Suzuki V-Strom 650  The Suzuki V-Strom 650 (DL650) is a mid-weight, sport touring motorcycle launched in 2004 with a standard riding posture, fuel injection and an aluminum chassisnow in its third generation since model year 2017. Marketed in Europe, Oceania, the Americas, and since 2018, India, the DL650 is manufactured at Suzuki's ISO 14001 certified final assembly plant in Toyokawa, Japan. The V-Strom 650 trades strength in a single area for adaptability to a variety of riding conditions: commuting, cruising, adventure touring, and to a lesser degree, off-road riding. The bike is variously categorized as dual sport, sport enduro tourer, street/adventure, commuter, or entry-level. According to the New York Times, the V-Strom has a loyal following worldwide, and the DL650 outsells Suzuki's larger DL1000 two-to-one. The name V-Strom combines V, referring to the bike's V engine configuration, with the German word strom, meaning stream or current. The V-Strom has a six-speed transmission with a fuel-injected and slightly retuned 645 cc engine from Suzuki's SV650 sport bike, using a two-into-one exhaust system. An upright, standard riding posture contributes to the bike's handling characteristics. The engine is a 90°, liquid cooled, four-stroke V-twin, with bore and a stroke, four valves per cylinder, and intake and exhaust valving each with their own camshaft. Its more relaxed cam profiles, compared with the SV engine, boost the power between 4,000 and 6,500 rpm, along with slight changes to the airbox and exhaust. Relative to the SV, the crank inertia (flywheel effect) is also increased by 4% via a redesigned starter clutch. As well, the DL650 engine uses a plastic outer clutch cover and engine sprocket cover for reduced weight and noise. Unlike the SV engine, which uses cast iron cylinder sleeves, the DL650 uses Suzuki's proprietary SCEM (Suzuki Composite Electro-chemical Material) plated cylinders, a race-proven nickel-phosphorus-silicon-carbide coating for reduced weight and improved heat transfer, allowing for tighter and more efficient piston-to-cylinder clearance, similar to a Nikasil coating. The DL650 engine electronics aid starting and throttle control and uses Suzuki's AFIS (Auto Fast Idle System), eliminating a fast-idle control.