[Mrs&Mr_Shenu]

When life throws twists, beware—they might lead to hidden treasures.

Travel was a passion that lay dormant for a while. Life’s obligations, age, and the COVID pandemic put a halt to many trips and rides. However, my two-wheeler rides were significantly fewer.

My Activa, my trusty workhorse for a long time, remains my go-to ride. No matter the occasion, this black beauty is always my first choice.



Over last couple of years, my wife and I embarked on numerous small rides with our Activa, exploring various districts of Kerala, including Ernakulam, Thrissur, Pathanamthitta, Allapuzha etc. for a variety of purpose. Our rides were often inspired by our YouTube channel hunt, where we focused on showcasing temples and elephant processions.



Each ride was at least 100 kilometers round trip, making for some memorable adventures. One of our most notable trips was to Munnar, which we shared in a blog thread.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...da-activa.html (Kochi to Munnar on a 9-year old Honda Activa)

These experiences not only kindled our interest back but also deepened our appreciation for the beauty and culture of Kerala.

Plan to purchase

We understood that with the mark of 40+ at your life Odometer, we have to think beyond Activa. Looking around, I wanted to make it an upgrade from 100 -150 cc I usually used with and We kind of zeroed in on

1. Bajaj Dominar 400
2. Honda Highness
3. RE Meteor 350

Shortlisting and Eventual call off

For my birthday, I planned a special ride with my wife to Illickal Kallu and Illaveezha Poonchira. Knowing that my Activa wouldn’t be suitable for this trip, I rented a Dominar 400 instead. During the ride, my wife realized that I had a rider’s spirit hidden within me. Surprisingly, she found the pillion seat quite comfortable and upright, which was contrary to what other Dominar users had mentioned.

We took a few more test rides to confirm our liking for the Dominar. Meanwhile, we also developed an affection for two other bikes, which led to a bit of confusion about our needs and preferences.

After extensive test rides and much deliberation, along with our YouTube channel rides, we decided to abandon the idea. Coincidentally, our channel experienced a surge in subscribers from March 2024, growing from 1,000 to 15,000 in just two months. This unexpected growth led us to dedicate our weekends to shooting videos and our weekdays to uploading them.

Throughout this period, our trusty old Activa was our reliable companion for all our travels, enduring the rigors of the journey. We became content with the Activa by our side, and the plan to buy a new one was put on hold. This continued until the monsoon season arrived, bringing dark skies and clearing our minds.

[Mrs&Mr_Shenu]

Monsoon Ride

With the outset of Monsoon, season of temple activities was over and we were contemplating a pre-owned bike for our use. My wife would look for some bikes on OLX and other portals and occasionally enquire about the price. We in fact driven few RE classic 350, RE Meteor, RE Thunderbird X etc. Somehow this enquiries were piling up and then eventually we lost interest.

Monsoon brings a special feeling for anyone who have experienced it for years. It may be a chai with a snack, making a paper boat, splashing water and so on.. Somehow I convinced my better half to undertake a ride on our Activa to Vagamon on a monsoon day. It was supposedly a normal ride with around 100 km on one side.







Apparently, we reached Vagamon in noon and having lunch on a lazy afternoon. My wife was ecstatic and told me that one owner of the bike has replied back and he is in Kumali. This was a Suzuki V Strom 250 with a peculiar case as this vehicle looked to be in pristine condition and have done around 3200km only. Pictures matched the condition of the vehicle and what he quoted was almost 80 thousand rupees less than a new vehicle. I told her to check the location and the owner shared the location on WhatsApp.

Now, the rain gods were also happy with our idea and they poured down like anything. Imagine a drive on Activa with raincoat where it is raining like cats and dogs. We reached Kumali around 6 PM and by that time the rains stopped.



At owner's home, checked the RC, vehicle and took the key. Surprise, Surprise, Surprise. This vehicle has 22k+ on odometer. Still with a heavy heart driven it for a test ride. Vehicle was still good with bit of vibration reaching to foot pegs and scratches on body. There were some wires for blinker which was not working. Good vehicle, but is it worth the price they put on Advertisement? NOOOO?

Surprisingly, my wife liked the seating position and she really was happy if we chose this bike. I was also okay with that suggestion and tried to do bit of negotiation with the owner. Poor guy had a loan attached to that bike and he was selling on a break even price so that he can close the loan without much loss. We thanked them for their time, driven back and by the time we reached Kuttikanam, it was foggy. The high beam cant penetrate the dense fog and Slowly we reached to a restaurant to have dinner in wet clothes at around 9:30 PM.

On way back, roads were scaringly empty (as it was Sunday and raining) and without street light. At one point, We even thought that google map is taking some sort of short cut. My fuel was almost at the red mark and no pumps were open till we reached Pala which added to the pressure of riding in night. With irritating mind, wet dresses; we reached back home around 12:30 midnight.

Am I angry, pissed? Hell I AM!!

[Mrs&Mr_Shenu]

Case of Mistaken Identity

The very next day, my wife tells me at around 9 PM that the V-Strom person has replied and was open for negotiation. I was not interested and said to neglect it. She said that he is messaging on from the advertisement portal itself which was strange as we had been chatting in WhatsApp on previous day. I logged into the chat, started chatting with this person.

I was already pissed with last day's misadventure and told him that, in order to sell the bike, don't put wrong/fake details and pictures on the advertisement. He was surprisingly polite and Conversation went something like below,

Him: "Have you seen my bike in person?"

Me: "Yes. Don't you remember we came yesterday at your place. Husband and wife on an Activa".

Him (Confused): "Nobody has come yesterday to test ride this vehicle".

Me: "Now you are giving excuses and faking here too?".

Him: "Chettaa , seems you have mistaken my vehicle with someone else's"..

note: Chettaa (Brother in Malayalam)

Me (at this point embarrassed to the core) checked the advertisement he shown. Then asked my wife to check the ad she got the message from. Ohhh My Bad, those are 2 different ads of two different V-Strom. The second ad was clearly mentioning the location as Kumali with 22k as mileage.

Now, embarrassed and ashamed, I apologized to him profusely. He was in fact cool during this whole time and shared his number. One way, this was clear that this vehicle is still not sold, has only 3200 on odometer and owner is a cool decent guy.

Awe of Test Drive

We ridden our Activa again for another 120km on a Saturday to take the test drive (I know sometimes this is an extreme). The route is full of surprises as we can see paddy field during first hour, then rubber estates in second and then thick forest in third.

To be honest, even if the test ride don't satisfy us, the ride would have. In that way, we both were happy to do this.





By the time we reached, the google map was taking us through a high elevation, then some broken road and we thought that we were almost lost as the signal was also losing. Then, we landed in front of a VERY LARGE house, where 2 EV cars are parked, 2 people standing and doing an interview with few cameras. Bit surprised, this was indeed the place. Later we understood that, the owner has 2 EVs (out of 6 cars in their garage) and they were giving an interview on user experience.

As usual, we checked the RC, other documents, a visual inspection. Then took the key and rode for around 3 kilometers which had a straight road, a 300 meter steep ascent (descent too on the return journey). By this time, we were happy with the vehicle. Stopped in between to check other things like bulbs, indicator, any abnormal sound. The boy passed all with flying colours. We came back and handed over the key and discussed on the price.

Finalize and Ownership Change

While driving back, we both deliberated on the Positives and Negatives as we had 3 hours to do that. We continued the same after reaching back too. Finally with a certain conviction, it was a GO and we made the call to seller. Requested him a discount and he obliged to that later. Made the bank transfer in few days and they initiated the RC transfer online.

Now In order to bring the bike, we decided to take the state Bus (KURTC) till Pathanamthitta. This was another experience which we haven't done in years as travel was more or less in 2,3 or 4 wheelers. We reached the bus stand, seller picked us in his Badass Car (hope you can guess the model by that hint) and drove to his home.

There, we took over the key, some home made mango juice, some friendly neighborhood stories. Finally, I was taking Stromy to our home and he was leaving his original place. The sadness was so high that, even the skies wept (Rain, I mean..)







End of Chapter ONE. Stromy reaches HOME.

[Mrs&Mr_Shenu]

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” - Lao Tzu

Chapter 2 - Experience and User Review

To begin with, I am not an expert in detailed review and taking my defence now itself. The following is more about my experience as a rider and I will try to be honest with that.

Initially, V Strom 250 was never in our list of bikes. Not be because of its build, or reputation or anything. It was not my league and price was around 2.8 Lakhs for a brand new one. At that price, Honda Highness and Dominar 400 were better option.

Before I finalized on the bike, there were lot of material in Team BHP to look upon and I thank all of them to share the experiences. These user reviews played a big part in the purchase.

@Sebring - Yalla (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ip-review.html (A STROM is brewing | 'Yalla', my Suzuki V-Strom 250 SX ownership review))

@Full_Minchingu - (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ve-affair.html (My 2023 Suzuki V-Strom SX 250 | Ownership Review | A Serious Love Affair))

@sukiwa - Kaali-Peeli (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ali-peeli.html (Suzuki V-Strom SX 250 Ownership Review | My Kaali-Peeli))

@VijayAnand1- (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ip-review.html (The Dapper Suzuki V-Strom 250 SX | A comprehensive ownership review))

I have followed Sebring's review of Highness 350 too (as that was the original plan alongside Dominar). To be honest, that review of Yalla kind of forged the decision to move towards Strom.

Initial User experience.

Specifications for the bike is much simple as there is only one Variant of it. That helps to finalize things faster in my opinion. Some of the features are

• 250cc
• 26 Bhp with Max Torque of 22 Nm
• Dual Channel ABS
• Front and Back Disk Break
• Digital Console with details of Speed, Gear and Navigation (using Suzuki App)

Likes

• Mileage
• Seating Position
• Vehicle Stance
• Long hour Cruise
• Stability
• Glance from Onlookers
• Suzuki Reliability and Build

Dislikes

• Not for City Traffic (at least NO from my side)
• Vibrations (negligible, but present)
• Seat Height for Short riders
• Suzuki Service is tricky as I heard (Not experienced yet)
• Not so loud horn
• Back Break
• Paint quality has obvious shortfall

Distance Covered and Usage Pattern

At the time of purchase, Stromy had around 3200 Km at odometer. When I am writing this review it is around 6200 Km mark and i have covered around 3000 Kilometers which is consists of 90% Highway and rest on city roads. I don't use this bike as a regular conveyance and the usual weekday ride is around 35 Km which is more on Highway only. My driving style is sedate, lean acceleration and no hard breaking (unless warranted!). Preferred cruising speed is around 70-90 on Kerala roads (if at all possible without getting attention of AI Camera) and 80-100 outside Kerala. Also, I try to stick onto the right hand side of left or middle line usually.

Till Now, I have taken Stromy on

• A 1200 Km ride to Bengaluru and back.(3 day trip including a hill ride)
• Few rides of 200+ km within Kerala

Styling & Design

I was always fan of Yellow V-Strom and initially thought that Suzuki will bring the price bit down which never happened. I mistakenly added this bike to the category of ADV bike rather than a Tourer. In that sense, it was not fitting into my requirement. To rub salt to the wound, in Kochi, hardly see any Strom (May be I am wrong, but seems they are rare species here.).

But once I got a V Strom, the thoughts have changed, the bike makes more sense to me with certain points such as the beak, that intrigue me, so as the overall stance. Accessories were a must to cater my certain needs which has added to the overall size of the bike. Many will agree that, the bike looks bigger once accessories are added.





Look : 8/10

Safety, Electronic Riding Aids & Related equipment

The Strom comes with dual channel ABS and that was a real boon for me. The light stays on when you start the vehicle, but once you start moving, it turns off. I had few instances where, it was raining heavily and I did few hard breaks. Even with pillion, the vehicle felt like it was fully stable. I have added a side stand extender for more stability while parking.



Also, The console shows, Speed and Gear position which is a good to have info for me. Using the Suzuki Connect APP, we can turn ON onboard navigation. The Left hand side of the display takes majority of the space for this. The Navigation is good and provides pretty accurate information. But it is not real-time traffic based such as Google Map. I used it couple of times when I have not fitted the Mobile holder and to be honest, it was helpful. However, I wont recommend it for a city navigation where traffic conditions vary a lot. Google map may be the better option there. Additionally, pin point locations shared in WhatsApp are supported by Google Map only and I don't think we can use them with this option.







The console also has a USB charger on left hand side, closed firmly using a rubber cap. I haven't used it much and seems it will fit the purpose of helping in charging if navigation is not turned ON.



Safety: 8/10
Console: 7/10

Overall Build Quality, Fit & Finish and Paint Quality

This is one department which is top notch by Suzuki. There are still some flaws, but the overall quality is good. The fitment of panels, alignment of screws, bolts; concealing of cables to name a few. The overall upkeep is good and aesthetically build panels.





The gap between handle bar and body is very tidy and there are no cables or any other object obstructing.





Quality switches, knobs, key are good. However saw bit of degradation on color of switches even though Vehicle is not kept under sun. The engine start and kill switches are on RIGHT hand side where as LEFT hand side has a simple Indicator, Flash and horn switch.







The vehicle too feels like it is built solid, there is no rattling or squeaking experienced till now. Another important thing is lack of rust in many places. Only Places I have seen is on Chain and Side Stand. Other than that, it is almost nil. Being a coastal city, At Kochi, this seems likes a big advantage if I can keep Stromy as it is and not turning him to rusty.

The Fuel tank carries 12 Litre. Suggestion I received from previous user and service center was to use normal petrol and not a high performance one. The Lock on the tank closes firmly and lid seals it perfectly.



Tyres are MRF and thread pattern gives the off-road invitation. I usually don't like to venture that side of ride options. Gripping on the straight road and curvy road was adequate and Stromy never shown a weakness.

It comes with Disc brake on both front and back. The bite is good and especially front one is responsive. Seeing BYBRE is another indication of quality breaking. There is no abnormal sound yet from both of them and SVC told me that break pads can still go another 1500 Km (Around 7500 Km which is not that bad).




Paint job is great and Yellow colour stands out to my expectation. The bike is head turner especially for kids which I have experienced many times now. Also, some people believe that this is a costly bike and walk around to take a close look at many of the highway restaurants (at that time, the box is also loaded).

Now that painting is bad especially Suzuki Sticker itself lack a clear coat. On engine side too, though the colour looks awesome, there is paint flake. That is not something expected from Suzuki standard.





Second is about Turn Indicator which is a simple bulb and could have been a LED unit. Also a hazard indication could have been a welcome. Also the indicators vibrate a lot kind of fluttering of wings (not too much, just enough to see the effect)



Build: 8/10
Paint: 7/10

[Mrs&Mr_Shenu]

Engine

Built solid and painted in a beautiful colour which has taken this design to a certain level. The Engine area is accessible and makes cleaning too an easy task. There are no cables, fuel lines which are dangling or in a wrong place.

The Stromy has vibrations when ridden at lower RP, though negligible. The life sputters at around 4000 RPM and surge of power is instantaneous. Still, the bike can be ridden at lower speeds even when engaged in higher gear. I have slowed down to lower 40s when bike was still in 6th gear and Stromy never complained.

My Strom was also part of the recall for cam replacement and the service centre did it without any charge. I have to yet receive the bill though.





Kitna Deti Hai

Another important aspect is Mileage. With Highway usage of steady cruise around 70-100 KM/h speed, I was able to extract around 42 kmpl for a 1200 Km trip (3 fills, tank to tank). There after it is around 38 kmpl.



The exhaust is neatly tucked under the pillion and twin exhaust create a grumpy satisfying sound. I prefer Dominar over Stromy but it is only a choice over preference. The exhaust with the glossy panel which has been disliked by few fellow riders, though I am not sensitive over that.



Engine : 8/10

Clutch and Gear Shift

Gear Lever and foot pedal in Stromy are placed neatly. But I feel they are bit behind and after certain distance, the feet feel the pain with constant gear changes. I have added a toe shifter to reduce the impact on shoes and my feet.

This has been something, I felt bit too hard for me (Both Clutch Lever and Gear) as I was comparing them with Highness (Butter smooth it is). If I don't have to change too many gears, for example on a long highway ride, it is fine. But on a city ride, both felt bit hard especially gear change. It feels like I am pushing them hard to fit into a position. This also may be my experience with tow shifter as my previous experience is more like from Bajaj V-12 and Pulsar version 1.



Clutch : 6/10

Break

This is interesting for me as front break felt more responsive whereas Back was just namesake. I shared this with Suzuki service center and they said that they have refilled break fluid and asked me to check. I will do that and share the experience in future.

Another part is the well placed Rider Foot Peg rubber. These felt very handy and never slipped even in heavy rain.



Break : 7.5/10

The Strom comes with a stand which can be used to keep a bag or a box. I have added a Box stand on top of it. It can carry a weight of 6.5 kg and build solidly.





Seat & Position

Seat are one important part of Stromy as this was well appreciated by my pillion. The seat is split and feels solid, have a good cushion and don't give a sore back. The Key to unlock is under pillion. SX Emblem on etched on Pillion seat. I have added a gel seat for Pillion as an accessory for long drive.

Seat has been a major advantage with this bike for me. After the purchase, we almost drove 120 kilometers and were as fresh as the start of the journey as to the end. For me that gives confidence in different magnitude for taking a long journey (which we did to Bengaluru). Both seats are good with support and pillion seat is especially wide to accommodate.

Also the seating position on Stromy is so upright and gives a nice view of surrounding. Comfort of such position is great and does not induce any fatigue. The legs may be needed to stretch on long drives which is easy to do for both rider and Pillion.

Seat height is a tricky thing for me as I cant flat foot on this bike (169 cm height for reference). This is not a major problem as I can keep one leg on ground and let my wife hop on the pillion seat. Once we both are settled and vehicle moves , the balance is just PEREFCT. Challenge is when I have to move the bike front or back. It is okay on to move on a flat surface. On a slope, I have now practiced to get down and move. It is not a big issue and can manage it.



Seat: 8.5/10

Headlamps, Visibility & Mirrors

V-Strom has a headlamp with day running white light and it is great. The light assembly adds well to the overall look. The light throw is good and enough to scare some unsuspecting car drivers. Ridden it in some rainy day and haven't felt that it is lagging in throw. However, I will try to add yellow Aux lights (just in case). Break Light is neat and has good visibility.





A special mention to the mirror. They don't vibrate much and adds good visibility overall. Adjusting the mirror does not require a Gym hand like Dominar and once they are adjusted, they remain in their place. Happy with the placing and build quality

Headlight, Break Light and Mirror: 8/10

[Mrs&Mr_Shenu]

Accessories aka Armour of Stromy

All items are from Bandidos, Thrissur except last one, i.e. Fuel Tank Pad.

Disclaimer This is a personal choice and I don't intend or want to promote the products used as accessories.

The GPS Mount currently fitted with a mobile holder. Due to that the height of front mirror is increased, but it does not help in reducing the wind blast considerably. Planning to add an extender here.

Mobile Holder is coming with a damper and has served well even during Monsoon with no ingress of water inside. The screen is touch sensitive and only negative is occasional response in screen due to water drops.





Saddle stay was another accessory though I don't have a saddle bag yet (oops). Also pillion foot rest extender is visible.





Crash Guard was a must for Stromy and this was Priority 1.





Pillion Foot Extender was Priority 2 as it is something which enhances the overall comfort for pillion in this case my wife. So no compromises there.



Added a side stand extender and it has helped a lot especially when parking on a slope, muddy area.



This is an impulsive purchase rather than a thought out one. Due to the rainy season, I am assuming that this will help to reduce the splash especially to riders coming behind me. Also the additional reflectors will help to give more visibility in night. Not sure if that's a right thought.



Finally, genuine accessory from Suzuki. Adds to the overall Glam of Stromy.



I will conclude here. but, This is not the end. But Beginning of some long trail

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[ManasN95]

Amazing review! The V-Strom continues to be an underrated motorcycle in the budget adventure class, and it more than suffices for tourers who like to be on the good side of the century mark in speeds.

I recently test rode one and I found the in gear acceleration, as well as the weight to be extremely good for even in city, I can imagine it must be a leisure to ride this motorcycle on the highways.

I wish Suzuki brings something between the 250 and 650 price point, would make for an outstanding option for 80% of the use cases.

The finish levels are also really good!

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ManasN95

I wish Suzuki brings something between the 250 and 650 price point, would make for an outstanding option for 80% of the use cases.

But does it have an engine in that volume class? Its actually the last of the Jap big 4 to the other 3 who all have something in that class in India.

Cheers, Doc

[BullettuPaandi]

Congrats on your new ride & thanks for sharing your experience.

Originally Posted by Mrs&Mr_Shenu

Dislikes

• Suzuki Service is tricky as I heard (Not experienced yet)

I heard the opposite! I recently was doing some maintenance on my XPulse: changing engine oil, cleaning oil filter etc. To clean the oil filter, I had to remove: the entire right foot peg & pedal assembly, swingarm nut, even the whole damn exhaust to remove the right crankcase. I was telling my friend, who has a Gixxer 150, how unnecessarily complicated the service process is on this bike and how everything feels like an after-thought. He told me that such things are easy in Suzukis, with a separate cover on the crankcase, for oil filter replacement.

[100Kmphormore]

Congratulations! Apart from some engine vibration issues around 6000 rpm that I’ve heard with this engine, it’s a majorly highway tourer - a gentler 250 adventure, as I like to call it. They just need a more adjustable rear to make it comfy for the pillion. Get some grippier tyres after this set, you’re gonna love it further.

[VijayAnand1]

Originally Posted by BullettuPaandi

I heard the opposite! I recently was doing some maintenance on my XPulse: changing engine oil, cleaning oil filter etc. To clean the oil filter, I had to remove: the entire right foot peg & pedal assembly, swingarm nut, even the whole damn exhaust to remove the right crankcase. I was telling my friend, who has a Gixxer 150, how unnecessarily complicated the service process is on this bike and how everything feels like an after-thought. He told me that such things are easy in Suzukis, with a separate cover on the crankcase, for oil filter replacement.

I guess what he meant by "Tricky Service" is the servicing at the service center which might be a hit or miss. Suzuki has come a long way in making sure things are getting right and straight. And yes, xPulse (please don't mind the spanking) it's a great bike, made worse and performance even worse-er. I'd only recommend xPulse to folks who want to thrash it off-road and get rid of the junk calling it good riddance.

Originally Posted by 100Kmphormore

Congratulations! Apart from some engine vibration issues around 6000 rpm that I’ve heard with this engine, it’s a majorly highway tourer - a gentler 250 adventure, as I like to call it. They just need a more adjustable rear to make it comfy for the pillion. Get some grippier tyres after this set, you’re gonna love it further.

The engine truly shines on highways. The bike simply loves to be spanked and the more it's spanked over the 7k mark, the more happier it is. 110 to 120 kmph all day with a pillion without breaking a sweat. Being frugal enough and that 12 liter tank range doesn't feel handicapped by any means -- though
a 15 liter tank would be super welcomed.

Stock tires perform their duties more than adequate both on and off-road, though heed should be give on mild gravel and sand infused roads, as they tend to cause slip.

Originally Posted by Mrs&Mr_Shenu

Dislikes

• Not for City Traffic (at least NO from my side)
• Vibrations (negligible, but present)
• Seat Height for Short riders
• Suzuki Service is tricky as I heard (Not experienced yet)
• Not so loud horn
• Back Break
• Paint quality has obvious shortfall

Distance Covered and Usage Pattern

Vibrations shall slowly settle in as the oil services are carried and so does the hard gear shifts. Vibrations shall settle but not completely eliminated. If your back brake is dead, my advice would be to remove the rear pads, sand the surface of the pads well and reinstall, should bring the bite back.

Good luck and congratulations. Happy to know that my thread had helped you in some way.

Cheers!
VJ

[Mrs&Mr_Shenu]

Originally Posted by Aditya

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks @Aditya.

Originally Posted by ManasN95

Amazing review! The V-Strom continues to be an underrated motorcycle in the budget adventure class, and it more than suffices for tourers who like to be on the good side of the century mark in speeds.

Thanks @ManasN95. Indeed V Strom 250 is an underrated motorcycle which can be partially attributed to Pricing and alternate options available in market.

If Suzuki is able to pitch in properly, this vehicle can be a tough contender for many other bikes.

Originally Posted by BullettuPaandi

Congrats on your new ride & thanks for sharing your experience.

Thank You @BullettuPaandi. Indeed my point was specific on service Centre experience as mentioned by @VijayAnand1

Originally Posted by 100Kmphormore

Congratulations! Apart from some engine vibration issues around 6000 rpm that I’ve heard with this engine, it’s a majorly highway tourer - a gentler 250 adventure, as I like to call it. They just need a more adjustable rear to make it comfy for the pillion. Get some grippier tyres after this set, you’re gonna love it further.

Thanks @100Kmphormore. Similar to you, I also own a Bajaj V (V12 actually and have done few rides with it before upgrading to V Strom.

Also, do yo have any suggestion for grippier tyres? Do share.

Originally Posted by ebonho

But does it have an engine in that volume class? Its actually the last of the Jap big 4 to the other 3 who all have something in that class in India.

Interesting point there @ebonho DOC.

Originally Posted by VijayAnand1

Good luck and congratulations. Happy to know that my thread had helped you in some way.
VJ

@VijayAnand1. I mentioned in the thread itself that your thread was one of the main one I read before finalising on Strom. Also, Your V Strom is the only one without Yellow colour. Also, the details in your thread were great. For example; tyre pressure of 22 and 29.

I have already did a Kochi to Bengaluru ride with my wife and totally agree on the point of Speed and mileage. We cruised around 90-100 outside Kerala and even then, the mileage came near to 42 km / Litre. I tried full tank on all occasion and filled the Fuel at last Bar where it starts blinking. The top-up comes around 9 - 10 Litres. For a 12 Litre Strom, the range is approximately 450-480 KM, with that mileage. A 15 Litre tank could have increased the range significantly.

Finally, saw your thread on ride to Mudumalai and Pic of Bomman. Coincidentally, I saw the documentary just a day ago in Netflix . As I have a YouTube channel based on Elephants, it was purely a bliss.

[100Kmphormore]

The engine truly shines on highways. The bike simply loves to be spanked and the more it's spanked over the 7k mark, the more happier it is. 110 to 120 kmph all day with a pillion without breaking a sweat. Being frugal enough and that 12 liter tank range doesn't feel handicapped by any means

Absolutely, the buzz I mentioned isnt a dealbreaker but a sort of groan and vanishes. I have taken the Gixxer 250SF to the 10500 rpm redline at 155 kmph and yet got a 300 km range . My friend who took it to Dandeli got a 500 km range riding sedately.

Thanks @100Kmphormore. Similar to you, I also own a Bajaj V (V12 actually and have done few rides with it before upgrading to V Strom.

Also, do yo have any suggestion for grippier tyres? Do share.

Nice! I still miss my V15, the only thing it didnt have was ABS that made me move on. I felt the TVS Eurogrip Pancer was a good tyre when I had it on my Himalayan. Any TVS radial tyre should do fine in moderate offroads and bad patches. Block pattern tyres in general just dont like being bent over like radials (it may be just me.)

[Vikram Arya]

A fabulous review that you’ve penned down here and I love your handle by the way.

As has been mentioned by you and several contributors, I firmly believe that this is one of the most underrated motorcycles in India in the sub 400CC category in the ADV bikes segment (I know it is not out-and-out ADV but whatever).

It may lack certain gizmos such as cornering ABS but seems it is equipped with a sweet motor with reasonable power and all the features that are necessary for this price bracket and that's what should have worked but knowing the Indian market, whatever little I know, it seems flashy whizbang works more than some good old solid engineering. Suzuki India has been found lacking on the marketing front for a long time. From what you’ve written it seems the transmission and the clutch do need some fine-tuning. I still feel though, that this will be a great motorcycle for your use case.

I used to have a Suzuki Shogun in college back in the 90s and loved that motorcycle. It's been 30 years since I have ridden a bike however I would love to test ride this one on my next trip to India.

Ride safe brother!