Just right: Suzuki's Practical Classic

Suzuki DL650 V-Strom

Once upon a time (and this is no fairytale), a motorcycle was just a motorcycle. It came from the factory in one flavor – plain vanilla. What you did with it after that was up to you. To go touring, you could add a rack and a pair of panniers; for off-road jaunts, a set of knobby tires; for sportier riding or some track time, clip-on handlebars and rear-set foot controls. Your motorcycle was what you made it. No one needed – and few could afford – more than one bike.

But this is the age of specialization. Motorcycles are built for a narrowly defined purpose and they rarely perform satisfactorily anyplace other than their ideal environment. Paris-Dakar on a Hyabusa? Track days on an Ultra Glide? The Three Flags Rally on a Gas Gas? Not likely.

Is it still possible to buy a single motorcycle that can handle all-day highway speeds, gravel, a little off-road action, and maybe even turn a circuit or two? If you were building such a bike, would you end up with a disastrous compromise or a practical classic?...

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