Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom

It was halfway back from Stawell in western Victoria on a picture-perfect, blue-green morning that the Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom finally kicked down the barricades of my resistance and made sense. I'd just ripped past a solitary ute - pure top gear roll-on redemption. The V-Strom is Suzuki's tourer. It's unquestionably comfortable behind the big screen. Your back and legs stress free and there's just a little wind buffeting. The Suzuki DL1000 V-Strom is not without fault. But you can forgive a lot of things if the price is right and the big V-Twin adventure tourer can be had for well under ten big ones secondhand.

HISTORY
Introduced in 2002 as the K3, the Strom hasn't really been around for long and it'd be true to say it hasn't really been a massive sales success resulting in quite low secondhand values. Despite the lack of sales there's no getting away from the ancestry. So much has already been written about Suzuki's liquid-cooled V-twin and such is its reputation for performance that the 996cc eight-valve, fuel-injected V-twin has carved a place as one of motorcycling's truly great power plants. It is of course a matter of record that the engine that began with the TL1000S developed into the TL1000R and more recently further refined into the SV1000, can be found in Cagiva's Raptor products as well as the excellent Navigator and most importantly, the V-Strom.

The V-Strom is allegedly a "Sport Enduro Tourer", an all-rounder concept supposedly realized by the Strom alone.

Hmmm. Anyway the fuel-injected, TL-based engine is housed in an alloy beam frame and suspended by a set of 43mm, long-travel, conventional, non-adjustable forks at the front and a monoshock, adjustable for rebound and preload, at the back. Wheels are cast rather than spoked and wear pseudo trail tyres in 110/80x19 and 150/70x17 sizes. Taking care of slowing rather than going are a pair of 310mm discs married to twin-piston Tokicos and a single, 260mm, single-piston unit at the back.

As the DL1000 V-Strom, the first model on our shores was the K3, which received a lukewarm reception thanks to questionable styling and finish as well as poor engine management that led to spasmodic fuelling, especially around 3500rpm resulting in excessive driveline snatch. The K3 only managed one year before being discontinued to make way for the K4 which differed by - not very much at all. In fact the only documented changes were to new "easy to read" instruments (that's good old fashioned analogue to you and me) and a three-position, adjustable screen offering a movement range of 50mm. Finally the current K5 emerged with ermm... a different colour scheme.

What this means to you and me is that there's very little to suggest that, in terms of design strength, there was much wrong in the first place.

ON THE ROAD
There's no doubt that the Strom is a big, top-heavy motorcycle with a high seat at 830mm. It's something that has undoubtedly put some buyers off. However, if you as the rider possess the right inside leg measurement it all feels pretty roomy and comfortable for rider and pillion, despite being built down to a price. The finish of later models is actually not bad and the thin paint and generally tacky look improved gradually to the current model that is quite good considering the asking price. Everything in front of the rider is pretty basic. Not that that's a bad thing as the twin analogue and speedo layout with twin trip meters etc are, as they said, easy to read and arguably better for being so.

On first acquaintance the Strom doesn't inspire confidence mainly because at low speed the top heaviness makes itself felt and needs both a firm hand and a fair degree of confidence. Something that is challenged the moment you need to put your feet down in a hurry. However, once that familiarity is achieved the Strom can be surprisingly adept at inner city ducking and diving. Unsurprisingly, in many respects the Strom reminds me of a GS BMW - another bike that can turn into a respectable urban adventurer. Brakes are acceptable rather than exceptional and uncompromised by the soft, but fairly well damped, suspension. Having said that, fortune favours the brave and, should you be prepared to practice with some decent tyres you'll rapidly reap the rewards of added confidence.

As we said at the beginning it's out on the highway that the V-Strom makes the most sense and the best use of its 98 horses and 10.3kg-m of torque. Despite the claims of being a bit of a sports bike worrier, the long wheelbase of 1550mm, 26.5 degrees of rake and 110.6mm of trail means that for most owners the Strom is actually quite demanding in tight stuff and much better at the relaxing wide open stuff.

What's more, should you feel the need to do the off-road exploring thing - despite its obvious road focus as evidenced by a low slung oil filter and lack of bash plate - it'll make a better job of it than most road bikes. But it's really a token effort with smooth dirt roads in mind and any really challenging off-road work will take its toll on both bike and rider.

Having 22 litres in the tank ensures a decent range although the average consumption can drop quite quickly to as little as 12 kilometres to the litre. Despite the thirst, 300km from a tank full is quite realistic. As a two-up tourer the Strom is excellent. There's plenty of room for two people and a scan of the internet reveals that there's plenty of accessories available to increase the touring appeal.

IN THE WORKSHOP
When it comes to making sure the Strom stays in good fettle, it's not such a bad deal. As with just about any Japanese motorcycle you can do the really basic stuff yourself and save a few hundred bucks a year quite easily if you can be bothered. A minor service is required every 6000km and valve clearances need to be checked every 20,000km. The costs vary between $280 for the minor and $450 for the major.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Frankly if a Strom has been ridden on the road there's very little to worry about in terms of reliability. Even so a test ride is essential. The bike should start instantly and settle into a fast idle without a lot of mechanical noise. The six speeds in the gearbox will change sweetly because it's a Suzuki. Just bear in mind that driveline snatch is unlikely to be the gearbox and more to do with fuelling or chain tension. Top gear is an overdrive designed to improve fuel economy so top-gear acceleration is never going to be as lively as fifth. The fuelling issue that results in a flat spot can be eradicated by careful tuning out and a lot of owner web sites seem to support the use of aftermarket fuelling software like Dynojet's Power Commander or similar from Yoshimura.

Of course having smooth power delivery will help not only driveability but it also helps extend the service life of things like chains and sprockets. Even so, check the consumables right through. Having a big Suzuki V-twin engine means that monos are always just a throttle and clutch tweak away, so make sure that steering head bearings and wheel bearings are in good condition. Speaking of the clutch, apparently some very early models suffer with clutch basket problems. You'll feel the clutch judder on take-up if yours is affected.

If the Strom has been ridden off-road, there will be evidence of dust in the recesses of almost every component. It might not be an issue on the bike you're looking at, but long-distance off-road work on a bike not truly designed to be an off-roader will always wear things out faster than long distance on-road use. Check for all the usual scrapes and dings associated with off-road drops as well on-road. Things like wheel rims can suffer damage in the form of bends chips and cracks. I'd also be having a look under the engine to reassure myself that there were no signs of a serious impact to the engine.

WHICH MODEL?
Obviously the later the better is good, especially if there're a few extras to sweeten the deal. One with a service history and low kays is sweeter still.

MODIFICATIONS
A couple of mods spring to mind other than the obvious suspension makeover I always suggest. First I'd fit a centre stand and second I'd lose some weight out of the thing by ditching the bulbous, heavy and ugly exhaust system.

Some colour matched panniers would be welcome additions, good tyres are obvious and I'd be talking to someone like Phil Tainton Racing for a Power Commander and tune-up to liberate some more torque for even more roll-on midrange.