just took me 45 years to get here.

I have a Harley Electra Glide. and a 2012 650 v strom I ride my 650 90% of the time. love it. I'm almost 70 and plan on riding it a long time. it does every thing I want to do

I don't get this article at all. The DL650 of pretty much any vintage has tons and tons and tonnnnns of rabid fans. It's hard to improve on something that's already very very very good and they did find a few things to improve. I don't know where you are coming from at all. Fake news,

The one thing which I wish it had from the factory is a centerstand, but it's trivial to put one on.