Suzuki V-Strom 650 Review 2026: Can This Old-School ADV Still Beat Modern Bikes?

As the endless wet and cold winter in Germany rages on i finally got around to edit some old footage of one of my many trips to Australia. It has been a life long dream to ride the great ocean road by motorcycle but usually i rarely have the time between jobs there. But this time i took a day off and got myself a Suzuki V-Strom 650 and rode from Warrnambool to Geelong and back! And what a ride it has been, better than i could have ever hoped for. And i got to ride a true classic of the long distance community: The Suzuki Vstrom 650! The reputation of being one of the most bullet proof bikes on the market seems to be true. Even though feeling a bit boring it seems to be up to any task you require it to do. Would i get one myself? Most likely not. But would i recommend it to others trying to get into the hobby? Absolutely! Rock solid performance, easy handling, good suspension and a great community attached to it. But be aware that the stock config is a bit barebones and parts like the mirrors should be swapped out asap. But a pretty good first bike to figure out what you actually want from motorcycling. Shot on DJI Osmo Action 5 PRO, DJI Mic 3