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Suzuki V-Strom 1000 in the 50,000 km endurance test

It just worked

The Suzuki V-Strom 1000 has secretly, quietly and quietly unwound the 50,000-kilometer endurance test. In the shortest possible time and without ever falling out of the role or being uncomfortably noticeable or even missing. Does the judgment still hold true even after dismantling??

"What then, already done?" Quite a few members of the editorial team recently stood in front of the key rack at the end of the day, looking for a motorcycle to drive home. And the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 was missing.

Suzuki V-Strom 1000 in the 50,000 km endurance test

It just worked

Tire recommendation for the 1000s

fact, Joachim Schahl

Few of them bought the Suzuki because of their looks.

After the first contact, technology guru Mini Koch found little pleasure in the fork tuning. And the original Bridgestone Battle Wing 501/502 tires didn’t do well either. Pin-stable straight-line stability, but unwieldy, little feedback and wet grip, so the conclusion. In the course of the tire recommendation, it quickly became clear that the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 thanks practically every other tire pairing than the antiquated Bridgestones with more precise, more nimble handling. The Pirelli Scorpion Trail II received a clear recommendation.

By and large, those were the functional points of criticism. The remaining critical comments were more about aesthetic or emotional issues. Things that were partly mentioned in the letters to the editor. So nobody who had bought the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 because of its design found themselves in spite of it. Incidentally, the appearance was the subject of criticism in 2004 in the endurance test of the Ur-V-Strom. Doubters were usually able to convince the V-Strom of its intrinsic values ​​during a test drive. And they also stood out in the editorial team. It took just four months, then the 12,000 inspection was due. The only unplanned incident up until then: The headlight had to be replaced because of a scorched plug connection that had clouded the glass. Apparently an isolated case, as the readers’ letters showed.

Accessories for the V-Strom

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The long-term test machine was equipped with many accessories.

As standard equipment is rather sparse, the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 got heated grips and a wide aluminum case from Hepco and Becker as well as a main stand from the in-house range of accessories. Which increased the weight considerably to almost 200 kilograms, but also the long-distance suitability. Equipped like this, we went on an autumn drive shortly afterwards. And again and again in the logbook: pleased comments about the powerful V2, the reliability, the unadorned behavior. Even with full suitcases, the Suzuki still runs straight ahead. And even if the windshield of the adjustable windshield causes strong turbulence, especially for tall drivers, it still protects properly against the wind. And that’s why it was in great demand over the winter months too, diligently collecting kilometers and just seven months later rolled into the workshop for a 24,000-meter inspection.

It turned out to be quite steep at around 800 euros, although it also included the due chain set, which Suzuki is getting princely rewarded with around 300 euros in material costs. But even single items such as spark plugs for 40 euros each cause raised eyebrows.

Mini takes care of the fork

Only a fork revision ensured acceptable damping properties.

After all, afterwards there was complete silence, no special incidents, nothing interrupted the kilometer gnawing until the next inspection, which was due again less than four months later and during which the steering head bearing was tightened. Shortly before, Mini Koch had once again taken the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 under its wing at a mileage of 30,000. The fork, criticized again and again, gave him no peace.

When changing the fork oil, he uncovered a strange, sticky mass that nobody really knew what it was. At the closing meeting, Suzuki took a sample to Heppenheim for analysis. A result is still pending. In any case, the fork, filled with fresh 7.5 oil, showed acceptable damping properties. Which were promptly acknowledged with positive comments in the driver’s book.

Decent stability even with a load

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Even when fully loaded, the V-Strom remained inconspicuous.

In general, the delighted comments on the long-distance suitability of the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 predominated. Author Ralf Schneider praised the – with the right tires – decent stability even with a load. And there was always praise for the powerful V2. And every now and then there was a complaining entry about the light output in the logbook. Low beam too low, high beam too high, was the legitimate criticism. According to Suzuki press chief Gerald Steinmann, there are no complaints from buyers.

And consumption was also repeatedly criticized. The Suzuki V-Strom 1000 consumed 6.5 liters in the endurance test in 2004, the 6.4 liters consumption of the current model is no progress. Especially since it limits the range to around 300 kilometers in conjunction with the barely 20 liter tank. And chased briskly on the autobahn, Suzi chased eight and a half liters through the injectors. Whereby the readers’ letters report more of a consumption of five liters.

Third best point yield on the leaderboard!

The bottom line was that their drivers were extremely satisfied. So the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 was fast, comfortable and reliable. Only captivating the driver and viewer emotionally, not really. That’s the way it is with good workhorses. There is no applause for the unexciting appearance. For that ensuring everyday life remained free from excitement, on the other hand, very much. Hold, stop, towards the end there are still two entries in the logbook. After a freezing cold night, the author had to thaw the ignition lock and indicator switch again, and test chief Gert Thole noted: "Miserable transmission, will it last?".

Should the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 stumble on the home straight after all and announce a defect? Especially since the final walk to the test bench with 100 hp produced three fewer horses than at the beginning. At the end of the day there were dark shadows over the almost exemplary performance of the travel enduro?

Workshop manager Gerry Wagner swung the wrench, what would come to light: great or a small flop in the end? When the innards of the engine were on the workbench, however, it quickly became clear that the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 had held up perfectly. Apart from the normal running tracks for this mileage, there are no abnormalities. A finding that the measurement of the components also confirms. Only one inlet and two outlet valves show slight traces of fire. And the rotor of the oil pump was scratched by a chip.

Otherwise: only minor traces of wear on pistons, cylinders and camshafts. The shift forks are in perfect working order, as is the transmission. And the clutch has only minor chatter marks. The frame and bearings of the swingarm, deflection and wheels were also still fit, which speaks for the quality of the Suzi. An excellent testimonial for the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 and its likeable V2. Not only strong, reliable and comfortable, but also robust. With which she deserves the third best point yield on the leaderboard. With a little less consumption, it might even have reached the very front. But also such an excellent result, which is reflected in the many absolutely satisfied readers’ letters. And as far as design and emotions are concerned, a bit of dreaming is allowed: Perhaps Suzuki will use the revision as part of the Euro 4 adjustment for a little makeover. A few more technical features, a slightly slimmer, more off-road appearance. And the whole thing paired with their tangible qualities, that would be something?

Wear balance

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Transmission without significant wear.

Cylinder head: Two exhaust valves and one intake valve of the front cylinder are slightly leaking, the compression has accordingly decreased somewhat. The valve guides and stems are in very good condition, as are the camshafts and bearings. The exhaust valve seats and valves have minor scorch marks.

Cylinder / piston: The cylinders and pistons show hardly any signs of wear apart from a few harmless traces of friction, as do the piston rings.

Crank drive: There are no irregularities in the connecting rod or crankshaft main bearings, the bearing clearances are OK. The piston pins and the connecting rod eyes are also in good condition.

Power transmission: The gear wheels and shafts as well as the switching mechanism show hardly any signs of wear. The clutch friction and steel disks are also fine.

Frame / chassis: The coating of the frame and the swing arm as well as the paintwork make an overall good impression, as does the rest of the workmanship of the motorcycle. Swing arm, steering head and wheel bearings are free of play.

Costs and maintenance

Operating costs over 50,000 kilometers

  • 15 liters of oil at 11.10 euros: 166.50 euros
  • 3 oil filters at 12.95 euros: 38.85 euros
  • 1 air filter at 33.95 euros: 33.95 euros
  • 6 spark plugs at 39.95 euros each: 239.70 euros
  • 1 set of rear brake pads at EUR 31.95: EUR 31.95
  • 4 sets of front brake pads at 43.30 euros: 173.20 euros
  • 1 chain set: 297.85 euros
  • Brake fluid: 6.97 euros
  • Small parts, lubricants: 17.00 euros
  • Seals: 9.20 euros
  • Inspections and repairs: 1372.14 euros
  • Tires (including assembly, balancing and disposal): 1116.00 euros
  • Fuel: 4675.05 euros
  • Total costs: 8,178.36 euros
  • Acquisition cost: 12,290.00 euros
  • Loss of value: 5590.00 euros
  • Estimated price (dealer selling price): 6700.00 euros
  • Cost per kilometer (without depreciation): 16.4 cents
  • Cost per kilometer (with depreciation): 27.5 cents

Maintenance and repairs at the mileage

  • Plug connection between lamp socket and headlight lens
  • renewed (guarantee); 2400
  • Front and rear tires renewed, Bridgestone T 30: 9323
  • Front and rear tires renewed, Metzeler Tourance Next: 16 735
  • Front brake pads renewed: 17 750
  • Accessory heated grips (Oxford) fitted: 19 246
  • Rear brake pads and chain set renewed: 25 160
  • On-board socket fuse defective: 31 508
  • Front and rear tires renewed, Bridgestone A 40,
  • Topcase bracket torn two screws: 32 482
  • Steering head bearings adjusted: 37 870
  • Holder of the high pressure line and high pressure line
  • exchanged (guarantee): 43 705
  • Front and rear tires renewed, Pirelli Scorpion Trail II: 43 921
  • Front brake pads renewed: 44 127

Reading experiences

Christoph Sterner: I bought the V-Strom in 2014 as a replacement for an R 1150 GS. Ultimately, in addition to the price, the test drive convinced me – the motorcycle “fits” and can be moved with great ambition. I have now driven 15,500 km and I am very satisfied. The engine needs an average of five liters, is a force with super torque at a relatively low speed level (from 3000 rpm). If necessary, however, there is also dynamic progress. The front fork is tuned a little too hard. In the meantime the ECU has been replaced, before the engine sometimes died suddenly. With Metzeler Tourance Next, the machine has gained significantly in stability. Otherwise the V-Strom runs without any problems. No defect, no oil consumption. Only chain maintenance every now and then.

Michael Konrad: I have been driving a V-Strom 1000 since June 2015 and last season I “played” around 7000 km, mainly on tours in the entire Alpine region. Before that I drove a 93-series BMW R 1100 GS. In search of something newer, I looked at the usual candidates – R 1200 GS, Multistrada, KTM 1190 Adventure. Ultimately, I got stuck with V-Strom. The concept of 1000 cm3, 100 HP, 100 Nm over a wide speed range, comparatively low weight, necessary helpers (but not "overfeatured") and also a very attractive price were absolutely perfect. The only thing missing from the bike is the image, but I can live with that. So far I haven’t had any problems or failures. The luggage rack (poor paintwork) and the ECU were exchanged under guarantee. The agility and the handling impressed me from the start, not only in comparison to my old BMW, but also in direct comparison to the KTM. Both in solo mode and with full luggage (suitcase, topcase, luggage roll). Since the series Bridgestones went down and the Pirelli Scorpion Trail 2 came up, the machine is even more agile, but a little restless on the highway at higher speeds. What bothers me visually is the thin 22 mm handlebar – but the conversion is currently being worked on.

Horst Warnecke: Since February 2014 I have driven 24,000 km with the V-Strom without any problems. Weight, handling, comfort and power delivery fully meet my expectations of an everyday touring motorcycle (including North Cape, Scotland and the Dolomites). The consumption is usually (even with a lot of luggage) at an average of five liters. The sparse basic equipment was supplemented by the (too small) series case set, main stand, engine protection bar, hand protectors, high bench (driver 1.96 m) and Scottoiler. Repairs have not been reported so far, only the control box was replaced on the recommendation of the manufacturer (no recall). However, there is now a callback for the cable harness in the house. The 24,000 km inspection, including new front brake pads, is not cheap at 750 euros (four spark plugs 125 euros). Overall, the quality impression and workmanship correspond to the price level.

Anja and Thomas Kussmann: Two years ago my wife and I ordered two machines. After a total of 42,000 km we have not regretted the decision to kilometer. Driving is even more enjoyable after replacing the ECU, because the engine speed from the lower engine speed is gigantic. The seating comfort is suitable for long journeys, the cornering behavior is playful, the brakes grip well and are easy to adjust. You don’t have to say anything about reliability – it’s proverbial and one of the reasons why we switched from BMW. We did everything right with this machine!

Suzuki comments

Yvonne hertler

The Suzuki delegation (from left: Gerald Steinmann, Uwe Kroschke, Michael Muller and Jurgen Plaschke) were very satisfied.

… for uncomfortable fork tuning and the viscous liquid in the fork.

We have forwarded the received oil sample. The matter is analyzed by Suzuki and Kayaba. However, we have not yet received any feedback.

… to the slightly reduced performance and the leaky valves at the end of the test.

The performance at the end of the endurance test was still above what was stated in the papers. The inlet valves can be used without any problems after cleaning. The wear pattern of the exhaust valves is not excessive and in line with the mileage at a brisk pace. However, we would recommend replacing the exhaust valves as a precautionary measure, as these are slightly incorporated in the area of ​​the seat.

… to the less harmonious initial tires.

We disagree. The Bridgestone Battlewing with the special specification "J" were developed especially for the DL 1000 in extensive tests for a balanced driving behavior. They offer a wide range of uses, with the main focus being on neutral steering behavior and high-speed stability. ABS and traction control have been coordinated so that they offer the best possible performance and driving safety with this tire. 

… to the tarnished headlight and the light output that was often criticized in the test.

We are not yet aware of this in this form from the market and have not yet been brought to us by customers as part of the quality surveys carried out. We would therefore like to subject the headlight of the endurance test motorcycle to an examination.

… to the slight grooves on the cylinders and oil pump rotor.

Only harmless running marks were visible on the cylinder and piston. According to the MOTORRAD measurement, the oil pressure was absolutely in the green area. In our opinion, the oil pump as well as the cylinder and piston can be used without hesitation. 

… at the relatively high prices of the original accessories.

In our opinion, the two expensive accessories are only the additional headlights and the topcase. We are working on a price adjustment for these items. All other items are in the price segment of the DL 650 accessories program and are positioned in line with the market. In the case of the side cases, it should be noted that these are supplied with a case carrier and therefore no additional costs are incurred. In addition, the Suzuki side cases favor the driving characteristics due to their small attachment width. Other systems often use protruding pannier racks, which significantly increase the width of the vehicle and can odd driving stability.

Readings

Performance diagram: performance on the crankshaft; Measurements on the Dynojet roller test stand 250, corrected according to 95/1 / EG, maximum possible deviation ± 5%.

Performance

Measurement according to 2.678 km 50,000 km
acceleration
0-100 km / h 3.4 sec 3.6 sec
0-140 km / h 6.3 sec 6.8 sec
0-180 km / h 11.9 sec 12.6 sec
Draft (5th gear)
60-100 km / h 4.2 sec 4.3 sec
100-140 km / h 3.9 sec 4.2 sec
140-180 km / h 5.5 sec 6.6 sec
Average consumption over 50,000 km
Fuel l / 100 km 6.5
Fuel l / 100 km 0.07

Like all long-term test candidates, the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 also went through the procedure of test bench run, measuring the performance and sealing the engine. Shortly afterwards the machine, originally wrapped in black, blushed. Suzuki prettied the V-Strom with red painted plastic parts. Are you in excellent shape. The slightly weaker performance should result from the minimally lower performance at the end of the endurance test. Result of the valves on the front cylinder no longer closing completely tightly. However, since all wear dimensions are well within the tolerance and practically no oil consumption was measurable, this is absolutely within the framework.

An overview of used Suzuki V-Strom 1000

1000PS marketplace app

Many used V-Strom 1000 are already equipped with accessories.

As a real classic of the travel enduro scene, the Suzuki V-Strom is well represented on the used market. Most used V-Strom 1000s are already equipped with plenty of accessories and ready for the next trip. Here is a price overview for used Suzuki V-Strom 1000: used Suzuki V-Strom in Germany.

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