Suzuki V-Strom 1000 XT test

Menus

• The big Suzuki trail passes Euro 4: 101 hp, 101 Nm, € 13,299
• ABS corner and cosmetic developments for this truly versatile machine
• Discovery
• In the saddle
• In the city
• On motorways and main roads
• On departmental
• Off-road
• Part-cycle
• Brakes
• Comfort and duo
• Consumption / autonomy
• Conclusion
• Suzuki V-Strom 1000 XT video test

The big Suzuki trail passes Euro 4: 101 hp, 101 Nm, € 13,299

ABS corner and cosmetic developments for this truly versatile machine

We can live a world of passion, motorcycles, it’s still a business. And sorry for the naive beings who, upon reading this truly astonishing revelation, have just fallen from their chair.

And in every business, there is what marketing experts call the totem pole conundrum. What is the totem pole riddle, you ask yourself (rightly so, by the way). It’s very simple: it’s when a product sets the standard so much that it eclipses almost everything else; to the point that its intrinsic qualities end up entering, in the end, relatively little in its reputation, its success and its longevity.

An example better than a long speech, let’s say you like chocolate spread and want to toss your own. To catch the spirits, you want to give a name that will be known and you are spending all your savings buying rights and a license to flood the market with your “Tintin and Snowy Spread Brilliantly Good and Tasty Delicious”. Despite that and contrary to what you took for a stroke of genius, it’s silly, because you won’t dislodge Nutella. That’s how Nutella is, it’s a totem.

Let’s come back to our motorcycles: the totem is the Yamaha Tmax on a scooter (almost 60% of the market share on large scooters on a European scale!), On the Harley-Davidson cruisers and customs (you have seen Kawa’s desperate attempts to sell Marauder VNs and Suzuki – and this, even if some alternative products are not without interest, such as the Yamaha XV 1900, the Honda 1300 Fury or the Victory, peace to their souls ). And in the big trails, everyone fails to really fight the famous BMW R 1200 GS. This does not prevent you from trying and sometimes having some very honorable success. This is the case with Suzuki with its 1000 V-Strom, which quickly established itself as a reasonable and pragmatic big road trail..

Small historical reminder: the V-Strom was launched in 2002 and it has experienced a life cycle with regular renewal (not to mention a cloning phase, in the form of the Kawasaki KLV 1000 produced in 2004 and 2005). The V-Strom was thus renewed in 2007, then in 2013 on the occasion of the transition to the Euro 3 standard, then, therefore, this year to comply with Euro 4.

The 2017 V-Strom is therefore there to perpetuate the saga and to boost sales of this series, which has sold 64,900 copies throughout its career, to put into perspective the sales of the R 1200 GS, a totem among the big trails. and which passes the good years to 40,000 units !

Discovery

If you are a loyal reader of Le Den, the hot test of the Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT, carried out the day before the 1000, is freshly online and has certainly not escaped your notice. And you will find an air of resemblance between the two to the point of wondering which is which.

To the game of 7 errors, there are 3 big answers: the inverted fork and the big radial brakes of the 1000 (against the classic fork and the 2-piston Nissins of the 650), the saddle is different and, in the yellow livery , covered with yellow on its upper part, while being logo Suzuki on its sides. It is also a little bulkier, although on a moonless night it is not obvious to distinguish the two.

As with the 650, the 1000 XT comes in addition to a standard version. However, the standard 1000 already comes with hand guards and a belly pan as standard equipment: the 500 € which therefore marks the difference with the XT version therefore covers the gold and spoked wheels of the latter, as well as thicker handlebars.

Suzuki presents this new 1000 V-Strom as an evolution, not a revolution. So understand that in addition to the changeover to Euro 4, the changes mainly concern cosmetic aspects and a little electronics for safety and approval.

As far as aesthetics are concerned, Suzuki is well aware that the 1000 V-Strom’s look was not its first quality, even more so with the 2013 mk III, its pronounced duckbill and two round, overlapping optics. So we can broach the subject with them without fear of offending them or having to exert diplomatic efforts, like asking Obelix if he hasn’t put on weight. So they told us they were going to work on that point and brought us out, so, this new V-Strom and they look happy. Good, the tastes and the colors…

However, we can see that the finish is better on the 1000 than on the 650, especially in terms of the rear loop and the finish of the exhaust. Nonetheless, those who carried a backpack saw dirt marks on the yellow saddle: how will it age ?

In the saddle

233 kilos dry, 850 mm saddle height and 930 mm wide: the 1000 V-Strom will not leave a pilot of 1.70 m the joy of laying flat with both feet on the ground and at best the end of a foot. It is indeed a little larger than the 650, but we still praise its ergonomics, very natural. So, if the physical aspect is for you a limiting factor, perhaps it is better to set your sights on the 650, because there are in addition 20 kilos of difference, which seem higher placed and which feel the de-crutching.

However, if Nature has treated you generously, then the fat becomes a formality. We have already said it, but it is so true that we will be happy to repeat it: the ergonomics are natural, everything falls under the hand with a crazy evidence, we are good, Tintin.

What to do before setting off: adjust the height of the screen, which is done in two ways, by hand on 3 notches and with tools on 3 height levels. Then, the level of traction control, an equipment that was already present on the previous version (2013, therefore), of the machine. Finally and this is a novelty, with a tiny and nonchalant pressure of the thumb, use the "Easy Start" function to start the motorcycle..

In the city

Just like when we tested the V-Strom 650 XT, we didn’t see many cities. In fact, not at all, even. But a few villages on the mountainside, adorned with beautiful churches and sparsely populated by rare old people with wrinkled and weathered skin. In this very exotic context, it is clear that the big V-twin has more reach than the small one, but no less good manners. Thus, at 50 km / h in 4th gear, we turn at 2200 rpm, flirting with the threshold of flexibility. At 2500 in 3rd, the 1037 cm3 twin is more comfortable. Under these conditions, we praise the softness of the controls and the box, although not well run in, does not flinch and shows just as much good manners. The "Low RPM Assist", which allows very smooth take-offs, is of the same ilk.

Although equipped with a braking system much more powerful than on the 650, the 1000 has the same character traits: a certain softness when taking control, great dosability, nothing that does not make urban driving particularly aggressive or unpleasant. . Well installed, in height, we even dominate the traffic as in an SUV.

On motorways and main roads

130 km / h is 4,700 rpm in sixth: as much to say that we have the margin, with a maximum power at 8,000 and a red zone at 9,200 rpm. Another important factor in the equation: the maximum torque. Admittedly, by switching to Euro 4, the V-Strom 1000 lost a little, tumbling from 103 to 101 Nm. A tumble which is located in the thickness of the line, because what matters is that the value max is obtained at 4000 rpm, an extremely low speed. Race result: this gives an engine that is always available and quick to restart, with resources that are not exuberant in terms of raw sensations, but which prove to be devilishly efficient in real conditions. We don’t have the arms that stretch out, but a big breath that pushes you into the lower back. Nice !

The screen is 49 mm higher than on the previous version of the V-Strom: that’s all good! Except that in reality, it is also very vertical and generates aerodynamic eddies. It will therefore be in your interest to take care in choosing your helmet even if it must be recognized that the overall protection is good, even excellent at the level of the shoulders..

Considering the tortuous relief of our test and our concern to constantly respect the legislation in force, we were not able to make a maximum speed test. Nevertheless, our German friends will be delighted to know that they can cruiser at 170 km / h at 6200 rpm, that is to say with 3000 laps of margin compared to the red zone. Velvet, then. And with its aluminum frame and its substantial wheelbase (1555 mm), the V-Strom 1000 XT did not seem to us to suffer criticism in terms of stability in a straight line..

On departmental

The remark is valid for all motorcycles, but perhaps even more for trails: the departmental, it is the biotope of choice for these machines! That’s good, they made up 98% of our itinerary…

Well, when we compare it with the 650 and well, this comparison is cruel: the 20 kilos more are high placed and feel and the front axle locks clearly when braking on the angle, then requiring to break down its phases well. of driving, with braking in line and a registration in turn then. And then, over the course of the day, we get used to its peculiarities, we compensate, we adapt our driving. And we’re always happy to be there.

Because the 1000 V-Strom XT has qualities: torque, length (the second report breaks at 130 km / h, which allows to relaunch effectively at the exit of a hairpin), a fairly correct ground clearance, a healthy chassis, a precise front axle, great agility thanks to the pneumatic mounting with the dimensions contained (110/80 x 19 and 150/70 x 17). And speaking of tires, the Bridgestone TrailWing offers a little less feedback than the Battlax Adventure A40s of the 650, but their level of grip, speed of heating and precision allow for fun without ulterior motives..

On the other hand, we can not help but think that the Euro 4 standards are not only good for the engine character: nothing to say about the availability, the torque and the extension, say, between 4 and 7000 rpm, but higher, the V-twin is inert and vibrant and struggles to let go of the potato around 8000 rpm. When we remember the enthusiasm of this block in a TL 1000 R from the mid-90s, we measure the extent of the damage..

In short, if your thing is long-distance travel, off the beaten track, with weapons and luggage, the 1000 is revealed. If it’s unbearable lightness to be, then the 650 might have something to show you. In any case, the V-Strom 1000 allows you to keep a high pace at the same time, provided you have understood its instructions a little, while being gentle in cruising, at 3200 rpm in 6th gear. , at 90 km / h.

Off-road

The V-Strom, even XT, remains a road trail, but a trail all the same. By that, mean that if the TT is not its vocation, it can still take you up a mountain or at the end of a track, which a road bike could not do. Of course, for more regular and consistent TT use, the engine guard and the tires will be changed. Nevertheless, we did a few kilometers of track on the mountainside and what stands out is a very correct standing position (if you are over 1.80m tall, perhaps raising the handlebars a few centimeters with the will save a slight back pain) and the fact of having the disconnectable traction control allows you to pass through stony passages without remaining tanked.

In any case, what we did was fun: the right dosage of gas allows you to make small jumps at each passage over a bump and the good hold of the suspensions makes that according to the well-known adage " it’s not the fall that counts, it’s the landing ", we rest in a beautiful softness, respectable for a machine which still grazes the 250 kilos with the full ones. Certainly, there are better and more typical elsewhere (like KTM 1290 Super Adventure R), but for a road trail and at the advertised price, the versatility is there.

Part-cycle

There, it will be simple: move on, there is nothing to see, because it is identical to that of the V-Strom 2013, tire assembly included. There you go, end of the paragraph (and the shortest in the history of Le Den!).

Brakes

Small difference in this chapter: not with regard to the radial calipers coming from the GSX-R, but the presence of a latest generation Bosch ABS with a "corner" function thanks to the involvement of a central inertial. The braking power is very satisfactory, especially since the mass transfers are quite limited, especially in view of the mass and the deflections of the beast. Judging the ABS "corner" function is difficult, since you have to arrive in "catamaran" mode in a bend with questionable grip, apply the brakes as if they had insulted your mother, then see what happens. past. Complicated, especially with this damn front axle which straightens up under braking, you quickly get used to the handlebars of this 1000 V-Strom to break down the driving phases, which does not detract from a good efficiency.

We will therefore note: good dosage, good power, few mass transfers, a sophisticated ABS unit that does not easily release the pressure on the bumps. Good, so.

Comfort and duo

No duo on this test and a downright satisfactory level of overall comfort. Comfort saddle, flexible suspensions, but not soft and a bubble that protects well, but which nevertheless generates turbulence. Considering the extension of the big twin, the rotation speeds are low and the vibrations are not very sensitive in cruising mode. The duo should be perfectly fine. We will tell you about it again as soon as we have the opportunity to try again on a long-term test as we like to do..

Consumption / autonomy

With the 20-liter tank, Suzuki promises 414 km of autonomy, or a consumption of less than 5 l / 100. At the on-board computer, we were at 6.7 l / 100 at the end of a very winding test and carried out briskly, while a puny colleague (at the same time: better to be envious than pity!) came out a 6.1 l / 100. In view of the extension of the twin, of the relatively low rotation speeds, to maintain the autonomy announced on a long relay at stabilized speed seems possible..

Conclusion

The 1000 V-Strom is the victory of pragmatism over snobbery and bluster. There is nothing spectacular in its definition, but after the first reserves (a high weight and a front axle that locks under braking on the angle), we learn to deal with its particularities and, in the end, to take real pleasure on the handlebars. Its engine is in the same vein: not super demonstrative (even frankly castrated compared to what it allowed us to live a few years back), but it responds present in most circumstances and in particular those which stick to the vocation of this machine: of the city, of cruising, of tourism, possibly fast, but not furious.

In the end, it is the consistency and comfort that prevail. Less fun and carefree than her little sister, she is also more serious and efficient: in this sense, she is aimed at slightly older couples who consider escape from a pragmatic approach. A sort of two-wheeled Super Dacia Duster, so !

Strong points

• True trail agility on small roads
• Very good comfort
• Well-targeted electronic staffing that goes straight to the point
• Real versatility
• Excellent driving skills
• Smooth, torquey, powerful motor
• Well placed price / performance ratio
• Powerful braking and ABS Corner
• Details better finished than on the 650

Weak points

• Don’t like corner braking
• Very vertical bubble: protects, but generates turbulence
• ABS cannot be disconnected for TT use
• High speed engine character
• High weight and high placed
• Messy yellow saddle

Suzuki V-Strom 1000 XT technical sheet

Test conditions

• Itinerary: 200 kilometers of winding roads in the Serra de Montsant Natural Park area, near Tarragona (Spain).
• Motorcycle mileage: 33 km (!)
• Problem encountered: none and we even had a little quick break-in! And then I’ll end up puncturing my boots by rubbing them in the turns.

The competition: BMW R 1200 GS, Ducati 950 Multistrada, Kawasaki 1000 Versys, KTM 1090 Adventure

Suzuki V-Strom 1000 XT video test

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