Test Ride #2: Suzuki VStrom 650

For my 2nd test ride, it was the Suzuki VStrom.

The guys at the Suzuki showroom were really great. They arranged the ride at my location - unlike the other showrooms which say I have to come there. It was the best test ride experience so far as I could test the bike on the roads I know.

This time, I mixed it up a bit. I got my GoPro Hero3+ working again. So, I have a few videos to share.

#1: The Pre-ride discussions

This goes over the various settings on the bike and how to change them.

The one thing that I could not quite figure out ( of course I thought of this question later on) was the tank range. The tank capacity is 21 lts. However, the guy said I would get only 220kms range. Which seems to be an average around 10kmpl. Is it this low ? Need to check with these guys again. 

#2: Riding in slow traffic

This bike handles very well. The video below shows me squeezing past a bus. It was surprisingly easy as this was the first time I was riding this big a bike in such traffic.

#3: Riding on Bad Roads

Oof ! This was a bit rough. The suspension was very hard. Only later on ( don't have a video for that as the GoPro stopped in between), it was explained that the suspension has 3 different settings and it was actually set at the hardest. Make your own impressions.

Overall Impressions:

Pros:

1. Very comfortable handling. I was going over the entire gopro video ( boring for most so I have editing out the bits which made sense for a review) and I have mentioned it 4 times ! My current bike is a Karizma, and it handles pretty much like that. I can flick the bike in and out of traffic. Slow speed movement is spot on - feels very planted. See the videos above for Riding in Sow Traffic, and Riding on Bad Roads. 
2.  Very balanced bike. The bike does not feel like its going to tilt over. Either when going over potholes or leaning into turns. 
3. Great tank grip. The interceptor that I rode a few days back is pretty bad in this department. This bike on the other hand just feels like a part of you. 
4. Braking is smooth. Even the engine braking is very predictive and you can use it mostly in the traffic to control the bike speeds instead of relying too much on the disks. 
5. Has the Cell charger socket built in.

Cons:

1.  My biggest issue with the bike was the seat height. I am about 5'8", and I was on my toes when the bikes stopped. Since it was test bike, I was also a bit scared about if the bike tilts over. But the balance of the bike is pretty good, so that did not happen ;)  
2. Range is a bit of an issue if it really is around the 200kms mark. That's going to cause range anxiety. 
3. Not available in black. Sigh. 

Undecided:

1. Hard suspension - but that's probably just the setup. The Suzuki representative assured me that it can be set softer.
2. The handlebar is much better than the Interceptor, but still it was a bit far. I understand that this being a test bike, it was just set standard. 
3. Heating of the engine. Right now it is winter in Delhi. The engine heats up at the traffic lights, and I did feel a bit of warmth on the legs when moving off after a 1 min stop. I don't know how it will be during summers - but since I feel the heat even from the karizma engines - I am sure its gonna be a bit uncomfortable.