We took out the very eye catching white model and I must say I do really like the V Strom’s looks. At first I thought it was the 1000cc model but apparently Suzuki have had to discontinue it because of stricter emissions laws. So they now only make the 650 model which they were telling us is the better of the two anyway. We’ll have to take their word for that.

A couple of years ago at the NEC bike show I remember seeing the matt black 650 with a load of touratech luggage and absolutely loving the look of it. Very Mad Max-esque.

My first impression of this bike was how tall it is. I struggled to get on the pillion and I am 5′ 8 and have a 32″ inside leg but I needed a kerb to raise me up bit to comfortably alight.

However, once on board I was struck but how comfy it is.

Pete tells me that he found the V Strom easy to manoeuvre at slow speeds and well balanced. It has a nice and clear dash display with the information for the rider. The controls were easy to use and the gear selection was very smooth.

One thing that we both found surprising was the vibes we could feel through the seat, handlebars and footrests. This was most apparent going through the gears right through to top gear but this smoothed out at about 80mph. So, on that basis and given that the speed limit is 70mph in this country, it could be quite uncomfortable over a long distance.

We rode it for about an hour and although it didn’t spoil our enjoyment of the bike we felt it is worth taking into account if you want to travel any distance on it.

One thing we forgot is that you need to pull the clutch in to start the bike – doh! – but once we realised that, after a couple of minutes of slight panicking, it started and ran fine.

We had to move to a handy kerb for me to get back on and this could be a problem with a shorter pillion and with luggage.

Motorbikin verdict: 8/10