First ride – 2023 Suzuki V-Strom 250SX

Review Suzuki V-Strom 250SX 2023

Well, more than a first taste really…

By Wayne Vickers – Picture of Russell Colvin

We were lucky enough to test drive a 2023 Suzuki V-Strom 250SX, although the car is still three months away from going on sale in Australia.

The addition of the 250SX means that soon four capabilities will be available in the V-Strom, 250, 650, 800 coming and big dad 1050. So, one for everyone to ride wherever they are on their riding journey.

250 was introduced as an entry-level crossover bike, hence the SX (Sports Crossover) name.

It is beautiful, light, low, thin, simple and comfortable. Easily board, ride and learn the ropes.

While I was only able to drive it off-road, it would fit perfectly into the element around town or on open country roads. Completely forgiving and user-friendly.

And it’s cheap. Like the cheap $6490 Ride Away. Bikes have USB ports and if you get there early enough, luggage rack and top box at no extra charge.

The smallest brother in the V-Strom family runs an oil-cooled single-cylinder making 26 hp, wrapped in a chassis that weighs 167 kg (wet) and carries the DNA of the V-Strom family.

While it feels a lot like a small mountain bike, the suspension is luxurious and soft, so in terms of setting realistic expectations – it won’t hit the 30-foot double jump any time soon. Anytime, however, this bike is perfectly capable of traversing fire trails and off beaten trails.

I find the V-Strom 250SX quite natural and instinctive, the steering is light and actually quite well balanced.

Very slim at mid-knee with an ultra-low seat height of 835 mm – short enough that even the most vertically challenged person can put both feet down comfortably.

The 19-inch front rim and accompanying multi-purpose rubber are surprisingly good off-road, I had no trouble slicing through soft sand and ripping off slides around the parking lot to my delight. snappers.

Five minutes on the bike and I’m riding it… the only bike of its kind in the country.. So yeah, it inspires quite confidence.

The V-Strom 250SX is small, light, nimble, and sturdy – did I mention it’s cheap. Six and a half trips away. ah ah. According to my quick scan, two thousand cheaper than its next cheapest competitor.

And about the build quality? The bike that I saw looks much better for that price. I learned that the Gixxer 250s New Zealand has had for two years now carry the same engine platform as the V-Strom – no warranty claims. Suzuki is clearly quite confident that they offer a three-year warranty. You can’t go wrong.

It won’t be quite as capable, for example, as the lighter, taller, and more focused Honda CRF300 Rally or KTM’s 390 Adventure, but then… they’re half as expensive… plus Suzuki is providing the box Free top for pre-orders. So don’t muck about if you care like you can get your order now. The bike also comes with the option of some of the same cheap accessories.

The V-Strom 250 is manufactured by Suzuki India, a wholly owned subsidiary of Suzuki Japan. It seems that Suzuki is also a pretty big company in India (obviously they are ranked 3rd in terms of car sales). That means their production numbers are truly astounding. How big? The engine factory produced its sixth millionth engine earlier this year… So yeah. Big. As a result of that volume and of course the exchange rate – the baby V-Strom is not worth the extra money.

Specifications Suzuki V-Strom 250SX 2023