Review of my 2013 Suzuki V Strom 650 Adventure

Okay, so we have done the CRF 250 L. We have done the cr125 F and this is what I upgraded to 2013 Zuzuki v-strom 650. The previous owner threw a whole lot of stuff at it. So it has the aluminum bash plate. Has the engine guards, has a Suzuki V Strom 650 branded hard luggage. It is got the windscreen deflector. It has the RAM mount for the phone. The side mirror extensions which are really nice by the way. I am six-two 250 I’m kind of a wide guy. So I do not looking at my shoulders or my elbows which is nice. Heated grips little cruise control throttle lock. I suppose and adjustable levers the bark Buster’s. So I mean it had everything thrown at it. I got a great deal. I really couldn’t turn it down. So v-strom 650 ,I think it has like 65 ish horsepower. It does everything it is a sport adventure tour. It is super comfortable super comfortable as I’ve shown you. I had put like 500 miles on the on the CRF before I upgraded it. And this one I bought it with seventeen thousand nine hundred. And I have had it for just over a month. Let’s find out what gear, I think we’re in first all right. So, 19123 so yeah 17900. I have put 1,200 miles on the bike already in a month riding every chance I get because this bike is so easy to ride. It is so comfortable, everything is just super easy and smooth. And it is great oh man, it is just such a great bike is it too much to start off with. You know I really am glad that I had the 250 L to learn on. I am a great bike to learn on, great entry-level to power. This has a ton more power but man is it so approachable. It doesn’t like try and get away from you. It just rolls on so easy like at the moment, I got on this bike and eased it up like eased out the clutch on first gear, oh. I was like yep, I’m not gonna have any problems with this bike. You will notice that this purple up here. This is Plasti Dip or dip your car purple. I did it in a day this sides holding up, okay. I am actually gonna peel it all off and repaint all. The panel’s grape jelly candy but you can see where I put my left foot down and put it back up. So yeah, it is wearing through the plasti dip. So plastidip not gonna last a whole long long time since my leg is going on it. A bunch but alright, so yes it is so hard for me to get on this with the tail bag on but I knew I had everything loaded up yesterday. Let’s get on here without hurting myself and we’ll just go for a quick ride before it starts green. And too much all right man this bike is just so easy so comfortable and has given me no issues despite having 18,000 miles on it. And man, I have not you know, I haven’t done this actually since I bought this bike in the 250 L. Has written everything back to back, you know the progression of my learning. If you will the cr125 F is just oh my god I was like so much fun riding is amazing. Just  around the property and then you know I got the CRF 250 LM. I was like oh my god the road is so much fun. This is just amazing. The freedom, I made a comment, I don’t know how per bit is for YouTube or other people. But riding a motorcycle compared to running a car is like having sex without a condom. I know that’s such a terrible analogy. I just, I wish, I need to find another one but um it’s just just amazing you know. It’s just so different, so there’s like something missing when you’re in the car. Like you just experienced the whole world differently so and the comfort. Oh let’s see, it’s just hilarious going from the cr125 F to the 250. Is an amazing step up and comfort it’s like sitting on a wooden bar stool. And then sitting in a you know a comfortable padded barstool with. You know back on you kind of lean back not that you can lean back on the 250. But you know it’s that difference in comfort and then coming on, coming into this one is like going from sitting in a comfortable barstool to getting on somebody’s couch. And being able to listen everything’s like soft and relaxed. And just easy and man, it is just so great. This is just such a comfortable bike and everything. It does is so effortless. I have ridden it through the yard granted like I said we have had nothing but rain the past few months. And there’s been a couple days, where it has not rained. It has been either cold and sunny or set my warm and overcast. But either way the yard was still just full of water. And that just it didn’t lend me to really try. Taking this out around the property a whole lot. I try the other day and the MTO says no that’s a bike is. The tires on here it’s a Cinco Cinco tire. I will have to remember it later but anyways the the Shing codes that are on here are great and they seem like they’d be great for off road. But they’re not for mud. They are just really, they are not for mud at all. The moment it hits mud like oh man the back end was super wallowy at fishtail. And and I was very excited to get back to pavement cause I don’t have any wood in knockout. But I have not laid any of my bikes down and even in the dirt. I haven’t laid any of my bikes down. So, I don’t want to. I don’t want to you know pop my laying down cherry you know. I don’t want to lay anything down. So, I was glad I was able to keep it upright back on the road. But worried this shines it has just long distances so dork in the road has a cool channel. I enjoy his YouTube channel with his moto vlogs. And he went from a cb500 to a CRF and also got a CRF 250 L. And wanted to step up to another bike.  And it was between this and the Kawasaki Versys 650 and he chose the versus and you know. I have lived up in Washington and driven through Oregon. I have been living up in Ohio and they do have curvier roads up there. Texas is just fast vast amounts of straight, you just go straight forever and very few curvy roads. You can probably find them here and there. But in general you’re not going to find a whole lot of curves. So, a lot of the reviews that I found said that the v-strom versus the vs.

The vs. handles curve’s much better and isn’t quite as competent off-road. The v-strom is competent on-road and are competent off-road. And handles straight-line travel very well in it but it isn’t quite as fun per se as the vs. Well, I pretty much only have straight roads to ride when I ride to work it is 50 miles down a highway. There’s no other way to get there, there’s no alternate rows. The only other way is to take one highway to a Beltway to another highway which is a straight line. Take it on ramp, straight line take it on ramp you know. It is just there’s no kirbys so yeah, you know like even anywhere. I go I end up being on the highway forever. And so for my purposes the v-strom, you know. I have to ride this you know. I might agree with people it doesn’t there probably is a fun factor missing. You can ride this part don’t get me wrong. I have gotten in you know a couple times like I’ve gotten on to. Like there was a super twisty on-ramp which was weird but I was able to you know lean into. The turns and get on the highway while I was accelerating. It felt very Sport biking but this is not a sport bike. This is a sport adventure tour, you know. It is amazingly upright. The seat is super comfortable, super soft. The power you really have to try just cannot keep this thing from fogging up today.  I have got anti fog on it, you know everything but it’s just the moisture in the air. In the rain but uh yeah this is not a sport bike. This is a sport adventure tour. I have completely lost my train of thought. It doesn’t like to rev out you know. Like once you get to 5000 rpm, the bike almost gives you this feeling of you should shift. You’re at 4000 rpm, you should shift now, once you rev it past there. Let’s say you’re on the highway and you downshift or you need to pass somebody. And you get it to 6 7000 rpm. The engine changes tone and starts to sing. That’s the only way I can characterize with the noise. It makes it starts to sing and see if I can get some fog clearing off this master. But the engine starts to sing. It changes its tone and it comes alive but in between five and seven thousand rpm. It’s like the engine doesn’t want to go. It’s like a lazy athlete who really has to be urged. And find the motivation to want to run you know to do something spectacular. So, I think that’s where people you know. There’s a lot the feeling of lack of fondest because when you’re riding it around. Most of the time the power is just so easy and so smooth. And predictable, just not a lot you know. And you really have to try to wake the engine up. It’ll do it, it’ll do everything I needed to do. And whatever is a few times, I’ve had the engine woken up you know. I was like a hopeful man you know but at that point you’re starting to eclipse legalities of things you know. You just slow back down and go back to your normal riding. And your normal high, you know legal speeds and what is not so that you just go back to the the cruising lazy. You feel about but it doesn’t detract from the bike it’s just a different kind of biking and highway of writing. I mean you’re going a long way for a long time. This does just soak up the miles. I mean you could just ride comfortably and man. III especially going back to back from the other two bikes oh. This is just so comfortable, this is the creepy road I came here if this is the creamy road or not oh whoops sorry people so. I can’t see with that face mask. All right let’s see so I’ll just give you a taste of some Texas here while I’m riding this is really just. I can turn around but I don’t want it not really any good places to turn around where I’m going. I don’t want to make this too long but yeah I mean for a new rider like me to jump on this bike. And immediately put on a thousand miles in a month. That just goes to show how easy this bike is to ride. How many miles you can put on it effortlessly. It’s  just a great bike. And I think I’ll have this one for a while there is the urge to get something different.  Not for a need but just for a one you know. Like a you know, I know it’s ridiculous because I’ve had this less than month unlike my home. I want to try all the bikes and I think that’s I think that’s the thing too. Now that I’m open to riding. I’ve you know realized that you know bikes are really approachable and relatively easy to ride. Once you’ve got the the basics handled and you’re comfortable riding at least. You know like at this level I’m not gonna jump on some leader bike BMW s1000 Double R. And think that I’m a good rider but I am a writer that can at least enjoy motorcycles you know it, each bike has its own feel. And yeah so I mean I want to experience all those different fields. And so there’s that part of me, that’s like oh man you know. I just get all the bikes and probably not a great mentality to have Clark’s old place. Well who lives there now that’s Clark’s old place I guess. I haven’t been down this road did you do turn around here and go ahead. But yeah I just want to try all the bikes. Like a few years back, I was got into Scott. She knows scotch whiskey and within the first few months. I was like I start to taste all the different flavors of scotch. You know didn’t just burn my face off and you know like sear my tongue. And just make me gag like I was starting to enjoy it and once. I was like oh my god there’s all these flavors you can taste vanilla and you know like cherries and raisin and toffee. And all these different flavors in. What the hell is huh you could taste all these different flavors in the Scotch. I was like I have to buy all the scotches. I have to try them all. I feel like that’s where I’m at with motorcycles right now because you know, I’ve I got on the CRF or cr125 F. And I just learned you know just enough to be able to. I can function on a bike and then I got the CRF 250 L. And I was like okay I can ride it on the street you know. I can get up to speed and then I got this and I was like okay. I can do highway speeds and ride distance and you know enjoy myself safely now. I’m like I’ve got to try them all you know so, I don’t plan on really ever selling this because this is just such a good bike. I got a great deal on it as long as this thing keeps running. I’m just gonna keep you know keep driving it. I haven’t really, you know not really showing y’all anything spectacular because I am still a new rider you know. I’m definitely not gonna say that I’m any kind of expert. And I don’t know where the limits are on the bikes yet. And I don’t want to find him because I feel like once you find a limit you’ve probably passed it. And yeah I don’t need to be, I don’t need to be winding up in needed ditches. I don’t need to be testing out how amazing my gear is. And have to buy new gear because I destroyed it. Yeah I like to keep my gear intact and not break things so yeah. And since it’s wet roads you know I don’t want to be. I think the quickest way to hurt yourself is show off for anybody. And that goes that goes for anything. I mean you watch videos like fail army or I grew up watching America’s Funniest Home Videos things like. That like the moment somebody tries to show off, is the moment somebody gets hurt and my philosophy. When writing is writing is like a Zen thing for me even if I’m in a really bad mood. I’m in a bad mood and I get in a car. I’m in a bad mood everybody. I’m a terrible driver. I’m not even gonna long terrible driver in a car, super aggressive drive too fast. I’ll start weaving in out traffic, you know. And I won’t get road rage on. I mean I’m not gonna Sam maybe you need a road rage but I have been prone to rage on the road. When I want a motorcycle it’s completely different. If I get on the motorcycle and I’m angry the motorcycle puts me at ease. My handle traffic situations, very differently on the motorcycle than I do in a car. And it’s just my time to relax and enjoy the world and experience the world. And you know, when you’re with other traffic. I’m on a motorcycle you know if I piss off somebody in a car. And they decide to sideswipe me, it’s done nothing but scratched their car and half the car is in Texas. I mean you we just saw an RV that had the top ripped off that was a pipe flat trailer or something most people in Texas. I feel like you know there’s so many people there cars are just beat to anyways. And they don’t care if they get another scratcher another ding or another door panel dent. But you know if they hit me I could die I could get seriously injured. So any altercation is a losing one for me and I’m not a big fan of losing so the best way for me to win is to not enter an altercation. And just enjoy myself and my serenity is going to trump their anger.  So and you know I can slow up and get out of their way. I can you know get out of the shoulder if need be find a different road because I’m just gonna be exploring anyways. I don’t like to be anywhere need to go anywhere in a hurry on the bike you know. If I’m going on the bike, I got plenty of time to get there and it’s I’m not in a rush. I think you know that’s another thing isn’t when I’m in a car. And I’m like I gotta get to my destination. I gotta get the groceries got to get home because they need other to do when I’m on the bike. I’m like hey I’m on the bike you know that’s the bikes time. That’s the bike owns that time that’s time to relax and just enjoy the nature of riding a motorcycle. And don’t let other thing is getting away and get in your head. So it really puts you in a much better mood the other day. I had a really bad day and I rode for two hours and we went you know around the lake. And by the time, I got home I was a great mood. I’d totally forgotten that there was something that had bothered me earlier in the day. And I was like well you know just we’ll deal with that another time. And so you know when you see videos of people just being super angry. I just don’t get it because the motorcycle is just such a happy time. Just life enjoy the world the freedom the being exposed to nature. And the smells and the sounds of the world around you. And you know there’s so many things you see that you missed when you’re in a car you know that you’re like. I’m in a car, I’m just gonna drive past this you know. And you’re in a bike, you’re like hey I think we should stop and look at that now. You want to pull off their let’s pull off their, you know stop. And have lunch sit on the side of the road or something watch the birds. So, yeah just my that’s my approach, you know. Just this is awesome hobby. Its awesomely relaxing. It’s like taking an antidepressant with motor or two wheels. And I know this is the sportiest mic and you know like there’s faster ones. What I’m I’m not about papa day bullies, you know not about doing crazy things and living dangerously. Just being on a bike is dangerous enough in my opinion. I just want to enjoy the world and enjoy my life. And actually live my life. I don’t need to be in danger. It may sound like an old man, old man, on my old sport adventure tour because you know clothes thing to this would be something like the hell. I think even the the BMW 850 GS is more dirt oriented than this. And you know the more Road oriented is the 1200 GS. But yeah I feel like that this would be in that 1200 GS category. If this were the v-strom 1000 but it’s not and the the 650 is plenty a bike. I’ll have to get it on the highway one day and show you. I’m sure, I’d actually did make a video on the highway and made a video coming home from work and the audio failed on all of them. Whose just video of me riding which isn’t fun for anybody. There’s no audio, no sounds, no engine noises but see ya v-strom 650. It’s just the easiest damn thing to ride super comfortable. I’ve been getting, let’s see what kind of gas mileage. Am I getting fifty four point six miles to the gallon and uh yeah. So I’ve reset that when I got the bike. And so I’ve been getting fifty four point six miles of the gallon pretty good, it will pull up next to the other bikes here for you.