650 isn't selling very well either, a dealer a couple hours away from me bought over 50 2018 650X and sold them for like $3,000 off. I know a few people that got in on the deal.
also they are hardly "so similar nobody will notice" the 1000 is better in every way.
This was brought up by a member over on the Super Tenere forum. I haven't been able to find any official statement from Suzuki that the model was being discontinued; this seems at the moment to mainly be based on the fact that a DL 1000 isn't included on Suzuki's website for their lineup of 2020 models.
I've tried a few times to sell my 07 Vstrom 1000. It still has the factory matching side & top cases. Never crashed or dropped very good condition 25k miles. I think with all the issues of this year/model are driving the resale value down. Just my 2 cts.
The bike I wish Mr. Suzuki would make: Size of the bike and suspension same as DL1K, narrow V4 power 1250cc, chain drive, cast/spoke wheel option. 19" or 17" front wheel as option. LED lights, ABS, adjustable fueling. no luggage. under $13K.
Or....could it be that Suzuki might be considering putting out an actual all new liter class Adventure bike? I have nothing to support that. But while the current DL 1000 is a really good all around bike, it simply doesn't compete in the market it serves. Even its lower price doesn't elicit sales. It has been overdue for a decade for a complete overhaul of the concept.
Like it or not, shaft drive, factory electronic cruise control, good suspension and brakes, HP well over 100 are what it takes to compete with the leaders in this class as far as sales and resale value matter.
You could compete with chain drive, against the Honda Africa Twin and the KTM larger displacement adventure bikes. But you need 130-160 hp to compete on power and a top notch suspension. For a very small piece of the pie. BMW sold 51,000 BMW GS 1200's in 2018. That is worldwide. It would take an all new engine with around 1200cc, shaft drive, and maybe a DCT option to do this. BTW, that would also be a base to build a good Sport Touring road bike to compete with the RT. There is a market......
I've seen the rumors online of the "DR Big" project (that's what I've seen it called), which is supposedly a liter size ADV bike. If they're accurate, then it would make sense to drop the DL1000 (especially if its sales numbers are underwhelming) to devote those resources to another project. I can't see a company like Suzuki producing two liter sized ADV bikes.
I remember seeing somewhere that the 1000 sales were competitive with the 650.
Most all ADV shootout type things rank it near the top especially in the bang for buck.
I would believe that the DR Big would be a logical replacement though especially with Honda coming out with a 1200 AT. All the other ADV bikes are in the 1200 range anymore.
Begs the question why one needs a 120+ horse power "off road" bike but hey... :grin2:
I just checked the 2020 line-up Suzuki Cycles - Product Lines - Cycles and sure enough the V Strom 1000 is missing. 3 models of 650's. The only new bike I saw was the Katana.
They'll release this instead. Or, they are still fighting over colors for 2020 on the DL1000, and it will be on the website in a couple weeks.
Seriously, Suzuki has never put alot of work into their web page, they've been slow to update before.
From the image it pretty much looks like a bit restyled and more adventure oriented 1000. If they replace the engine with 1200, add cruise and keep the weight reasonable I wouldn't mind that kind of switch in the lineup. Big DR may be known to the enthusiasts, V-Strom is a well known marketing brand, it wouldn't surprise me if there was no DL1000 in the lineup to make place for a V-Strom 1200/DL1200 to be included later on this year.
"Close inspection of the disguised prototypes doesn’t reveal any technical changes compared to the current V-Strom. The frame, forks, brakes and swingarm are all identical, and although the image isn’t pin-sharp, there’s no apparent change to any of the outer engine cases. Even the wheels are straight from the base-model V-Strom 1000, which comes as a surprise. They’re road-oriented alloys, with a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear, despite the fact Suzuki already offers the existing V-Strom with more suitable wire wheels as the V-Strom 1000XT.
Even components like the bars and mirrors appear to be borrowed directly from the existing DL1000 V-Strom, as are the pillion grab handles and the rear licence plate hanger."
Just looking on the street and trails, the dl 1000 is probably the rarest seen out from 1000cc adventure bikes on the market.
This is Suzuki marketing department fault but still, finally financial department stepped in and said - enough.
I have both. I prefer the 650 for the commute. 30% better fuel economy there helps but the 1000's power is just a liability in stop go traffic. I can commute on it and have but the 650 it's easier.
And as for the power off road thing, I used to ride with a group of guys on KTM990's and 1200GS's. I used to get the same fuel economy on and off road where theirs would drop like a stone. Offroad I had better range than a BMW GSA with a 30l tank . And on loose gravel the 650 would out accelerate both the other bikes, the massive torque was a liability, I may have had half the power but it was mostly going into forward motion, not rearranging the scenery . I'll admit they could usually catch and pass me eventually, but it was far closer than you'd expect.
And my guess for the DL1000 is also enough bikes in the pipeline and a new model next year.
Sorry to see it go but I have a feeling it will totally be revamped and emerge in a year or two. Other than reliability and cost its not competitive in it's segment. It needs ride by wire and at least 130 HP for starters I know Suzuki can do it but their bikes tend to be budget oriented and the cost would jump considerably.
He was "demoing" all the features. 135 horse power electrically adjust suspension, bunch of ride modes, ABS modes, presonalized display screen with custom riding profiles heck there's even an app that lets the bike remind you that you haven't ridden in a while!
All very slick and impressive and should be for $25k but all the while I'm thinking it's kind of dumbing down the rider experience. Personaly I don't want failsafe controls on a bike or have to have the bikes response tailored to each situation. I want my skill to adapt to the conditions. I'll deal with the so called limitations than you very much.
I guess that's old school these days....:surprise:
Suzuki has a big opportunity to really make a proper 1000 "or whatever cc it ends up being" to give the competition a run for the money, but I just don't see them making that bike. I have been waiting on Yamaha to make the Super Ten lighter, have more hp, and perform a bit better.....alas they have done nothing as of late.
Didn't we have this conversation back in 2011? Suzuki offered no DL 1000's here in the US for model year 2011. But they did sell year model 2011 in other countries. The world didn't end then. They came back in 2012.
Africa Twin just upped their game for 2020. More cc's and more gizmos. So maybe Suzuki took notice of that, being the smallest of the over 1000cc bikes.
Personally I love my 1000 the way it is. Don't need more power or more aids (or gizmos) than it has. ABS and traction control is more than enough. The less to go wrong the better.
My 650(05) was a great bike, but took a lot of improvements(By me) to make it that way. Top 3 in order of need.
1- Brakes- EBC pads made it adequate(But no ABS) 90% of the time
2-Suspension- Both front and rear needed work.
3-Seat- But I think they all need better.
The 1000 took care of the first 2 for all but a few.
52mpg(61high, 40 low) avg.
Just hope if they try to make it bigger and better(?) that the previous improvements aren't neglected.
That's a really good one. Our local multi brand dealership dropped the entire Suzuki line the end of 2018. The reason, they just weren't selling enough bikes to justify the overhead of carrying the brand.
Suzuki hasn't been keeping up with the other brands for some time, maybe this is just another example of their lack of staying current.
it's sad that even Royal Enfield Himalayans has better adds and promoting vids, hence many fans and followers then 100 times better suzuki v-strom....
so no wonder sale are booming. Maybe Suzuki rely only on their cars sales.
Everyone wanting cruise control, more Hp, bigger, etc. Yep that is why everyone is so excited about those big Honda V4 Crosstours and why they are taking over the market. Or maybe not.
The bike that everybody is excited about is the T7. No cruise, no shaft drive, light weight, enough power for interstate comfort with enough control for Moab. And maybe, just maybe OK in mud and sand.
The truth is probably closer to what is killing Harley. Motorcycling has always been part sport and part economy. With cars lasting longer and longer purchasing a motorcycle for cheap transportation doesn't make sense anymore. It happened when Henry Ford came out with the Model T. And areas to ride off road and becoming more scarce. So a smaller part of the population is getting introduced to or continuing to engage in motorcycling. Check out the history of Japanese motorcycling thread I started and think about how people used to get involved. Those motivations are no longer nearly as strong as they used to be for the masses.
And of course not all motorcyclist look as cool as cool as they used to.
Everyone wanting cruise control, more Hp, bigger, etc. Yep that is why everyone is so excited about those big Honda V4 Crosstours and why they are taking over the market. Or maybe not.
Hey now, don't be talking smack about my big honda V4, we are a rare breed, and like to keep them guessing at the gas pumps. But I will say, this one has put the biggest smile on my face. Its unfortunate most people can't reach the ground when mounted, it really is an awesome machine.
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