Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT India launch soon, to rival Kawasaki Versys 650

• Suzuki Motorcycle India showcased the V-Strom 650 XT at the Auto Expo 2018
• The V-Strom 650 XT is expected to be priced at around Rs 7.7 lakh to 7.9 lakh (ex-showroom)
• It will be powered by a twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC 645cc engine that develops 71 hp
• Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT will go up against the Kawasaki Versys 650

Suzuki Motorcycle India Limited has recently launched the GSX-S750 for Rs 7.45 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Japanese automaker seems to be planning to add yet another big bike to its India portfolio soon. Emerging reports claim the V-Strom 650 XT is the next in queue and it will be launched by July 2018.

Suzuki Motorcycle India showcased the V-Strom 650 XT at the Auto Expo 2018. The V-Strom 650 XT is expected to be priced at around Rs 7.7 lakh to 7.9 lakh (ex-showroom), reports Autocar. The adventure bike will be third big bike that Suzuki will be assembling in India after Hayabusa and GSX-S750.

The Suzuki V-Strom 650 is offered in two variants. The standard version comes with more road biased nature while the V-Strom 650 XT version comes with off-road-specific attributes. India will be getting only the XT version.

The V-Strom 650 gets an edgy design in line with the elder sibling, the V-Strom 1000, which is also on sale in India.  The motorcycle has a purposeful stance with a front beak that neatly integrated below the headlamp. The large windscreen is manually adjustable. The motorcycle has more plastic panels upfront while the rear gets only minimalistic body panels. The V-Strom 650 XT gets mounting points for luggage panniers and a top box. The V-Strom 650 is more compact than its 1000cc version and it comes with a fuel tank capacity is 20 liters.

The V-Storm XT gets a multifunction instrument cluster with an analog tachometer and two digital screens that display an array of information. Being an off-road focused version, the V-Strom 650 XT version gets spooked wheels and dual-purpose tires, knuckle guards, engine guards and others.

Based on the twin spar frame, the V-Strom 650 XT is powered by a twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC 645cc engine that develops 71 hp of power at 8,800 rpm and 62Nm of torque at 6,500rpm, mated to a six-speed transmission. The motorcycle also gets a three-stage traction control system and ABS as standard.

Suspension duties are handled by preload-adjustable 43mm front forks and rear monoshock adjustable for preload and damping. In addition to the ABS, 310mm discs at front and a single 260mm rear disc tame the bike.

Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT will go up against the Kawasaki Versys 650 in India which is priced around Rs 6.7 lakh ex-showroom Delhi. The Kawasaki model is powered by a parallel twin engine that develops 68hp of power and 64Nm of torque.