When you’re looking for a motorcycle like an adventure bike, you don’t have a choice but to look for a compromise. Do you want all-day highway comfort, or the ability off-road? Do you need it to be good in the city? Should it be fuel efficient, or is luggage- and pillion-carrying capacity more important? Of course, there is also the eternal question with motorcycles: do you want performance, or reliability?
With so many questions and equally many options in the market, it is very easy to be confused about what to get. Lucky for us, there are answers to all these questions and then some if you look hard enough. We’ve done the homework for you, though, and we’re happy to report there is even an adventure bike with Honda reliability and BMW touring comfort you can buy today.
The Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE Is The Adventure Bike With Honda Reliability And BMW Touring Comfort
The V-Strom stems from the iconic DL series but has undergone serious evolution over the years. Currently, there are three V-Stroms in the lineup – the 650, 800, and 1050. The 800 is the most modern, with a 270-degree parallel twin engine. The other two are old school, being powered by 90-degree V-twin engines housed in twin-spar frames. This might make them seem like they’re a little behind the times – and they are – but what they also do is offer unprecedented comfort and reliability. It’s a combination of some of the best characteristics of some of the best brands: Honda’s reliability and BMW’s comfort.
Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE Price: $16,449
The V-Strom 1050DE can seem a little pricey, given it retails at nearly $16,500. However, for the price, you don’t need to add any options to it. It has all the features you’d expect from a full-size adventure bike, even a premium one. It does offer a V-twin engine and an aluminum twin-spar frame, neither of which is inexpensive, so if you look at it this way, it is a decent value buy. The price puts it somewhere right in the middle of the premium middleweight and near the bottom of the full-size adventure bikes.
The Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE Has The Last Big Japanese V-Twin Engine
Suzuki is the last Japanese manufacturer to stick to the V-twin format for its full-size adventure bikes. The V-Strom 1050DE is powered by a 90-degree V-twin displacing 1,037 cc. It has liquid cooling as well as a DOHC setup. A short-stroke design and an 11.5:1 compression ratio also mean further modernity. The output figures stand at 107.4 horsepower at 8,500 RPM and 73.7 pound-feet at 6,000 RPM.
This isn’t a very high-power figure, but it is also generated at relatively low revs. There is a by-wire throttle with three ride modes, cruise control, and cornering traction control that can be switched off. The six-speed gearbox is also a modern unit, with not just hydraulic assistance, but also an assist and slipper function and a two-way quickshifter.
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The V-Strom’s Chassis Is Old-School
Like we’ve mentioned before, the V-Strom 1050 has an aluminum twin spar frame. Most manufacturers have moved away from this for reasons such as cost and weight. However, this does offer very good feedback on the go. Moving on, the KYB suspension consists of 44 mm fully adjustable inverted forks with 6.7 inches of travel, and a link-type fully adjustable rear shock with 6.6 inches of travel. It uses a 21/17 inch spoke rim combination, but the front rim isn’t tubeless.
There are twin 310 mm front brake discs mated with radial four-piston fixed Tokico calipers, and a 265 mm rear brake disc with a Nissin two-piston floating caliper. These are linked brakes. ABS is standard, and can be switched off at the rear. A six-axis IMU is present, so the ABS has a cornering function. Wheel lift mitigation and hill hold are standard as well.
Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE Dimensions
This is a large, heavy bike. It is 94 inches long and weighs 554 pounds wet. Seat height is 34.6 inches, which is normal for its class. The 59.3-inch wheelbase is a little on the shorter side for a full-size ADV, which should help counter that weight while turning. Ground clearance is 7.5 inches, and the fuel tank can hold 5.3 gallons.
Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE Features
The V-Strom 1050 got its last update in 2023, and as part of that update, it got a 5-inch TFT display. This is equipped with Bluetooth and navigation via the RideConnect app. There is a long list of accessories that are useful, like an adjustable windscreen, a center stand, and a skid plate. $17,799 will net you the V-Strom 1050DE Adventure, which is the factory accessorized version. It can immediately be taken touring thanks to the addition of hard panniers, an engine skid plate, and crash bars from the factory.
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Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE Competition
Since we’re talking about BMWs and Hondas, we’ll stick to those two brands. The BMW R 1300 GS is the king of the full-size adventure bike segment, but its base price is $20,395. And you know you’re going to want to accessorize it, so it will price itself out of this conversation. The Africa Twin, on the other hand, is at the opposite end of the spectrum. It offers some really good features like a TFT touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, tubeless spoke rims, and an optional dual-clutch automatic gearbox. All of this is available for less than Suzuki’s asking price, too.
Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE Vs Honda Africa Twin
|
Model |
Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE |
Honda Africa Twin |
|
Price |
$16,449 |
$14,799 |
|
Engine |
90° V-twin, DOHC |
270° parallel twin |
|
Displacement |
1,037 cc |
1,086 cc |
|
Power |
107.4 HP @ 8,500 RPM |
100.5 HP @ 7,500 RPM |
|
Torque |
73.7 LB-FT @ 6,000 RPM |
82.6 LB-FT @ 5,500 RPM |
|
Curb Weight |
554 LBs (wet) |
509 LBs (wet) |
Source: Suzuki Cycles