Suzuki set to bid farewell to SV650, V-Strom 650
The SV650 has been a mainstay of biking for more than a quarter century. Now its days are numbered.
Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in a moment of silence, as we pay our respects to one of the most reliable engine platforms of the last quarter century.
You may have spotted internet scuttlebutt that the SV650 is set to be pulled from Suzuki’s line-up for 2026. We’ve contacted Suzuki and regret to inform you that the rumours are true. We’ve additionally confirmed that, by extension, the V-Strom 650 is also on its way out.
You may also be interested in our review of the SV650 platform.
As is so often the case when an iconic machine fades from dealerships’ showrooms, emissions regulations are to blame here.
“The current SV650 is being sold under derogation as it does not meet the required emissions regulations standards to remain on sale in its current guise in 2026,” explains Suzuki GB Marketing Manager Jak Tyrrell “As always, we cannot comment on future product plans at this stage."
‘Derogation’ is just a fancy word for ‘exception.’ As in: Suzuki is being allowed an exception to the rule - probably because the bikes existed before the rule was imposed.
To that end, there are still bikes to be found in UK dealerships. After that, however, they’re gone. And the UK and European motorcycling landscape will be a little sadder for it.
First introduced in 1999, the SV650 may very well be the bike that you passed your test on. If you use your bike for work, it’s probably been the bike that you’ve relied on to help you make a living. And for everyone else it’s been the charming, go-to, always-starts, doesn’t-terrify, easy-to-maintain bike that’s perfect for new riders and those who prefer to keep their license points-free.
Initially producing 64.2 hp back when Jamiroquai was still in the charts, peak output for the SV650 was boosted to 73.4 hp in 2003, and to 74.9 hp in 2017, when it was last updated.
In 2003, Suzuki tweaked the SV650 engine’s performance a little and housed it in the V-Strom 650, which also last received a full update in 2017. As an adventure bike, the V-Strom 650 has never stood out as a true offroad weapon, but if you pay close attention, it’s long been the comfortable, bulletproof choice for people who like to clock up the miles.
The V-Strom 650 is a bike not for people who want to look like they ride big distances, but for people who ACTUALLY ride big distances - and in all weathers. As is the case with the SV650, there are thousands upon thousands of UK riders with a soft spot in their heart for the so-called “Wee-Strom.” Using the How Many Left website and a calculator, we’ve worked out that there are currently at least 5,000 registered V-Strom 650s still on UK roads.
The SV650’s engine was also used in the SV650S from 1999-2015, and the Gladius SFV650 (which was really just an SV650 with a dumb name) from 2009-2015.
As you may have guessed, we’re sad to be saying farewell to this platform (and we worry about what the future holds for the larger and even longer-in-the-tooth V-Strom 1050 platform). But progress marches forward.
Plus, there is always the hope - albeit unfounded at this point - that the story of the SV650 and V-Strom 650 will be similar to that of the DR-Z400. That stalwart dual-sport was pulled from UK dealerships back in 2009 because of emissions regulations. Just this year, it returned in the form of the DR-Z4S and DR-Z4SM.
So, you know, we just have to wait 16 years…
Meanwhile, it’s uncertain what this will mean for markets like the United States, which has different and less-stringent emissions rules.
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Chris Cope is a fourth-generation journalist, originally from Texas. He has lived in the UK for roughly two decades and has been writing about motorcycles for most of that time. He has written for dozens of publications and websites in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia.
