Suzuki V-Strom 800DE
Chris Moss/ 11,000 miles / £10,655
After doing so much together in 11 months and 11,000 miles, bidding farewell to the trusty V-Strom 800DE hasn’t been easy. I shouldn’t feel so sad about the split really. Very soon I’ll be getting a new long-term test bike, something probably even better suited to my needs. Even so, my mood is melancholy as I don’t want to end my time with my V-Strom 800DE. By the time I do return the Suzuki to its owners, I’ll have clocked up over 11,000 miles, and during that time I’ve contentedly travelled far and wide on a variety of different journeys including a bit of gentle off-roading, and even a track day! On reflection, there’s not much I haven’t done on it, and although it’s not perfect, I can’t say I’ve ever disliked it.
The V-Strom’s sheer versatility is the biggest and most obvious of its numerous virtues, and the fact I can rely on it to do pretty much all I choose has helped it to become so endearing. A bit of a Swiss Army knife, the Suzuki’s do-it-all ability has been especially useful as it’s my sole form of transport. Performing that multi-tasking role is challenging for any bike, yet bar a couple of lessthan-ideal aspects, the DE has been so capable it’s been difficult to offer anything but praise for it. Saying I’d rather keep it than swap it for a different machine, is perhaps the best compliment I can offer.
I don’t recall a time on any ride where I haven’t truly appreciated the V-Strom’s superb ‘real world’ engine. If there was ever a time to forget the specs, this is it. Only making a peak of ‘just’ 82bhp is totally academic. The more important fact to recognise is the way the parallel twin’s power and torque are so broadly spread. You can always count on the motor’s ability to pull strongly and cleanly whenever you open the throttle. If I had a quid for the number of times the digital gear indicator has displayed a number at least one higher than I expected, I could afford to buy the V-Strom! In its class, it’s one of the best engines I’ve ever tried.
As well as being flexible and dependable, the motor’s frugal, too. You really have to try hard to get an average of less than 50mpg, with 58-62mpg being far more common. When I’m running low on fuel and trying to make the next petrol station, it’ll happily return over 70mpg with a bit of throttle restraint. The reality of the excellent fuel consumption is 200-275 miles from a tank, and with the Suzuki’s comfort easily good enough to ride all day, average speeds on longer journeys are always impressive. Actually, there’s a slight mistruth there, as the standard screen is simply too small to offer sufficient wind protection at sustained high speeds. So I fitted the significantly larger one from the RE model, and that instantly solved the problem. As a longdistance tourer the V-Strom scores big points.
I’d say the V-Strom handles very well overall. On the road it steers nicely, though the 21-inch front wheel does feel a little vague if you’re pushing very hard in tighter corners. The longer travel suspension helps deal with potholes well and the brakes, though not fancy in spec, work well and progressively enough for safer, faster riding. The 800 can feel a little weighty at 230kg fully fuelled and ready to go, but only when I’ve ridden it off-road did it feel like it could be a handicap. In saying that, on less challenging terrain, the V-Strom is still capable of a safe and predictable adventure in the right hands.