is a little on the slow side for a dirt bike , but it works a treat on the 800 . On wet gravel the Suzuki would happily slide the front , just a little on corner entry to let me know it was on the edge of traction . There is no heart in the mouth moment for the rider , it just all feels very predictable . This is an excellent trait , particularly on a big-ish 230kg machine with the full 20 litre complement of 95RON fuel onboard .
BOUNCY BOUNCY Riding a big bike that loses the front on gravel without warning is not ideal , and , of course , suspension action comes into play here , and for the riding we did , it was excellent . Because of the poor weather we were not given the opportunity to test the 800 off-road , sadly . Showa fully adjustable suspension components are fitted at each end with 220mm of travel at both ends . 220mm of wheel travel is almost nine inches , which is a decent amount for an Adventure bike , but ground clearance is only 3.5mm greater than wheel travel , which I think is cutting it a bit fine when bottoming out … so I ’ d recommend fitting a quality bashplate if you have any intention of going beyond a gravel road in your adventure riding . Suspension action at each end feels firm yet
plush while remaining well controlled . In all the conditions we rode from tight and twisty through open and fast tarmac , to winding gravel roads with some corrugations , the suspension performance was excellent . But as mentioned earlier , we have not tried the 800DE off-road , but we are certainly looking forward to that day . Good sized 310mm twin discs with Nissin two piston calipers provide good strong stopping power with excellent feel . The ABS up front is excellent with no unwanted intrusion even on gravel with road tyres … which is saying something [ coming from Jock , it really is . Ed ]. The rear , a 260mm single disc , also with Nissin caliper , was great and did its job well too .
THE LOW DOWN All in all , Suzuki has come up with a terrific bike in the new V-Strom 800DE . It is comfortable with decent weather protection , it ’ s quick , relaxing to ride and handles and stops very well . In fact , it is a genuine struggle to fault it in any real regard . Some nit-picky types may not like some colour combinations or perhaps the styling , but beauty is in the eye of the beholder - you pay your money you take your choice .. Yes , the V-Strom 800DE is an excellent machine and deserves to sell well .
66 KIWI RIDER