42 big photos of the 2012 Suzuki V-Strom 650

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The minimal mechanical changes to the 2012 Suzuki V-Strom 650 make it almost too boring to write about. Luckily, you can look at these pictures instead. Unlike the ones that accompanied the original leak, the ones in this leak are very large, so you can see all that plastic in great detail.

  • Ola

    Dammit, still looks like Dame Edna. Stop being so conservative Suzuki, I’ve got a tiny penis I need to compensate for and I want my motorcycle to look like a … well, something ferocious yet agile. A predator, but not like a wolf. Something feline I suppose, not feminine exactly but precise, sneaky, soft paws yet sharp teeth. A lion? No not quite a lion…oh what can it be?

    • John

      Ha. I named my 2011 (or is it 2012?) Street Triple R “Edna” for the same reason. Seems to be the fashion in headlight design these days.

  • http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=305107 stickfigure

    It’s hard to take seriously any bike that has a giant unprotected pot-metal oil filter positioned exactly where rocks and debris will be thrown by the front tire.

    • Trev

      The SV650 has had that same filter location for many years, and does just fine.

      For a DS, that is a bad position; but so it having the exhaust system hang under the motor.

    • Toby

      Valid point, though trivially solved with a $150 aftermarket bash plate. Every V-Strom owner I’ve ridden with off road had one installed, along with crash bars.

  • http://www.damiengaudet.blogspot.com damien

    Nice helmet.

    p.s. Your galleries don’t play nice with iPads. (1st gen)

    • http://hellforleathermagazine.com Wes Siler

      You’re loading something relatively heavy (images) and a lot of them. If you’re on a slow connection, there will be some lag.

  • Ken D

    I started out hating it, but by shot 38 I’d slipped into a fever dream and upon waking discovered that I’d placed an order for a white one. Apparently it comes with Photoshop CS5 installed. I’ve made a big mistake haven’t I?

  • FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

    I don’t recall you guys having this much disdain for any bike, while displaying so many photos. Design wise, I think its a step forward, even if the changes are minor. Why has this one in particular drawn so much ire, when there are much more worthy things to hate?

    • dux

      Flavor of the day, I suppose. Suzuki releases another minger. Attack!!!

    • http://hellforleathermagazine.com Wes Siler

      I don’t hate it at all. It’s just a total non-event of a facelift.

      • markbvt

        Agreed. I put nearly 40,000 miles on a Wee-Strom in three years of ownership, and it was a good bike for what I needed at the time. Now I have a Tiger 800 XC, and it’s so much better that it leaves the Strom looking kind of pathetic in comparison.

        It would have been nice to see Suzuki DO something with the V-Strom platform. For example, now that the DL1000 is no more, they could have ditched the oversized chassis to centralize mass better, and upgraded the suspension a bit, and maybe even brought out a more dirt-oriented variant like Triumph and BMW did with their 800s. But no, they just revised some plastic and bolted in the Gladius engine. Yawn.

    • DoctorNine

      Ennui isn’t hate. Actually, I think you’ll find most of the folks here on HFL respect the V-Strom series as a much better motorcycle than it appears. In fact, I’ll say right out, that the new changes have helped its looks quite a bit. But, compared to The Beak on the new Ducati Multistrada, there is little design fanfare here, for a trendy metrosexual to wax poetic upon. No fault of the Suzuki. It’s a more workmanlike appliance, and has none of the Italian pretension one would expect in a Duc.

      • FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

        I agree totally. Ennui is Disgust’s trendy cousin.

  • Thom

    ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz………. Yawn ………. Hmmn ?………… oh….. never mind …….zzzzzzZZZZZZZZ

  • Gene

    I do have to say, as much as I hate the v-strom, it looks a hell of lot better now.

    So is all the add-on stuff in pics 3 & 5 available from Suzuki?

    Those are some big damn bags, better than “touring bike” Shamu has!

    Does it still have the crap numb marshmallow suspension?

  • Devin

    Well, at least they didn’t screw anything up. A viable replacement for aging V-Strom’s, since there is no other bike to compete with it in this category. If Kawasaki could throw a 19″ front and a bit more suspension travel on the Versys, Suzuki might actually start caring again.

    And I kind of agree with markbvt. The suspension I can upgrade myself, but if Suzuki really wanted to make this an upgrade, the Chassis and weight are where the big gains can be made. Unfortunately, I’m sure these are some of the most expensive areas to upgrade, and the most likely to end up screwing up the fantastic feel on this bike.

  • eric

    Hey wes, are you just upset that their rider stole your look?

  • http://www.faster-faster.com fasterfaster

    Solid dependable versatile bike with a rabid cult following, that BMW and Triumph are now capitalizing on, and the best Suzuki can do is a mild facelift?

    Suzuki deserves a flogging for the missed opportunity. Good news for riders is this will continue to be a solid, dependable, versatile bike and the competition should drive the price on this one even lower.

  • Core

    It kinda reminds me of the Honda Transalp.. Kinda.

  • http://www.tripleclamp.net Sasha Pave

    When updating the bike Suzuki forgot two minor updates: The chassis and engine.

    My suggestion to Suzuki:
    - Push the engine to 800cc
    - Lighten up the chassis
    - Offer an off-road worthy setup with spoke wheels and longer adjustable suspension.
    - Update components like 1-1/8 bars, adjustable ergos, HO alternator, USD forks.
    - Offer or partner for a line of accessories like alum. luggage, HID/LED lights, GPS and protection.

    I bet they could still price it under 10k and give the Tiger/800GS a run.

    I still prefer a v-twin over a parallel/triple, plus you’d have the Suzuki global network of parts/shops and Japanese reliability.

    • Dana Seero

      What problem does an 800cc engine solve that a 650 does not solve? Especially a bullet-proof 650 that thousands of riders have taken over 100,000 miles and runs on Regular?

      800′s: too big to be small, too small to be big.