SUZUKI DL650 V-Strom 650 (2003-2004) Specs, Performance & Photos

In 2002, Suzuki started manufacturing the V-Strom 1000, also known as Dl 1000, a dual-sport motorcycle with a 996cc V-Twin engine and a standard riding posture. After two years, Suzuki released a smaller version of the Dl 1000. This smaller version was called V-Strom 650 and was a mid-weight sport-touring motorcycle made by Suzuki in 2004.

The newly released model was not much different from the Dl 1000 except for the engine, which was smaller with a 645cc displacement. The engine was first tried and proven in the Suzuki SV, which appeared in 1999 as a budget entry in the naked bike market.

The 2004 Suzuki V-Strom 650 wears the same chassis as its bigger brother, with a twin-spar frame made of cast aluminum alloy, and a box-section aluminum swingarm. The 650 packs a steeper fork angle than the one on the DL-1000, which makes the wheelbase 10 cm (4 inches) shorter on the 650 model.

Suzuki claimed that the 2004 V-Strom 650 had 189 kg (417 lbs) dry weight, but with all the fluids necessary for the bike to run, a total of 22 kg (50 lbs) was added to the bike's weight. The V-Storm 650 model was only 18 kg (40 lbs) lighter than the DL 1000.

The model was taking its muscle from a 650cc V-Twin liquid-cooled engine with an output of 67 hp at 9,000 rpm and 64 Nm (47 lb-ft) of torque in the low-mid range at 7,600 rpm.

A small drawback of the machine was that the engine lacked protection, with just a small radiator in front of it waiting to be crushed by a medium-sized rock.