We?re in search of The One bike, and these two 650cc adventure-sport tourers are at the top of many a rider?s list. Inexpensive, versatile and fuel-efficient, they do a lot of things well. But there can be only One… Photos by Kevin Wing.
In his Rider Test of the 2017 V-Strom 650, Rider’s Senior Editor Drevenstedt mentions The Question: ?If you could only own one motorcycle, what would it be"? After the requisite moaning and gnashing of teeth, for many riders (including some of the Rider staff) the answer comes down to one of these two: the Kawasaki Versys 650 or Suzuki?s V-Strom 650. Inexpensive, versatile and fuel-efficient, they are the Swiss Army knives of the motorcycling world.
The Versys 650 LT comes standard with color-matched hard luggage and black handguards. Tall and compact, it?s more street-oriented than the V-Strom, with 17-inch wheels and Dunlop Sportmax tires. While it feels physically smaller than the Strom, it?s actually about 30 pounds heavier. With the V-Strom 650 getting a facelift and updates for 2017, and our last comparison test between the Strom and the Versys having taken place back in November 2012, we figured it?s high time to pit these two do-it-alls against one another in a one-on-one, mano a mano showdown. Given how closely contested the 2012 comparison was, plus the glowing reviews the Versys 650 LT gathered from staffers in 2015, it promised to be an interesting matchup.
The Versys’ display (left) now includes a ge...