2018 Suzuki V Strom 250 Review
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- Опубліковано 7 вер 2024
- 2018 Suzuki V Strom 250 Review: I'm a fan of small capacity motorbikes and of the V-Strom family, so putting them both together was something I was keen to try out. Thanks to Suzuki UK who offered to loan me a V Strom 250 for a few weeks I was able to find out if the combination worked - here's my first ride on the bike and my initial conclusions on it....stay tuned for more on the baby V Strom soon!
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I just don't understand the people that thumbs down this review or bike. That lil 250 is a sweet ride and the review is honest and thorough. Thank You Sir for everything you do for the motorcycle riders of the world we salute you.
Thank you very much!
Bike is crap good maybe for older people. Shame Suzuki...
@@michals1108 Older people need bikes too!
Smashing review sir. These days I do find the small capacity bikes a breath of fresh air. Its a shame really the whole bike scene seems to revolve around capacity. You can almost hear the disapproval as you roll in aboard that.
I completely agree - smaller capacity bikes are a hoot to ride!
I live here in China and have this bike since June 2017 so 6 years. It sits outside in 40deg summers and -20 winters. 30,000KM . Very good and accurate review.
Its build for a budget but surprisingly very durable and comfortable. Nothing at all has gone wrong on it apart from last week when one of the front forks starting leaking. It surprises me given the weather extremes here. The sun has weathered it quite noticeably but no issues with brake hoses, electrics etc
Its exceptionally comfortable (i'm 6'3") and have ridden full days 500km trips with no issues. Suzuki say top speed 137kmh. I got 130km at rev indicator on. Realistically its not a long distance motorway bike , above 100 and its working hard. The miles per tank is not quite right. 450km is about the absolute max as generally you would ride this bike hard given its a low powered engine. The engine is smooth enough for a twin, however the main issue is the vibration through the handle bars. Release the handlebars and you will lose control in seconds. I have had the tires and wheels balanced and checked. From the Chinese biker forums its a common issue with the 2017 model. It appears to be the conical steering bearing
Its not really an off-road bike. The header pipes are lower that the engine guard plate, doesn't have the power to accelerate fast up a hill and tires are just road tires (as expected). On the tires part, people expressed concern about the make. I have had no concerns about them at all. Not the best but safe. No fancy parts on the bike and in any case all are fairly cheap. I don't bother with maintenance myself as its cheap here in China but its a doddle. The bikes comes with top box, side paniers, hand guards and centre stand, all for
Cool!
I like the styling, more so than its bigger siblings. A 400 version would be ideal me thinks.
💯
Hello I was watching your review on the v storm 250 and noticed it actually the bike I have just purchased!! 👍🏻 great channel!!
Cool!!
Put a centre stand, top box, decent screen and hand guards and you've got yourself a decent commuter that doesn't need filling up with petrol every other day.
Absolutely
My Inazuma (Same engine) literally has all of those things, as it's a 250 with a 13L tank it doesn't need filling too often haha
but its slow on the motorway?
@@bikersquest My Inazuma (reckon I must have bought the other one!) does as well! Brilliant little machines. @Rachid - not slow on the motorway. Happily does an indicated 85mph (at 10.5K rpm!) as TMF shows in the video.
@@everythinggaming7938 get the kle 500, it's amazing
I like that you appreciate that different bikes suit different people, and different uses. I have a larger adventure bike (520 lbs) , and a maxi-scooter (620 lbs) but would love to add a light bike to the mix.
I borrowed a 250 V Strom for a day while my bike was in for a service, and while I agree with most of your comments the one area which I differ is the comfort of the seat. By two hours into the rides it was feeling pretty uncomfortable. Apart from that I really enjoyed the bike as an alternative to my daily ride a GW250.
Thanks for this review. I'm looking at one of these at the moment. A 2019 ex-demo/display to use as my daily work commuter. I do 26 miles per day there and back with about 50% of that being motorway. It ticks all the boxes for me. I'm with you on the front light and the ugly rear end but, I can live that for a daily commuter.
As usual, an excellent initial ride review form TMF. I can appreciate that this bike would suit someone looking for a small commuting machine or to learn on, with some touring or adventure leaning. One thing that irks me in the UK at the moment is mixing and matching imperial and metric units, and TMF is somewhat guilty in this respect. If we continue to use MPG, then surely we need to measure fuel tanks in gallons, otherwise the figures are meaningless. (In his defence, he did give the tank in gallons.) Similarly, measuring inside leg in inches and a seat height in millimetres is confusing. Can we use one system or the other?
Sorry Peter - I was born at the cusp of metrication and have always used both and am still sloppy with it as you point out - will try harder in future but no promises!!!
Certainly the most interesting trip around the Aylesbury ring road I've seen for a long time
Thank you Phil! Glad you appreciate the artistry here!! ;0)
That bike in yellow would look like a minion with that headlight :D
What a nice little bike and great for someone on a budget! Great fuel range and usable speed for keeping up with traffic on A roads.
The headlight makes it look like a Minion! Great review as always TMF!
You’re the second to mention that!
Thank you kindly, sir! You certainly delivered!
That mileage sounds really, really sweet!
Thank you for a great review, you covered all the important aspects I could want to know about this bike. Cheers!
Great cost effective entry into the adventure / tourer / commuter market. Think it looks great and don't knock that back end, it's the first bike I've seen that wouldn't shower your back with road filth on a wet day.
Good point bm!
Just seen a 2019 model one of these in my local Suzuki dealership going for an absolute steal with a full pannier set.
Perfect starter bike for 12 months i think and would do a reasonable job as a commuter in the mean time.
Always clear, straightforward reviews with the kind of things a potential buyer would want to know. Keep it up and thanks.
Much appreciated!
Nothing wrong with the lold 250. I had an XL 250r as my daily ride for nearly seven years.
With modern touches such as fuel injection etc they’ve come into there own, a great size bike.
This is a nice looking bike.
Thanks for a great review. Especially for the top speed demonstration, I was looking to see how it can handle highway speed.
I love small capacity bikes!
I have an SV650 and a Z300. I ride the Z300 much more because it's so much better for commuting.
I ride my Inazuma 250 more than my FZ1 lol
Great commuter bike as you say TMF. That headlight looks like it should have a deep sea diver swimming behind it! Excellent review as always.
I rode a few times the GSX250, which I believe shares the same twin and transmission. Very smooth engine, and really smooth shifting compared to most small bikes, except maybe the Hondas. I presently ride a Benelli 150s, when I'll upgrade, I'll definitely look at the V-Strom, since in my country it's quite cheaper to register 250cc and less bikes.
That front headlight makes me feel uneasy... something evil is at play here.
But then again, for the price it's a lot of bike, can't really complain about the demon trying to steal your soul or something.
Thanks again Mr. Flyer
Exactly!
Love the head light , I am old skool 👍great review
Nice 1st bike after passing your test, needs heated grips, center stand and hand guards fitted as standard then it would be a good commuter bike.
Really enjoyed riding it ! just trying to choose between the 650 and the 1000 .....I'll have to re- watch your reviews !
I've got the 650xt which I've done about 11,000 miles on since June. Have a review on my channel if you're looking at multiple perspectives. Summary - I love it 😂
thanks I'll take a look ! it's a replacement for the Versys650 still tempted by the 1k
@@themoog3889 Yeah I was the same. If you're going to be doing 2up touring loaded with kit then I would say the 1000 is worth it. If not then the 650 is fine. Just what I have found.
@@TommyBarnezTV I have the 1000DL, convinced the wife to get into going on it. Heaps of power, comfortable and economical. I love it.
Good review, seems like a good general purpose 1st time riders bike, thanks TMF :-)
Thinking of one of these for a commuting,and general running about bike,ide imagine it could be fun for a bit of green laning aswel ,ride safe Mr Flyer great review as usual
That Tenerife scenery looks just like the South East of England. What sorcery is this....
Well done for keeping it going as always mate 👍
This Little Bikes are a lot of Fun, if you just roll with the traffic you dont need more.
Agreed!
Rolling with traffic is the worst thing you can do in terms of your safety
Wow, very impressive. Another bike to make my decision more difficult. All 3 of the V-Stroms seem to be great bikes. Thank you Sir..........Sal : )
Thanks for another great review. I've had my RE Himalayan for 9 MO this now it's nice to see how similar bikes compare. I think the v stroms longer range and 12v socket are a big plus. I think in general I'd still stick with the himalayan nice and torquey and very little bells and whistles like the v strom and for the same money as this got the aluminium panniers. Still I think suzuki hit the brief on this one a great bike. Still love my RE wart hog!
Nice review TMF. We also get the Wee-Strom here in New Zealand now but to be honest, unless you really want the adventure styling Suzuki's 250 Inazuma makes more sense as it has the same motor but for less money. Similarly full-sized riding position too. I look forward to seeing further reviews as you spend more time on it.
Issue with the inazuma is the fact that it got smacked hard with the ugly stick, where as this is pretty! Imho...
Excellent review again, bike not my “cup of tea” but was amazed at the sound of it!
Sounds good doesn’t it!
Very good review on 250 v strom always good reviews from you. Thanks danny
Thanks for the kind words and for watching....
I've had a couple of 250 bikes in my time Honda's Superdream and VT250. Loved them both brilliant size and power for commuting and to learn your skills on. Baby V strom defo needs a tail tidy in my view.
The front end reminds me of a retro scuba diver, or the alien tripods from War of the Worlds.
At 2:06 there was no need to change lanes - as you were already in lane 1 and travelling within the speed limit, you were well within your rights to carry on making progress in that lane - obviously undertaking isn't a particularly safe manoeuvre, but contrary to popular belief it is not actually illegal! Just not particularly smart as most people don't regularly check their left wing mirror - but a friendly toot toot as you go past should keep you out of trouble! Hope this helps!
That’s for the review. After deciding to ditch the car again in favour for bike ( which family life seems to push you into the 4 wheel beasts), I was looking for a mid size scooter/basic bike that was good on MPG and general running costs. Buying this bike will have my other biker friends tease me for having a baby bike! however for a bike this simple to maintain and the fact I’m going to buy it for what it really is ( cheap commuter) I can flow with the daily traffic. I agree this bike will be fine for urban and A roads but I personally wouldn’t use it for motorway use. I don’t think it has the weight or power for me personally to feel comfortable on them. Once again thank you so much for taking time out to make your video. Luckily for me I have a day off so I think I might just go for a peep down at the dealership.
Nice little bike, could do with centre stand to aid general maintenance. Good review!
Agreed on that one!
PLEASE Suzuki bring it to the US in 2020, it's this or the Himalyan for me next year. Finally decent range too, good job.
Choose Himalayan. Superb machine. Don't know much about vstrom
Ideal touring bike. ACF50,d my bike at the weekend. Cleaned it then put on ACF50. I found it relaxing! Mr Flyer should i seek professional help?
Noel Satterley Iv considered acf myself but would prob spend more on it than unleaded. A need to clean.
Great review, love your vids. I have a 650xt so nice to see the differences. 250 not quite enough power for my usage but looks a nice little beginner bike.
Front light looks like a 1940's P.O.W camp search light.
@SunzOffski Prisoner. Of. War
One of those twin singles again. Huh? Hahaha. Well is so for the rest of the world but maybe not so around Missenden. Nice review.
Looks as though the tail is ready to accept panniers and top box straight away which is another saving. Had to buy a Givi rack for my Honda. I know it's a small thing but I like the indicator repeater lights on the console too. Looks like a nice bike. Great review.
Cheers Steve....
That's a great top speed for a 250!
If you are one of the unfortunate ones who has to commute in n out of a gridlocked city, this modest bit of kit could get you to work n back for the next twenty yrs with no fuss I reckon.
I really hate my 26 inch inseam. I hope i can ride this, i am currently on a cbr 125 2009 model (i do enjoy it, but it gets me tired after some distance).
300+ mile range: it's a tourer! You can actually get somewhere on it. Full marks.
Another great review TMF.
Would be great to see a review on the Benelli TRK502 to see how it stands up against the more established brands.
I think the headlight enclosure should have been chromed or painted silver to balance with the rear of the bike. Thank you Sir!.........Sal : )
That's a lovely little bike, TMF. For someone who hasn't, uhm, put on the pounds shall we say (yours truly, for example), possibly a fantastic commuter bike at a very good price.
Good review, looks like a good general purpose 1st time riders bike,
Wish they would bring this to the US. We have the Kawasaki Versys-X 300 but that's about it in this size...otherwise you're stuck buying a dirt bike style dual-sport...not that there's anything wrong with the dual-sports, just like the mini-adventure bikes for daily use...short highway ventures, around town and some dirt.
Nice looking bike, and i agree with you about the headlight....it reminds me of one of those 1,000000 candle power torches.
Love the smaller capacity reviews! Get yourself on the new Kawasaki Z400 😉 👍
another great review old friend. Keep up the good work. Ride safe Tony
“Old”?!!!
YES ! The little Piglette of the 3 Ugly Sisters ! Love the looks and utility BUT not the lackluster performance out of a 250cc Parallel Twin. Definitively needs a better engine, notice I didn't say bigger, just better performance.
2:27 Mr. Flyer, you're TOO NICE . . . I would have passed that guy on the right like he was tied up to a tree, F that Wanker.
10:44 Personally, I LOVE the Cyclops Eye ! Reminds me of one of the Minions, specially the yellow version.
300 miles + ? Fuel range its amazing . . . talk about a mini adventure horse ! Side and top panniers and BAM! Frugal touring !
Looking forward to that long term review !
Next time, would be great when showing around the bike to go a bit more in detail, like showing the storage compartment (if there's one), close-up of the LCD display to see the available info, etc. Great work anyways!
Good review, TMF. Nice looking bike. BTW, 5’8” is actually extra medium. That’s my size as well. 🏍👍🏍
Or in other words - the perfect size :0)
TheMissendenFlyer yessir!
Obviously, in the past when 250cc bikes were learner legal it would of been an option, but these days doesn't really make any sense. Even the 650cc vstrom isn't exactly going to rip your arms out their sockets when you roll on the power. Did I say power? Reasonably brisk is a more realistic description and not intimidating. Maybe this bike is for someone who wants to pay less insurance and use it as a commuter? Price is fair, but a quick look on MCM and I found a 2016 650cc for £4899, 870 miles on it. From a dealer!
Morning sir .on the subject of the tail tidy that suzuki may not look good but if you use a bike all year or on long trips it massively helps keeping rear clean...fashion over function folks ...cheers from dave
Good point Dave!
Seems like a great lil bike. I wonder what these 250-310cc bikes would be like for short stints 2-up?
Hey TMF ride the Royal Enfield 650 twins if you are able to get your hands on them!
I’m waiting to get my hands on them!
This is the bike I want to see in the U.S. The only competition here is the Versys 300 X and Himalayan. This bike would make a killing in the market. Even a BMW G310 wouldn't really compete due to price and not really adventure. Really you end up looking at a CRF300 or KLX300 but they are fairly expensive. Rather have this one. First bike was Suzuki and everyone says they are over-engineered reliable bikes.
My 1964 Honda Benly 125 SS would do 80mph,so much for progress!
I’m enjoying this type of content TMF and keep up the good work. And could you maybe try to ride a 2017-2018 KTM125 Duke if you can, looking to buy one but not sure 😂👌🏼
Hi good to see u out on smaller bike's great bike in all aspects of day to day riding . I would be a bit worried about saying how fast I was going on a dual carriageway . ie 85 mph . Woops
It can cruise at 70 whilst returning 80 mpg !. That's not to be sniffed at !. Monster power, although great is not everything and these smaller capacity bikes offer a nice balance . Looks like a great bike. Too small ( seat height wise) for me,but a great simple low capacity bike all the same.
Love your video TMF! I shortlisted this one last year November for purchase. Unfortunately my nearest Suzuki dealer never came back to me for a test ride (after I talked to them a couple of times). BMW did and I went for the 310 GS instead. Not sure if this is representative for Suzuki's service.
Oh dear! Their loss eh?!
Nice review, I love the bike thinking off getting one
The headlight came from a Model A Ford.
Like the small bike. I do like the headlight, looks cool and something else. Tail...no...but get a tailtidy and thats good.
Just love the red one.
Narrow and low is great for commuting city traffic l say. I think that small engien will get a bit tireing if you do long highway commute everyday, but l guess that is not what it was made for.
Some small aftermarked parts and this bike will take you around the world as good as most bikes.
Its not about how tall you are but your leg length. You have long legs whereas I am 5ft 11in with 30 in legs and struggle to get on many bikes. I like the sound of the bike. I might get one if I can get my leg over it
Obviously horses for courses in the looks side of the bike. I actually like the big round headlight at the front, it reminds me of another bike I do like the look of, and I would perhaps argue is a better option for anyone looking at this size and power of bike, which is the Royal Enfield Himalayan. Similar power to this, more torque, same low seat height, capable both on road and off road if you fancied a bit of green-laning, but for £4500 you could have the RE with the very splendid and practical metal panniers, or go without and save yourself £500. Also comes with ABS, and perhaps a little more rugged if you do happen to drop it. I know which one I would go for between the two.
Nice job. Getting close to 100k subs now 😎
Can't help but find these little bikes quite expensive to be honest. 5.5k for the gt version, if you add another coulpe of thousand you could get yourself a brand new versys 650 for example which is a completely different leaugue of bike.
Thanks
Narrow bars good for filtering . Screen height fixed. Come with a centre stand?
My first bike was a Suzuki T250R 1972 . Rode it from Perth to Melbourne 3.5 days. Daft I know but I was only 19.
Lose much compared to a Honda CB500X?
If it’s anything like my vstrom 1000 it will be a great little bike
You had 999 likes and mine was 1000th like....
Yay for me...
Mornings
Got sv650l7 and inazuma l5. Great bikes.
Love your videos, just looking through some of your older videos and would love your thoughts on which bike you would choose between the Triumph Street triple and Kawasaki Z900RS. Which would be more fun?
Tough one!
Seems like it might struggle in a comparison with the versys x-300. 39 vs 25 hp while the other stats (including price) will likely be close-ish.
An adventure bike a short arse like me can fit on. Might have a look at this in the flesh.
Got a nicer dash than the bloody ugly dashes on the 650 and the 1000.
I recently sat on this bike in the local shop. The new naked Haojue XCR 300 has a modified engine from the DL250 and is more sporty. I found the seat hard and too low for me. But apart from that, it looked and sounded good. It is also cheaper than the DL250. They are both made in China-(Suzuki). Do you have any knowledge of this new 300? Thanks.
No I don’t
They don't seem to sell them in Switzerland.
Hi, this review is pretty amazing. Could you do a review of the Benelli leoncino 500. Standard or trail version. Thanks :)
Thanks - I'll see what I can do - stay tuned!
@@TheMissendenFlyer I second the request for the Leoncino review and add a request for the Fantic Caballero 500cc or the 250cc.
It seems that Suzuki doesn't offer the V Strom 250 in the U. S. They only offer the GW 250.
Jerry Knight yeah, but the GW250 is such a looker :-)
@@motonirvana6861 Yeah, quite lovely, if looks could kill.
Jerry Knight They scrapped the gw uk in 2017. I have one
Give it a transformers front light and a tail tidy and it'll look the part. At the moment the front light looks like an old seach light from tenko
Yes I agree on that!
OK so long as the tranformers headlight doesn't let too much light shine upwards. Partly yer face at night and reflects off fog
Nice bike but does need a tail tidy . Great video.
Another sterling review! I reckon a bike like this could do just about everything that a big machine such as a BMW GS does, even to long-distance touring. I don't go along with the idea that the rear fender needs removal to make the appearance better; as the rapper sings: "I like big butts and I cannot lie". Also no complaints from me on the headlight.
I agree with you, I have a 1200gs but fully loaded it's a heavy old thing. As long as you keep of motorways (and not in a hurry) I think it would make a nice little tourer. Some people have gone round the world on a Honda C90 so the Suzuki would be a luxury.
I would never buy one, but I can see the benefit for commuting purposes.
Nice little machine.... I like it.... but it's screams out for an RG tail tidy....
Did you hit 100.000 subscribers yet?? Cheers if u did..i like the lil vstrom
Not yet no - there is a sub counter on my page so you should be able to tell?
That's what the 250 Varadero coulda been if only Honda had had the sense to make one. Oh, and 188kg dry is heavier than my 600 fazer!!
Hi for my first bike would you take this or the royal enfield scram?
Neither - the RE Hunter!
Why don’t we buy small cylinder bikes in North America?
Lots more highways… it’s top speed is too low