Suzuki has announced a much-hyped new middleweight motorcycle, the 2012 V-Strom ABS, which has been redesigned under the development concept of “The Comfortable Adventure Tourer,” according to Suzuki’s press materials. The bike was featured in a series of Internet “teasers” over several weeks. The riding position has been enhanced with a reshaped and 15mm-taller seat and a narrower fuel tank. An updated upper fairing and three-position, height-adjustable windscreen further improve wind protection and flow. The new fairing, together with a new muffler, are part of the V-Strom’s restyling package. The 2012 version of the V-Strom shares the twin-spar aluminum frame and box-section aluminum swingarm with its predecessor. Rear suspension is handled by a single shock with adjustable rebound damping and a remote spring preload adjuster. The 43mm front forks feature five-position adjustable spring preload. The biggest change for the 2012 model is the use of the re-designed 645cc 90° V-Twin engine first seen in the Suzuki Gladius. Bore and stroke remain 81.0mm x 62.6mm with a compression ratio of 11.2:1. But the latest version of the powerplant first introduced as the SV650 engine about a decade ago features a host of refinements to reduce friction, heat, noise and exhaust emissions while increasing low-to-mid rpm performance and fuel efficiency. Combustion efficiency has been improved to the point where the 2012 model meets the toughest emissions standards without needing a secondary air injection system to ignite unburned hydrocarbons in the exhaust ports. And the 2012 V-Strom’s 10% better fuel economy allows it to achieve reasonable range with a smaller, 5.3-gallon (20.0-liter) fuel tank. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of the 2012 Suzuki V-Strom ABS was not available at post time, but the bike is due to begin arriving in dealerships in the U.S. in November 2011.