Suzuki unveils 2014 V-Strom 1000 ABS

After launching its ‘teaser' website some months ago, Suzuki has finally raised the covers on its new 2014 V-Strom 1000 ABS

It’s been a long time in the making, but Suzuki has just released comprehensive details of its new big-bore adventure bike. The 2014 V-Strom 1000 ABS has been thoroughly revised from top to bottom and has an unashamedly road-oriented focus, with an emphasis on comfort, manageability, and user-friendly utility.

The old V-Strom 1000 had essentially remained unchanged since its 2002 debut so an update was long overdue. Suzuki has delivered with a heavily reworked V-twin powerplant, a new aluminium twin-spar chassis, and a modern electronics package featuring safety aids such as ABS and traction control.

Using the old 996cc V-twin as its base, Suzuki’s engineers have updated virtually every component to produce a stronger powerplant that is also more economical and Euro 3 compliant (the old V-Strom was dropped in Europe in 2008 because it was only Euro 2 compliant).

The new donk’s capacity has been bored out to 1037cc while it also now features two spark plugs per cylinder, a new fuel injection system and a new cooling system. A Suzuki Clutch Assist System essentially works as a slipper clutch to smooth aggressive downshifts and the bike breathes through a new two-into-one exhaust system said to save around 4.7kg. The bottom line? Suzuki says the newie is good for 74kW at 8000rpm and 103Nm at 4000rpm.

That represents a marginal boost from the old bike’s 72kW at 7600rpm and 101Nm at 6400rpm but the difference should be appreciable when you take weight into account. Suzuki says the new model weighs in at 228kg wet – that’s some 8kg lighter than the old V-Strom 1000 and 10kg under BMW’s comparative figure for its R 1200 GS.

The engine is slung beneath a new chassis that Suzuki claims is lighter but 13 per cent stiffer, while it rides on a 43mm upside-down KYB fork – now fully adjustable for preload and rebound – and a KYB monoshock that’s adjustable for preload. The 19in front wheel size has been retained as has its 160mm of travel but the new bike now features lightweight, 10-spoke alloy wheels. The handlebars and footpegs have been repositioned for greater comfort, says Suzuki. Curiously, Suzuki’s press information lists the model’s seat height as, ‘N/A’.

The braking package has received a significant upgrade. The twin-piston front stoppers have made way for a pair of radial-mount, four-piston Tokico monobloc calipers, now equipped with ABS, while the single-piston Nissin unit at the rear has been retained.

Like on the V-Strom 650, the ABS can’t be switched off. It’s something that, along with its alloy wheels, underlines the model’s tarmac focus. It’s a lightweight Bosch system, said to add just over 1kg to the bike’s total weight.

The traction control, however, has three settings – off, partial intervention, and full intervention. The unit is Suzuki’s first traction control unit – let’s hope we’ll see this fairly readily available safety aid adopted on more Suzuki models in the near future.

The wheelbase has increased by 20mm to 1555mm but the steering has been sharpened slightly, the rake decreasing by a degree to 25.3°

The fuel tank has shrunk by 2lt to a total of 20lt but Suzuki claims the new V-Strom returns around 20.9km/lt (4.8lt/100km), up from the old bike’s 18.0km/lt (5.6lt/100km).

The new machine sports plenty of modern niceties, as you’d expect. The manual windscreen has three height settings and three angle settings, while the all-new instrumentation with comprehensive trip computer sits just above a 12V accessories socket. The headlight is now more powerful and you get an LED taillight, while hard luggage (panniers and topbox) is just the start of an extensive catalogue of factory options.

The 2014 V-Strom 1000 ABS will be released in Candy Daring Red, Glass Glacier White, Glass Sparkle Black, and Glass Desert Khaki. Australian availability and pricing is yet to be confirmed – Bikesales Network will advise you of these details as soon as they come to hand.

See your nearest Suzuki dealer for more information.

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Suzuki unveils 2014 V-Strom 1000 ABS

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