QUIKSPIN: Suzuki SFV650 Gladius - Jack of all trades

The SFV650 Gladius is an attractive midsize naked twin that really is a jack of all trades; it’s a great commuter, comfortable on the open road and is even suitable for learners thanks to Suzuki offering an optional, powered-down LAMS variant. 

Hop aboard the Gladius and you’re greeted by a narrow machine typical of a V-twin with a low seat height and easy reach to the bar. If anything, riders of above-average height might find the Gladius a little cramped, but this is what makes it so suitable for smaller folk and learners alike. And its upright riding position makes it easy to control, as well as affording a good view of the traffic. 

Power comes courtesy of a fuel-injected 645cc 90° V-twin with an incredibly linear power delivery throughout its rev range that won’t scare the daylights out of the inexperienced, yet there’s enough power on tap to out-drag most of the traffic when the lights go green, or to happily cruise along the freeway at well above the posted limit. And the engine delivers a tasty note from that swoopy looking exhaust that would improve markedly with an aftermarket pipe. 

The red-line is marked at 10,500rpm, but there’s no need to rev the V-twin that hard as there’s decent bottom-end response and a healthy midrange. As such, the Gladius can carry quite tall gearing and the tacho shows a rather relaxed 4500rpm at 100km/h in sixth gear. 

While the steel-tube trellis frame is a little Ducati-esque, the flowing lines around the headlight, radiator shroud and exhaust pipe give the Gladius’ a distinctive appearance, and the blue and white colour scheme of our testbike is unmistakably Suzuki. The chassis features pretty basic suspenders, with non-adjustable 41mm forks up front and a preload adjustable mono-shock at the rear, but it all works well and the Gladius offers predictable handling with a compliant and well controlled ride. 

There’s good braking power and feel from the 290mm front discs with twin-piston calipers, combined with a 240mm disc/single piston caliper at the rear. The brake lever is span adjustable, but the clutch lever is not. 

All of the controls are sensibly located, the switchgear is good quality kit and the basic dash, with analogue tacho and digital speedo, is easy to read. There’s also a gear-position indicator, odo, twin trips and a clock. While the paint finish is of a high standard, it’s obvious that some components are built to a price, such as the some of the brackets, nuts and bolts.

If you want to go touring on the Gladius, there are plenty of points to lash down luggage, including the big pillion grab handles and hooks on the pillion pegs. Or, go to the Suzuki accessories catalogue and you’ll find a range of Givi topboxes and other kit. But bear in mind that taller riders probably won’t find the Gladius super-comfortable over long distances. 

It commutes well, has enough performance to tour on the open road, has a sporty look and offers predictable handling; the Gladius really is a jack of all trades.

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