MODEL: Suzuki V-Strom 650 X DEALER: Alford Bros RIDER: Tony Green Own Bike: VFR800 AGE: Right side of 40 HEIGHT: 5’10       INSIDE LEG: 30” DATE: November 2009       WEATHER: Dry ish with damp patches Moving on from the test in the October magazine, where I mentioned that life is often a compromise – this month it’s the ‘Heart or Mind’ choice, when making those important decisions in life, such as buying a house, finding a partner or buying that new motorbike (I will only talk about the bike bit, you can find your own partner). Us motorcyclists are a funny bunch. You see it everyday, where someone has seen a picture or read a road test of a bike and decided, ‘yeah that’s the one’. They then put up with every defect, impracticality, riding position problems, fuel range, insurance group because the bike they have bought is with the heart. For most of us, that’s part of the motorcycle ownership experience – we want to love our bike. We want to walk in the garage and have that inner smile upon looking at our new purchase gleaming in the garage. With this in mind, I often discard certain bikes from my thoughts because I have seen one and it hasn’t had that ‘pizzaz’ moment for me, but then upon riding one and finding I enjoyed it puts me in a quandary. Especially if it does everything I need it to. I can only liken it to choosing between Kylie and Delia Smith  - I love cake. But I digress….. I popped into my local dealer Alford Bros, with the thought I may talk them into letting me test a Yamaha R6 (it’s the heart thing). I had already decided that it would be ok as a commuter and part time tourer and that the riding position would be fine I am sure if I booked a monthly Chiropracter appointment. Unfortunately, they had recently sold their R6 so I was out of luck, but Nigel pointed to a V-Strom 650 they had just put on their demo fleet. I dismissed it as a bike I didn’t really think would be my thing at all, as I wasn’t keen on the looks. Nigel did this to me a few years ago with a Yamaha Thunderace and I came out of the shop 8 grand lighter. Suzuki have produced several versions of the V-Strom 650 – the standard model with  ABS, a GT version with hard panniers, heated grips and centre stand and the model I rode, a UK only model called the X, which does not have ABS, but has engine bars and a skid plate included. The controls are fairly standard Japanese fare, although are more ‘budget’ looking than some. The mirrors are a funny ‘wobbly’ shape, but give a good view of what’s going on behind, due to the wobbly bit that sticks out a little further. There are analogue speedo and tacho’s separated by the digital fuel and temperature gauges. I found the bike to be comfortable to ride, although if it were mine I would roll the handlebars forward a little for personal preference (there was plenty of space and adjustment available to move them about). Then there was the one thing that I found annoying – the side stand. Each time I went to kick it down, my leg would foul the footpeg. I am sure with time I would develop some bandy leg swish kick that would set the stand without my leg hitting the peg, but a small design fault me thinks. So for a ride I went, along my normal test route, which covers a variety of roads. On the motorway there was comfort and protection for sustained periods of riding at progressive speeds. From the motorway onto A roads and I was reminded that the engine was the SV650 engine with a bit of retuning – great fun! Plenty enough power for  positive overtakes and some spirited riding. The sit up position and wide bars allowed good forward observation with steering input that allowed swift direction changes once onto smaller bumpy marsh roads. The bike handled well on these roads – soft suspension soaking up the bumps but keeping the bike on track and yet didn’t dive when braking hard. It was fitted with