Visited Two-Wheel Motorsport in Guelph (http://www.twowheelmotorsport.ca/) Saturday for their Suzuki demo day.
These guys set up a real professional demo day. The ride leader was organized, focused on safety, and professional. The organizers rode the demo route in advance and swept out any corners that had debris in them. Bikes were placed in order of performance, so the sportier bikes up front weren't held back by the cruisers. The ride was 25 or 30 minutes, mostly in the country, with some good straights and some good twisties (well, twisty for Southern Ontario anyway). The hamburgers were top-notch :icon_mrgreen:
I rode the Bandit 650S and the VStrom 650. I would have really liked to ride the SV650, but they didn't have one in the demo ride.
Both the Bandit and VStrom offer a more upright seating position than the GS. Very comfortable. I reckon I could ride the VStrom twice as far as I can ride my GS in a day.
The Bandit is a lot like riding a 600 Katana, but more nimble-feeling. It's got that mesmerizing 4-cylinder whine and pulls nicely. I like the digital speedometer. The wind protection is considerably nicer than on the GS. It was a pretty windy day, but I didn't really realize it until I got back on my GS after the demo. Carburated and air/oil-cooled is a bit of a drag, but like the GS, this is a tried and true design, virtually unchanged over the past few years.
The VStrom is not like anything I've ridden before. You sit upright in a very comfortable position. The seat is high, but at 5'10" I can still flat-foot the ground. The pegs are located right where you put your feet down, so you have to splay your legs out a little more. This is just as well, because the higher center of gravity makes the bike a bit top-heavy when stopped or moving slowly. At speed though, the bike displays surprising stability and nimbleness. I was stunned at how easily it dove into corners. Obviously the wind protection was stellar, and the optional handguards would save your digits on a chilly spring Ontario morning. One of the few complaints I had read about the VStrom was about nasty engine braking. I found the engine braking to be just fine. Fuel-injected and liquid-cooled will please the folks who prefer a more modern engine setup. It's a really nice ride. It wouldn't be my first choice for carving the canyons, but put the optional Givi hard luggage on it and disappear for days I'm thinking.
Oh the choices! :icon_razz:
My dad got to ride a VStrom 650 at a Daytona-related event in Florida a year or two ago. He still mentions it every time we get together. (Two or three times a year.) Says he thinks I would like it!