What owners say…
MOST OWNERS ARE experienced riders in their 40s and 50s, who’ve had everything from sportsbikes to customs and appreciate the practicalities of an adventure bike, without wanting to follow the herd (or lay out so much cash) with a GS. Paul Jacques sums up a common attitude: “I couldn’t afford a GS, so I got the next-best thing! I love the engine, the brakes, the light clutch and the comfort. But I don’t like the 2-3k binary throttle response — it’s annoying in town. That’s the only really bad point though.” Alan Collins says: “The adventure style was what I and my wife both found comfortable but the reason I bought the V-strom was price, when compared with the GS and Multistrada and the like. It does everything I want for a bike, will sit on a motorway all day long at legal speeds with a degree of comfort and for the first three years I used it for my daily commute. It’s never broken down, but I’m a little disappointed at the number of recalls.”
Paul Appleyard made a similarly hard-headed decision: “I sat on a GS, a Super Ténéré, and a VFR1200, took a Tiger 1200 out on demo and liked it, then a V-strom and loved it. Then I realised I could have the Suzuki with a load of accessories and still have a good bit of change from my budget. I stopped looking and bought it.”
He hasn’t regretted it: “The low-down torque of the engine, the brakes, superb suspension, great economy if you need it (60mpg easily possible) and I like the noise the engine makes. There is a particularly crappy bit of the M25 to the NE of London where the surface is badly ridged and rough. The V-strom becomes a magic carpet. I’ve seen other bikes there that don’t seem to handle it at all well. The roads around where I live are pretty grim in places too. The V-strom doesn’t seem to care. My bike is a pampered fair-weather toy so I’ve had no issues with the finish or corrosion
anywhere. It still looks and rides like new. Its been the best bike I’ve ever had.” Mark Pauline is coming to the same conclusion — he has a full-on Electra Glide for touring duties and bought his 2015 V-strom as a commuter, but... “This year we did 1800 miles on the V-strom in nine days in Europe. Next we’re off to Spain with friends, and I’m going to do some minor off-roading up in the mountains of Andorra. Out of all the Harleys and sportsbikes I’ve owned, the V-strom is one of the most enjoyable I’ve ever ridden. It’s a joy to ride.”
In fact, it’s hard to get owners to criticise their V-stroms, but former owner Mark Rastall doesn’t hesitate: “It’s spectacularly adequate! The main plus points are bang for your buck and the engine — strong without being intimidating. But... the quality of the components and fixings is at best average, the OE tyres are terrible, the factory panniers are fragile (the lock broke on the ferry once, so we had to use a strap for the whole week), and the chain and sprockets are made of cheese. And that seat has to be one of the most uncomfortable on any bike I’ve had.”
“It does everything I want from a bike” Alan Collins DL1000 V-strom owner