Suzuki V-Strom 250 SX Review: Likes And Dislikes

Is Suzuki’s smallest and most affordable adventure bike worthy of the V-Strom badge?

Suzuki is no stranger to adventure riding. Both, its flagship, the V-Strom 1050XT and the middleweight V-Strom 650XT have proven their worth on and off the road. But, all that hardware is for the pros, right? Hence, it only made sense that Suzuki finally nominated a contender for the highly competitive, entry-level ADV segment as well. In comes the new Suzuki V-Strom 250 SX, the Japanese brand’s smallest and most affordable adventure touring motorcycle on offer today.

For people new to motorcycling, a 250cc bike is an exciting proposition with a world of new experiences awaiting to happen. Hence, the hardware must be a bit of an all-rounder too. Has Suzuki done enough with the new bike to give it the V-Strom badge, or is this just a street bike on stilts? Here is what we liked about the V-Strom SX and what we felt could have been done better.        

Likes!
Design, build quality and features

Let’s be clear, the V-Strom 250 SX looks premium. In fact, pictures do not do justice to the appeal it offers in person. It has a tall stance like a good adventure bike should, and it wears the V-Strom ADV look very well. The level of fit and finish on this motorcycle is very premium and impressive. No panel gaps, no rattly bits and no untidy cables and wires, nothing. 

It’s hard to fault the 250 SX in this regard and this handsome motorcycle comes well equipped too. You get a bright LED headlight, a digital instrument console (same unit as the Suzuki Avenis) with Bluetooth compatibility, USB charging and more. Even the two colours we had on our shoot – yellow and orange – looked really good and did not feel tacky or cheap.  
   
Ergonomics and comfort

On the road, the new 250 SX is a comfortable motorcycle to ride. By nature, it is a very relaxed bike and it invites you to loosen up as well. The wide handlebars offer a relaxed and upright riding posture and the footpegs are centre set, further making the rider's triangle more neutral.

But what impressed me the most was the spacious and well-padded, split seat on the bike which made our eight- to nine-hour-long ride in the mountains very comfortable. The rider has ample space in the saddle to grip the tank, lean into corners, and then slide back to the upright and easy riding position. 

Engine and Tractability

The 249cc, oil-cooled, single-cylinder engine of the V-Strom 250 SX is the same unit as we have seen on its urban dwelling siblings - Suzuki Gixxer 250 and Gixxer SF 250. Mated to a six-speed gearbox, its 26.5PS and 22.2Nm feels approachable and well balanced. It has a  strong bottom-end for those stop-go city commutes and a peaky top-end for highway riding. 

We were most impressed by the short first and second gears followed by a long third gear which helped in managing the busy, narrow and winding roads of Himachal rather well. This gearbox does not require you to work it too much. However, there is a flat spot in the powerband between 5,000rpm and 7,000rpm which makes you downshift to make any urgent overtakes. We wish Suzuki had tweaked the engine a bit for a stronger mid-range, as you have to rev the engine a lot to overcome this lag in power.

Handling

Yet again, like its urban siblings, the V-Strom 250 has good road riding manners. Given that the underpinnings and suspension hardware are the same for the trio, the handling on the V-Strom does not feel nervous or scary. Despite running a bigger 19-inch front wheel with tyres that are more off-road biased, the bike handled well around the Himalayan twisties, with the steering feeling natural and confidence-inspiring. 

Dislikes 

Ride Height

I am 5 feet 9 inches tall, and while the 835mm seat height wasn’t as troublesome, dabbing my foot to the floor in stop-go traffic was a bit tricky at times. Hence, we reckon, for shorter riders, the optional 810mm seat would be pretty useful. In general, the seat height could have been lower to increase the confidence of the rider.

Ride quality

As mentioned earlier, the suspension setup on the V-Strom 250 SX has been borrowed from its road-focused siblings with a measly 120mm travel at the front and the back. Surprisingly however, even over broken roads or rough roads, we weren’t as much bottoming out but we were left hoping for a bit more plushness. 

The front telescopic fork is pliant and soaks in the undulations well, but the monoshock at the rear felt a bit too firm. While carrying moderate speeds over light off-road surfaces, the rear would kick back and feeling settled on the bike was a challenge at times. This is where we were left wishing that Suzuki had given the V-Strom 250 SX some new hardware. The suspension setup restricts this motorcycle’s adventure aspirations.        

Limited off-roading capabilities
 
Given the suspension’s limited mobility, the standing-up riding experience off tarmac is the same. In fact, the handlebar which offers great comfort while sitting down is a tad bit too low for stand-up riding. Couple that with a firm rear suspension and this bike protests if taken off-road, which  is a shame, given how good the MRF Mogrip tyres really are (the 100/90-R19 front and 140/70-R17 back tubeless tyres offer solid traction in the dirt). Further robbing you of that extra bit of fun is the non-switchable, dual channel ABS system. That said, the 310mm front disc brake and 240mm rear are pretty potent and offer decent stopping power. 

Verdict

As I mentioned in the beginning of this article, a 250cc motorcycle must be a versatile one. These end up becoming first bikes for legions of bikers in India. If you look at the V-Strom 250 SX from that lens, it ticks quite a lot of boxes and does those things well too. However, at a price of Rs 2,11,600(ex-showroom) it’s Rs 31,900 more than the Suzuki Gixxer 250. 

Moreover, wearing an ADV personality and that price tag, it directly comes in the crosshairs of established adventure bikes from a plethora of brands. So, if you’re looking for a chill road touring bike, something that looks premium and offers modern features, the V-Strom 250 SX is worth considering. But if you’re keen on going off-road and hitting some hardcore trails, this isn’t the bike for you.