Story and photos from cycleworld.com / Don Canet

I have a confession to share with devout Cycle World readers. It’s been 34 years since I last purchased a street-legal motorcycle. And that bike, a showroom fresh 1988 Suzuki GSX-R750, was briefly ridden on public roads during engine break-in prior to being prepped for use in roadrace competition. When I joined the CW staff in 1990, I soon realized the wellspring of testbikes requiring evaluation miles left little time or need for a bike of my own. Not to say I wasn’t tempted time and again.

Now decades later, at age 60, I find myself cast as a reentry buyer. The recent Cycle World Superbike Shootout conducted at Thunderhill Raceway Park sparked a desire to begin shopping, albeit for a far more affordable option. I returned home from the two-day track test not only invigorated and inspired having dragged an elbow at deep cornering lean for the first time in my life, but questioning why the heck I’ve been wasting my waning years without a bike of my own in the garage.

The internet has made the search for a new or used motorcycle incredibly easy thanks to listing sites such as Cycle Trader. Just for grins, my first search was for motorcycles under $5,000, about what I had paid for my GSX-R Slingshot. Lo and behold I find a 1996 Honda VFR750 for $4,500 located an hour away. I contacted the seller and drove to his place for a look. The bright red Honda V-4 had 28,000 miles on the clock, yet was in immaculate condition. It was actually too clean, in fact. Upon inspecting the VFR in the flesh I came to a realization that subjecting the former multitime Cycle World Ten Best winner to my gravel driveway and the roughest paved backroads in my neck of the woods would feel akin to elder abuse.

My conscience suggested that what I truly needed was something more modern and versatile, a bike that could tickle the sporting itch, facilitate an occasional two-up foray, and offer the convenience and practicality of detachable luggage. While an open-class adventure– or sport-touring bike ideally fits the bill, cost of admission was a factor. A self-imposed price point of around $10,000 greatly narrowed the prospects of a “new” bike purchase. I pared the pool to the trio of mid-displacement, adventure-style sport-touring motorcycles gathered here. While the Kawasaki Versys 650 and Suzuki V-Strom 650 are well proven, the recent addition of the Triumph Tiger Sport 660 warrants a fresh look at the category to see how the British inline-three fares against the Japanese parallel-twin and V-twin competition.

Kawasaki offers two versions of Versys 650, the standard model and the LT, featuring 28-liter saddlebags and hand guards as standard. Updates in 2022 included two-level adjustable traction control, a restyled fairing, LED lighting, and a new 4.3-inch TFT dash replacing the analog dial of its predecessor. The bow-like silhouette of its new nose reminds me of a strange ‘60s-era amphibious vehicle, a somewhat polarizing look that may or may not float one’s boat.

Pricing is on par with the competition, with just a marginal price increase between the 2022 test LT we have here and the 2023 model, which retails for $10,099. For reference, the base-model Versys 650 retails for $8,899 to $9,099, depending on paint.

Suzuki made headlines recently with the unveiling of its all-new V-Strom 800DE and 800DE Adventure, but it’s too soon to forget about the venerable V-Strom 650 that’s long been a staple of the lineup.

Suzuki’s mid-displacement V-Strom comes in a trio of flavors built upon the cast-wheel-equipped base model ($9,104). The XT edition ($9,599) rolls on tubeless wire-spoke wheels along with the addition of plastic hand guards and engine cowl. My inclination however, was to go all-in with the XT Adventure ($10,799) given its 37-liter panniers along with engine crashbars and a handlebar cross brace lending it a dose of off-road worthiness. The network of dirt fire roads threading the mountains where I reside makes the V-Strom 650XT Adventure an enticing option.

That being said, sport riding remains the priority on my list of two-wheel aspirations. Might the new Triumph triple prove to be the definitive corner carver of the lot? It certainly looks the part with sport/adventure styling befitting a Pikes Peak International Hill Climb racer. Furthermore, Triumph offers a line of accessories for the Tiger Sport 660 ($9,695) that include integrated hard bags. Triumph was nice enough to equip our test unit with said bags, in addition to a twin-helmet top box, but it’s worth noting that doing so will eliminate any cost advantage the Triumph once had over the competition. This is especially true if you purchase the color-coded infill panels. Our luggage-equipped test unit comes in at $11,016.

Our planned test ride was a run north from Oakhurst, California, along state Route 49 (aka the Golden Chain Highway) to the town of Jackson for the night. Then play it by ear on the following day’s return. Skirting the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada range, SR49 links together mining towns of the 1849 gold rush. If there’s a nugget still to be found, it’s the 15-mile black vein running from Bagby Grade to Coulterville. Crooked as a claim jumper, I refer to this lightly traveled stretch as “Mother Load Road” and its proximity to my home is the very essence of why cornering clearance and handling are essential traits for the bike I intend to settle down with.

Joining me on the ride were Cycle World testers Doug Toland and young Evan Allen. Eager to experience the new Tiger Sport, I staked claim to its key for the first stint of the day. This may not have been the wisest choice due to the early morning chill and the Tiger’s lack of paw-protecting hand guards that come standard on the other two bikes. A savvy owner might consider the Tiger’s accessory heated grips and hand guards, though our test unit had neither.

The Tiger’s windscreen can however be adjusted with just one hand as you ride. While its uppermost position subdued the cold wind below shoulder level, raising the screen induced a good deal of helmet-buffet rumble. The ergos are a bit more sporting than its peers, though a natural reach to the bar and footpeg location provided my 32-inch inseam ample legroom for an extended ride in its broad, spacious saddle.

The Tiger appears tall, but the 32.9-inch seat height is on par with the Suzuki’s and shorter than the Versys by a negligible margin. At 185 pounds, my body weight compressed the suspension of each bike enough to allow a firm footing at stops.

The Triumph slipper/assist clutch is light effort and has a very good engagement feel. Pulling away from a stop is ultra easy due to the engine’s incredibly smooth delivery at basement revs. An illustration of this trait was the Tiger’s uncanny ability to purr along at idle (hand off throttle) up a fairly steep incline in third gear. A stark contrast to this bottom-end bliss is the engine’s surprisingly soft midrange delivery. My initial hope was that its ride mode was set to Rain rather than the sharper-responding Road map. No such luck.

At 491 pounds wet, the Tiger is lightest and its inline three-cylinder powertrain produced the most peak horsepower of the trio on the Cycle World dyno, with a delivery curve that builds a top-end hit all the way to the 10,200 rpm rev limit. Torque production is less than either of the twins throughout the entire midrange and has a mild dip at 5,500 rpm that further accents the Tiger’s comparatively tame demeanor during general around-town riding.

Tugging the Tiger’s tail hard enough unleashes an animalistic nature resulting in the quickest quarter-mile run by a sizable margin. “Ripping speed runs up the hill from the Bagby Bridge on the Triumph Tiger Sport 660, following two retired professional roadracers felt nothing short of an imaginary mountain-pass race,” enthused the son of CW head photographer Jeff Allen.

“Mirroring their lines and braking points while aboard the most powerful engine of the bunch was surely an advantage. However, being in the right gear and shifting at precisely the right moment was absolutely necessary. Get that left foot ready because when the 660cc inline-triple finally did come alive, the rider only had a few thousand rpm to work with before hitting a hard redline that seemingly made you go backward.”

Which goes to say that the potential is there, but requires more dedicated focus than either of the twin-powered models.

While I felt the Tiger chassis provides light intuitive handling, decent stability, and the most sporting ride of the lot, Allen wasn’t so certain. “The suspension seemingly got in the way, blowing through the compression stroke too quickly before rebounding back at a similar rate. Ultimately the bike felt busy, unsettling, and at times unpredictable when riding at respectable speeds,” he added. Each of these bikes offer rear spring-preload adjustment via a convenient hydraulic adjuster. Kawasaki also features adjustable fork spring preload and rebound damping and the Suzuki shock has adjustable rebound damping.

Despite its comparative lack of suspension tunability, Triumph hit the mark in Toland’s view, as he stated: “The Tiger feels the most balanced front to rear, both in terms of suspension and overall rigidity.” A ride behind the lad helped settle the debate, as Allen’s exuberant riding style appeared to be the wild card at play. To paraphrase a joke, the old bull walks down the hill with purpose. As is often the case, price point concessions bring performance limitations, and to varying degrees all three of these softly suspended bikes respond best to fluid rider input when pushing the pace.

With its larger 19-inch-diameter front wheel, 6-inch-longer wheelbase, and more relaxed steering geometry, the Suzuki V-Strom is more forgiving of assertive rider inputs. Coming off either of the 17-inch-wheeled bikes you immediately notice the steering input effort the Suzuki requires despite its wider and taller handlebar. A few miles in the saddle to recalibrate muscle memory and the XT’s steering character feels right as rain given its more spacious ergos, touring-worthy saddle, and overall size and weight. “Adding a little more input to turn the big 650XT Adventure was something I was happy to do,” Allen reported. “But when pushing hard and getting on the side of the tire at speed, the Suzuki would start to chatter the front and rear tires.”

Toland and I each experienced the same light patter as the Strom’s adventure-spec Bridgestone Battlax tires communicated you were approaching the limits. We also noted that the Suzuki’s front brake provides less initial bite and requires more effort at the lever to maximize stopping potential. In fairness, Suzuki’s choice of tires and brake feel are positive attributes when venturing off the pavement.

We all agreed the V-Strom is hands down the bike of choice for travel. “Connecting thrilling sections of pavement on Highway 49 came with stretches of higher speeds and straighter lines, an easy task for the V-Strom 650,” Allen remarked. “Its large rider triangle, tall windscreen, and wraparound hand guards proved to be designed for what makes up for nearly half of adventure and touring miles—just getting there.”

The 90-degree twin feels relaxed at highway speeds and is blessed with very linear delivery and a soothing engine vibe throughout the heart of its rev range. While Toland and I favored the Strom’s wind protection when seated in a highway cruise posture, its fixed placement didn’t suit all. “The windscreen height not only caused a lot of buffeting around my helmet, but at times protruded my vision in the twisties,” Allen commented. On-the-fly adjustment is a nice touch, and something Suzuki’s competitors didn’t forget; the Kawasaki Versys’ screen is four-position adjustable, but takes both hands to do so. Switching between the Strom’s trio of screen height positions is tougher yet, requiring a few minutes and use of the underseat tool kit.

The updated Kawasaki Versys 650 LT may not stand out in any particular area, but its new TFT dash lends premium looks and functionality to a familiar platform that proved solid across the board in engine, chassis, and braking performance. The Kawasaki parallel twin has good low-speed grunt and outshone the competition in top gear roll-on pulls at freeway speeds. While Suzuki and Kawasaki have better, more usable bottom-end and mid-power/torque based on our dyno chart, the Kawasaki holds an advantage until about 7,000 rpm, before tailing off more on top than the Suzuki twin. If you live in the midrange, as most of us tend to do during in-town and highway riding, the Versys delivers quality of life power and response. And although it may not match the Suzuki’s off-road chassis chops, its parallel twin offers inherent tractability worthy of an occasional detour down a smooth fire road. As with each of these bikes, two levels of traction control sensitivity can be selected on the fly as well as having the ability to disable TC while the bike is stationary.

Toland and I both found the Versys riding position a bit cramped, noting that its forward sloped saddle ushers its rider up close to the tank, bars, dash, and screen. Carrying a well-fed fast guy (even with empty saddlebags) the suspension felt softest of the lot when hustling a winding stretch of road, yet harshest over bumps during general riding.

Feedback from our shorter featherweight friend offered a more positive perspective. “Its slightly soft, yet comfortable suspension didn’t feel too soft at my weight (125 pounds) and held up in the stroke when grabbing a handful of front brake,” Allen said. “The Versys does have a tight rider triangle even for my stature, but rides like a Cadillac when slaying highway miles,” he added.

And when it came to keeping up along Mother Load Road? “Hammering on the throttle, even when leaned over, never seemed to disturb me or the bike. Similarly, its short wheelbase of 55.7 inches (comparable to the Tiger) made the bike especially agile and easy to turn, and for me the most rider-friendly motorcycle of the comparison.”

Conclusion

Reaching a general consensus on a multi-bike, multi-rider comparison test can be a challenge. This particular ride came about due to my intent on purchasing one of these three bikes for my own personal enjoyment. To that end it becomes a close toss-up between the Triumph and Suzuki. If the Tiger possessed a bit more Street Triple–inspired engine or chassis performance, I would be sold. But as things stand at this price point, the V-Strom 650XT Adventure offers the greater bang for the buck. It’s nearly as good a corner carver while being more versatile in the overall sense, particularly true for adventuring in the greater Gold Country.

I have yet another confession for readers of this review. A week prior to riding these bikes I came across a new listing on Cycle Trader (2018 Aprilia Tuono RR, 4,998 miles, soft luggage included, $10,000 firm) located 60 minutes’ drive from Jackson. I promptly Googled a Cycle World comparison that included the Tuono and was persuaded by a review I had written that named the Tuono winner by unanimous decision. In a moment of honest self-reflection, passion overruled practicality. Long gravel drive be damned, it was high time I put my money where my mouth was.

Those not distracted by the sporty performance found elsewhere in the motorcycling world, and who are intent on owning the most well-rounded, road-focused middleweight ADV, the motorcycle with Suzuki badges will not disappoint.

2022 Kawasaki Versys 650 LT Specs

MSRP:	$9,999 (2023: $10,099)
Engine:	DOHC, liquid-cooled parallel twin; 4 valves/cyl.
Displacement:	649cc
Bore x Stroke:	83.0 x 60.0mm
Compression Ratio:	10.8:1
Transmission/Final Drive:	6-speed/chain
Cycle World Measured Horsepower:	59.32 hp @ 8,340 rpm
Cycle World Measured Torque:	41.50 hp @ 7,140 rpm
Fuel System:	DFI w/ Keihin 38mm throttle bodies
Clutch:	Wet, multiplate
Engine Management/Ignition:	Ride-by-wire
Frame:	Steel double-pipe perimeter
Front Suspension:	41mm hydraulic telescopic fork, rebound and preload adjustable; 5.9 in. travel
Rear Suspension:	Single shock, preload adjustable; 5.7 in. travel
Front Brake:	Nissin 2-piston calipers, dual 300mm petal discs w/ ABS
Rear Brake:	Nissin 1-piston caliper, 250mm petal disc w/ ABS
Wheels, Front/Rear:	Cast aluminum; 17 in. / 17 in.
Tires, Front/Rear:	120/70-17 / 160/60-17
Rake/Trail:	25.0°/4.3 in.
Wheelbase:	55.7 in.
Ground Clearance:	6.7 in.
Seat Height:	33.3 in.
Fuel Capacity:	5.5 gal.
Cycle World Measured Wet Weight:	502 lb.
Contact:	kawasaki.com

Performance Numbers

CW Measured Performance

Quarter-Mile:	13.44 sec. @ 97.06 mph
0–30 mph:	1.78 sec.
0–60 mph:	4.34 sec.
0–100 mph:	15.29 sec.
Top-Gear Roll-On, 40–60 mph:	4.73 sec.
Top-Gear Roll-On, 60–80 mph:	5.78 sec.
Braking, 30–0 mph:	33.92 ft.
Braking, 60–0 mph:	133.52 ft.

2023 Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT Adventure Specs

MSRP:	$10,799
Engine:	DOHC, liquid-cooled 90º V-twin; 4 valves/cyl.
Displacement:	645cc
Bore x Stroke:	81.0 x 62.6mm
Compression Ratio:	11.2:1
Transmission/Final Drive:	6-speed/chain
Cycle World Measured Horsepower:	66.85 hp @ 9,210 rpm
Cycle World Measured Torque:	43.04 lb.-ft. @ 6,560 rpm
Fuel System:	PGM-FI w/ 34mm throttle bodies
Clutch:	Wet, multiplate
Engine Management/Ignition:	Fuel injection w/ SDTV
Frame:	Twin-spar aluminum
Front Suspension:	43mm telescopic fork, nonadjustable; 5.9 in. travel
Rear Suspension:	Monoshock, preload adjustable; 6.3 in. travel
Front Brake:	2-piston Tokico calipers, dual 310mm discs w/ ABS
Rear Brake:	1-piston Nissin floating caliper, 260mm disc w/ ABS
Wheels, Front/Rear:	Spoked tubeless; 19 in. / 17 in.
Tires, Front/Rear:	110/80R-19 / 150/70R-17
Rake/Trail:	26.0°/4.3 in.
Wheelbase:	61.4 in.
Ground Clearance:	6.7 in.
Seat Height:	32.9 in.
Fuel Capacity:	5.3 gal.
Cycle World Measured Wet Weight:	524 lb.
Contact:	suzukicycles.com

Performance Numbers

CW Measured Performance

Quarter-Mile:	13.23 sec. @ 97.18 mph
0–30 mph:	1.67 sec.
0–60 mph:	4.13 sec.
0–100 mph:	15.01 sec.
Top-Gear Roll-On, 40–60 mph:	5.06 sec.
Top-Gear Roll-On, 60–80 mph:	5.96 sec.
Braking, 30–0 mph:	32.79 ft.
Braking, 60–0 mph:	136.3 ft.

2023 Triumph Tiger Sport 660 Specs

MSRP:	$9,695 ($11,016 as tested)
Engine:	DOHC, liquid-cooled inline-triple; 4 valves/cyl.
Displacement:	660cc
Bore x Stroke:	74.0 x 51.1mm
Compression Ratio:	11.95:1
Transmission/Final Drive:	6-speed/chain
Cycle World Measured Horsepower:	71.82 hp @ 10,100 rpm
Cycle World Measured Torque:	40.83 lb.-ft. @ 8,570 rpm
Fuel System:	Multipoint sequential EFI
Clutch:	Wet, multiple disc, slip and assist
Engine Management/Ignition:	Ride-by-wire
Frame:	Tubular steel perimeter
Front Suspension:	41mm inverted Showa SFF fork, nonadjustable; 5.9 in. travel
Rear Suspension:	Showa monoshock, remote preload adjustable; 5.9 in. travel
Front Brake:	Nissin 2-piston sliding calipers, dual 310mm petal discs w/ ABS
Rear Brake:	Nissin 1-piston sliding caliper, 255mm disc w/ ABS
Wheels, Front/Rear:	Cast aluminum; 17 x 3.5 in. / 17 x 5.5 in.
Tires, Front/Rear:	Michelin Road 5; 120/70R-17, 180/55R-17
Rake/Trail:	23.1°/3.8 in.
Wheelbase:	55.8 in.
Ground Clearance:	N/A in.
Seat Height:	32.9 in.
Fuel Capacity:	4.5 gal.
Cycle World Measured Wet Weight:	491 lb.
Contact:	triumphmotorcycles.com

Performance Numbers

CW Measured Performance

Quarter-Mile:	12.90 sec. @ 103.42 mph
0–30 mph:	1.77 sec.
0–60 mph:	4.00 sec.
0–100 mph:	11.58 sec.
Top-Gear Roll-On, 40–60 mph:	4.72 sec.
Top-Gear Roll-On, 60–80 mph:	6.11 sec.
Braking, 30–0 mph:	34.85 ft.
Braking, 60–0 mph:	140.77 ft.