Vastly popular SV650 spawns new mid-size crossover
When Suzuki launched its 776cc parallel-twin engine in the GSX-8S and V-Strom 800 – and has since adopted it in the GSX-8R, GSX-8T and GSX-8TT – it looked like the company’s old 645cc V-twin would be consigned to the history books after more than 25 years of sterling service in the SV650, V-Strom 650 and other models. But instead it’s getting a new lease of life in one of the surprise packages for 2026 – the SV-7GX.
Don’t be fooled by that ‘7’ in the name. The engine is still the familiar 645cc V-twin, albeit with a few tweaks to hit the latest European emissions rules and cement its place in Suzuki’s range for the foreseeable future. With 54kW at 8500rpm and 64Nm at 6800rpm, its performance is essentially unchanged, but there are modern ride-by-wire throttles and a revised exhaust with extra oxygen sensors to keep within the emissions rules. A bidirectional quickshifter is added, too, as well as multiple power modes, with A, B and C settings, the last of them limiting power to 45kW for wet riding.
The chassis is still the tubular steel trellis of the most recent generation of SV650, but with a beefed-up subframe to suit the SV-7GX’s style. Like the GSX-S1000GX, the SV-7GX is classed as a ‘crossover’ by Suzuki, with a tall riding position but 17-inch wheels at both ends, combining the stance of an adventure bike with street-oriented handling and grip.
Suzuki’s parts bin engineering helps keep R&D costs down, but also means that the SV-7GX’s right-way-up forks, similar to the SV650’s, look a little old-fashioned compared to some of its rivals, and feature axial-mount Tokico four-pot brakes instead of the more up-to-the-minute radial calipers that have become commonplace over the last decade or so. The riding position is taller than the SV650’s, but still sportier than the V-Strom 650’s, with a 795mm seat height.
A large, 17.4-litre fuel tank is key to the new styling, along with a modern-looking nose fairing reminiscent of the larger GSX-S1000GX’s design. It’s clear that machines like Yamaha’s Tracer 7 are in its sights, along with Kawasaki’s Versys 650 and Triumph’s Tiger Sport 660, which all use the same approach of combining adventure bike proportions with 17-inch, road-oriented wheels and tyres.
