The power delivery
is smooth and
linear but tapers off
towards high rpm.
Off the bottom it
punches pretty well
and has an excellent
torquey delivery that
makes wheelies a
relaxing joy when the
TC is off
Moving forward, or riding off in this case, the
Low RPM Assist is a clever addition that almost
eliminates stalling the engine, particularly for
the less experienced rider or on hill starts with
a heavily laden machine. It worked perfectly in
a totally unobtrusive way, but was also a little
fun to play with at the traffic lights because I
could rev the engine a little by pulling the clutch
in and out.
The power delivery is smooth and linear but
tapers off towards high rpm. Off the bottom
it punches pretty well and has an excellent
torquey delivery that makes wheelies a relaxing
joy when the TC is off. The traction control has
a high intervention mode for slippery surfaces,
a mode that allows some wheel slip, and ‘off’
for those wanting to drift on gravel etc. Also, it
can be turned off on the fly. The motor does
produce a few vibes but only enough to remind
you that it’s a big V-twin. Overall it pushes along
quickly and effectively with little apparent
effort, the six-speed gearbox offers a wide
range of choice.
The big ‘Strom has excellent stopping power
from good components and sophisticated
electronics. Twin 310mm discs gripped by
Tokico four-piston monobloc calipers do the
work at front, while – a little strangely – a Nissin
brand single caliper and disc operates at the
rear. It’s not often a manufacturer will mix
and match calipers, but Suzuki has done this
to great effect. The ABS is clever, linked front
to back, very effective and not very intrusive,
which is good as it cannot be turned off for
gravel riding. The combined braking means,
for example, if the rear is starting to lock, the
IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) will ease rear
braking force and transfer more stopping
power to the front and vice versa. I could not
really feel it intervening, the Suzuki just stops
really well. Also, the ABS IMU monitors roll,
pitch and yaw. Pitch is front to back forces, roll
is leaning over and yaw is sideways loading…
so you can be sure that it’s working at all times
keeping an eye on things. As this bike will be
bought by many New Zealand riders who want
to explore gravel roads, I would still like to be
able to turn the ABS off completely.