If you're looking for a mid-displacement adventure bike that will actually handle some off-road work or a solid commuter for the urban jungle, then Suzuki's 2020 V-Strom 650XT Adventure should be on your short list. This model builds on the 650 platform and it boasts extra protection for both bike and rider along with stock dry-storage and a proven V-twin powerplant. As usual, Suzuki rounds out the package with a bevy of proprietary ride-quality electronics to back up the various variables built into the mechanics of the bike to deliver a customizable riding experience.

2020 Suzuki V-Strom 650XT Adventure Design

More frequently now, I see mid- to large-displacement adventure bikes used as general-purpose commuters, and when they come stock with panniers, handguards, and an adjustable windshield, they're effectively ready to go with nary a glance at the accessories catalog. The V-Strom 650XT Adventure fits that bill. A short bird's beak and over-under halogen headlights lead the way over a sculpted front fender that multitasks as an inner fork-tube guard and wind shunt. The blackout treatment starts early with darkened rims, hubs, and fork sliders, and it spreads to the drivetrain, engine guards, and frame to create a generally sinister air with custom-build and off-road undertones.

Behind the glass, an extra accessory bar provides a handy place to mount mobile electronics devices such as a GPS receiver.

A 5.3-gallon fuel tank lends the V-Strom 650XT Adventure the typical ADV-bike hump, but manages to soften the effect through some gentle curves and a front fairing that extends the lines from the tank. Without the quick-connect bags, the flyline sports a graceful “S” curve as it rides back up from the pilot's seat to the pillion's along the upswept subframe, but the aluminum boxes visually break up that curve somewhat once they're installed.

The taillight rides tucked under the little luggage rack that's behind the p-pad, and it looks like this is where the only LED lights on the bike are found. The rest are halogen/incandescent bulbs. A short mudguard mounts the rear blinkers, tag light, and license plate ride in a fairly protected area, as long as the boxes are installed, anyway. Out back, the blackout treatment continues into the tip of the tail, the swingarm and even the exhaust system to visually tie the bike together end-to-end.

2020 Suzuki V-Strom 650XT Adventure Chassis

Aluminum is the material of choice on the V-Strom 650XT Adventure for the lightweight strength it adds to the equation. A twin-spar frame and twin-side swingarm provide the main structure with the engine used as a stressed member to keep weight down and maintain rigidity at the same time. You had to know that the 6.7-inch ground clearance would come at a price, right?

A bash plate protects the engine and exhaust system from terrain strikes if you actually take it off the black and onto the brown. The wheels are offroad-tastic with aluminum hubs and rims laced together with steel spokes. They mount a 110/80-19 up front opposite a 150/70-17 in a street-biased tread that'll also tackle loose material such as sand and dirt roads.

Standard 43 mm forks deliver adjustable spring preload, while out back the link-type rear shock sports both the ubiquitous selectable spring preload complete with hand-wheel adjuster and a variable rebound-damping adjuster to wrap up the stems. Dual front brake discs and twin-piston Tokico anchors join a single-pot Nissin caliper to reduce speed under ABS overwatch.

2020 Suzuki V-Strom 650XT Adventure Drivetrain

There's a lot to unpack with the electronics suite on the V-Strom 650XT Adventure, so let's establish the mechanicals first. An 81 mm bore and 62.6 mm stroke gives the 90-degree V-twin its 645 cc displacement and 11.2-to-1 compression ratio. Dual over-head cams time the valves to eliminate the need for pushrods and keep the reciprocating mass low for safe revs at the top of the range, plus the dual-spark heads deliver reliable ignition.

A tough O-ring chain drive makes the connection between power and pavement. The 70-horsepower output and overall drive ratio turns out 100 mph at the redline in top gear.

Now for the gadgetry. Induction control falls to the dual, 39 mm throttle bodies that house a pair of butterflies each; one for the rider demand, and a computer-controlled secondary that smooths out the deficit between demand and capability to deliver seamless operation. An Easy Start feature, Idle Speed Control system and Low RPM Assist ensure reliable stable operation at the bottom of the rev range and during cold starts. The advanced traction control comes with a trio of intervention levels (1, 2, and “Off”) to deliver varying levels of slip so you can dial in for the conditions and/or your skill/comfort level.

2020 Suzuki V-Strom 650XT Adventure Pricing

It comes in Pearl Vigor Blue over black as the only color package available this year.

2020 Suzuki V-Strom 650XT Adventure Competitors

Suzuki's domestic foe, Kawasaki, looks like it has an answer for the V-Strom in its Versys 650.

Kawasaki Versys 650

The Versys rolls with less capability than the V-Strom due to a lack of hand protection and secure dry storage in the stock equipment. Sure, that can be remedied through the accessories catalog, but at extra cost so keep that in mind at the checkout.

The Versys strikes a similar figure with some flow to the design and S-curve to the flyline while it meets all the usual design criteria for the ADV genre. I prefer the look of the Suzuki, but I'll let your taste speak for itself.

Kawi gets a win in the front suspension with adjustable rebound and preload up front, but it falls behind with only the obligatory spring-preload out back to more or less break even. The brakes are similar enough with ABS protection across the board though the Versys can be had in a non-ABS edition for a raw ride in that respect. A parallel-twin mill drives the Versys with 68 horsepower and 47 pound-feet of torque against 70/45 from Suzuki's V-twin for another close-enough metric.

Read our full review of the Kawasaki Versys 650 / 650 LT.

He Said

“Looks like the V-Strom 650XT Adventure is nearly as capable as its large-displacement sibling, the 1050 XT, just in a slightly smaller package. While the Suzuki wins out against Kawasaki in the fandanglery department, it will find stiffer point-for-point competition from the likes of Ducati and Triumph to name a few. Of course, the real question is whether any of the pros choose one for some globetrotting rally or another. Time will tell.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “I knew this had to be coming when Suzuki released the V-Strom 650XT Touring. The Touring was so road oriented, I knew there would be a more off-road version sooner rather than later. Here we are. It just needs some street knobbies. The narrow waist makes it much easier for height-challenged folks (I include myself in that description) to reach the ground.”

2020 Suzuki V-Strom 650XT Adventure Specifications

Further Reading

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