2007 Suzuki V-Strom 650
Bike: 2007 Suzuki V-Strom 650 (DL650)
Purchased: October 2007 at The Edge Motorsports
Miles When Purchased: 12
Current Miles (December 2009): 12,317
Status: Active
My 2007 DL650
This is my first new bike, which I purchased because I was having trouble keeping my old ’83 Honda Nighthawk 650 running properly and I wanted a more touring oriented bike. I’ll be honest, this bike is ugly. I’m fine with it. I can’t tell when I’m sitting on top of it, and from that perspective it’s wonderful.
This V-Strom can do some serious touring and that’s primarily what I use it for. 450 miles per day at 75+ MPH is completely doable, all while getting 55-60 miles per gallon. I would think nothing of riding it from Salt Lake to Las Vegas in a day. The smallish v-twin 650 engine is smooth all the way to 10,500 RPM and honestly, the bike is pretty darn fast. It’ll do over 120 MPH and it can really come out of the hole to leave all traffic way behind (0-60 in <5 seconds). It surprised me that this bike’s acceleration is pretty close to my Ducati Monster 696′s.
For me, wind protection is important on any touring machine and I couldn’t be happier with the V-Strom’s half fairing. I installed an aftermarket Givi windshield with a Madstad bracket and I rarely have any helmet buffeting from the wind. I also installed Suzuki OEM hand guards and they are great. Wind protection makes long rides wonderful, and also makes this my cold weather bike. I can ride it for long periods at 45 degrees F without trouble.