[VijayAnand1]

Twinkle Twinkle Little Strom… Glee To See That Here You Come... Up Above The Floor So High... Boy oh Boy! You Make Me High…

An anecdote for what's about to be embarked on a journey, for a long, long time to come, god willing.

Prologue: (Bikes Considered)
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Budget bikes New:

1. RE Metetor 350.
2. KTM ADV 250.
3. Jawa Scrambler.
4. CB 300
5. CB H'ness 350.

Mid Segment Used
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1. Ninja 650
2. CBR 650F
3. Ninja Z900
4. Versys 650

Excessive OCD/Wannabe Triggers - Used
-----------------------------------------------
1. ZX-10R (Was so bad, I had recurring stargazes every night)
2. Street Triple R/RS
3. Used MT-09 (A pipe dream)

Why the V-Strom?
----------------
The bug, the ADV wagon wheel and to reel in the glory of it. Little did I envisage what started as side-swiped glances every now and then, eventually would grow all authentic and stand right in front of me compelling me to sell my baby R6. It's in those little frantic moments, you realize, sometimes all that exasperation and desperation does lead to a right decision.
Starting off with budget bikes, the decision behind considering them and striking it off, all in brief.

Let me state the obvious. Opine chronographed here is purely of my understanding and experience at the time contemplating this thread. YMMV.

1. RE Metetor 350.
Pros:
Decent presence.
Comfortable riders triangle. In fact, there's no triangle, you sit upright and enjoy the movie in front of you.
Favorable pricing
Butch looking for what it has to offer.

Cons:
Poor brakes. Not confidence inspiring.
Abysmal headlights.
Twitchy front end. The bike flicks at the thought, but doesn't hold steady, maybe I'm used to the R15 and other sports bikes... a downer.
The J series engine is punchy and decent, but mediocre in every other aspect.
Fit, finish, quality typical RE, all that drama comes to a stop after the second free service. Plus, being an ex-Himalayan owner, the recipe for what's in store was etched. Strike one. Matter of fact, was chuffed to strike this brand out of the equation for a second time. Weren't for "buts" the test ride itself shouldn't have happened. RE's aren't long term in my books. Strike 1

2. KTM ADV 250.
Pros:
Great presence.
Hard to distinguish between a 250 and 390, other than a trained eye.
Typical KTM goodies, excellent brakes, good suspension, good hardware throughout.
Sans most of the electronic goodies that the 390 has to offer.. a plus in my book, if I may and the nitties.

Cons:
Long handlebars doesn't feel right.
Heavy front end feel at crawl speeds.
Quality of the parts feel and finish just doesn't feel right. Didn't inspire like a long termer.
The typical low end lag of the 250. Strike 2

3. Yezdi Scrambler.
Pros.
Exciting colors.
Tinseltown design philosophy
The entire recipe is pretty much similar bin parts separated with tweaked frames

Cons:
Pillion seat is a design flaw, as much as the ribbed contour adds to the aesthetically inclined, ergonomically it's a pain in the posterior.
The fit, finish leaves light years of improvement.
The chassis welds, rivets, fasteners all leave a lot to be desired and executed. And so I walk out of the showroom without even a test ride, the Jawa test drive memories resurfaced, which ultimately meant, it’s a sad strike out. Strike 3

4. CB 300F
Pros:
Butch looking machine and great road presence, especially the quarter-side view.
Comfy seats. Reminds me of my CBR250R, the seats, both pillion and pilot both exactly feel and padded the same.
Good fit and finish, barring the convoluted flasher and horn switch.
USD forks
Had the opportunity to ride the bike for less than half a KM, very satisfactory low end, low end grunt, and picks speed very fast.
Overall for the discounts offered, a tempting offer. But..

Cons:
The engine does feel strained at the upper end. Not a diss, but not a strained naked thumper again.
Resembles the X-Blade and the Hornet to a great extent. Strike 4.

5. CB350.
Pros:
Fantastic seating posture. You sit in a sofa with a Honda thrumming underneath.
Creamy, long stroker with an addictive intake growl and whine, typical Honda.
Pulls strongly all the way from bottom all the way to redline, albeit mild lag, excellent torque curve.

Cons:
Decent fit and finish. Somehow feel the 300F is well put together.
Too much and oddly garnished chrome for my liking.
The headlights (had the opportunity to test it late in the evening) doesn’t inspire confidence at all.
The suspension is soft at both ends, and absorbs bumps equally smoothly, yet all this doesn’t strum the right chord. Strike 5.

The Rowdy-Ruff Boys
-----------------------------
1. Ninja 650 – Loved the torque and rush, but somehow the 650 basically seemed too little too late for me sans what it had to offer, either new or used. After the 390 everything feels over-priced and under-powered.
2. CBR 650F – Gave up the ghost for this, right when the V-Strom was brooding in my mind.
3. Ninja Z900 – The National SBK of India. Again, nothing to go gaga over. Up for cheap grabs, but somehow didn’t strike the right chord. Why? The Strom was already at the crux of cumulus.
4. Versys 650 – Echoes the same 1st point. Though a good bike, the weight, power and everything it had to offer, just wasn’t worth the glorified a headache it was as an all-rounder.

The Big Boys…?
------------------------------
1. ZX-10R (Was so besotted, I had recurring stargazes every hour of the day)
2. Street Triple R/RS - Eventually, the I4 OCD would kick in. Eventually, the Triumph dissolved into oblivion.
3. Used MT-09 (A pipe dream) – That went down as pipe dream.
Slowly yet steadily, the thought of getting a “used SBK” didn’t seem exciting. Though I’d like to chronograph the pros and cons of each of these motorcycles, as I envisage them as per my requirements, I think it would be a dissuasion and stray of the essence. These bikes shouldn’t be subject to the discussion of a daily-doer or me simply being fastidious. I always say, big bikes are glorified style statements appeased by the mind, yet vindicated by the heart.
Like my man Jimi says…

Technically, I'm not a guitar player, all I play is truth and emotion– Jimi Hendrix.

And that… and a good night’s sleep later...

We “Offiziele” Strom











Pros:
1. Excellent presence and design philosophy.
2. Oozes the DNA of the bigger Stroms, every inch of it. Though it’s plagiarized as a SF 250, once you swing a leg over, there’s nothing SF250 about it, except the engine that does duty on the SF. Suzuki’s engineering team have done a commendable job infusing the old with the new, with similar parts bin, that it’s turned out to be one heck of a neat package, quite clever.
3. Commanding riding stance, less vision intrusion coupled with slick and compact dimensions, a big plus. Very good road stability, no cross wind weaves on highways and all this is pretty much on a stock motorcycle solo without being loaded. Good quality rubberized removable peg cushsions, sturdy alumimum foot rest for pillion.
4. Fit finish and quality is as you’d expect from a Suzuki. I feel it’s better than Yamaha, coming from a Yamaha after living with it for 8+ years. If you’ve come this far, you’d know the Himalayan conundrum that I’ve prefaced earlier. Every inch of the Strom is 2x better than the Himalayan/xPulse, (the nearest true-blue ADVs on an apples-to-apples basis) in my personal opine.
5. The engine is a simple, rugged, six cog, OIL/FAN cooled mill that’s fill it, shut it, forget it type. At times I wonder if that’s a 250 thrumming under. Exhilarating mid-range, commendable top whack, sinisterly smooth, starkly vibey, a 250 that punches way, way above its weight. In short “A sophisticated gentleman with crass humor” is what I’d term this engine. I love it!
6. Frugal? Fuel sipper is an understatement. This thing runs out of fuel vapor for the average it returns. Excellent fuel economy. Puts my R15 and CBR 250 to shame in most cases.
7. Seats are comfortable both for the pilot and the pillion, with the seats being medium to moderately firm which I personally prefer. Rear seat is joy personified.
8. Decent headlight with good adjustability, though fades vis-à-vis the strong high-beam trodden halogen brethren. Still much better output when compared to CB350, xPulse and Himalayan’s dual candle beam.
9. The 19 inch front makes the bike handle exceptionally well, flicks at the thought and hold its line irrespective of the load. A trait I preferred the most after coming from R15 and Dukes.
10. Tires are MRF Meteor, dry grip is extremely confidence inspiring, wet grip is very, very commendable. Overall a well-rounded tire for the Strom. Only time will tell how it’d fare once the treads degrade, but that’s for another day, started to scour for potential tire choices already. Should be fun!
11. Provision for paddock spools, a solace, missing the center stand is nullified.
12. Very good quality switchgear and though a small unit, the speedo is aware of its short-comings and portrays everything crisp and clear. Though I’d have preferred the speedo of the SF250 for Indian Stroms, strangely enough the Stroms sold to LATAM countries are shod with SF250’s. Et Tu, Brute? Is Indian Rupee still cheap a currency than peso? Sigh!
13. Very good quality plastics all over, no rough edges, have good enough flex. Clean and crisp finished plastics say a lot about the effort a manufacturer puts in to make it a better product and it shows. When compared to the outrunning ADVs in India, it’s a night and day difference.
14. Bluetooth, Suzuki Ride Connect App all pair flawlessly to the phone, with quick dash at the screen for the calls, SMS and the nitties. Yet the mapmyindia navigator for the SRC App leaves a lot to be desired. I wouldn’t recommend the SRC App navigation as your primary compass, as it can turn out to be sore experience. Google Maps and a mobile holder is your savior.
A con if I may, to the Bluetooth is, the BT system turns on every time the ignition is turned off, forcing the user to turn it off manually if required. Perhaps, Suzuki should have given an option to turn BT on/off depending on the user’s need so that the cluster is less littered with Bluetooth Serial ID every time the ignition is switched on.
15. I’ve listed suspension as a last point primarily because it deserves a pro and cons of its own.

Front:
Wider and fatter forks translate to good stability.
Well sprung, not too soft, not achingly hard, swallows everything astride.
Front suspension travel is good, but not great. Remember, this is a dual purpose, soft-roader setup, not a hard-core ADV setup. Throwing her out on rutted trails, solo, the front suspenders never bottomed out. Perhaps two up shall reveal a different story, but that’s for another day.
All in, a well-made, robust unit.

Rear:
Suzuki needed to slip it somewhere and hence (The Achilles’ Heel)
The rear is a 7 step adjustable Gabriel procured unit. Stock setting is placed at 3 with winding anti-clockwise making it stiffer, clockwise making it softer. With stock already at 3, you are left with two clicks to make it completely soft, CW. Notching it up higher than 3 ACW, would mean you’re winding it even stiffer.
The suspension is a robust unit, capable on tackling anything at its fore. With two up, with the stock setting, the vehicle completely settles to its own and absorbs everything the tarmac has to offer commendably well. No thuds, no weaves, no noodly chassis as the Himalayan while taking corners. Planted as a tree, confidence inspiring and allows for very good mid corner correction if need be and doesn’t overwhelm with unintended errs.

Solo is a different story, it does all the handling duties well, albeit the rebound leaves a lot to be desired. The rebound damping is pretty icky, poorly saturated, at times can unnerve you when you’re standing up to wither the speed bump or that hump you love. There’s a palpable delay vis a vis the compression and the rebound damping, with the rebound taking longer than usual to revert back, coupled with stiff compression causing a spike in RPM and general ire when trundling over an obstacle at speeds. Slow it down to crawl speeds over any obstacle and the suspension is an extremely happy unit to oblige, especially solo.

Staring with the softest setting, the rear should be tweaked upon to see how it all translates to get that 10% improvement in damping effectiveness, which should ideally translate to an even better bike. Status quo, am I disappointed? Not one bit! This is one aspect of the motorcycle that’s to be fiddled with, and thanks to its generous derriere everything is pretty much accessible and DIY friendly.


Cons:
1. Meep meep, abysmal horn and a single horn set up at that, as is the case with all OEMs. Replaced it with a better sounding single one, would recommend the same or upgrade to a dual horn setup to potential clientele.
2. No clear coat over the stickers. It’s all plain-jane sticker job over the panels. Clear coat over the panels would have made it a better looker. If you own a Black like me, god bless us.
3. Nonchalant vibrations present at the lower spec of the RPM  4k RPM. (More on this later)
4. Center-stand is painfully missed. Pain in the posterior when it comes to chain maintenance and general servicing. Though after-market and DIY center stands have been doing rounds in IoT.
5. Seat height at 832 mm can be a negating factor for the vertically challenged, but that’s more a personal choice than outright convenience.
6. Non-switchable ABS. Dual-channel is great, but why not switchable? Trust me, switchable option isn’t going to matter one bit when you’re riding, in fact, one would be happy that it can be a savior when one least expects. But the perks of silencing tech at will is something that’s more a brownie point than dissuasion.
7. No LED indicators for the price? Personally, I prefer a bulb-ed flasher as opposed to an LED. I feel as though LED flashers are hyped coupled with flashing units that’s taken a trend now with crazy flash patterns. Eeew! Bulbs make me happy. Old Habits Die Hard! Heck yeah!
8. Brakes: Good rear, bad front. Feel most Suzukis are made this way. The front has good initial, but progressively fades to oblivion. I’m hard on the front with 90% of all my braking demand subjected to front. Perhaps, as the brakes/rotor bed-in, the front might translate to a better performer. The caliper definitely has the potential, the lever feedback, the master-cylinder pressure build-up, all tango beautifully, yet the pads simply don’t translate all that to the anchoring urgency demanded. Perhaps, I’ll update more on this later if and when I upgrade to a better pad setup or wait for the stock to bed in. EBC or Vesrah are prime on the radar.
9. Vibrations! A very interesting topic that piqued my interest right off the bat the V-Strom was short listed. Vibrations are present at certain RPMs, albeit mildly pronounced at around 4k RPM, which causes the front apron vibrate, gradually opening the throttle, the bike smoothens out and from then on there’s zero vibrations. Mild buzz starts to creep in and around the foot pegs and bars around 9.3k RPM, starts to sustain sustains choking it to redline. Am I disappointed with this? For now, definitely not.

I shall reserve any further comments on the vibration, since most users report the progression starting to pick pace negatively post the vehicle clocking 6k kms. God forbid, we’ll see how the bell curve is set for me for the foreseeable future. But, for now, she’s a peach!

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(i) The other finer aspects of quality that I’d like to touchbase about the Strom as we've been getting along.


1. Tire pressure: F22/R29, probably the lowest front tire PSI of all the bikes I've owned after the Suzuki Shogun which was rated at 24. An interesting remark that I'd like to share. The air pump guy I frequent was "aghast" seeing the tire pressure setting to 22. He was adamant that it's 27 and not 22 and that I was wrong. Made him hunker and made him read this... The look on the chap's face was priceless...



2. Finer Quality Aspects that I personally loved about the Strom.

Clean seat innards, no rough edges, well placed foam inserts. Even my CBR250R and the R15 didn't have such clean finished seats.


Nice and thick rubber band to hold the tool kit, as opposed to hairbands like most manufacs stick to.


Attention to Detail. Notice, the seat cover staplers are black.


3. Fool proof markings.


4. Neatly integrated, routed and shrouded harness looks spic and span. Robust rubber inserts. When compared to the Himalayan, my Himalayan's rubber quality, harness routing, shrouded were literally garbage to say the least. More on this later..



5. Talking about welds. An interesting point I'd like to share contrasting my observation with the Hima and the xPulse was. The Hima's chassis welds were nothing short of shoddy with weld splatter and crude weld dingleberries, also worthy of mention is the swing arm of the Himalayan with poor weld seams, poorly integrated reinforcement all over. The xPulse on the other hand boasted very good chassis welds when compared to the Hima, perhaps the only aspect I liked about the xPulse much.

Contrasting with the Strom's weld seams, finish, both fade into oblivion and here's why..

Seamless weld and finish.


The engine mount and the periphery are perched well with clean welds and adequate reinforcement.


Notice the exhaust welds.


Right side rear-set. Notice the seamless weld. If you'd compare this with the Himalayan, the difference is night and day.


Left side rear-set, excellent weld quality. Also the shifter linkages are of really good quality. Good quality Allen bolts throughout.


The saree guard. Personally not a big fan of it, but I'd prefer to keep it as a safety feature. Robust and very heavy saree guard. Look at that clean fit and finish!


Foot rest being installed. Aesthetically it was a nighmare. Home-minister and finance minister were chuffed, eventually.


Notice the swingarm welds, seamlessly done. You know to which I'd compare this to.


The cat con. Seamless welds, flowing perfectly to the muffler. Kudos Suzuki!


The headstock. Seamlessly welded, great subframe reinforcement with spotless welding. On my Hima, you'd see a rectangular frame with only a single weld preface mark and with no reinforcement whatsover.


The legendary V beak appendage perch point, seamlessly mounted. Notice the two 10 mm bolts. The first bolt affixes the beam assembly, the second, philips headed 10 mm bolt is the headlight beam alignment bolt. Easy-peasy!


Exceptional Quality of Parts Used

DID Chain. How often you see a DID chain on a stock bike in Indian market?
Heck, even my R15 and CBR250R had Rolon made chain from factory. Suzuki, you nailed it!


Enkei Rims! Beautifully crafted rims. The tactile feedback, fit and finish top notch, when you compare to the leading bikes' ADV rims on the market.


Panasonic blower! The oil cooler's fan, again made my Panasonic. My R15 and CBR's were made by Panasonic too!



(ii) Plastic Quality

The fork seal protector. That front fender in its entirely is fabricated out of polymer and is of excellent quality. Has good enough flex, fastened with allen keys. The chunk you see here isn't hollow, it's actually a solid chunk of plastic that doubles up its duty as the fork seal protector. This chunk not only helps the strengthen the fender, but also is aesthetically designed well. Notice the star patterns, TATA effect perhaps! Looks neat!


The solid chunk it is! Strong and firm!


The rear tire hugger is a work of art. It's been thru thick sloppy muck, cement goop, and the neat feature of this is, most of the goop accumulation is reduced to very minimum which in turn increases the life of chain and the rear suspension. Interestingly whatever gets thrown over and above the hugger gets accumulated in the plastic crevice below, so that it's easier to clean. All you'd need is an old paint brush, dust it off and all the goop is gone and it's as good as new.



Wires? Where Art Thou? Beautifully crenellated and covered plastic. Suzuki had done a beautiful job tucking the wires keeping the lines flowing smooth.
View from the top of the handlebar - LHS


View from top of the handlebar - RHS


Continued...

[VijayAnand1]

Spark Plug
MR8E-9 NGK.


Attention to detail. Neatly integrated OBD II Port with a clip. Neat!


And I'd like to keep adding more on the finer aspects of it. Let me try to squeeze that perhaps in my ownership posts, as and when they warrant.

We-Strom being the Dapper she is. Basking in the rays of Ooty.









While enroute Mysooru for a wedding, when she crossed the 1k mark somewhere after Gundlepete. Gently reminding of the first oil service with the Oil/Spanner notification reminder staying on throughout.


The usual pitstop of mine, the Gundlupete Shell.




First Service being overdue by 300 KMS. She was scheduled for her first service at around the 1.3k KM mark.

First service was free, both consumables and labor, per Suzuk's offer when I had booked the motorcycle. All in, it was a good experience. A few snap of the SVC and spares counter.





Procured a set of brake pads for the Strom. The only set available with them at the time.
Note: The front brake pad is cheaper than the rear brake pad. Explains my braking woes? Perhaps!


Outro!

I'd be a remiss for me not to dabble upon the other utilitarian aspect of the motorcycle, such as lighting, luggage-ability and what not, but that's been beaten to death through vlogs and other reviews here in T-BHP and elsewhere. I've wanted to dissect the Strom as I see her in my eyes, the visceral and fluidic aspects of what the Strom is, why the Strom it is, the essence that makes it a worthy companion. The Strom, as it stands today has a couple of accessories installed, about which I shall make a review later, as I feel though this has turned out to be a lengthy one, all of which shall be discussed as time permits.

Over the years through motorcycles, one thing I'd like to mention is that, you need not pay lakhs to feel quality, performance and a satiating and enthralling ownership experience. It's all there right in front of us, we just need to be willing to seek the finer aspects sans the one-eyed approach.

The crucial element I'd like to leave before signing off, would be. Why is this expensive? Is it worth it? Is it a flopped bike?
It's expensive, yes. It's worth it, 200% yes! Am I happy with the bike vis-a-vis the plethora of run of the mill counterparts. A resounding yes! Is it a flopped bike?

It may perhaps be flopped due to the inability of the motorcycling brethren to appreciate for what it is, and the usability demanded out of it. Maybe people will appreciate quality over quantity, and hope this thread acts as that starter fluid towards an informed decision.



For the uninformed.

1. Bike Awards India 2023
Adventure Bike of the Year - V Strom SX

2. TopGear Awards 2023
Two Wheeler of the Year Upto 250 CC
V-Strom SX

3. Acko Drive Awards - 2023
Adventure Mo9torcycle of the Year - V Strom SX.


Parting Shots





I shall chronograph my experience as and when time permits and events transpire. If you've come this far! You're a patient one at that!

If you have any questions, please feel free.

Cheers!
VJ

[DRIV3R]

Congratulations on the V Strong 250! It's a great bike. The SF250 also has same good quality components from DID, Enkei and Panasonic.

The Suzuki 250s are one of the most underrated in the segment.

On the brakepads, am sure they have handed you the wrong set for the front, as the 250's front pads cost ~600 a set. The right part number is 59100-34891-000.

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by DRIV3R

Congratulations on the V Strong 250! It's a great bike. The SF250 also has same good quality components from DID, Enkei and Panasonic.

The Suzuki 250s are one of the most underrated in the segment.

On the brakepads, am sure they have handed you the wrong set for the front, as the 250's front pads cost ~600 a set. The right part number is 59100-34891-000.

DRIV3R thank you. In fact, most of my buying experience of the Strom primarily was influenced by the SF250 and going through its detailed anatomy in person which was plenty helpful.

With regards to the brake pads, they confirmed me it was the right part number, verifying with their database, and me questioning them twice for the right part. They informed me that the newer pads costs comparatively cheaper than the older ones. I'll perhaps, keep this in mind. Thanks for the heads up, I will get in touch with the SVC once again and share the details if any.

Cheers!
VJ

[Ironhide]

Great review there, Vijay!

Commendations on putting together a detailed review of the bike with timely and astute observations which only an experienced motorcyclist can provide ! The little Vee is indeed an underrated motorcycle in its category that punches w-a-y above is weight, and your detailed observations highlighting its strengths and unique features only go on to reinforce this belief .

Adventure motorcycles are gaining popularity among leisure riders in the country due to their commanding riding position and stability on the road. The V-Strom 250SX offers a tall perch combined with a relaxed riding position, generous suspension travel, and decent ground clearance, creating a package that outshines other motorcycles and is perfect for long rides. The engine is impressive as well, providing excellent mid-range and top-end performance while remaining incredibly fuel-efficient. Suzuki has a reputation for creating stress-free and reliable mills that are built to last. Even though the power figures may not look impressive on paper, their engines are anything but weak. A prime example is the V-twin engine used in the V-Strom 650 XT, which is a favorite among motorcyclists due to its exceptional tractability and calm nature.

When compared to other 'adventure' motorcycles in its category, such as the Himalayan and X-Pulse, the V-Strom 250SX scores higher in many aspects, including fit and finish, quality, and handling. It is reassuring to see that the bike's quality has not been compromised. The internet is filled with horror stories of the Himalayan chassis/frame breaking down in remote areas, leaving many an unfortunate owner stranded in the back of beyond. And lesser said about the power to weight ratio, the better. Maybe they will address this in the next iteration - the Himalayan 450.

Overall, the Suzuki V-Strom 250SX is an excellent option for those searching for a capable and adaptable soft off-roader in the Indian market. Thanks for sharing your experience with the bike, Vijay. Your detailed observations and feedback are sure to help many make an informed decision. Please keep us updated with your further experiences, as I'm sure it will be a valuable resource for potential buyers.

Cheers !

[AulusGabinius]

Thank you for amazing review! I'm considering this vs my current Target, the Scram. Given that it's basically a naked Himalayan, I think this might just be my choice too. Thanks!

[PraNeel]

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

I shall chronograph my experience as and when time permits and events transpire. If you've come this far! You're a patient one at that!

If you have any questions, please feel free.

Cheers!
VJ

Great review of your bike Vijay and you are pretty impressed with it.
When I test rode it, I was also impressed with the midrange punch, tyre grip, braking, fit and finish and suzuki app.
Can you elaborate on your usage vis a vis on road and off road (breakup)?
How's your service experience and if you can share service costs it will be great for all members and viewers.
Also can you share your experience w.r.t. ABS intervention on road and off road?

[ManasN95]

Superb review! As I am still on the CBR250R waiting for the Himalayan 450 to show its face, any motorcycle vouched by you automatically goes on top of the list.

So year end it would either be the Himalayan 450, or if Bajaj Triumph 350 Scrambler comes, or the V-Strom 250.. Exciting times ahead. Hope Hero also wake up from their slumber?

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by ManasN95

Superb review! As I am still on the CBR250R waiting for the Himalayan 450 to show its face, any motorcycle vouched by you automatically goes on top of the list.

So year end it would either be the Himalayan 450, or if Bajaj Triumph 350 Scrambler comes, or the V-Strom 250.. Exciting times ahead. Hope Hero also wake up from their slumber?

Hello Manas, hope you're doing well. Thank you. Indeed. Coming years are going to be very, very exciting for mid-segment-ers that pack a potent punch. Talking about Bajaj-Triumph This might pique your interest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtWR5FoD8Yc&t=135s

The CBR250R is still a very, very capable machine. Though starting to show its age, the excitement factor, the way the machine has aged in the Indian biking scene is a cornerstone in and of itself.

Originally Posted by AulusGabinius

Thank you for amazing review! I'm considering this vs my current Target, the Scram. Given that it's basically a naked Himalayan, I think this might just be my choice too. Thanks!

Thank you so much.

Originally Posted by Ironhide

Great review there, Vijay!
Commendations on putting together a detailed review of the bike with timely and astute observations which only an experienced motorcyclist can provide ! The little Vee is indeed an underrated motorcycle in its category that punches w-a-y above is weight, and your detailed observations highlighting its strengths and unique features only go on to reinforce this belief .Thanks for sharing your experience with the bike, Vijay. Your detailed observations and feedback are sure to help many make an informed decision. Please keep us updated with your further experiences, as I'm sure it will be a valuable resource for potential buyers. Cheers !

In fact and as you've rightly mentioned, today's mid-segmenters pack a punch and punch way above their weight when compared to their yesteryear's counterpart. Barring the taxation, encumbrance which have led to increased pricing for a similar priced motorcycle a decade or so ago, manufacturers are in doldrums with the competition heating up so good, which is a plus for the Indian biking arena.

Thank you so much for your kind words, sir.

Originally Posted by PraNeel

Great review of your bike Vijay and you are pretty impressed with it.
When I test rode it, I was also impressed with the midrange punch, tyre grip, braking, fit and finish and suzuki app.
Can you elaborate on your usage vis a vis on road and off road (breakup)?
How's your service experience and if you can share service costs it will be great for all members and viewers.
Also can you share your experience w.r.t. ABS intervention on road and off road?

PraNeel thank you. So, let me share the experiences I have gathered till now, in their chronological order of your query.

Can you elaborate on your usage vis a vis on road and off road (breakup)?

Off-road, in one word, you can take this motorcycle anywhere you want to. You want to do rock climbing with it, you can do it, you want to go swamp riding, it will do it happily. The sweet spot with the V-Strom though a soft-roader, it absolutely doesn't refrain you to indulge with off-roading. The generous ground clearance is plenty helpful at tight approach angles, the front suspension didn't bottom out even on a hard landing, tried intentionally, just to make sure I bottom it out, on a brand new bike, simply because I couldn't resist having fun.. But more than that, I wanted to know how it really handles those unduly grasslands. As most of the reviews simply don't deliver justice to its practicality rather than topspeed and seat height.

You feel a wee bit lack of power at times when you need that initial outright torque rush, when want to get yourself out a tight situation inside trails, but that's more my riding inability than the bike itself. But I've had many instances where the V-Strom chugs smoothly in out of ruts, mushy grasslands phenomenally well where I've struggled with my Himalayan in similar cases. Just to compare, my Himalayan outright buries itself in the very obstacle I'm trying to cross, in which case one has to rescue the bike first then think about clearing the obstacle, happened to many a times.

xPulse shines here because of its light weight coupled with 21" front and 18" inch rear, whack that thing and it just dodges over everything like a stone fluttering over water. One thing about xPulse is, in the right hands, it can outshine even the most expensive ADV rigs out there on off-beat roads/trails whatever you throw that thing where no roads are at. That THING FLIES.. But out on the road, it's a vibrating slouch that's no better than an XL100, questionable quality and what not, personally. You definitely cannot do that with the V-Strom 250, it will remind you gently that "I love off-roading, but I don't love thrashing".

The USP of the V-Strom is the relaxed and exceptionally tractable engine, even on 6th cog, the engine spinning at 5k rpm, open the throttle, she linearly pulls, not compromising on the urgency. Soft-roads, any roads is absolutely not an issue. Off-roads, again absolutely submissive and obeys, does everything well, in some cases better than the outrunning ADVs, barring the stiff rear suspension, which is a diss in my opinion. But knowing the limits of the Strom as a rider, brings the best of both the man and the machine.


How's your service experience and if you can share service costs it will be great for all members and viewers.

Praneel, the first service was just about completed at around the 1300 KM mark, as I've posted in my review. The servicing part, spares availability, overall warmth of the SVC experience was satisfactory. Since the consumables was free as per the offer offered to me during the time of purchase, I wasn't required to shell out a penny for the first service.

Things they've done during the first service
1. Replaced engine oil to R9000 10w40 1.2 liters
2. Engine oil filter.
3. Cleaned, lubed the chain & general check up.
4. Washed the bike.

Overall, it was a good experience barring the delay due to too many scooters lined for service on that day, takes a significant amount of time for them to complete, but still delivered the bike well before late evening, so for now they're very co-operative. And I shall share the cost details, perhaps when my second service is due, at which point, I'd be charged for consumables and free labor. But overall, first service, if I'd have paid, shouldn't have costed more than Rs. 1500 which is again extremely pocket friendly.

Also can you share your experience w.r.t. ABS intervention on road and off road?

On road, the ABS intervention was close to zero and I haven't had an instance the ABS intervened while riding on-road, up till now. Off-road I wanted to make sure things work, and I've tried doing rear lock ups, and the ABS simply wouldn't allow me to. Very sharp and instantaneous ABS kick-in though subtle and not aggressive flutter of the pedals, all your'd hear/feel are a few click-click-click and it's all back to normal. So, next time I am removing the ABS fuse.

Hope it helps!

Cheers!
VJ

[wangdu]

VJ, congrats on your purchase.

2 months back I let go of my mediocre quality 390adv and brought home this gem. 2000kms up here on hills, highways and city conditions and I couldn't agree more on the pros you listed.


I had gone to get my Ninja1000 fixed at some place and there I test rode this bike of a known person for some 5 minutes and I booked this bike on the same day. Such was the connect.

I never had a 250cc in my list due to perception of low performance specs but this well made machine totally & pleasantly surprised me. Where it lacks in power, it more than makes up for it for me in terms of refinement and agility.

Cheers.

[thunderlads]

Congrats and well written review VJ. The attention to details you have mentioned on many things made me check for them in my strom and feel good about it . The only thing which constantly nag me is the feel of the stiffer suspension. Planning to set it to the lowest setting and try for few days.

By the way, am I looking at the HTC One series on the GPS mount?

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by wangdu

VJ, congrats on your purchase.

2 months back I let go of my mediocre quality 390adv and brought home this gem. 2000kms up here on hills, highways and city conditions and I couldn't agree more on the pros you listed.


I had gone to get my Ninja1000 fixed at some place and there I test rode this bike of a known person for some 5 minutes and I booked this bike on the same day. Such was the connect.

I never had a 250cc in my list due to perception of low performance specs but this well made machine totally & pleasantly surprised me. Where it lacks in power, it more than makes up for it for me in terms of refinement and agility.

Cheers.

Thank you so much.

Originally Posted by thunderlads

Congrats and well written review VJ. The attention to details you have mentioned on many things made me check for them in my strom and feel good about it . The only thing which constantly nag me is the feel of the stiffer suspension. Planning to set it to the lowest setting and try for few days.

By the way, am I looking at the HTC One series on the GPS mount?

thunderlads, thank you. Yes, softening it will definitely make it a wee bit pliant, but how well depends on the preload on the spring and the damper setup itself. For now, mine, it's in stock, I shall soon post a review of the same after playing with the settings, so that it helps everyone.

Indeed, you're looking at Soyuz-era HTC M8 Eye, gotta tell you, one solid phone. It's taken literally everything worse a phone could possibly be subjected to and yet still operational like the first day. The rear camera auto-focus sensor seemed to have gone haywire making a buzzing sound with the lens vibrating when the camera is switched on, but apart from that everything is in top nick, holds charge well even to this day. HTC made some of the most solid and reliable phones, sad to see them fade into the web of Chinese flagships.

Cheers!
VJ

[Dhruv Shetty]

Hey Vijay,

Congratulations on the V-strom 250, reading through the review, it's shows that all the little things Suzuki cares about while creating this wonderful underated machine. Looking forward on updates on the V-strom.

Cheers,
Dhruv Shetty

[VijayAnand1]

Major Update

The Strom's strumming at a snail's pace clocking the miles with the ODO currently pointing at 2214 kms within the 1.5 months of ownership.



The SVC didn't inspect the airfilter during my first service, which was already overdue by 300 kms. My priority was to replace the engine oil and oil filter rather than the nitties, which were scheduled for a check the following service. Being the OCD guy I am, the itch to check for the variables had started to fester, and hence the rather surprising find!

The airfilter for the most part was spic-and-span apart from a couple of dead mosquitoes, strands of cloth fibers lodged in between. The AF access is pretty much a 5 min job, though it can be a bit unnerving for a newbie as to where to start, as it requires the removal of the side quarter panel and requires a little fiddling with the wiring loom to gain access and removal of cover.

Cleaned, and reinstalled.







====

Le Vanish..

With the little experience I've gathered thus far with brake pad wear, the Strom's pad wear gotta be the fastest wearing material I've ever experienced as a petrolhead, to-date. The least lasting was on my R15's front with 8k being the dire minimum. The Strom's Bybre unit capped it all with an amazing wear rate, close to 90% in a span of 2.2k KMS. Yes, I am very, VERY aggressive on the front brakes, but this is just surprising and an interesting find.

I'd sourced a spare brake pad set for my Strom during my first service (read previous post) both front and rear just as a spare as I always do, owing to the nearest SVC is only a million miles away. And boy did it come handy!

Front brake pad of my V-Strom @ 2.2k KMS 1.5 months old.

Pad right out of the caliper


A quick comparo. Jeez


New pad for with pad material


Now that the pad had to come off, wanted to delve a little deeper, went ahead and dismantled the caliper spring along with the carrier... The pistons were otherwise spotless.

Dirty caliper carrier and the sliding pins!


Getting cleaned.





Caliper, carrier slider cleaned, lubed and ready to go.



The part number and part used! Quickie comparo! Mirth!



Old pads on the caliper!


In goes the new!
I'd really hoped to measure the new pad thickness using my vernier. Being already late night a session it was, the vernier stuck in my room, any stomping would mean the little one gets woken up and I go the patio.


All back & back to bed!
Shame I didn't receive the owner's manual yet for my Strom. My R15's front caliper torque spec was rated at 35nm. Went ahead and dialed in the same on my torque wrench and set it to 40 nm for the Strom and it was perfect!


Post the brake pad swap, clean, lube session, the lever feedback and consistency seems to have returned and feels, if not better than what I felt brand new. The firm yet progressive consistency that it lacked over time seems to be back, and I reckon the consistency would fade as this brake pad wears over time, which I'd have to keep tab of.

Outro
Strom owners and Gixxer 250 owners do keep a tab on your brake pad(s). Accelerated pad wear has been documented, but mine seems to be the first V-Strom in its class to wear a brand new brake pad set to silt in less than month and 2.2k KMS of glorious ownership!

Definitely happy that I purchased a spare set. I could have squeezed 1000 kays more out from the old grazers, but that'd be an overkill for a part that designed to save you. Considering a couple of after-market brake pad options for the future, will log them if and when necessary.

Ciao!

Cheers!
VJ

[b16h22]

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

Major Update

Shame I didn't receive the owner's manual yet for my Strom. My R15's front caliper torque spec was rated at 35nm. Went ahead and dialed in the same on my torque wrench and set it to 40 nm for the Strom and it was perfect!

Congrats on your V Strom purchase Vijay Quite familiar with your posts from the 390 forums. If you want, I can share a spanish written workshop manual for the 250 platform. Found it after some deep digging on the internet. Almost 90% of the mechanical stuff should be similar with the Strom. The torque values for pretty much all nuts and bolts are there. Might have to use a translator but I found it very helping. If you want it, please send me a DM