Tag: Suzuki

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MOTORBIKE REVIEW | Suzuki V-Strom 1050 XT

Suzuki’s entry in the adventure bike fraternity is the V-Strom, previously also known as the DL.

This latest 2020 incarnation is known as the 1050.

It’s a 1000cc v-twin adventure-tourer although actually, it’s a 1037cc v-twin.
This is a good engine that has been around for a while now, first making an appearance in the TL1000R in 1997, a legendary bike. It also featured in the SV1000 which was a surprisingly good bike. A friend of mine had an SV1000. He fell off it in front of us all once, wheelying it. His excuse was he had just polished it and the seat was slippery.

Now, the engine takes pride of place in the V-Strom 1050, making 106bhp and 100Nm torque. This is an increase of around 6bhp on last year. Peak power is now at 8,500 rpm and peak torque is at 6,000 rpm, which is 2,000 rpm higher up the rev range than the previous model.

Suzuki has played with things like the cam timing and pushed the torque further up the rev range which makes this new incarnation of the V-Strom a lot of fun.

There’s a 6-speed gearbox but no fancy quick shifter. There is a slipper clutch of sorts thanks to Suzuki Clutch Assist System (SCAS) which also makes the clutch very light in operation.

The throttle is fly by wire and is very smooth. I didn’t experience any snatchy or jerky behaviour, it’s very polished, which leads us nicely into the electronics. There are a host of sensors, from lean angle sensors to crank sensors, wheel speed sensors, gear position sensors, gyroscopic sensors and more, which provide information for the various electronic systems on the bike. This information is used by systems such as the ABS and traction control.

You can choose between 3 rider modes, 3 traction control settings and 2 ABS settings. You can’t actually turn ABS off which may be an issue for more serious off-roading, but honestly, this is probably more of a touring bike than a hardcore adventure bike.

The suspension is 43mm, USD, fully adjustable KYB forks, and a KYB shock with rebound and preload, which all works very well, the suspension is great. There’s also a remote preload adjuster just behind your left thigh, great for adding some preload if you’re carrying a pillion.

It’s surprisingly fast when you consider it only has 106bhp, and there’s a satisfying rush of power in the upper rev range. It’s great fun to ride.

Brakes are excellent with 310mm discs at the front with four-pot radial callipers and outback is a 260mm disc with a single-piston calliper. They offer great feel and really are superb brakes.

At 247 kg it’s not a featherweight but it carries the weight well. Pushing around the workshop it felt pretty big, but as soon as you are on the move, the weight disappears. On the move, the V-Strom 1050 feels agile and handles really well.

I’m a fan of the old V-Strom, I remember I had one on test in 2018 and loved it. I even took one around Bruntingthorpe which was fun, scraping the pegs on a V-Strom on track.

The range is a positive attribute with this bike. Suzuki has fitted it with a 20L tank. When I picked the bike up, it was full and the range was showing as 201 miles. With just under half a tank left, the range was showing as 99 miles.

Overall, this is a great bike. It’s fun, it’s pretty fast and it handles really well. It’s comfortable enough to be able to ride long distance with no trouble too.
If there was a criticism, it would only be that the V-Strom lacks some of the toys that some of the heavyweights in the adventure bike sector have; electronic suspension and the like.

11th August 2020
CAR REVIEW | Suzuki Jimny SZ5 Allgrip

The Mockery Of A Three Star Review

The 80’s yuppie years were good to Suzuki’s little go-anywhere-carry-cart. Young 20 year olds with red braces and mobile phones the size of a house brick would go off to Majorca for 2 weeks to get some sun. To get around they would hire a car and more often than not, the Suzuki with its allure of open top motoring would be hired. This translated into sales in the UK when they got home and soon the Suzuki SJ was as much a part of the 80’s landscape as a Porsche 911 Turbo and naked girls in a Duran Duran video.

Open top jeep type little fashion accessories suddenly popped up in music videos and TV consumer programmes but not always for the right reasons. Bros used Luke’s Jeep in their video ‘I Owe You Nothing” It wasn’t an SJ but a big American Jeep CJ. It was a 1979 model and by 1988 it was old and dated. 5 Star were hustled along in a Citroen Mehari. One-hit wonder Spagna had a Suzuki SJ come to her rescue. Open-top jeeps were a wanted thing for the city dweller and Suzuki had caught the British imagination.

The SJ had three things in its favour. Relatively cheap to buy, very cheap to run and could, if you wanted to, go almost anywhere. This wasn’t just a vehicle to pose on in the pub carpark. It also had one major failing. It was ruddy awful to drive at anything over city speed limits. The live axles suspended by cart springs did nothing for the handling or day-to-day running. Not that this stopped the public buying them and the subsequent two generations that came afterwards.

As a footnote for the history nerd out there, the Suzuki 4×4 has been with us for 50 years and seen only 4 generations of change. Its life has been longer than that of the VW Golf and seen just half the development changes. In fact if you look at the icons of the 20th century, the Jimny has outlived the much loved Mini and 2CV and yet it is hardly mentioned when people talk about the ‘World Car’. And it’s quite significant and only beaten by the VW Beetle if you include the 25 years where it wasn’t officially available in Europe.

New Jimny by comparison to the old is a revelation. Ride quality isn’t as bad as it once was. Gone are the cart springs and instead it now sits on 4 coil springs. Considering its diminutive wheelbase and angles of articulation afforded to the Jimny because it is a proper little off-roader, it felt quite muted. It didn’t crash in a spleen adjusting kind of way over some of the worst roads I traveled on.

Ditch In – Dig Out

The same applaud can’t be given to the handling. It really isn’t the best. At worst it will oversteer with little effort, at best you can use the capable 4WD system to get yourself out of the ditch. Used appropriately and you won’t have much trouble. The 1.5 petrol engine sort of sees to that anyway. Its maximum powers arrive high up in the rev ranges and because of the Jimny’s agricultural configurations, it voices these well through the chassis and into the cabin.

Transmission noise was something I’ve not heard of in a long time but you will need to get used to it. There is much of it should you wish to push on. And push on you will especially when confronted with a hill when at speed. Above the national speed limit, he 100hp engine runs out of puff in 5th and the change down, through the long throws of the gear lever, are easy. Stick to 70mph and it shouldn’t cause much of a problem.

The steering is of the muted kind. It doesn’t give a lot of feel though I never found this much of a problem unless I harassed the Jimny into doing something I shouldn’t have. It feels quite low geared and when you do provoke it to kick out, you need to twirl your arms quickly if only to keep the momentum. That is at the extreme because off road, it translates to very little kickback and the one thing you don’t want is thumb breaking kick back from a rapidly correcting steering wheel.

Acceptable But You’ll Love It Anyway

Equipment and price feel a little on the high side. There are better cars out there for less but they are less capable of getting rough and dirty. Equipment on this top of the range SZ5 model is generous. Climate control, cruise and limiter are standard. It also includes auto dim/dip headlights and forward collision mitigation alarm. Infotainment is the standard as expected with DAB and in-built Satnav. It’s just a shame the screen isn’t user friendly with its flat universal positioning and not angled towards the driver.

Real world usage makes this a 2 seater with luggage or 4 seater and nothing else. The boot really is non existent. 85 litres of luggage at minimum is smaller than you think. Where it plays its ace card is its adaptability of moving, folding and reclining the seats. To fit 6 ft planks of wood inside proves to be rather easy. 2 air mattress on top of the folded seats and you have yourself a large double bed.

And there lays a Tardis type of a problem. Shoulder width is huge for such a small car and rear seat leg room, more adequate than many city cars I’ve travelled in. And yet it is totally useless in the rear from most aspects.

You Can’t Be Harsh To It.

So to the new Jimny of 2019 and the big question. Is it any good? To answer that we need to remember what this is, what it does and do we care enough and what us motoring journalists have to say about it. Ask any owner of the previous model and they won’t really care what we say. The Jimny is a cute looking box that does what you expect it to do.

With this in mind, the answer is it isn’t very good. But I don’t care enough to pick holes in its faults of which there are plenty. I’d gladly take one and be happy with it and chances are you would too. It has a lot of anthropomorphism in it that combats its failings. It’s just a shame there is a waiting list of over a year and no canvas top model in the pipeline.

Love

Cute looks

Compact and easy to park

Off-road ability

Loathe

Year long waiting list

wading depth of just 320mm

No soft top option

The Lowdown

Car – Suzuki Jimny SZ5 Allgrip

Price – £ 19,149 (as tested)

MPG – 34.3mpg (average)

Power – 101bhp @6000rpm

0-62mph – UA

Top Speed – 90 mph

Co2 – 154 (g/km)

Pictures (C) Stuart M Bird / Suzuki

16th January 2020
The Gay UK Motoring Honours List 2020

2019 was a busy year for us at THEGAYUK motoring section and I’d like to thank all the manufacturers and PRs who helped make it possible. We could not do this without their continued support.

It was easy to pick my joker card for the car I’d have if I had the funds this year. It will comes as a surprise but I’ll explain why later. The number 2 position proved far more difficult for me to select. There were many cars to choose from with a few manufacturers making it more difficult because they had more than 1 in the firing line. You couldn’t see the carpet in the library for all the pictures. In the end I settled it over a vodka based cocktail and a blast of Mel and Kim F.L.M.

So let’s start with The Gay UK’s New Years Honours list.

3 Citroen Berlingo £24,925

It had to happen and I’m sure you all expected this so don’t start rolling your eyes at me for this. Simply put, there isn’t a vehicle out there that can match the Berlingo for space and comfort for 5 or 7 with the extra length model at this price.

That space also has added visibility to swallowing huge loads and the low boot lip is a boon over an equivalent SUV. There is a compromise with the Berlingo and that comes from its van origins. You can’t escape these and it shows in the handling. Not that you’d think this was a problem judging by how fast you see the van piloted around.

Add it all together and it makes for a satisfying long distance cruiser that can also become everything you can think it could and it will.

2 Lexus LC500 £87,885

This was the tricky one and in the end, I wanted to feel a million dollars without actually having to fork out a million.

V8 5 litre petrol power, growling exhaust, the ability to cruise in comfort and its looks are what those on the outside will see. Those fortunate to see inside will be well placed in a cockpit meticulously put together by Lexus Takumi masters.

A large small volume coupe is a difficult car to make and manufacturers have to go all out like Audi and new comers Polestar and they then also charge you a fortune for it.

Here the Lexus LC500 manages it so well and despite it costing almost £88,000, it is great value without the cost cutting compromise. It would be so easy for Lexus to fit switchgear from its parent company and it hasn’t.

The extra cost option that comes with the Lexus as standard is that people will let you out in traffic. You can’t put a price on that.

1 Suzuki Jimny £19,149

The Suzuki caused a bit of a riot and ruined my otherwise planned honours list. Arriving as it did at the end of 2019, I didn’t expect to be sitting here, just after I’d written awful things about its flaws saying that it’s my number 1 choice for 2020. But there we go, nowt queer as a gay motoring journalist!

And why? Its possesses human qualities that make the Jimny almost become anthropomorphic. You can’t help but melt at its cute looks and this makes you talk to it. You are never alone in a journey in a Jimny.

It never lied either at what it was and with that, it never pretended to be anything other than an honest little workhorse that would give you all it can and then some to get you were you needed to go.

It’s the classic Grant Mitchell look. Heavily flawed with good intentions but cover him in the right clothes and he’s a winner.

If It Was My Money

My must have is the Jaguar F Pace SVR. It only had one competitor with us this year and that was from Alfa Romeo. While the Stelvio Quadrifoglio was a mighty beast to drive, it was on the go all the time. And when it wasn’t, the cockpit quality let it down. This made the F Pace SVR all the better. To use both cars gung-ho powers all the time isn’t possible. About 80% of your time would be just normal driving and it’s that 20% of wild fun that gets over thrown by a cockpit and luxury feel that won the day.

And let’s not think the F Pace SVR is all about looks. What it lacked over the Stelvio in power prowess, it more than made up for it with being an absolute scream to drive at its limit and then beyond when the screaming gets louder.

Stuart

xx

5th January 2020
MOTORBIKE REVIEW | Suzuki Katana 2019

If you were around in the ’80’s you’ll remember that Rocky fought Ivan Drago in Russia and won the hearts of the Soviets, despite the cold war raging on around them. Doc brown made a time machine out of a Delorean, ET phoned home, the Russian nuclear plant Chernobyl blew up and so did a space shuttle, the world discovered crack but most significantly, Suzuki unveiled the fastest production motorcycle ever. The GSX1100S Katana.

The Katana was a sign of virility and masculinity. You just couldn’t buy anything faster, end of.

Katana has been around in various guises for a long time. Introduced in ‘80 in 1100 trim (Aircooled 1075cc 16v), (they had a 750cc version in Japan only), but was gone in Europe by ‘85.

Fast forward to 2019 and the beast is back.

Suzuki have resurrected the Katana name. In the same way the original Katana was based on the GSX1100, Suzuki have based the Katana on the GSX-S1000 a very competent bike in it’s own right.

This means the Katana is powered by the street-tuned version of the four-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 999cc, inline-four engine that became a legend in the 2005 GSX-R1000. This engine is a masterpiece. 150ps (148bhp) and 108 Nm torque means this is a very strong engine, with a wealth of torque low down and a strong rush of power higher up the rev range.

Suzuki’s new Katana is equipped with some of the most advanced rider technology available, including an Advanced Traction Control System², Low RPM Assist, Suzuki Easy Start System and Suzuki Clutch Assist System (SCAS) (slipper clutch) and ABS.

Front brakes are superb 4 piston radial mount monobloc Brembo calipers, working on 310mm floating discs. Forks are 43mm KYB inverted and are fully adjustable for damping, rebound, compression and spring preload. Rear suspension has adjustable rebound damping and spring preload.

We were fortunate enough to be invited along to the UK press launch of Katana.

Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t kind to us, it poured with rain all day.

After a short presentation and some breakfast, we were allocated our bike (mine was no.7) and set off in convoy.

Our day was spent touring the cotswolds, getting to know the Katana on a variety of roads, with some cool people. The rain was relentless but didn’t dampen the mood. By lunch we were all soaked through. Even my boxers were wet.

Arguably the rain was a good way to test the manners of the Katana. She’s a big bike with a lot of power, on wet roads. Katana’s engine and power delivery is sublime. Tiptoeing around, looking for trouble, the throttle response proved to be excellent. There was no snatchy, jerky throttle openings and the bike proved to be very user friendly. For the last half hour of the day, the rain stopped, the roads dried and the pace picked up.

The Brembo brakes are excellent and the front end is very confidence inspiring. It turns quickly and is easy to throw around.

The Katana is such a great package. It’s fast, very well balanced, well equipped, brakes are excellent, the engine is a masterpiece and those looks!

Echoes of a legend, a reflection of a icon or maybe a tribute to an infamous motorcycle from bygone era. Whatever you call it, the 2019 Katana is unforgettable.

The styling is as individual and as unique as you will find on a modern motorcycle. Everywhere you go, people stop and look. Some have no knowledge of the legend that is the Katana, they simply notice the futuristic looks. Some remember the original Katana and stand and stare as memories come flooding back.

If you’re in the market for a naked retro that radiates charisma like no other, i strongly urge you to arrange a test ride at your local dealer. You won’t be disappointed.

27th May 2019
MOTORBIKE REVIEW | Suzuki GSX-S125

★★★★☆ | Suzuki GSX-S125

Float like a butterfly sting like a bee

What Have We Got

In this age of ever Increasing motoring costs, swapping to two wheels makes more and more sense. Roads are congested, fuel costs a fortune and we seem to spend half our lives sitting in traffic or looking for a parking space.

We wanted to try one of the current crop of 125cc commuters and see how practical they are.

Suzuki’s GSX-S125 is a funky, naked styled, Street bike. It looks great, it’s fun and it’ll do up to a claimed 122.82mpg! What a way to beat the traffic, have some fun and save money at the same time.

Riding

It feels tiny. With a seat height of just 785mm and a kerb weight of only 133kg, it’s a featherweight. The bars are in a great position making it easy to manoeuvre and legs are nicely placed for a comfortable ride. When you’re sat on it you’re the widest part which means you can judge gaps in the traffic easily making it a superb commuting tool, slicing through traffic with ease.

With only 15ps it’s not fast but the little single cylinder, DOHC (Double Over Head Cam) or ‘twin cam’ engine loves to rev and is good fun.

On a dual carriageway or motorway you struggle. It wouldn’t do much more than 70mph with my fat arse on it, but with a little 17-year-old should be good for more. Either way, 65-70mph is fine.

https://youtu.be/hihcf1iLa7w

Details

A bike like this isn’t going to be festooned with kit. It’s nicely built, unlike the cheap Chinese 125’s you can get. Switchgear is all good quality stuff and it looks and feels great. The gearbox was ok, it didn’t like clutchless up changes but the ‘box is smooth and easy to use.

This little Suzuki is really light. They’ve saved weight all over, for example, it has forged aluminium wheels which help the bike turn quickly. ABS is also standard, helping to keep you safe as are LED lights and a neat, compact LCD dash.

We would expect the Suzuki GSX-S125 will hold its value much better than a cheap Chinese bike too.

Living with it

You have to take this bike in context. It’s an urban Street bike. Cool, fun and made to cut through traffic and put a smile on your face.

It handles really well, it’s very flickable. As you would expect from a bike that weighs as much as a paper bag, it turns and stops very sharply.

15ps (maximum allowed for an A1 licence) isn’t much but it’s on par with the most powerful in its class. The styling is spot on. That big Suzuki logo on the side looks really cool, and the metallic blue paint on our bike looked great.

The Verdict

Back in my day, you could pass your CBT on a little 125 scooter or something like that, then jump on a 500cc bike to take your big bike test which allowed you to ride anything. These days, it’s not so easy. There are several stages now, have a look here for more info; http://www.geton.co.uk/motorcycle-training-licence/

The first main step after you basic CBT allows you to ride this and bikes like it. Whether it’s a stepping stone to getting your big bike licence, a way to get on the road cheaply as a kid or just a commuting tool to beat the traffic and save money, you can’t go wrong with the GSX-S125. It’s fun, looks good, easy to ride and cheap to run. What’s not to like?

Love

Fun factor

Cheap to run

Easy to ride

Loathe

Slow (compared to big bikes)

I looked a bit daft on it

Nowhere to put anything

Lowdown

Bike – Suzuki GSX-S125

Price – £3,799

MPG – 122.82 (combined)

Power – 14.9hp and 11.5nm torque

Top Speed – approx 80 mph if you’re little

Co2 – 54 (g/km)

7th November 2018
MOTORBIKE REVIEW | Suzuki V-Strom100XT

★★★★★ | Suzuki V-Strom100XT, Jack of all trades

What Have We Got?

I would have loved to see the look on the old guy’s face, comfortably oblivious of his surroundings, safe in his generic eurobox, as we exited the roundabout side by side, me on the V-Strom, cranked over will a full set of luggage. ‘Round the outside, hard on the gas, then off into the distance.

I’d like to think he would have turned to Dorris in the passenger seat and muttered, “I didn’t expect that.”

Suzuki have been in the adventure bike game for a long time. The V-strom first landed on our shores in 2002 and this is the latest incarnation. It’s got a 1037cc 90 degree V twin kicks out 100 bhp and 101 Nm torque and is huge fun.

Riding

Well, I’m actually quite new to adventure bikes. These days, the roads are in a pretty shit state and I’m older, so I thought I’d give it a go. I wasn’t disappointed. The V-Strom100XT is a big beast but so are all adventure bikes in this class. Mine had optional (and expensive) luggage too so I was a bit tentative filtering through traffic.

It’s big, very comfortable, punchy and great fun, way more fun that I expected. It turns well, handles nicely and I’d go as far as to say pretty sporty on the road. Something I particularly liked was the ability to be fast over any road surface. A few times I was riding with other guys on sports bikes on the back roads and they just couldn’t live with the Strom. It’s plush, forgiving suspension just dances over the rough, potholed roads, still giving good feedback and confidence, no doubt helped by the electronics. The guys on their sports bikes were shaken to pieces.

Details
Stopping the V-Strom is easy thanks to radial mounted four-piston monobloc Tokico brake callipers biting on to twin 310mm diameter discs on the front, and a 260mm diameter single disc with a single piston calliper on the rear.

The Bosch ABS system has what Suzuki call “Motion Track Brake System¹” which uses a 5-Axis Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), which measures lean angle and front and rear wheel speeds and provides optimal ABS braking for the situation. Very clever.

There’s also 2 mode traction control.

1 is the lowest level of intervention, allowing sporty riding. It allows an amount of wheel spin so you can have fun.

2 is normal which eliminates wheel spin to ensure a safe ride. Great for riding in the wet.

You can, of course, turn it off if you want, if you were heading off road for example.

Living with it

Suzuki’s V-Strom1000XT is an awesome bike. It did everything we asked it to without breaking into a sweat. We even took a V-Strom on track, hooning it around Bruntingthorpe. Admittedly it’s not the obvious choice as a track slag but it was surprisingly good. It moves around a little when you really push on and the pegs tend to go down, but it’s very good and very funny to see other people’s reactions. It doesn’t do anything stupid, it’ll hold a decent line and doesn’t sit up on the brakes in the corners. It’s a very civilised way to do a track day.

The Verdict

Why a V-Strom? The adventure bike sector is crammed with bikes. Everyone seems to do one or even several. BMW is the obvious choice and arguably, you can say they started it all.

Yamaha, Triumph, Honda, KTM, Ducati and more all play in this playground.

The V-Strom sits in between most of these interestingly. Generally, adventure bikes are around 1200cc or 800cc (ish). Suzuki’s V-Strom1000 sits in the middle. At 232kg It’s lighter than pretty much all of the competition, even the smallest capacity bikes like the Triumph Tiger 800.

It’s obviously down on power on the big capacity competition but at £9,999 it’s very well priced.

A BMW R1200GS, for example, starts at £12,400 and a Honda Africa twin starts at £11,575.

Loves
1 Comfort, you can ride for hours
2 Great handling
3 Torquey V-twin engine

Loathes
1 Optional luggage was odd shaped & pretty small
2 Vibey at low revs
3 Dashboard is pretty busy

Lowdown
Motorcycle – Suzuki V-Strom1000XT
Price – £9.999
MPG – 58.85mpg (manufacturer claimed. We only got around 40 mpg)
0-62 – 3.1s
Power – 100 bhp / 101 Nm torque
Top Speed – 126 mph
Co2 – 112 (g/km)

15th October 2018
MOTORBIKE REVIEW | Suzuki V-Strom 250 ABS

★★★★★ | Suzuki V-Strom 250 ABS

The bike

The bike we have here is a Suzuki V-Strom 250 which falls perfectly into the A2 licence* class. It’s an adventure bike, with longer travel suspension, upright seating position. Think of it like an SUV. Looks good, rugged, can handle all sorts from off road to motorways so it’s perfect for our crappy roads. It has a 248cc parallel-twin engine and is more road-focussed that off road. 248cc, 25bhp and 23.4 Nm torque doesn’t sound like much, but it’s enough to have fun and do whatever you need to do.

Riding

It’s not particularly fast with a top speed of 85 mph which means those faster overtakes need a little planning. With such modest power and a fun chassis, it does mean you can exploit the V-Strom pretty much everywhere without constantly looking over your shoulder for blue lights. You won’t believe how easy the little V-Strom is to ride.

Bars are fairly high and the seat is soft and comfortable, prompting you to sit up straight in a typical adventure bike style.

It’s big enough to have some road presence and small enough to filter through traffic and it does it all on a thimble full of fuel. This little adventure bike does a staggering 88 mpg which means over 310 miles on a single tank.

Details

There’s a 12V DC power outlet for your sat nav or your phone, a very neat reverse-lit full-LCD instrument panel showing; Speedometer, tachometer, odometer, average fuel consumption, fuel gauge, RPM, service indicator, clock, dual trip meters, gear position, coolant temperature and oil pressure. It sounds like a lot of information but it’s very easy to read. There’s a very handy screen in front of you to protect you from the wind too.
The brakes offer good feel and work well and Bosch ABS is standard. It’s rugged and handsome and doesn’t look like a beginner bike.

Living with it

On the road, the bike rides very nicely. The V-Strom turns well and is fun. It’s a very friendly package, helping you to feel safe and confident. If you’re new to bikes or returning, this is a great way to build your confidence. It’s very easy to manoeuvre with good steering lock which makes urban riding simple.

Despite its adventure bike looks, it’s a pussycat. With a low seat height, it’s a piece of cake to ride. The upright riding position is very comfortable but it isn’t fast.

The Verdict

If you are a new rider or returning to two wheels after a break the V-Strom 250 is great. It looks good, it’s easy to ride, it’s economical and won’t break the bank. It’s not fast so is ideally suited to urban riding and not really ideal for motorway miles.

There are many benefits to riding a motorcycle. it’s fun, It’s practical and in these times of ever-increasing congestion on our roads, a bike offers a fantastic alternative to sitting in queues of traffic hour after hour. It’s greener too!

Loves

Easy to ride & fun

Uses hardly any fuel

Rugged, handsome styling

Loathes

Not very fast

A little buzzy when you rev it hard

Exhaust is quiet

Lowdown

Motorcycle – Suzuki V-Strom 250

Price – £4.599
MPG – 88.28 mpg (combined)

0-62 – 9.3 seconds

Power – 25bhp and 23.4 Nm torque

Top Speed – 85 mph
Co2 – 72 (g/km)

*if you are over 19 with a full car licence, you can take your CBT (basic test), take your theory test and your practical test (just like a car), then you can ride any bike up to 35kw (47bhp). That’s called an A2 licence.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/568266/routes-to-your-motorcycle-licence.pdf

4th September 2018
MOTORCYCLE REVIEW | Suzuki SV650X ABS

★★★★★ | Suzuki SV650X ABS

The bike

What we have here is the retro-styled, naked bike called the SV650X. It’s a small capacity, light and nimble naked bike that is just about as much fun as you can have on two wheels.

Suzuki’s SV has been around since 1999 and is more popular than ever. After having this one for a few weeks I can see why. Do you really need a 180bhp sports bike? Who new 75bhp could be so much fun?

Riding

The heart of the SV is the punchy engine. A 645cc 4-stroke, DOHC, 90°V-twin that loves to rev. 75bhp and 64Nm of torque isn’t a lot in these days of 180bhp sports bikes, but that’s missing the point. Suzuki’s SV is so much fun and the performance is so accessible, you just can’t fight the urge to use it. SV’s have always had a reputation for being a great handling bike and this new model continues that theme. It’s great, flicks easily from side to side and is just so much fun.

Details

The SV-X has clip ons, a funky little cafe racer style headlight cowl and a really cool, tuck and roll seat and different paint. SV’s have always had a reputation for being a great handling bike. 41mm right way up forks are preload adjustable and did a good job on my bike. The rear shock is 7-way adjustable for preload. Front brakes are Tokico twin piston calipers on twin 290mm floating discs with ABS and do a great job. Fast road riding was easy, not too hard or soft and it was a joy to flick from side to side.

Living With It

The SV650X mixes a great chassis with usable power, which means that unlike a litre bike, where you rarely get to exploit all that power, with the SV you can wring its neck, laughing all the way to the 14k rpm rev limit, again and again and again. The noise is intoxicating, sounding like a mini MotoGP bike. With a race can this would sound awesome.

Suzuki has blessed the SV with a lovely gearbox. Under hard acceleration, you don’t need to use the clutch going up the ‘box, the gear change is so sweet and very fast.

The Verdict

Loves

Fun
Punchy engine
Great chassis

Loathes

Snatchy at very low speed
Slightly conservative styling
Suzuki wanted it back

Lowdown

Motorcycle – Suzuki SV650X
Price – £6,199
MPG – 72.43 mpg (combined)
0-62 – 3.3 seconds
Power – 75 bhp / 64 Nm of torque
Top Speed – 133 mph
Co2 – 91 (g/km)

22nd August 2018
MOTORCYCLE REVIEW | Suzuki Burgman 650 ABS

★★★★★ | Suzuki Burgman 650 ABS

The bike

One of the most unusual bikes I’ve ridden is the Suzuki Burgman 650. On one hand, it’s a twist and go scooter, on the other, it’s a luxurious tourer. In reality, it’s a bit of both. It’s one of the new crop of maxi scooters.

The Burgman is powered by a silky smooth parallel twin 638cc engine putting out 55 bhp and 62 Nm of torque. It’s velvety smooth and it’s mated to a Suzuki Electronic CVT gearbox (Continuously Variable Transmission), that’s a kind of automatic gearbox.

Riding

The Burgman is a pleasure to ride. The feet forward riding position takes some getting used to as does the twist and go gearbox, but it’s such an easy bike to ride. It’s lively, It turns in sharply and holds a nice line and is very easy to manoeuvre. The suspension is supple like a French car, and the ride quality is great. Cornering is easy, it’s eager to turn and even fun to throw around. I actually touched down the centre stand a couple of times but I was being a little daring.

Details

The dashboard gives more information than you know what to do with, but it’s not intrusive or distracting. It tells you when you need to change the oil, oil level, air temp, water temp, the time, plus there’s a great trip computer with information on fuel consumption, range and more.

A big seat, loads of storage, heated grips, electric folding mirrors, tall electric screen all add make it feel more like an adventure bike than a maxi scooter. Build quality was excellent, no exposed wires, no dodgy catches or rattling, squeaky panels.

Living With It

Brakes are very good, it doesn’t dive or push on. An electrically adjustable tall screen means motorway miles are a breeze, the wind hardly touched me and you sit up straight too which means you can see over the cars in front.

I took the Burgman it on a 2-day road trip on all sorts of roads, 2 days luggage, my laptop and all manner of stuff crammed in the massive storage compartment under the seat. It’s practical, fun, easy to ride and economical. What’s not to like?

The Verdict

The Suzuki Burgman is bristling with equipment, it’s easy to ride, it’s comfortable and even economical. It sounds like the perfect do it all bike then right? It nearly is. The Burgman is a little long in the tooth, it’s a few years old now. It also suffers from an image problem in certain circles; is it a proper bike? But other than that, it really is a do it all motorcycle. Pop to the shops or ride across Europe, the Burgman will eat it up.

Build quality is great and its pricing is easily comparable with the competition, most of which have smaller engines too.

Loves

Comfort

Practicality

Easy to live with

Loathes

Snatchy at very low speed

In the company of big bikes, you feel inferior

It’s very wide when you’re filtering through traffic

Lowdown

Motorcycle – Suzuki Burgman 650 ABS
Price – £9,199
MPG – 60.5 mpg (combined)
0-62 – 8.3 seconds
Power – 55 bhp / 62 Nm of torque
Top Speed – 110+ mph
Co2 – 109 (g/km)

19th August 2018
The Week In Cars – Ferrari or Porsche?

Porsche have shown us the hottest Cayman yet, the GT4. As suggested by spy shots, it gains a much more aggressive body kit with a fixed rear wing along with 20 inch wheels.

(more…)

11th February 2015