Just under 1,000 km later, and with the Suzuki Weekend Away only days away, it was time to get both V-STROM 250SXs and ourselves ready for the dirt.
As Meredith mentioned in our introductory article, there really isn’t much adventure prep required on the bikes themselves. Suzuki has already done the hard work, equipping the little ‘Strom with tubeless wheels, semi-adventure tyres, handguards, a bash plate, generous ground clearance, decent suspension travel, and a tall screen that offers surprisingly good wind protection. Add fuel consumption figures between 32 and 40 km/L, a 12-litre fuel tank, and a USB charging port for navigation duties, and you’ve got a machine that’s ready to point at the horizon from day one.
The V-STROM 250SX is an awesome travel-sized pocket knife; it might be small, but it folds out with all the tools needed for adventure. No, it doesn’t have built-in navigation or a fancy TFT display, and while a centre stand would make chain maintenance a little easier, the tubeless wheels more than make up for it. At the end of the day, like a pocket knife, you can’t cram every tool imaginable into it without defeating the point of its existence. The V-STROM keeps things simple, practical and affordable, and that’s exactly why it works.
The V-STROM 250SX occupies a unique space in the market. It offers the affordability many riders associate with Indian-built motorcycles, while delivering the engineering, quality control, and dealer support of a Japanese manufacturer. That’s what makes it such an interesting proposition.
Ask yourself this: Who else is building a travel-sized adventure bike under 250 cc that can do what the Suzuki does? The list is surprisingly short. Most alternatives are 300 cc or larger, and even then, the little Suzuki remains incredibly competitive. Once you factor in the asking price, the value proposition becomes even more impressive.
Back to business. We got cracking on setting up the V-STROM for Meredith and her lack of height. At around 154 cm tall, the standard 835 mm seat height was manageable, but we all know that when riding off-road, having easy access to the ground can make all the difference when things get a little sketchy.
So, out came the Vernier calliper, Allen keys and rear shock tool. Within 15 minutes, we had lowered the bike by roughly 20 mm front and rear. It may sound like a small adjustment, but it transformed Meredith’s confidence at a standstill and at low speeds. She could now comfortably get both toes down, and with a generous 205 mm of ground clearance to begin with, sacrificing 20 mm felt like a worthwhile trade-off, especially considering she weighs about as much as two bags of potatoes.
Next up was removing the rubber inserts from the footpegs. It’s not something everyone needs to do, especially in dry conditions, but muddy boots and wet trails can quickly turn rubber-covered pegs into an ice rink. Suzuki deserves some credit here, though, as the standard footpegs are already wide and grippy, making them well-suited to adventure riding.
The added bonus is that the engine is so smooth that neither of us has noticed the missing rubber inserts while riding on the road. Sometimes the simplest modifications make the biggest difference.
Anyone who has spent time riding adventure bikes knows that textile riding gear can be brutal on plastics and painted surfaces. Add a bit of dust or sand between your knees and the tank, and before long, your pride and joy starts looking like it has survived multiple owners, a rebuild and some questionable maintenance practices.
With protection in mind and to satisfy my ongoing battle with OCD, I got in touch with Mark from Empire Graphics to help protect our Suzukis’ body work. The plan was simple: clear protective vinyl where our luggage would rest and gripper panels on the tank to both improve control while standing and protect the glassy black tank. Not only does it help keep the bike looking fresh, but it also allows you to lock your knees into the tank more effectively when riding off-road. For under R800, this was seriously a no-brainer and something we think all adventure bike enthusiasts should invest in.
With Suzuki’s adventure-friendly tyres already fitted from the factory, all that remained was to spend some time riding dirt and helping Meredith rebuild her confidence.
Fortunately, we live out in the sticks of Pretoria North, not far from Cullinan, which means dirt roads are never far away. The plan was simple: expose Meredith to as many different surfaces as possible and throw in a few skills exercises to dust off some of what she learned during her ADA training.
We started on wide, hard-packed gravel roads before moving onto looser surfaces, corrugations and a few sections where the sand became noticeably deeper. The goal wasn’t speed—it was familiarity. The more time Meredith spent standing on the pegs, looking ahead and allowing the bike to move beneath her, the more relaxed she became.
“To be completely honest, when Kyle from Suzuki SA told us we’ll be taking part in the off-road trail this time round, I held my breath for a few seconds, convinced that I’m not experienced enough. That feeling quickly faded after spending some time on the dirt with the baby Strom, especially once we dropped the suspension—having better footing really helped my confidence. Bjorn helped me rehash some of the techniques, and my previous training came flooding back. I’m definitely not a pro, but I feel way more comfortable heading into the weekend’s ride.”
It’s amazing how quickly riding skills can gather a bit of dust when you haven’t used them in a while, but it’s equally impressive how fast they come back with a little practice. It’s important to take things one step at a time, and with every exercise and every kilometre, you could see Meredith becoming more comfortable, more precise and more confident.
Even after years of riding, I can also relate to the above. If I’ve been away from a certain style of riding for a few weeks, I’ll deliberately ease myself back into it. Sometimes all it takes is one corner, one obstacle or one exercise to get your eye back in. Once you nail that, the confidence starts flowing again.
Practice and confidence are two of the biggest ingredients in successful adventure riding, but the motorcycle beneath you plays a role, too. That’s where the V-STROM 250SX continues to impress. Its manageable size, friendly power delivery and confidence-inspiring handling make it an ideal platform for riders taking their first steps into adventure riding—or for older riders looking to sharpen skills that may have gathered a little dust.
With both bikes prepped and serviced by World Of Motorcycle, the graphics finished, and Meredith’s confidence growing with every dirt road we throw at her, there’s only one thing left to do: point the Suzukis toward the Suzuki Weekend Away and find out just how adventure-ready these little V-STROMs really are.
Suzuki V-Strom 250SX
For more information on the bike that we tested in this article, click on the link below…
