650 Shootout Versys Vs Vstrom 

Good choice, and i totally agree. I hope they continue with the 650, because the 800 will never be as good on fuel as the 650. It'll take a long time to see if It's as bulltproof as the vtwin as well.

@@advorlando9855 I also have owned an SV650 since 2014. Suzuki's 645cc 90 degree V-twin engine is pure magic.

Thanks Ward. Riding is a passion and rural backroads are my favorite. There's plenty where i live but it's giving way to urban sprawl.

Since i made this video, I've learned alot of people shorter than me (6'0") ride these bikes. I'm glad to hear it, and I enjoy hearing it. The vstrom is a great bike, and unless i get a newer one...I'll have this till i can't ride anymore. Thanks for you comment.

Thats what got me back on 2 wheels. I was sitting on a boring post, watching motorcycles ride by and remembered when i used to ride. After 30 years of raising a family they dont need me as much so i re-entered with the new ADV style which i love.

Im surprised that at 5'9" you ride the versys, because i can flat foot my strom, but I toe touched with the versys. Maybe suspension set up is different. I do know the versys seat was more comfortable but the seating posture had me leaning forward too much. Strom isn't as fun to ride but definitely more comfortable overall.

@@advorlando9855 had to go with a bit lower seat from seat concepts. A bit of fiddling with the preload and it's good.. took a bit of fitting to it where I wanted it, 2"rox riser, some much bigger pegs from a c14 on motowerks lowering adapter. Penske shock and resprung/revalved forks. I picked it up used at a fantastic price so I had some room to play with it.

@@msmax1138 thats great to hear because these are great bikes. Its changed my perspective about who can ride because of height. I have a friend who has a road king and he cant ride sometimes because it needs attention. He would like to have something like these for a fun, bulletproof reliable bike. Ill recommend the vstrom.

@@advorlando9855 I bought the versys 650 for a specific reason, i had a work accident and am down to 65% on the left leg. at 700lbs my concours 14 is too heavy for me to load in my toy hauler that i live/work on the road out of by myself anymore, i needed something 500lbs or less and freeway capable that handled well. It quickly got down to the strom or versys. with the versys being more compact/lighter and i found a 3600 mile used 16lt for 4500. i had planned on twice that.. had it since 18 and its been a great little tourer/backroad scratcher. i leave the concours 14 at home for the big multi week trips where that monster can stretch its legs. its a bit like killing flies with a shotgun using it as a daily runner. for trips of a week or less and less than600 miles/day the versys gets the nod, its a bit light for allday freeway but is doable for a day or so. if im heading to the west coast or new england in a hurry im on the big iron. not that the little bike isnt capable but im old and like the comfort and effortless power for long trips. for just a week or a weekend here in the southeast I will throw my camping gear and 2 days clothes on the versys and be gone no question..

His appearance was totally random, but it added a lot to the video.

I totally agree. With my side and top boxes on, the aerodynamics definitely becomes a problem. I have had it up to 105 MPH with no boxes and this bike is very capable. It's not meant to sustain such speeds, and the engine gets buzzy at that speed. 70 is the end of my "comfortable ride" with the vstrom 650.

I didn't get a chancento ride the versys off road but we plan to do so soon. Ill post the video as soon as we do.

He doesn't get much saddle time. Besides, I'd rather go slower riding with a safe rider than going faster with a dangerous rider.

If i could get a sponsorship i definitely would. Riding company sponsored bikes would be great and I enjoy riding these bikes. Both have changed little over the years performance wise. The new ones do have alot of tech add-ons making them better. Interesting thing about these bikes is the vstrom is more popular in the 650 model as to the versys 1000 is better than the 650. But the versys y50 is still a great bike; its just not as comfortable as the 1000 versys or either vstrom.

I've ridden Mike's once, and the versus shutters, and stalls easier than the vstrom if you go too slow in a gear. The vstrom has low RPM assist, so it's more forgiving. The versus is quicker, more nimble, and more fun to ride on the pavement. But I'm happy with my vstrom.

@@advorlando9855 good to know. Thank you. Maybe one day I can ride both and see. :) be safe riding

I rode the Versys and V-Strom back to back, and then ran straight out and bought a DL650ABS V-Strom Adventure model. That was almost 5 years ago, and it might be my favorite bike out of the 40 or so I have owned in 52 years as an avid motorcyclist. I absolutely know that it is on a "dollar for dollar" basis. I can't believe that Suzuki might actually be moving to discontinue this wonderful motorcycle. So far this is just speculation though, and I certainly hope that's all it turns out to be. It is very comforting to know that if something ever happened to my beloved 'Strom, I could run out and buy a new one just like it the very next day. EDIT - I copied and pasted that from my post above after I happened to notice your comment. The 'Strom won hands down to me. It was so much smoother, and seemed to do things with less strain on the engine. That 90 degree twin is just pure magic ...MAGIC I tell you! 😏Just know going in that either of these motorcycles are first and foremost street bikes, and will not be very capable off road, though the 'Strom does seem to be slightly better equipped for it; as long as it also has the right tires and a good skid plate to protect vital engine and exhaust components. Even then, gravel roads and maybe some rough dirt fire roads are all that would be any fun to do at spirited speeds. If you are competent and careful, you could also crawl around in some "real" off-road stuff just enough to get to a secluded camp spot behind the treeline. For a backroads explorer/commuter/weekend tourer/occasional easy trail bike/ultimate UJM, you will be hard pressed to beat the V'Strom in my experience. Hope this helps. 👍

As a vstrom owner i think the positive points are easier maintenance overall. Alot of room will be saved with the parallel twin, but a proven reliable setup being shelved worries me.

@@advorlando9855 Suzuki may go with a 270 degree crank parallel twin engine that was a massive sales hit for Yamaha in the MT-07 & Tenere 700.

Suzuki lists both the V-Strom 650 and V-Strom 800 DE for 2023 on their USA website.

the parallel twin will be a better engine i'm pretty sure.

I can not argue your point. It was my first video doing such a thing, and i was behind the skill curve on how to do it. The overall comparison is that both are great bikes, but the vstrom is better. The engine has a wider power band, so you have to shift less. Economy was slightly better on the vstrom, but the comfort was the biggest difference. I did think the versys was better looking and fun to ride, but I'd never switch between the two.