The name Zuzu is in reference to my sisters dog Cece, and everyone knows a vehicle needs a name. Zuzu is a V-Strom 650xt from 2018.
The “Why?”
I spend a lot of time in California, USA due to my business, felt it was time to get a state side vehicle. Using California as a base for a pan-american adventure. After a lot of back and forth, i finally pulled the trigger on a brand new 2018 Suzuki V-Strom 650xt. It’s a California registered bike, doing the paperwork as a non-US citizen was no problems at all.
The Suzuki V-Strom 650 is famous for it’s reliability, and in 2017 it got some upgrades. The alternatives for me was the Kawasaki KLR 650, also a splendid bike. But i got a good price on this Suzuki V-Strom 650xt. The advantages with Zuzu over a KLR 650 is the electronic features, ABS, traction control and fuel injection. It gives me some peace of mind and fuel injection get’s way better fuel economy (Also way more power, Zuzu har 70hp which is more than enough).
Suzuki’s “XT” model also gives it spoke wheels and some other small goodies. Worth it alone for the tubeless spoke wheels.
Modifications
The goal is to make Zuzu as usable as possible for a round the world trip, the trip started in December 2018.
Protection
- SW-Motech crash bars for the V-Storm 650 (SW-Motech website).
- SW-Motech belly skid
Luggage
- SW-Motech Adventure rack (SW-Motech website).
- SW-Motech Trax Adventure Aluminium top box (SW-Motech website).
- SW-Motech EVO carrier (SW-Motech website).
- SW-Motech Tank bag
Comfort
- Suzuki V-Strom 650 2018 OEM heated grips
- Lower Suzuki original wide pegs
- Handle bar riser
Suspension modifications
A full write up of the the suspension modifications are available in the post linked bellow.
Other modifications
- Baja Designs Squadron Pro aux lighting
- K60 Scout tires
- SW-Motech V-Strom 650 center stand (Highly recommended)
Posts with Zuzu the V-Strom 650xt:
V-Strom 650 protection for adventure riding round the world
In this episode of Modified i’ll talk about the protection i added to my Suzuki V-Strom 650XT to prepare it for round the world travel. I speak from experience as I’ve fallen many times during my USA to Argentina trip. … Read More
Baja Designs Squadron Pro lights review – V-Strom 650 mods – Auxiliary lighting
Review of the Baja Designs Squadron Pro LED light mounted to a Suzuki V-Strom 650 and being driven round the world. Modified is a series of videos talking about the modifications done to the Suzuki V-Strom 650 for round the … Read More
Why V-Strom 650 is the best adventure travel bike in 2020 for international motorcycle travel
Why i choose the Suzuki V-Strom 650 for my trip is a question i get asked a lot, in this video i’ll clear up why i think the V-Strom 650 is the best adventure bike for international motorcycle travel right … Read More
My top 5 adventure bike modifications for my Suzuki V-Strom 650xt
Some more quarantine content! Revealing the top 5 modification i’ve done to my Suzuki V-Strom 650XT 2018. In the hopes that this helps you modify your V-Strom to b ready for the adventures this summer. The mods on the V-Strom … Read More
Camping vs Hotels/Hostels for round the world motorcycle travel
While traveling on a motorcycle you have many different options for accommodations. One of the most common questions i get asked is how i do with accommodation while on the road with with the motorcycle and traveling. There are pros … Read More
Ep9 – Costa Rica – One week of Pura Vida
The plan was to spend 2 weeks in Costa Rica, we had Zuzu the V-Storm 650 packed and ready. But the situation deteriorated in Costa Rica and the outbound flights started having problems. We decided to only stay for one … Read More