Suzuki XF 650 Freewind

The XF650 Freewind doesn’t look like most Suzukis. In fact, it looks more like a European bike, looking like a combination of a tourer and an off-street machine. The concept has proven to be quite successful but it wasn’t Suzuki’s own idea. The XF650 Freewind was built to compete with the highly successful BMW F650, a bike that topped European sales charts for many years in the 1990's. Suzuki took the engine from their successful dual-purpose bike, DR650, put it in a lowered frame and equipped it with road-oriented features such as massive body work, a useful fairing and 19-inch front wheel.

Both bikes, the DR650 and XF650Freewind were catalogized as multi-purpose bikes. They use the same single cylinder engine, but they are not built for the same purpose. Probably with a good rider aboard and proper tires, the Freewind could tackle a hard-packed flat trail with the Freewind, but to be honest, it has built mainly for streets and not for terrain. Some people call it an all-purpose machine but then again, its main purpose is to ride it on roads.

Engine Specs
Engine Type: 644 cc, 4 Stroke - Air Cooled - Single
Valves 4 valves/cylinder
Claimed Horsepower: 47 hp (35 kW) @ 7000 rpm
Maximum Torque: 51.6 Nm (38.1 ft. lbs) @ 5500 rpm

Transmission type: 5 speed
Final Drive: Chain
Tire - Front: 100/90-19
Tire - Rear: 130/80-17
Brakes - Front: single 300 mm disc with 2-piston calipers
Brakes - Rear: single 240 mm disc with 2-piston calipers

Seat Height: 800 mm (31.5 inches)
Wheelbase 1465 mm (57.7 inches)
Fuel Capacity: 18.5 l
Dry Weight (without fluids): 162 kg (357.1 pounds)


Minor changes were made for the 1999-year's XF650X. The wheels were no longer coated black and the seat was now single colored.

Even the 2000-year's XF650Y saw some minor design changes. The post-1999 model can be recognized from the redesigned fuel tank graphics and the larger head light, similar to the front light of the GSX1300R Hayabusa.