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Motorcycle USA second ride review

4K views 22 replies 13 participants last post by  Joe S. 
#1 ·
#2 ·
Greetings,

I read the review and the results are fine with me. Personally I prefer a competent, well engineered motorcycle for regular, everyday touring over a "thrilling" ride any time. If I want thrills, there are plenty of other bikes out there that can provide that, but I wouldn't consider taking them on a cross-country ride. The "thrilling" part can wear a bit thin after a few thousand miles.

Comfort, low-end power, simplicity, dependability and all-out competence are what rules at the end of the day. The new V-Strom seems to possess all of those traits. Some may consider them boring, but it's just these qualities I look for in my ride. To arrive at my destination unruffled, pain-free, refreshed and ready to ride the next day is paramount.

With the original DL-1000, Suzuki hit a home run, the new 1000 should be a grand slam! Good job Suzuki! :thumbup1:

Ride safe.

CACooper
 
#3 ·
To quote:

"The only other issue I have is the excitement factor, or lack thereof. The V-Strom is a very good bike to ride, it’s efficient, is well setup and doesn’t do anything wrong, but at no point was I thrilled riding it. I enjoyed riding it. You can carry good corner speed and ride quickly, it’s very safe and calculated, but as such lacks kick. For many people those characteristics will be a selling point."

Depressing. This is much how I would describe the wee strom. Mediocore in every category. It seems to be a common thread in most of the reviews.
I can't see how anyone could consider the original 1000 a home run, at least in terms of sales. Most of them sat on the floor with people avoiding them like they were radioactive. Almost makes it sound like they've done more of the same here. I was hoping for more.
 
#4 ·
By home run I wasn't referring to overall sales, but design. Once you own and live with a V-Strom, an understanding develops. You just "get it". I feel the V-Strom is the most underrated motorcycle ever built. It's odd looks turned off a lot of folks, but the machine underneath is outstanding.

Since beginning my riding life at age 19 (in 1979) I've owned a total of 26 motorcycles, from Honda CBR's, Yamaha FZ's, Harley-Davidsons, a Buell Ulysses and lastly an '09 BMW GS 1200 Adventure.

The BMW was an absolute reliability nightmare. Final drive issues from 2900 miles until I finally sold it. Very expensive to maintain. Just a total disappointment. I expected better, considering the price of admission ($20,000+).

I've owned 3 V-Stroms, two 1000's (an '03 and current '12) and an '09 650. ALL were excellent bikes. NO problems, utterly reliable. I sold my '03 to get the Buell Ulysses and kicked myself ever since. Recently I was able to correct that mistake and buy another V-Strom, a 2012, the last of the breed, so to say. Blowout priced, I actually paid less for the new one than I did for my '03! Win-win all the way!

After experiencing and putting tens of thousands of miles on many motorcycles, good and bad, I thought back about which machine of all of them gave me the best value, reliability, durability, and overall satisfaction. The verdict? Suzuki V-Strom all the way!

The V-Strom's competence, reliability, engineering and overall comfort may be boring, but it sure beats being stranded on the side of the road with a more "thrilling" machine. Been there-done that. No fun. :thumbdown:

CACooper
 
#6 ·
By home run I wasn't referring to overall sales, but design. Once you own and live with a V-Strom, an understanding develops. You just "get it". I feel the V-Strom is the most underrated motorcycle ever built. It's odd looks turned off a lot of folks, but the machine underneath is outstanding.

I've had two of them. My assessment is not as gushing. Its okay, I would never rate it as outstanding but to each their own.

Since beginning my riding life at age 19 (in 1979) I've owned a total of 26 motorcycles, from Honda CBR's, Yamaha FZ's, Harley-Davidsons, a Buell Ulysses and lastly an '09 BMW GS 1200 Adventure.

I've had over 50 since 1969. Your point is?


The BMW was an absolute reliability nightmare. Final drive issues from 2900 miles until I finally sold it. Very expensive to maintain. Just a total disappointment. I expected better, considering the price of admission ($20,000+).

I've owned 3 V-Stroms, two 1000's (an '03 and current '12) and an '09 650. ALL were excellent bikes. NO problems, utterly reliable. I sold my '03 to get the Buell Ulysses and kicked myself ever since. Recently I was able to correct that mistake and buy another V-Strom, a 2012, the last of the breed, so to say. Blowout priced, I actually paid less for the new one than I did for my '03! Win-win all the way!

Wasn't much of a win for Suzuki. I think their idea is to actually make a profit on the bikes they produce, not have to sell them at giveaway prices.
But that does pretty well tell the story of the VStrom, particularly the 1000. A nice bike nobody seems to want unless they can steal it.


After experiencing and putting tens of thousands of miles on many motorcycles, good and bad, I thought back about which machine of all of them gave me the best value, reliability, durability, and overall satisfaction. The verdict? Suzuki V-Strom all the way!

Thats good you feel that way, a person should like their machine.

The V-Strom's competence, reliability, engineering and overall comfort may be boring, but it sure beats being stranded on the side of the road with a more "thrilling" machine. Been there-done that. No fun. :thumbdown:

CACooper
I believe you can have both reliability and a bike that gives thrills. My C14 for example is pretty thrilling and they seem to be very reliable. Suzuki could have done it, they just didn't and thats kind of saddening.
 
#5 ·
ugly...

Having a vstrom, of any kind, reminds me about a statement I once heard as a kid..."marry an ugly woman and she will never leave you." I guess a Vstrom is similar...own an ugly motorcycle and it will never leave you....stranded!!

I love my 2012 650. The only thing ugly about that bike is having me sit on the seat!!!
 
This post has been deleted
#8 ·
Wow. OK, I'm done. You win. 50 bikes! Amazing. Obviously, your opinion is far more valid than mine. No hard feelings.

End of discussion for me.

Have a great day.

CACooper
How dare you post positive reviews of the DL1000! LOL!
 
#12 · (Edited)
Why don't you go piss up a rope?
Maybe my uses and appreciation for the Vstrom is different than yours? I don't have to be all head over and heels for it, it serves a purpose, kind of like my weed whacker does. It isn't very thrilling either.
 
#11 ·
I thought that was a very informative review, it probably has more details about the bike's behavior and capablities than any other written review I've seen, and it stayed on point by talking about the bike as opposed to marketing strategies.

Oddly, I didn't find it "sad" at all and after looking at the pro's vs. cons that were brought up by the author, frankly I think you have to be some kind of real Debbie Downer to find it depressing. Even being generous by lumping the "not-positives" into the "Con" category:

Cons / "Meh's"

  • Some of the plastic work is a bit cheap and the area around the dash felt like ‘kids toy packaging.’
  • I also can’t understand why you can’t turn off the ABS, and the exhaust looks very exposed.
  • The new styling... It’s very run of the mill, it’s got the beak, an LED taillight and some of the obligatory brushed aluminum paneling, but otherwise it’s unremarkable.
  • The V-Strom is a very good bike to ride, it’s efficient, is well setup and doesn’t do anything wrong, but at no point was I thrilled riding it.
  • As soon as you pop over that magic 6000 rpm, the torque quickly flattens off and the fun is done, so it’s time to change gears. It still has power from mid to top and is more than capable of moving quickly, but it doesn’t feel like that’s where the engine wants to be.
  • Changing gears is key to getting the most out of the V-Twin...
  • Off road, the little V-Strom is also surprisingly relaxed. That mustn’t be confused for saying its F800GS capable, because it’s not.
  • the dash is easy to read and the quick adjust screen is a nice feature. For taller riders like me it wasn’t too effective, even in the higher position, however Suzuki produces a tall screen.
  • The only other issue I have is the excitement factor, or lack thereof. The V-Strom is a very good bike to ride, it’s efficient, is well setup and doesn’t do anything wrong, but at no point was I thrilled riding it. I enjoyed riding it. You can carry good corner speed and ride quickly, it’s very safe and calculated, but as such lacks kick.

Pro's:

  • The V-Strom... (gives) riders just what they asked for...the buttery smooth power delivery makes for enjoyable riding. That torquey delivery also make it more than capable during our off-road sampling; it was easy to shift gears, limits wheelspin and moves forward with confidence.
  • The V-Strom is stable, doesn’t have a lot of vibration and still has enough roll-on power in reserve to overtake traffic.
  • In the twisty roads, the V-Strom is surprisingly good. It’s very consistent in everything it does. The 1000 tips in without any substantial effort and is easy to change direction on.
  • The most pleasing characteristic, however, is how nicely it holds its line in the corner, so stable and planted that it fills riders with confidence and lets you ride quickly without much mental or physical input. Combined with the strong torque curve to pull you out of corners, the V-Strom becomes a surprisingly enjoyable bike to ride.
  • Unlike a lot of the adventure bike rivals in the V-Strom price bracket, the suspension feels very solid. ... In the corners, the V-Storm doesn’t twitch and, more importantly, doesn’t wallow. The motorcycle held to the road well at all times and the only adjustment we did was to add a turn more preload to the rear shock.
  • More surprising is the balance that Suzuki has achieved with the suspension. Despite being responsive and stable on twisty roads, it’s very comfortable too and doesn’t bounce or skip around on the less than perfect SoCal freeways.
  • The new Suzuki Clutch Assist System (a slipper clutch) performs as it should. More than a few times it really made a difference to the V-Strom’s ease of riding. On aggressive multi-gear downshifts, such as corner entry, it removes harsh engine braking stutter at the back wheel, helping the bike hold line, which in turn assists with the confidence and comfort of the bike.
  • The biggest surprise of the V-Strom is the electronics package. The ABS and traction control are relatively basic systems and are setup in a conservative manner... But much like the suspension, the Japanese marque has hit its mark well.
  • (TC) Mode 1 is closer to normal, with the most impressive part how smoothly the system cuts power. ...there is absolutely zero harshness when the power is cut. It’s completely safe. ... It is well setup and I rode most of the two days in Mode 1 without issue.
  • The dash is easy to read and the quick adjust screen is a nice feature.
  • Off road, the little V-Strom is also surprisingly relaxed. That mustn’t be confused for saying its F800GS capable, because it’s not. ...It isn’t bad by any stretch. The standing position is good, power delivery smooth and the bike will be more than comfortable on dirt roads.
  • All up and down the 2014 V-Strom 1000 ABS is a very strong effort and Suzuki has done a good job of producing a bike that is solid, dependable, capable and extremely comfortable. After two days of decent saddle time, the bike proved more than proficient at keeping riders happy. The riding position is comfortable, the bar bend is good and it all comes together to make a bike that will easily chew up the miles. On top of this, the menu navigation is user-friendly and doesn’t need a degree in computer science to operate,
  • For the price bracket, it represents great value. ...it’s a lot of bike for your green. The adjustable suspension is a good alternative to electronic adjustable, the engine is strong and as a whole it’s a very complete bike.

If that's all true then hey, I'll take all the "sad" ya got! :mrgreen:
 
#13 ·
call it what you will Stoopy, they took an engine that is he'll for stout, capable of at least 125 hp with no strain and gutted it. At a minimum they could have left it in sv1000 trim, those made around 105 hp with a good delivery. yeah, I think its sad knowing what it could have been.
And as for what riders were asking for, I wonder who because I know they didn't ask me.
 
#14 ·
The bike business must be very tough. I personally don't see the Strom as "ugly" but I like the looks. I'll also take dependable and "fast-enough" over exciting any day - but I'm sure that I am NOT the typical marketing target.

Takes all types...
 
#15 ·
Takes all types...
Yes it does. I don't think we should expect too much dissent for the new Vee on this forum. After all, this is a V-Strom forum and most people (still) here pretty much like their bike, even now. So if the new one is improved, which seems to be a given, then most here are going to love it. And staunchly defend it too. Nothing wrong with that really. But equally, there isn't anything wrong with critiquing it a bit either. Many of the journalists have been criticized for basically, not liking the bike enough. But really, who is being more subjective? Us or them? All that really matters is that individuals are happy with their choice. For everyone here that does not like say, a sport bike or a Harley, there is one of those owners who thinks a V-Strom is a turd maybe. I like mine and think I'd probably like the new Vee fairly well. Knock it down to $11 and I'd like it a little more. But I am not the marketer's target either. The bike business would indeed be very hard, maybe out of business, if I were the typical buyer.
 
#18 ·
C14 - great bike in the cold,cooks your leg in the summer, heavy as as two sacks of Idaho potates. Goes like stink and sucks fuel like a whale sucks air. Different bikes. See you on a bit of uneven dirt road. I will be the one behind picking up your fairing. Different strokes...... 99 a hundred change hands :green_lol:
 
#21 ·
Mine does not cook the legs in the summer, possibly because its a 2012 and they redesigned the fairing to correct it.
It is heavy.
My fuel mileage has ran in the mid to high 40s, I can't call that bad, its about what I get with any bike that has any real power.
Not planning any dirt adventures with it, they really aren't intended for that.
 
#19 ·
I have a 2012 Vee and with so many new bikes
coming out, I've got the fever for a new one.
My first thought was the 2014 Vee, but as much as I
enjoy and appreciate mine, I do miss that kick in your
pants feeling when accelerating.
I plan to compare the new Vee and the Ninja 1000 this spring.
 
#20 ·
Everyone keeps saying the Stroms are are ugly... I don't see it... I think it's got great lines, and the fit and finish are excellent.

Dayum... now I have to worry it's me! I better take another look at a few other things I always thought were beautiful... my cats... house.. girlfriend...
 
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