Suzuki V-Strom 250 SX Review

Little Bike. Big Heart.

As ridden by Sean at Suzuki SA’s 2025 Weekend Away at Numbi

So here I am, all two metres and 115kgs of me, rocking up at Suzuki SA’s much-anticipated Weekend Away at Numbi, ready to hit the adventure route. I’d asked nicely for something adventurous, expecting maybe a 1050 or a 650. What I got, instead, was a very tongue-in-cheek offer from Suzuki SA: “All we’ve got for you is the V-Strom 250 SX.” – Cheeky buggers.

But hey, I’ve got a warped sense of humour, so I said yes. I mean, the sight of me climbing aboard the tiny 250 was already the source of great hilarity at the Friday night dinner. And Saturday’s treasure hunt wasn’t short of chirps either. Something about “The Orangutan and the Scooter” or “The 8 foot Yeti on a 250 VStrom”, a lot from my media peers and the Suzuki SA team in particular…. My reaction? “Watch this space chops”.

Now, here’s the thing, it might be small, and yes, it’s light on ponies compared to the big dogs, but this little V-Strom punched way above its weight. On the tar sections, I could wind her out to a respectable 140km/h (eventually) and, truthfully, I was riding it so hard through the twisty mountain passes that I barely needed brakes.

The first few ‘high-speed’ corner tip-ins had me questioning my own sanity, (a polite way of saying – My butt cheeks really clinched quite involuntarily), but by the third or fourth, I was hooting at the bigger bikes to move aside on the apexes! Sure, they’d catch me on the straights, but come the next corner… hooooot hooooot!… I was right back asking them “politely” (MOVE OVER – YOU’RE BREAKING MY SPEED CHOP – was possibly more accurate) to let me through again.

And this is where the V-Strom 250 SX really shone. You learn stuff on this bike. Cornering technique, body position, gear selection, you can’t just rely on torque and electronics. You have to ride. And for me, even as a more experienced rider, this little machine honed my skills in a big way.

Then we hit the off-road sections. And then the fun really started. Yes, it’s a budget bike. No, it doesn’t come with a top-end kit. But what it does come with works surprisingly well. Thick sand? It glides through like a two-stroke dirtbike. Gnarly, rutted tracks? Just point and go. And the rocky sections? I was heckling the big boys as I picked my way past them with ease, while they were muscling their beasts through with red faces and clutch fingers straining.

Over the full 250km route, I was often at the front in the tech bits, and never too far behind in the fast stuff. And by the end of the weekend? Suddenly the jokes stopped. Guys were standing around the little bike with serious faces, asking serious questions. The V-Strom 250 SX impressed me.. and all the other sceptics. It’s by no stretch of the imagination your cross-country freeway muncher. But for day-to-day bumming around, technical fun rides, or even a lightweight adventure companion, it’s gold!