What to look out for...
Owners and mechanics highlight the weak spots
1 ENGINE/BOX
Very little to complain about here, at least as far as serious mechanical problems go. It’s a proven unit which had a reputation for drinking oil at high mileages in its original sportsbike incarnation but in this softertuned guise it’s very robust. Problems tend to stem more from annoying ancillary failures — Throttle Position Sensors in particular. Rattles at tickover are usually nothing to worry about — the clutch can be a bit rattly and the camchain tensioner might be between clicks on its ratchet. Careful throttlebody balancing helps keep things a little quieter. Serious bottom end rattles are likely to be from the clutch basket. The gearbox can be a bit stiff from new — it’ll ride up with wear, Sir...
2 FINISH
If the V-strom has an Achilles heel, this is probably it... Suzuki’s reputation for finish hasn’t been brilliant for a long time and this is no different. If you’re a fair-weather, low-mileage rider with a cleaning fetish you might not notice but at the other end of the scale, all-weather, year-round use will quickly take its toll on fasteners, subframe paint, engine finish and other exposed parts. The spoked wheels on the XT are difficult to keep clean too.
3 ELECTRICS
There were a good few complaints about corroded loom connectors — it’s worth going through the loom, cleaning up connectors and earth points and protecting everything with electrical grease.
4 RECALLS
There’s only been one full-on VOSA recall — in late 2015, to cover a dodgy ignition switch that could refuse to turn off, and a possibility for the loom to chafe on the underside of the tank. However, there have been various service campaigns via dealers to correct problems, the most serious of which involved swapping some ECUS on early versions to cure poor running, cutting out and misfires. The updated ECU has the part number 32920-31J02 (replacing those ending in 00 or 01), so it’s easy (once you remove the battery so you can get at it) to check if it’s been changed. If not, Suzuki is apparently still
changing them under warranty but you may need to be stern with your dealer to get them to put the claim in on your behalf. If you didn’t buy from a main dealer, a discount on a new ECU is probably about as good as you can realistically expect.
5 LUGGAGE
Standard Suzuki boxes fit neatly but they’re not very big (the standard top case is 35 litres, panniers are 26 and 29 litres), not very sturdy (especially the locks) and have a risibly low weight limit of 5Kg per box. They were daftly expensive new (panniers £775 a pair, for example) but don’t pay extra for a bike equipped with them. Look instead for quality aftermarket fitments, with Givi being by far the most popular. In fact, Givi’s catalogue is a happy hunting ground for V-strom accessories, including a rear hugger, sat nav mountings, sidestand extenders and a radiator screen.
6 MODIFICATIONS
Most owners don’t go in for huge amounts of extra bling. Few even bother swapping the exhaust for something lighter and fruitier, though one or two recommended Fuel slip-ons and Delkevic cans and de-cat pipe. A centrestand is a worthwhile addition, heated grips are popular (Suzuki’s own aren’t well thought-of and are pricey at around £270, so go aftermarket), and a bigger screen (Puig or Givi) is a useful addition. Long-distance riders advise either a Suzuki tall/comfort seat (you can find them for £160 or so) or opting for an aftermarket perch — SHAD and Bagster are popular. There are also DIY seat covers with extra padding, mostly from sellers in Italy, which might be worth a look if you’re handy with a stapler. While you’ve got the seat off, if it’s a 2017 /18 model you might remove the emissions control canister which takes up space used for storage on the earlier version. 7 CHAIN AND SPROCKETS Yep, chain drive, not a shaft. If that puts you off, think again. Fit a reliable chain oiler and you will easily get 30,000 miles out of a chain and sprocket set, and will hardly ever need to tweak the adjusters. It’s possible to run the oil line inside the swing arm, though it’s far from a five-minute job and will involve a certain amount of swearing.
“Givi’s catalogue is a hunting ground for V-strom owners”