Sheltering from the Strom
Matt finds peace behind the screen of Suzuki’s big adventure bike
THIS BIKE WAS supposed to look like a Suzuki GSX-S1000GT but, as anyone who is currently waiting for a GT can appreciate, they’re taking a little longer reaching these shores than anticipated. There’s plenty of outside factors for this (circle one from Brexit/covid/raw materials shortage and a blocked Suez canal six months ago) but judging by RIDE contributor Michael Neeves’s verdict a couple of months ago, it’ll be worth the wait. In the meantime, it’ll be interesting to see just what this V-strom 1050 XT has on offer.
The fact that the V-strom is more of an adventure-tourer than a full-on off-roader is fine with me. In 2018, product editor Jim Blackstock ran the previous model as his motorway hack and while he was impressed with its mile-eating ability, the few times I rode it, I was taken aback at how much fun it was navigating B-road Britain, soaking up bumps with aplomb and steering with impressive accuracy. The old bike could boogie and this one shows the same practical-yet-fun attitude.
Upgraded in 2020 with updated ‘retro’ styling (surely an oxymoron) that’s based on the 779cc single-cylinder DR Big of the late 80s, it also gained improved rider-aids and a much better dash. It starts at £11,699 and makes 106bhp from its 1037cc V-twin.
That V-twin is one of motorcycling’s most enduring motors. You can chase its direct heritage back to 1997 and Suzuki’s grunty, lairy TL1000S and though the newer bike makes less power than its notorious superbike ancestor, it still has a wonderful midrange. And that midrange, combined with tall gearing, means it’s a very effective tool for shunting about, even in the midst of a grip-free winter.
It’s deceptively fast, hiding its speed in a way that makes it easy to be doing 90mph when you thought you were doing 70mph…
There’s really good natural balance, too, meaning filtering and low-speed stuff is effective. The big downside of the previous Strom was wind protection but it’ll take more time in the saddle to have a verdict on this one.
As I write this, I’m only a day into custodianship of the Strom, but so far the predictable, smooth fuelling means it’ll sniff out grip and the plush suspension works well as I slither about in the dying days of 2021. It’s not the kind of bike that sets your hair on fire, but I’m looking forward to putting some miles on the old girl and the first plan for it is to head out on a big winter ride with Art Ed and riding buddy Steve. It’ll need some heated grips, though – I think they should be standard fare on any adventure bike.
‘The old bike could boogie; this one shows the same attitude’