ROAD NEWS
suited to off-road riding . The chassis has been revised and along with the 21-inch front wheel for the DE version of the V-Strom 1050 which also gains one inch of ground clearance over the standard bike thanks to longer travel suspension . Suzuki has also tweaked the DE model ’ s chassis with a 40mm longer wheelbase , wider handlebars , steel foot pegs , less aggressive steering geometry ( Rake / Trail of 27 °/ 126mm vs 25 °/ 110mm ) a stronger drive chain , solid-mount
seat , aluminium engine protection , new front fender and a OE-equipment protection bar . While the new DE model brings some positives for riders wanting a more off-road ‘ Strom , it has come at the cost of weight with the V-Strom DE tipping the scales at 252kg compared to the standard bike ’ s 242kg . Suzuki NZ is yet to announce local pricing of the 2023 V-Strom 1050 and 1050DE but we expect an announcement in the near future .
NEW WEE-STROM
Despite the DL650 being dubbed the Wee-
Strom , an all-new contender for the name is soon to head to the New Zealand market . Like the previous attempt at a small bore ‘ Strom , Suzuki has given its new V-Strom 250SX a non-V-twin engine with the 2023 250 utilising the same 249cc single-cylinder that ’ s found in the GSX250 . Suzuki has kept the V-Strom 250 ’ s styling in the family this time around ( who remembers the unfortunate circular headlight of the last one ?), with the 250SX aping the look of the flagship 1050 models . That means LED lighting and sharp DR big inspired lines , just in a smaller package . Claimed weight for the V-Strom 250SX is 167kg while seat height is 835mm . Rolling stock is classic V-Strom sizing of 19 and 17-inch wheels , with 205mm of ground clearance . Pulling the 250SX to a halt are disc brakes with Bybre ( By Brembo ) calipers which are backed by dual-channel ABS . While the V-Strom 250SX isn ’ t an off-road challenger to the market , it will give Suzuki an appealing entry-level adventure tourer for the LAMS market - especially if rumours of the DL650 being replaced by a 700cc parallel twin come to fruition some time soon .
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