The Suzuki Motorcycle stall at the Auto Expo 2018 has been, to use contemporary terms, lit. One of the big displays at the stalls has been the V-Strom 650, a mid-capacity version of Suzuki’s very capable adventure touring motorcycle. The V-Strom series has been immensely popular for Suzuki globally. The V-Strom 1000 has been available in India for a while now, but globally the V-Strom 650 has been more popular than its big litre-class sibling. And now the V-Strom is coming to India via the CKD route, assembled right here in the country. ALSO READ: Aprilia SR 125 launched in India at Auto Expo; Check Price, Specifications, Features and Details
Outside India, the V-Strom 650 is available as the standard model and as the V-Strom 650XT, and it gets far more volume than the bigger V-Strom 1000. The difference between the two versions of the V-Strom 650 is in the tires and wheels. While the standard trip comes with aluminum wheels and Bridgestone Battle Wing tires, which also come with the Triumph Tiger 800, the 650XT comes with stainless steel wire spoke wheels and Bridgestone Battleaxe Adventure tires.
The V-Strom 650, in both versions, get the same 645 cc, liquid-cooled, V-twin engine that can produce around 70 bhp of power at 8,800 rpm and 66 Nm of torque. The twin cylinders are positioned at a 90-degree alignment, and the engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox. The standard V-Strom 650 comes at a weight of 213 kg, and the XT weighs around 3 kg more. Traction control and ABS are standard on both variants. NOW READ: Auto Expo 2018: New Honda Amaze 2018 Officially Unveiled in India; Launch Date, Specs, Images, Features
The V-Strom 650 is expected to launch in mid-2018, and we believe that the bike will come at a price of around INR 6 to 7 lakhs, ex-showroom New Delhi. The Suzuki Hayabusa also comes assembled in India, and sales have skyrocketed since the big bike was switched to the CKD route, allowing prices to be slashed significantly.