The Motorcycle That Might Be The Smartest Buy Of The Year

6 minutes reading

Tuesday, 7 Jul 2026 16:31 0 4 autotech

With the growing demand for more versatile motorcycles, manufacturers continue to roll out one exceptional all-rounder after another. Adventure bikes of all shapes and sizes are the most popular, but we are also seeing a rise in the popularity of middleweight ADV-type touring bikes. For those of us uninterested in taking the odd dirt road shortcut, these bikes actually make a lot more sense. Sales are clearly rising, too, as new brands keep joining the party. The latest entrant is Suzuki with its V-Strom 650 replacement.

Table of Contents

The Mid-Capacity Sport-Tourer Is Traditionally Underserved

Kawasaki

The Budget Tourer That Feels Stable And Effortless At 80 MPH On The Interstate

The Triumph Tiger Sport 660 defies its ‘budget’ label with a triple-cylinder engine, stable chassis, and long-distance amenities.

The Suzuki SV-7GX Looks Like A Potential Bargain

MSRP: TBA

You might argue that the SV isn’t on sale here. But Suzuki has already received a CARB approval for the machine, which means it’s a matter of when, not if, here. While US pricing is yet to be announced, the bike has already been launched in the UK with a base price of £6,999. This translates into $9,300, but history tells us it is almost never a straightforward conversion. The US price will, however, almost certainly be under the magic $10k mark (in all likelihood out-the-door). That is something of a bargain for a lightweight tourer that offers a trusted V-twin, and a host of modern tech features.

Suzuki’s Legendary V-Twin Is Here To Stay

Power: 72 Horsepower

Back in 1999, the Hayabusa made all the headlines, but in the same year, this V-twin also quietly made its debut in the SV650. Over the years it has seen incremental updates (it is now Euro5+ compliant), but in terms of basic architecture it is still very much the same engine. Some will balk at the fact that it has been in production for 27 years and be tempted to disregard it.

We certainly thought its time was up when the new 800cc lump was announced, but it has now become clear that it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Besides overall power output, the key difference between this lump and that new parallel-twin is overall cost. Suzuki is able to offer bikes equipped with this engine for a significantly lower price than any of the bikes equipped with the new engine.

Reliable Doesn’t Always Mean Boring

Over the years, this twin has proven to be metronomically reliable, and riders have racked up scarcely believable mileage on bikes equipped with it. Not only is it reliable, but it is also engaging. Unlike modern parallel-twins that all have a certain “sameness” to them, this little V-twin feels lively. It also offers the same kind of midrange performance as those new engines offer, which means it is more or less ideal for a lightweight sport tourer.

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A Host Of Tech Features Make Matters Sweeter

Any bike equipped with this powertrain in the past came with a cable-actuated throttle. With the SV-7GX, it will get a ride-by-wire throttle for the first time, along with a slew of other electronics. You get ride modes, a quickshifter, switchable traction control, and a TFT dash with smartphone connectivity. ABS is the only feature that is not new, but for some truly bizarre reason, Suzuki neglected to include cruise control.

It is reminiscent of when Triumph brought out the original Tiger Sport 660 without it, only to add it later with an update. It is, nonetheless, a strange omission for a modern touring bike. Pretty much all the bikes it will be competing with have cruise control, and for some buyers, this could actually be a dealbreaker.

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Promises To Be An Impressive All-Rounder

The lack of cruise control is arguably the only bone of contention in what is an otherwise impressive package for this end of the market. The suspension and chassis are lifted straight from the current SV650, which is not a bad thing at all. Its fork is non-adjustable, and the rear shock only offers preload adjustment, but the chassis is a peach.

Its steel-trellis chassis more than makes up for the budget-friendly nature of the suspension, and will give the little tourer genuinely sporty handling. With a wet weight of 465 pounds, it is light and nimble enough to handle the daily commute, then comfortable enough to go the distance over the weekend, or blast down a canyon road.

Cynics will point out the fact that all Suzuki did was add wind protection and a bunch of tech to the SV650, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with this approach when it offers this much value. This is not the first time we have seen Suzuki do this, either. The current GSX-S1000GT+ applies the same formula in the liter class, and it offers incredible bang for the buck.

If this were a new 800-based tourer, there is no way it would cost less than $10k. Case in point is the V-Strom 800, which already has a base price of over $10k and a more touring-friendly trim which costs a little more. Suzuki has become past masters at extracting more out of old platforms, and we are certainly glad to see the old V-twin get the treatment here, offering us a bike that has the potential to be the touring bargain of the year.

Chassis, Suspension, And Weight Specifications

Chassis	Steel trellis
Front Suspension	41mm conventional telescopic fork, coil spring, oil damped (4.9-in travel)
Rear Suspension	Link type, coil spring, oil damped, spring preload adjustable (5.1-in travel)
Weight	465 lbs