Suzuki VStrom 250SX Review - A little gem! 2023 (69) 

Wow, thanks! glad you enjoyed it.

I 2nd that.

Cheers thanks for the kind words, I hope the information helps 👍

@@standupmoto yep it sure did....i purchased a yellow one,awaiting delivery...cheerz..

@@christopherspentgaris2369 Well done, would love to get your feedback after a little time owning this little gem.

Congratulations, enjoy your new ride. 👍

How has it been? 🤔

Great glad you enjoyed it, didn’t realise there was a black version. Yes it’s pretty hard to go past for the price, enjoy 👍

But in India it's over priced of min 20% , hence failing to catch-up the sales , eventhough it's a great bike for us in India . I do own this bike , I feel the engine is superior. Great for us on highway than off road in India .

@@standupmoto Picked up the bike on Saturday, I am in the running in phase, saying that I clocked up 260km yesterday and it is a pleasure to ride. Very responsive and great cornering. Returning 2.4L / 100km fuel consumption which is excellent. I think this bike is a winner.

@@mr6602 2.4 !!! Fantastic fuel economy, you must be being very careful with your right hand. Enjoy & ride safe, oh quick question- how are you finding the bars?

@standupmoto 2.4L, yes carefully running in, not exceeding 5000rmp or 80km as per the manual. The Bars are ok. Look a bit budget. I have ordered some risers, 30mm up and 20mm back. I would like to get something of a little better quality later but don't think it will make much difference. I recon drop the bike and those bars will bend. Still cannot go wrong though for the price.

Thanks Ash glad you enjoyed the video and thank you for the kind words, hopefully this model will not be too far away for you in Malaysia. They really are a fine fun motorcycle, it’s been quite a while since doing this review and I’m happy to say the baby Strom is still running fine with no issues. 🙏🏻

Update : it has been launched in Malaysia

Thanks very much for the kind words 🙏🏻 It’s great to hear from an owner with kilometers on the bike and so happy with it. Lovely to hear from the country it was made, cheers from Aus.

True 👍

Correct brother ppl here are ignoring it calling it expensive but they don't see the details. Great review this channel did justice to the bike

Trust me, I’ve been paying for it ever since!

Glad you liked it! thanks.

@@standupmoto: I have a couple of followup questions: 1) Does the ride quality become better with the pillion on board ? Did you fiddle with the pre load setting ? 2) Is there an engine clatter heard at higher RPMs? 3) Also regarding the vibrations at higher revvs, do you feel more on the footpegs ?

@@sinner_ra Hello no I didn’t move the pre load, mainly because I didn’t need to, there was very little travel lost. The motor remains smooth right through to redline. Not at all and I have removed the rubbers in the pegs also. Cheers.

@@standupmoto thanks! That was quite helpful. Would you be able to share the stock preload setting that comes from the factory? Is it at the 3rd step?

Glad you liked it

Thanks Andrew, yes mate the more I ride this bike the more I want to. Like your rule by the way, this bike actually fell over on the stand while I was doing the review. There was no straining, yelling, grunting- just stood her up and got with what I was doing. Enjoy that first adventure on the Strom, would love some feedback. Ride safe Cheers 👍

Well said, your comments here sum up this bike beautifully 👍

Thanks mate glad it was helpful, hard call the XT is a great bike. I had one and it never let down but it just started getting a bit old and costing me a bit in maintenance. Good luck with your decision 👍

@@standupmoto A question if I may about seat height: I'm 5' 9" and the 835mm seat height should be OK. But I finally got a chance to sit on one this week (no chance of a test ride) and I found the seat hard, and with the stiff suspension there was very little sag when I put my weight on the bike. The result was that I felt it was too tall. I know you can buy a lower seat, but my question is: does the bike "settle" a bit with time eg. does the hard seat mould to your bum and the springs sag a bit more? That could make the difference for me.

@@andrewgreen6060 Hi Andrew, no the suspension doesn’t settle in my experience and I’ve done a fair bit of riding now. Even with 2 on board it doesn’t seem to go down very far so I’d say your only option there would be in the lowered seat area, the seat itself once your feet are on the pegs is really quite comfortable but once again it doesn’t crush much. I haven’t done any research at this stage as to whether a lowering link is available as with the DR650 as it suits me well (my personal preference is tall in the seat) but I know some riders prefer to be able to get both feet flat on the ground. When I come to a stop I tend to slide the left cheek over, flat foot on the left and leave the right foot on the peg/rear brake. I’ll do a bit of research and see what I come up with.

@@standupmoto Thanks heaps for the detailed reply. Best not to hurry a decision. I'll try for a test ride when a dealer has enough stock. Main issue would be having to stop unexpectedly on uneven ground - I've gone over in the past in that situation!

@@andrewgreen6060 Andrew are you in South Aussie? Your more than welcome to take mine for a spin.

Cheers Pete, thanks 👍

Glad it was helpful!

Welcome aboard! & thanks 👍

Thanks glad you liked it.

Great to hear! Don’t forget if you find the seat a little tall at first you can buy a lower version very well priced directly from the Suzuki dealer. Enjoy your new machine & ride safe. Cheers.

@standupmoto Thank you Steve. I think will be all right with the seat, I am 6ft tall. 👍

Totally agree 👍

Great stuff Pieter, 35.4 on a new tight motor is very good. When it’s run in this little bike loves to rev and the power is very impressive for such a small motor. When I say little it actually looks quite big but doesn’t feel big to ride, what colour did you get? Still loving mine, cheers.

Contemplating to replace front with Shinko 804 for a bit of sand and peepebbles, what do you think? I run a TKC 80 with same patern on my NC750X front with great results.

@@pieterbrink504 Yes probably a good move, the std is pretty good I might add but probably a good idea if your going to put a bit heavier oil in the forks. I’d try first playing around with pressures a bit first, I was pleasantly surprised with its ability.

Why would you get a single cylinder engine when you already had a CB500X? The 500X definitely has a better engine. Any specific reasons for you to sell the CB500X?

Thanks glad it was helpful, I would certainly if possible test ride the SX. From there you can compare it with the the others on your short list, all the best.

Great stuff, they are a terrific little bike 👍

🙏🏻 Thank you.

🙏🏻 Thank you.

Cheers mate thanks glad you enjoyed it, to make you feel even better I’ve done a lot more time on it since the review. I absolutely love it & no problems at all, this little bike is a gem & crazy good on fuel. 👍 (welcome to the channel)

@@standupmoto That's reassuring, indeed. I need to get myself one.

Thanks glad you enjoyed the video, I’m actually going across the ditch not too far down the track to explore some of your home turf. We may have the motorcycle parking areas but the Kiwis are light years ahead of us in the EV department, in one state here they actually want to tax you for driving an EV! Cheers mate and welcome to the channel 👍

Great, glad you enjoyed it. The baby Strom is a great easy to own economical bike. It comes with no surprises, what do I mean by that? There’s no quirks, no power bands etc. It’s just a fun little to own, oh it’s also quite with the standard exhaust so you won’t annoy anyone with the noise.

Thanks for watching!

Great to hear you are enjoying your VStrom, let me know if you find a center stand 👍

Thanks for sharing! 👍

Thanks Brian, yes I think it would be the perfect next step. FYI this one is still going very well with no problems since doing this review.

Great to hear! and also good to hear you’ve had a good run out of your Gsxr which I believe has the same motor ( the Gsxr is not in Aus) enjoy your new VStrom when you get it, they are a little ripper. cheers.

Glad it was helpful! The small strom is a pleasure to ride.Cheers 👍

Have fun! Economy & fun riding is what this bike is all about 👍 cheers.

Good choice! Thanks and glad you enjoyed the video. Cheers

Yes, all valid concerns for sure. Both are very good bikes, after reviewing both bikes I can say the Suzuki is noticeably lighter. I like them both but in my case I thought the 250 suited better.

Hello Glynn, yes I hear you. I’ve just finished doing a review on the Honda Africa Twin , as much as I love the power and ability of this wonderful big bike it’s hard work. I’m in my mid 60’s myself now and after finishing AT review it I rode the my baby Strom the following day on a casual ride with some friends, it’s simple, light, economical ,stress free & just plain old fun. If you go down the path of the Suzuki (I didn’t realise this model was in the UK yet) I would however go for the lower seat option as they are quite tall. I’ve had her a few months now and my only complaint is the instrument panel is not bright enough for my lets say mature eyes, would love to hear your thoughts after test riding one ☝️, cheers.

@@standupmoto Steve, thank you for your reply. Your comment about availability of the V-Strom 250 in the UK has set alarm bells ringing with me. I've not contacted my local Suzuki dealer yet, but have been on their website and the V-Strom 250 isn't shown (I just assumed they hadn't updated the site,but maybe it's because it isn't yet available over here). I now have a mission to confirm the situation ! I suspect your theory is right, so this may also explain that there aren't many English reviews on RU-vid. Doh ! A few years back I did own a 650 V-Strom and my lack of height has always been problematic with 'bike purchase : 5' 8" (173mm) at that time (but age has taken its toll so more like 5' 7.75" now) and with a a 740mm inseam (not wearing boots). I lowered the suspension on the 650, but, as you will be aware, it's when puushing a 'bike about is when weight/height of the machine comes into play. Actual riding isn't a problem. I found the 650 top heavy when getting it backwards out of my 'bike shed, so reluctantly had to part with it (before I had a mishap and got squashed !). The unfortunate situation I'm in is that, with the new price of my Meteor being so low, there is a consequent knock-on effect with trade in value (taking into consideration a dealers need to have a profit margin, why would a customer buy a used 'bike if, for a few hundred pounds more, they could have a brand new one !). With product price inflation costs soaring away, I want to make my change as soon as practicable, so, the issue you've hinted at will, most likely, take the 250 V-Strom off my very short list. However, I'm very grateful for your 'stear' so thank-you. It seems my viable options list will likely need pruning : - (

Hi yes hopefully, I have emailed Suzuki asking what countries they will be releasing it but have had no response yet.

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it 🙏🏻

Thanks glad you enjoyed it, we don’t have the Gixxer in Aus (I think) but have heard it’s the same motor.

Yes would suit that purpose well, not sure if they will make it stateside, hopefully so. Thanks for the comment and yes remember the TM well, a bit of a rocket in the day.

It certainly is a great little bike, it’s my go to nowadays just because it’s so easy live with.👍

Great to hear your enjoying your VStrom and glad you enjoyed the review 👍

@@standupmoto It's lock nut, not shim

@@andrewgreen6060 Yes that was my understanding also.

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it 👍🙏🏻

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it 👍

Cheers mat glad you enjoyed it 👍

Very welcome, thank you 👍

My pleasure, glad you enjoyed it. Ride safe👍

Thanks for the info and glad you enjoyed the review. May I ask what exhaust system you used?

Morning got a suzuki 250 Gizzer full exhaust from China about $120 new Zealand young guy at suzuki put it on had to cut and wield two parts to make it fit made a good job and really happy with it the Gizzer has the same engine in it great little bike 800 pretty cool to Cheers 👍🏻 🍻

@@jimdoolan2277 Cheers Jim.

Great to hear! Would welcome anything you think I may have missed, ride safe.

Thanks, glad you liked it. It was certainly a fun bike to review.

You need to do a garage update video. I think a lost track of how many bikes you got. Interested in knowing how the bimmers are doing

@@iiturregui Yes I thought of doing that but mmmm I’m not sure. A mate has taken over the 07 Police Rt as I’m looking to get a 2017 version at auction. 👍

@@standupmotohat about the k1600?

@@iiturregui No she’s gone also, was a great bike but she who must be obeyed preferred riding on the Goldwing. I really do miss the power, handling and brakes of the GT but all good things must come to an end eventually. Believe or not it’s been replaced with a 52 Norton Dominator running a Tillbrook sidecar, yeah yeah I know but what can I say 🤪

Cheers mate glad you enjoyed it, she’s a ripper little machine that is just so much fun to ride.👍

Thanks for sharing, I’ll definitely look into Roar for the exhaust 👍

Thanks for sharing, would be interested in where you got your exhaust system. Cheers

@@standupmoto There's next to none aftermarket parts for the 250sx its pretty annoying. I found that the gixxer 250 (sf250) has an aftermarket stainless exhaust on eBay which fits the bike perfectly and the o2 sensor is in the right spot, think I paid $180 so pretty cheap

@@sovetea3599 Thank you, I’ll do some research 👍

Thank you 🙏🏻

Thanks 🙏🏻

🙏🏻 Thank you, yes the bike has been extremely reliable and economical.

You're welcome 😊 thanks for watching.

Awesome, thank you! How long do I plan on keeping it? Well due to the lack of initial outlay, as in how well the bike is priced and the ongoing costs of low registration & fuel usage I hope to have it for some time. It’s just such a fun bike to ride, looks good & always gets people chatting when you stop somewhere. I have some other bikes and do tend to rotate them a bit (ok a lot) but the SX will be my long termer hopefully. I will definitely do another review when I’ve clocked up a decent amount of Kms. So far though so good, no problems or issues. Let’s hope it stays that way! Cheers & thanks for the comment 👍

Welcome aboard! & thanks.

My pleasure,, yes some people don’t understand it’s quite legal where I am. I have had several comments in past videos basically telling me off for doing so. Cheers.

Hi Andrew, thanks mate glad you enjoyed it. Yes Adelaide for sure, some Riverland areas also. Maaaate $107 for a fill ! And it’s only going to get worse as time goes on, if you look at a graph the fuel prices go up & down but the overall trend is up over a period. The baby Strom is a pearler, ride it nicely and it only sips, at the price it won’t take long to pay for itself. Cheers.

@@standupmoto now the weather is warming up I can give the car a break I used to own old tt 600 Xl 500 and 1980 xl250 If I went big bore I would prob lose points ha ha I think the little Strom will be a good little goer especially in the Adelaide Hills ,I go to the city a fair bit and living near Murray bridge the cost is like 40 bucks there and back with a bit of running around in the city so I might head off to the bike shop tomorrow at mb they have a nice yellow one there ,cheers man ,might see you on the road I'll look for the orange one ha ha

@@andrewroberthook3310 The yellow looks great, one thing though they’re not a freeway machine. They’ll do it for short rides but as a regular commuter you’d be working it pretty hard especially if it’s windy. On the flip side if you go the back way (past Monato on the old rd) they are great, especially through the twisties.👍

@@standupmoto just test rode an orange one At Murray Bridge And bought the yellow one that was available Windy as up there today Impressed ! it will do exactly what I need Your review was the reason I made the decision all the best cheers

@@andrewroberthook3310 Well done Andrew, geeees no pressure you better like it or I’m in trouble! Na use it for what it is and you’ll love it👍

Hi, yes I have had this comment several times from viewers in the UK. Hopefully they will be there not too far down the track, they are a great all rounder at a reasonable cost and cheap to run. Cheers from Aus.

Thankyou 👍

Thanks for the info 👍

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks.

Yes that 100 is the mark, Lincoln to the Barossa is a descent ride 5 hrs? Haven’t done a run that long, what was the average fuel consumption? They are a little gem in the city, easy to manage, easy to manoeuvre, great vision due to sitting reasonably high & upright. Brakes are excellent when some dope pulls out in front of you, that ABS works a treat.

Hi Mark, thanks mate glad you enjoyed the video. The Bark Busters you see in this video are actually a universal set I bought many years ago for my DR650. They don’t have a part no that I can see but I’ve bars are only std 5/8 without any taper so any generic universal guards will work. Enjoy your new bike, would love to hear your thoughts after you’ve done a few Kms. Still loving mine.👍

Awesome, thank you! Welcome to the channel.

Thank you! Cheers!

Thank you for the information, yes I have no complaints about the tyres they work very well. Also the build quality of this bike is excellent, if India is producing bikes like this one and the Royal Enfield and of course many of the smaller BMWs & KTMs there is a very bright future in store for the industry there. Cheers

Glad it was helpful! Cheers

👍

Thank you, hopefully it helps 👍 cheers.

Glad it was helpful!

Hi glad you enjoyed it, if it’s more long distance sealed roads you will be on the Burgman would be the better choice. If the road are not so good or unsealed or you want to ride some tracks etc the VStrom would be the go. Thanks for the comment.

Hi , I’m about to do clearances so I’ll let you know. Access looks good but I’ll have a better idea after doing them, my information from a local mechanic was they were simple. let’s hope he was right! Cheers.

Good luck with that. It's hard to find any technical information for this new model; but at least there's plenty of uncongested space for working around that little head; and the identical powertrain fitted to the earlier model SF250 Gixxer has reportedly stood up well in India.@@standupmoto

Thank you for the information and kind words.🙏🏻

Yes both the 650 and the 800 are great bikes but a different category to this one. Suzuki really are putting out some excellent bikes lately. 👍

@@standupmoto agree👍👍the 250 is also a great bike

Cheers, thanks for the info.

thanks, Maybe one day!

Thanks for watching!

your review helped me decide on my first bike at the ripe age of 53 so thank you.@@standupmoto

@@carmelot324 Great stuff, you’ll love it. I’ve had the one in this review for some time now and my views haven’t changed , it’s a great little bike. 👍

Hi thanks and glad you liked the video. Yes you are correct about the valve adjustment, I was given the wrong information from the Suzuki dealer here in Aus. I did put the clarification in the video description the day after posting but based on feedback I’ve had from owners of the Gixxer (same motor) adjustments are few and far between. Congratulations on your purchase, it’s been some time now since doing this review and this little bike of mine has been fantastic. No issues at all and the already good fuel economy gets even better after a couple of thousand kms. One thing I would say is buy the protection bar you see in my video, it’s inexpensive and does a great job, this one has been on its side a couple of times now and no damage thanks to the little engine bar. Enjoy your new ride and let me know what you think. Cheers.

@@standupmoto Thx mate...Just got her today, pleased as punch thus far...unfortuanetly we don't get any of the accesories here in Southern Africa yet....was a bit of a struggle just to secure an oilfilter for the 1 st service...

@@Sith790 Yes accessories are definitely a problem at this stage but everything is available online directly from India. The prices are very reasonable also, enjoy your new bike👍

Yes thank you, I have since been educated. 🙏🏻

Yes I agree.

Hi, I’m 5’10 and it’s fine for me but everyone is different of course . Doing my own oil & filter changes @ 5k (first one I did at 1k) , valves ! Interesting question, this is apparently the same motor as the Gixxer. I’ve had riders from India 🇮🇳 that they have 20k with no change in the clearances from new. So to be honest I’m not sure, I keep an ear on them of course but fuel economy and power haven’t changed since I got it. In fact both have got a little better, I do run full synthetic oil. Cheers.

@@standupmoto Thanks for the quick reply! I'm about 1" shorter than you, so the windshield should work for me, too. The maintenance schedule in the manual doesn't list valve check/oil change intervals?

@@thomas-el Hi again Thomas, I’ll have to check. I tend to do oil changes on all of my regular bikes @ 5k (competition bikes @ only 500 kms), valves I just check periodically. That probably sounds strange but it all depends on how the bike is ridden, what oil it runs & the temperatures it’s operated in and so on. I look at the servicing much like the recommended tyre pressure placards somewhere on the bikes, it’s a guide but that’s all it can be as there are so many variables (temperature,solo/passenger/brand etc). I will however grab the manual and have a look, you’ve got me curious now. 👍

No worries, I’m asking because the frequency of maintenance required to not invalidate warranty will affect total ownership cost. Also, once warranty expires, I’ll want to maintain the bike myself. Thanks again for your help 🙂

Yesterday, I got a dealer to show me the manual. It's 5000 km for both oil and valves.

Yes that was what I was told here in Aus when I first started looking for a 250 last year, sorry mate Suzuki discontinued the small VStrom. One month later Suzuki Australia were promoting the current incarnation of the baby Strom on their website, it’s like the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. In fairness to the dealers they can only act on information given to them by the brand. The previous 250 Strom was actually a nice little twin, a bit expensive new here but I’ve spoken to a couple of owners that really like them. Maybe a good used version of the previous model could be worth looking at?

Yes 🙏🏻 thanks, I have since been educated 👍

Hi I’m 5’10 & it works well for me but I guess it won’t suit everyone, it is well squared off at the top so it should take one of the clip on deflectors ok if you find it not quite tall enough. Cheers.

I'm 5.9 so it'll be perfect i hope. It's at the top of my list now. Thanks again 👍

Yes I agree, we here in Aus get the very basic but functional LCD version. And yes it can be hard to read in certain light conditions, I’m not sure if the TFT version is available as an accessory. I think the main reason for this was to keep the price down.

Hi, It’s not bad 2 up with the top box on , but 2 larger people may find it a bit cramped. I haven’t spent much time at 120 to be honest, I have been there a few times but 100 seems to be the sweet spot. Remembering it’s only a 250 and I don’t really think it was designed for much over the 100 mark for prolonged rides, but I have to say the more I ride this bike the more I want to ride it. It’s just such a nice ride.👍

​@@standupmoto thanks for the reply :)

Thanks glad you enjoyed the video, the top box must have the key to be removed.

Welcome to the channel, not yet on the Gixxer 🙏🏻

Yes, absolutely. You would probably need to do the handle bar mods that I did though. For reference I’m 5’10. Cheers.

Hi Ted, yes it’s always an issue getting just the right height on factory screens. I’m taller in the body although only being 5’10, I found myself in clean air but a friend of the same height but longer in the legs and shorter in the body had the buffeting, just as well for after market screens I guess.

Thanks glad you enjoyed the video, I haven’t found any problems with the baby Strom in the city at all. Remembering you will be taking a HP hit & off rd performance will not be the same as your 390, on the flip side ease of operation and crazy good fuel efficiency will definitely be a welcome consolation.