Check it out: New Suzuki V-Strom 650 this fall?

The ever-vigilant global spy photographer army is once again bringing us news of a new motorcycle, well ahead of the official launch. This time, it’s a Suzuki V-Strom 650. If the photo below is correct, and not a fake, it seems we’ll soon see a new Wee-Strom hit the market, with significant changes from the current model.

Alcune foto spia confermano quanto ipotizzato da tempo, con l'arrivo di un nuovo bicilindrico parallelo che manderà in pensione il V2 da 650 cc https://t.co/8IxesvBIGV #suzuki #vstrom #700bicilindrico #VStrom700

— GPOne.com (@gponedotcom) August 30, 2022

That photo above shows a machine that appears to be well into the development stage, with factory accessories bolted on (see that skid plate?) and apparently a rider with a plan for a weekend trip.

More importantly, it shows what appears to be a parallel twin engine powering this machine, instead of the V-twin that’s powered the 650 Strom since 2001.

Of course, that engine even predates the Strom series; it actually appeared in the SV650 back in 1999, and it’s been a foundation of the company’s middleweight lineup ever since. It appears to be returning for 2023, at least for some markets, but it is notably absent as a ’23 model from Suzuki’s Canadian website, along with the current V-Strom 650 model.

If Suzuki actually drops a parallel twin 650 on the market, it’ll be the end of years of teasing, as we first saw prototypes of this design around 2015-2016, when it appeared on the Japanese moto show circuit. In the years since, we’ve seen versions with and without forced induction and other technologies, showing that Suzuki is very serious about the plan—but despite continued development, we haven’t seen a new model.

Maybe this is that new model, finally. It would be big news from Suzuki, which hasn’t brought many new machines to market over the past decade, and the ADV market in particular would no doubt be excited over a more modern option than the old SV-derived powerplant. We’d expect a modern electronics package, and even more importantly, up-to-date emissions regulation approval. Surely, we’ll know more by the end of the EICMA show at least.