We’re a bit spoilt for choice these days when it comes to bikes, with so many models and capacities to choose from. I’ve been into bikes long enough to remember when there were about three engine capacities to pick between and two categories, road or trail. With so many options there is bound to be a bike that suits most if not all of your personal requirements but it takes some study to sort them out. If a mid-capacity ADV bike is what you’re looking for then the Suzuki V-Strom 800DE may just tick all your boxes.
There is no shortage of competition in that field, Yamaha offer the Tenere 700, Honda has the Transalp, BMW the F 900 GS Adventure and so on and now Suzuki has entered the fray with the new V-Strom. It differs from its predecessors in being a parallel twin rather than a V twin, yet still keeps the model name and it adds another choice in the market. It also offers good value and plenty of whizz bang jiggery pokery for your money but I’ll get to that in time.
Just to get this out of the way right from the start, and it’s a purely personal opinion, but the Suzuki is not the best looking bike out there in my eyes. Like Andersons’ ugly duckling though it becomes a graceful swan when under way, and when you’re riding it you’re not noticing its oddly angular looks so who cares? All in all I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed my days with the latest addition to the V-Strom family.
Throwing a leg over the seat I found things comfortable and the controls all fell easily to hand although being 187cm tall (that’s 6 foot 2 inches in medieval measurement) the stepped seat positioned me a just a bit forward of where I would have preferred to be. The instrument panel was nice and clear, and easy to read in bright sunlight even when covered in dust and gave me plenty of information to keep me amused on long straight stretches of boring sealed road. Just as well because on those long flat sections a glance at the speedo showed my speed getting close to the point where the local constabulary likes to stop you for a chat. The windscreen was on the highest of three settings and did a good job of directing the wind over my head and I never experienced any helmet lift even at the type of speeds that I won’t admit to here.
The motor seems nicely balanced and ran as smooth as silk knickers with no noticeable vibration in the pegs or handlebars, just an awareness that it was running if that makes sense. Surprisingly for these times the clutch is still cable operated rather than hydraulic although it was light enough, and once under way not needed due to the bi-directional quickshifter. I hadn’t ridden with a quickshifter before and had thought them a bit of a gimmick but after using one for close on 700kms of riding I learnt to like it. I’m not sure I’d regard it as a must have item, but it is bloody convenient and it comes standard so there’s that but the 800 DE lacks cruise control which seems a little odd.
The spoked wheels aren’t tubeless and a 21” front leads a 17” rear and the 20 litre tank will keep them turning for well over 300kms before needing to refuel. The six speed gearbox works seamlessly whether using the quickshifter or clutch and the 270 degree parallel twin purrs into action with just the briefest brush across the starter button. The double headlight is bright but has an unusual pattern with cut-offs to the edge that give the advantage to any suicidal marsupials lurking roadside.
I took the V-Strom 800DE on two separate trips, each of about 350kms, one on the south coast of NSW between Batemans Bay and Nowra and the other around the Central West region between Cowra and West Wyalong. It was a good mix of conditions from lesser used dirt forestry roads to sealed highway and everything in between. The Suzuki Drive Mode Selector lets you choose from three engine maps A, B and C, the traction control has three degrees of effectiveness plus gravel mode and of course there is switchable ABS. Combined this is known as the Suzuki Intelligent Ride System.
I tended to keep it in A mode most of the time, the most responsive, but did knock the edge off things with B mode in a section of mud and slop through a deep narrow valley with little direct sunlight. I tried the C mode first due to the slippery conditions but found it not quite responsive enough for me, B seemed to fit the conditions perfectly, as A mode was just a little too touchy. I eventually left the traction control in Gravel mode all day on both rides as I found it worked beautifully on dirt corners chopped up with braking bumps. It allowed just the right balance between drive and wheelspin and gave me a lot of confidence in what the back wheel was doing. I found the rear brake a little touchy with the rear ABS off on the dirt so settled for the second setting.
Working out how to navigate through the various options was reasonably intuitive and I didn’t have to call in a computer savvy teenager to show me how. After a few minutes I had not only sussed out how to work through the modes but also how to change from the odometer to the two trip meters, to show fuel consumption or to show the range remaining in the tank. Daylight saving ended while I had the bike though and I couldn’t work out how to change the clock. The TFT screen also gives you ambient and engine temperature, speed, which gear you are in and of course engine rpm but the range indicator seemed a little pessimistic flashing red at me when there was still seven litres left in the tank.
Like all ADV bikes it isn’t exactly a lightweight at 230 kilograms with a full tank and the weight is noticeable at times. Wheeling it around my shed before actually riding it made me wonder but it was better than I expected when out and mobile. A few mud and sand patches gave the odd moment but the Suzuki seemed to sort itself out before any real input from me could take affect and my confidence in the V-Strom was growing. A blind corner on a little used and chopped up forestry road surprised me with some decent angled ruts scoured out from rain and while not the most nimble bike for that situation it handled things well enough.
Stability was quite good too as when riding in dust with dappled light between the trees I hit something that I didn’t see, a rock or pothole, I’m not sure. Despite the reasonably substantial hit Suzy just gave a little shake of her head and continued on unperturbed. The 800DE V-Strom does not try to scare you. The adjustable Showa suspension with 220mm of travel on either end is up to the job and the increased ground clearance compared to the V twin models means less to worry about on rougher tracks.
Would I spend my hard earnt on this bike? It would certainly make it to my short list as it is very competitively priced especially when you consider some of the opposition don’t offer the same level of electronic rider aids and cost more. The stepped seat wouldn’t put me off, it would be easy enough to either modify or replace but some of the others in the field are significantly lighter. It’s very much a personal choice due to preferences, but the Suzuki V-Strom 800DE should not leave anybody disappointed.
SUZUKI V-STROM 800DE
ENGINE
Type Four-stroke, two-cylinder, DOHC, 62kW
Displacement 776cc
Bore & Stroke NA
Cooling Liquid-cooled
Compression ratio NA
Fuel metering EFI
Tank capacity 20L
Transmission Six-speed constant mesh with bi-directional quickshifter
Clutch Cable operated
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase 1570mm
Seat height 855mm
Ground clearance NA
Claimed Weight 230kg (wet)
SUSPENSION
FRONT USD telescopic fork, coil spring, oil damped with spring preload, compression and rebound adjustment
REAR Link type, coil spring, oil damped with spring preload and compression adjuster
BRAKES
Front Twin 310mm discs
Rear 260mm disc
RUNNING GEAR
Handlebar NA
Front tyre 90/90-21M/C 54H tube type
Rear tyre 150/70R17M/C 69H tube type
PRICE & CONTACTS
RRP $18,590 ride away
BROWSER suzukimotorcycles.com.au
WARRANTY 3 Year Unlimited Kilometre (2 Year Std + 1 Year Bonus)
HOTEL KOORAWATHA
A BIKE FRIENDLY PUB
On the ride out west I travelled with a group from the Canberra branch of the DSMRA and we stayed at the Hotel Koorawatha in the small town of Koorawatha. It’s so small that there is no fuel there so keep that in mind if visiting. Our hosts Jamie and Heidi are both bike riders so understand the need for secure bike parking which they provided in the back yard of the pub. The rooms were clean, the showers were hot, the beers were cold and the meals were good, what more do you need from a country pub?
There is no shortage of places to explore in the area and Jamie can suggest local places of interest and give directions. It’s bushranger country out there close to the Weddin Mountains where Frank Gardiner and his gang, which included Ben Hall, camped up to divide the takings from the Eugowra Gold Escort robbery. There’s some good little country pubs too so a counter lunch should be on your itinerary as you travel the back roads and stock routes.
Hotel Koorawatha was originally established in 1886 on the banks of the Bang Bang Creek, and was later relocated to its current site closer to the highway and railway station and has survived two fires.
Koorawatha is on the Olympic Highway between Cowra and Young and the pub can be contacted on (02) 6345 3401 or hotelkoorawatha.wixsite.com/main
WORDS AND PHOTOS WARREN JACK
