How I Researched Every Adventure Bike Before Buying My Suzuki V-Strom 650
I spent several weeks researching adventure bikes before buying a 2020 Suzuki V-Strom 650XT. My shortlist included the V-Strom 1000, Generation 2 and Generation 3 V-Strom 650s, and briefly the Kawasaki Versys 650. I ultimately chose the V-Strom 650 because of its reputation for reliability, manageable weight, excellent fuel economy, V-twin engine character and suitability for long-distance touring. After riding 400 km in my first two days of ownership, the bike has met or exceeded my expectations, particularly its ease of riding and impressive average fuel consumption of around 26.5 km/L.
After spending years riding sports tourers, I knew I wanted something different. My riding priorities had changed. Instead of chasing horsepower and carving through mountain roads, I found myself planning camping trips, exploring forestry roads and dreaming about riding to places I'd never have considered taking a sports tourer. The decision to buy an adventure bike had already been made. The difficult part was deciding which one. Like most people, I started where everyone starts these days. Bikesales, Facebook Marketplace and dealer websites quickly became part of my daily routine. Every morning I'd check for new listings before work, and I'd often look again in the evening. Over time you develop a feel for the market. You start recognising bikes you've already seen, unrealistic asking prices and the genuinely good deals that don't tend to stay advertised for very long. I went into the search with a budget of around $10,000. Initially I was looking at almost every adventure bike I could afford, but as I learnt more about the market my search became much more focused. I wanted something capable of touring Australia, comfortable on the road, and confident enough to handle gravel roads and light off-road work. Crash bars, a bash plate and Barkbusters were all accessories I knew I'd eventually want, but I wasn't necessarily looking for a bike that already had them fitted. That might sound strange, but it was one of the biggest lessons I learnt during the buying process. At first, heavily accessorised bikes seemed like the obvious bargain. They often had thousands of dollars' worth of extras fitted, but the more I looked, the more I realised I was paying for someone else's taste. Their choice of luggage, lights, GPS mounts and protection wasn't necessarily what I would have bought myself, yet those accessories were already reflected in the asking price. Eventually I found myself preferring cleaner, less modified bikes because it meant I could build the motorcycle exactly the way I wanted. As I researched further, my shortlist became surprisingly short. I briefly looked at the Kawasaki Versys 650, but I kept coming back to the Suzuki V-Strom range. Initially I considered the larger V-Strom 1000 alongside both the Generation 2 and Generation 3 V-Strom 650. The first-generation 650s were simply becoming older than I wanted for a bike I hoped to own for many years, so I gradually narrowed my search…