As predictedearlier this year, Suzuki has introduced a new road-oriented version of its middleweight adventure bike. The new Suzuki V-Strom 800RE debuted in Europe today, with a less-dirtworthy configuration for customers who wish to stick to the tarmac. Here in North America, it’s just called the V-Strom 800, and there’s a V-Strom 800 Touring sub-model. Both are based on the V-Strom 800DE that wereviewed back in August.
The changes
The new Suzuki V-Strom 800 comes with a 19-inch front wheel and 17-inch rear, with cast alloy rims. Dunlop D614 tires are standard, a choice that’s aimed squarely at pavement touring. Suzuki upgraded the windscreen to a much larger version that will block a lot more wind at speed. Like the DE version of the bike, the base model’s windshield is adjustable—with help from a hex key, you can can choose one of three positions.
The new V-Strom 800 and V-Strom 800 Touring will still handle unpaved roads, but they are made for pavement. The changes include revised suspension and new brakes. Photo: Suzuki
800年V-Strom变得更加运动骑马的姿态,with handlebars that are lower, more narrow, and further forward. Likewise, the footpegs are higher-mounted than the DE’s pegs, and situated further back. This will tip the rider into more of a crouch, which many will prefer for brisk street riding. And if you’ve picked up the pace and need to scrub some speed in a hurry, the standard DE brakes are actually upgraded for the V-Strom 800, with radial-mount four-piston calipers up front, for more stopping power.
Suzuki used a simplified Showa fork and shock for the base model 800, with less adjustability. The fork is now only adjustable for preload, and the shock is adjustable for preload and rebound. Suzuki also took the bash guards off the radiator, handlebars and engine, since that stuff is less useful if you’re not going off-road. The Touring sub-model still has its handguards, though, to keep the wind and rain off your knuckles, It also comes with a 35-liter topbox that uses the same key as the bike’s ignition, and with enough room to hold most full-face helmets.
标准的vtrom 800 will have Metallic Matte Steel Green paint in 2024; the Touring variant will come in Glass Sparkle Black. MSRP for the V-Strom 800 is $9,899 in the US for 2024. The Touring version is $10,499.
No garish yellow paint for this model in 2024! Photo: Suzuki
Familiar formula
This is really nothing new to the Strom faithful. For years, the V-Strom series was basically a series of bulked-up SV naked bikes, with touring bodywork, longer-travel suspension… and cast wheels. Spoked wheels came to the series via the aftermarket, with outfits like Woody’s Wheel Works putting together more dirt-worthy hoops for owners who wanted to push their Strom’s limits. Eventually, the factory wised up and started offering spoked wheels on some models as official equipment. When the V-Strom 800DE debuted last year, it came from Suzuki with spoked wheels, with no cast wheels option.
Well, now we see those basic bikes back again. The base-model V-Strom 800 has the same parallel twin engine and electronics package (with no IMU) as the DE, but with some simplifications that make the bike less expensive and better-suited to the pavement, where most people are riding them in the first place.
