Is the V-Strom 800DE Good? Part 2

Two days of hard adventure riding in Australia. Can the V-Strom handle it?
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[@bosoceansport2068]

So good Curtis. This is a real review on what these bikes should be capable of. If I was buying a new ADV bike I’d want to know it passed the Curtis test. Would be sick if you could do it every day hey. C’mon bike brands, get this guy on board 💪🏽

[@DocMagoo]

"I’d want to know it passed the Curtis test" love it

[@chadkline4268]

This is a great video on the off road capability 😊👍

[@a.e.neumann8949]

Thanks Mate! This was a real Test. I think i will decide for this beautyful bike. Best regards from Germany!

[@RichardS-qh8mi]

Hoping Curtis will do the CF 450MT!👍

[@Joelontwowheels]

Good day, mate. I loved the video. After watching many of your videos, I feel that I made the right decision on buying the suzuki v-strom 800de. Seeing you take on a single track trail made me extremely happy. Very capable bike, thank you, sir. You helped me so much in my decision. Take care, stay safe

[@onthebackwheel]

No worries mate. It's a top bike, still enjoying mine a lot

[@toddwmac]

Dude! Thanks for more great riding and footage on the big banana. With mud, ruts, sand, single track, bogs, tarmac and even a beach session, it was definitely a proper adv ride! A big tip of the hat for managing that beast in all that slop. Nothing like trying to lift a 500lb bike while standing in 4 inches if mud in motocross boots with a smooth sole. I was exhausted and having 990 flashbacks just while watching. :) Appreciate the review on the bits that need to be upgraded and seems like no surprises. It makes for a good shopping list. BTW - what front tires were you running?

[@onthebackwheel]

Haha cheers. Sounds like you've been in a similar situation. The front is the Pirelli Scorpion Rally. Best I've used

[@rationalityfirst]

@@onthebackwheel and the back is the STR variant? edit: oh, wait. it's the normal rally, the STR is shallower. I thought they made the rear a bit different to help with side to side grip

[@onthebackwheel]

@@rationalityfirst yeah deeper and more spaced apart

[@vincenttarquini4235]

Curtis, you are the best advertising I have seen for Suzuki! Forget the fact that you are a phenomenal off road rider, but this is a remarkable motorcycle. I have had my eye on it for a few months now. I live in the USA way north in South Dakota and ride a Victory Vision Tour. I am finding myself riding on more non-tarmac roads than my motorcycle is really designed for. Though I am tall and still strong at 68 years old, I would really like to shed some motorcycle weight, but still need a motorcycle capable of 80+ MPH speeds due to our high Interstate speed limits The 800DE looks like a great compromise. If it had an electronic cruise control, it would be near perfect, but only Heaven is perfect. I am glad I found your channel. You have a new subscriber,

[@onthebackwheel]

Good to have you on board mate! It's a good bike and you're right, cruise control would be nice but we've survived this long without it I think we'll be ok

[@vincenttarquini4235]

On the cruise control, I agree. I have it on my Victory, but use it rarely and when I do it is only for a few minutes to rest the right hand. Things happen fast on the Interstate and it can get you in trouble.@@onthebackwheel

[@jonwoodworker]

Looks like the 800DE handles difficult conditions just fine. Mudd makes picking up any bike more difficult. I hate getting stuck in the marsh, I fear that the most. I've gotten my DR650 so stuck in marsh I almost started to call 911 lol. Even on my dirt bike mudd sucks.

[@onthebackwheel]

Mud is the great leveller for bikes haha

[@SKgeostrat]

That was good proof that the Suzi can do off road stuff. Even the single track wasn't that bad, but it's not made for that. Normal off road on fire roads and double tracks seem like a breeze for the Suzi. Has to be one of the very best all round adventure touring bikes. The hand guards are to be expected, you need better guards, but so do all other adv bikes. Good on you, you seemed to handle it like a champ!

[@onthebackwheel]

Cheers. You're right about hand guards, noone puts anything decent on

[@derrickpagett125]

Good job mate . Will be looking to buy when back from Thailand,

[@onthebackwheel]

Yeah nice. Let me know what you think when you check one out

[@edm163]

Great moto content. I sat on this bike for the first time over the weekend, and was really surprised how good it felt in the show room. It has a totally different feel & look from the 650. I could see myself buying it. Yellow one Reminded me of my TM75 first bike

[@onthebackwheel]

Thanks mate. It's a nice bike for sure. I googled the TM75, very cool bike, would look great in the man cave

[@dirkhuman760]

That first drop around 10 min. Turn the handlebars the other way, front wheel turned to the left, and do a deadlift from the end of the handlebar rolling the bike over the front wheel. Handle bar lifts always work.

[@onthebackwheel]

You can't see on camera but the stump wasn't allowing the wheel to be turned

[@leighhill9185]

Awesome vid mate! You did well :) They are a heavy bugger when dropped though haha Great bikes and that beach riding looked amazing!

[@onthebackwheel]

It was so good

[@jasongallagher73]

Nice work mate

[@onthebackwheel]

Thanks mate

[@craighartman108]

Another good video brother. I just traded my klr 650 in on a 23 800de as well. Man this is like a Cadillac compared to the pig lol

[@onthebackwheel]

Hahaha great description

[@craighartman108]

If you don't mind can you tell me what settings you're running front and rear suspension. I weigh about 195 lbs. I'm all over the place with compression and rebound settings so far lol

[@onthebackwheel]

@@craighartman108 mate i'm still playing around but i'll let you know. Front: preload 1 turn out, compressions 3/4 turn out, rebound...not sure exactly but I turned it in a little bit from stock. Rear: preload 2-3 turns out, compression and rebound 1/2 turns in from stock. Its getting there, needs some work still for sure. Biggest change was the front preload

[@craighartman108]

Thanks brother. I'd say I need to stiffen it up a bit then.

[@craighartman108]

Those settings made a huge difference bro. Thanks again for taking the time to answer me. It's greatly appreciated.

[@stevesanelli90]

That’s insane in the mud. Skills aplenty & a pinch of craziness 🤙 Poor Strom😉😂😂🔥 Get in contact with Barkbusters Aus to get a set from them! Great PR for you!

[@onthebackwheel]

Haha cheers. I spoke with them and they don't have anything yet 😔

[@stevesanelli90]

@@onthebackwheel damn, I thought they did. Suzuki has this weird handle bar insert of M12x1.25 thread, and the only bolt available here in Aus is a SHC screw full head. This will stick out miles from the aluminium backbone at the end of the bar. You could try to find a threaded insert to reduce it from M12x1.25 to M8x1.25…🤔 and then use the standard countersunk M8 bolts that come with their kits😉

[@stevesanelli90]

This is your challenge 😎

[@Romenet310]

Why they made this bike with a couple of flashlights for headlights, I’ll never know.

[@onthebackwheel]

Hehe I agree, they aren't great

[@rileylofin7653]

I’m looking for my first motorcycle and I really like the looks of the rs660 and I like the ktm duke 790 which should I get as my first motorcycle

[@onthebackwheel]

Ooofff. Both good choices. Hard to pick between the 2. Depends on price but I'd go the RS660. 790 is very fun

[@derrickpagett125]

Any word on clutch hear problems on o/s models ,?

[@onthebackwheel]

Haven't heard of any. I'll look into it

[@bartoszk7439]

What kind of phone holder is this?

[@onthebackwheel]

Quad lock

[@philturner5385]

What is it with you blokes who try to ride adventure bikes like enduro bikes, you will lose every time.

[@onthebackwheel]

It's fun and good to test, plus people I ride with are on a variety of bikes. Most of my riding is exactly what they are designed for

[@jaimemetcher388]

I wouldn't do it, but as a review it's brilliant. Seeing journos putting around inside their comfort zone tells you bugger all, watching the factory pro freaks is just as useless. Watching a good but not superfreak level rider push it a bit too far gives me a great idea of exactly how far I'd be wanting to push this bike (hint: not as far as Curtis does).

[@WaitWhatsMyName]

Its called being a man, try it sometime

[@jaimemetcher388]

lol @@WaitWhatsMyName

[@richardhammond2633]

I thought you did quite well on the single-track. I've dropped mine twice now and was actually surprised to find it really wasn't that bad to lift. The main thing is that you are having fun!

[@onthebackwheel]

Can confirm it was not easy in that sloppy mud haha. Any damage? I got a little crack on the fairing

[@richardhammond2633]

@onthebackwheel A tiny Crack on the fairing that is hard to notice. Absolutely love the bike but stock tyres are suicidal on old mossy tracks during Winter in southern NZ.🤣

[@IanSmart-g6y]

excellent test, you pushed it far harder than I ever could, anything would be heavy in that slush. I'm convinced it will take anything I might throw at it, the hand guards need replacing pretty promptly, and an aftermaket tail tidy perhaps.

[@onthebackwheel]

Hand guards for sure, still waiting for someone to make a tail tidy

[@michaelwhite3615]

235 kilos is hard to pick up…? Every Single Time 😂

[@onthebackwheel]

Haha yep, every time!

[@dandoesstunts220]

Worth it but.

[@onthebackwheel]

@@dandoesstunts220 definitely

[@pinkiewerewolf]

Excellent adventure Curtis! I'm jealous of the beach riding! The banana is proving to be a capable companion on your adventures.

[@onthebackwheel]

Beach riding is bloody good

[@sheafrank4816]

Great video, great editing thanks for the hard work. Man riding like that can take it out of you . Im jelous of your terrain you have so much riding

[@onthebackwheel]

We do have a lot of riding. I'm only touching the surface, can't wait to see more

[@Texan_American]

So awesome. Love it from Texas!

[@unknownps]

DRV800

[@jesuschrist7169]

Wicked test bro, love this bike. As for the single tracks we just got back from north Queensland and i shit you not a guy on a gsx1400 was on a sigle track just inland from Cairns 😂

[@onthebackwheel]

Haha now that would have been a sight

[@j_moonchild]

Nice riding as always! Although, I so hoped you take that longer path to home. 😃

[@onthebackwheel]

Haha it was tempting

[@aderiley6592]

🫡 Great vid mate, cheers. No real surprises tbh, everything you said was about what I was expecting. The Wee DE is a great bike, but like most of the other bikes it's competing for sales with, it needs a bit of fettlin'. Really looking forward to seeing your mods now. Compliments on your riding skills btw, you got skillz, that's actually the main reason I subscribed, you really take your bikes to some out of the way places 🤟😉 Ride safe mate ✌️

[@onthebackwheel]

Cheers mate, enjoying it so far 👊

[@due51outdoors]

Excellent review- very thorough. The V Strom performed well in the off-road conditions many owners are willing to attempt (fire roads, gravel, beach, 2 track). Only a very few would attempt single track on a V Strom because you wouldn’t buy this bike if that was your preferred adventure destination. I applaud you for taking it on.

[@onthebackwheel]

Thanks mate, appreciate it

[@pauly8391]

You're a good rider Curtis and doing some really good testing on the V Strom (dr 800) I must admit I didn't like the look of the bike at first but it's totally growing on me now I love the look of it. Keep up the good work mate 👍🏻

[@onthebackwheel]

Cheers mate, enjoying it

[@RichardS-qh8mi]

If ever there was a video demonstrating why a lightweight enduro or trail bike is going to nail it and leave everything else in its wake this is it! - hats off to you for trying and pretty much keeping up with your brother. Great ride and amazingly beautiful wilderness.

[@onthebackwheel]

Cheers mate 🍻

[@jimmyberggren6283]

So you made me consider this bike over the T7 Im not a very tall guy just 170 cm…and this bike seems pretty capable of the offroad im might be doing ..im not going enduro with such a heavy bike anyway😂 just gravel roads

[@onthebackwheel]

Should be perfect. It's pretty low too

[@TheBeardedGrump]

A V-strom can do anything 😁

[@onthebackwheel]

Not far off!

[@louisstlaurent9471]

🤔I was wondering how tall are you? I'm 6’4” I have been wondering about that bike

[@onthebackwheel]

6 foot even. I'm ended up putting the high seat on and it's great. Pretty cheap too

[@KyriakosSoul]

This or ktm 790 adventure 2023 my friend? For more highways?

[@kamudankemter]

Wow thanks for sharing this

[@onthebackwheel]

No worries, had a blast

[@CuriousGoose]

Turn the ignition on and off 3 or 4 times when you set the tip sensor off. Make a Facebook group 🙏

[@onthebackwheel]

Yeah tried that. Let it sit then did it a couple more times and fired right up. Maybe just need a few more cycles? Will see next time! 😂

[@michaelk946]

Still trying to sort out if it's this bike in the adventure model or the T700. I keep going back and forth. One thing against is there isn't a lot of aftermarket stuff available yet. At least with the t7 you can trick it out. But the Vstrom is a nice bike, I just don't know which one to pick.

[@onthebackwheel]

Off-road Tenere. More road Zook l, That weight makes a difference

[@girandokito]

gran moto🤟

[@onthebackwheel]

Really liking it

[@cliftonsr]

After that drop, I bet you wish it was the Tuareg that you had to lift up from that awkward muddy condition instead of the Suzuki 800DE!

[@onthebackwheel]

It was a bit heavier! Next bike maybe...

[@ericdawson3425]

You won’t pic it up with ha

[@onthebackwheel]

It's heavy!

[@postiebikesaustralia3217]

Good to see it on the sand and single trails . Even though it was tough going and you dropped it I was still impressed to see you get through ok. Beach looked fun................................

[@onthebackwheel]

Thanks mate. The beach was insanely fun! Can't wait to get back on it

[@chukku2175]

Pirelli did something extremely confusing with the Scorpion Rally tire: they decided to offer two completely different tire sets under the same name (and I am not talking about the STR here): the Rally dimension set and the adventure dimension set. The Rally dimensions being proper 80/20 offroaders and the adventure dimensions being a regular 50/50 tire like a TKC 80 or an Anakee Wild. But both with the exakt same name, so as a customer you almost have no chance of knowing what you are actually buying. My guess is that you probably have the "real" rally tire in 90/90 21 TT at the front but only the adventure one at the back (since the rally dimension version is probably not even available in 17")

[@onthebackwheel]

Yes that's right. Tube MST race front and 150/70/17 rear. The front is basically a 90/10 or more. It confuses everyone because they automatically think I'm running the STR 😆🙃

[@rugged04270]

I don't have the experience to say so for certain, but of the literally hundreds of youtubers I watch do bike reviews, you are the only one that says that you need to be able to turn off front ABS. Perhaps there's something you could be doing better? Not meant to be an offensive comment, and as I stated I CERTAINLY do NOT have that level of skill. Just food for thought.

[@onthebackwheel]

Not offensive at all mate. I am generally more off-road focused than others so it is something I consider more than others. There are definitely other people that mention it though so I'm not alone! I actually don't mind the front abs on the 800de, it does a good job with a proper set of tyres

[@_el_guapo]

Beach riding, top gear wide open, so much fun. Not so much cleaning the sand that magically gets in everywhere. Such good vids mate. Suzuki should be paying you for your real world advertisements!

[@onthebackwheel]

Cheers meet. You're right, hard to beat the beach!

[@dimsim257]

Good work putting the 800 through its paces. I don’t know if you have owner a T7 but that would possibly be more suited to your riding tracks etc? Ive test ridden both recently and its going to be a tough decision. The big Dr was good on the road but the T7 encouraged a certain playfulness and hitting lines the suzuki didn’t. Both great bikes though and be happy with either.

[@onthebackwheel]

I've ridden a T7 a fair bit (I did a few videos on it) and yes it does suit me more. The Tuareg even more so

[@josephatherton2781]

Thankyou curtis , a great video , you handeled the suzuki v strom de 800 very good , yes what a handfull to pick up in the mud , a good test , i am very inpressed with this bike , looks a bit like my old suzuki dr 750 .

[@onthebackwheel]

DR750, more there's a weapon!

[@mkramsauer]

Mate!! Now that's a review video something the factory guys need to learn. Looking forward to the next adventure brother 👊

[@onthebackwheel]

Thanks mate

[@ThatGuy2005.]

Does the weight bother you? What do you think as hahing weight as a deciding factor when looking to buy a bike?

[@onthebackwheel]

I wouldn't say it bothers me, it is something to be wary of though when the going gets tough

[@d_ward4871]

4:04 holy shighzen😮 on a big bike that slide musta been fun 😱 I betcha I woulda went down 🪦

[@onthebackwheel]

Haha yes, was bloody slippery

[@billcotton1551]

Curtis ,your riding skills never cease to impress me. Not many people could get that bike through those tracks.

[@onthebackwheel]

Thanks Bill, always keen to give stuff a go

[@timainassaari5396]

Your review is great as you can ride well in the dirt, the Journos overseas can’t ride dirt

[@onthebackwheel]

Thanks, I love riding off road

[@minas4everyo]

You use the gravel mode bro? Super nice test and trip!!!

[@onthebackwheel]

Very rarely. Generally I just turn it all then back onto 1 for the road

[@elmiggadventure]

What do you think about the tube tires. Will it be better with tubeless???

[@onthebackwheel]

Doesn't worry me either way TBH. I prefer the tube front range, but you can always put a tube in to accommodate one

[@derrickpagett125]

Hi say what helmet do you use as the audio is good

[@onthebackwheel]

I use the M2R Hybrid. Best cheaper adv helmet I reckon

[@pigmeal2224]

Hoooooboy .... you're a game fella tackling that slop!! Beach looked fantastic ... Great job!

[@onthebackwheel]

Loved the beach, not so much the slop!

[@pigmeal2224]

Was that the forestry behind our place at Dunmora ... close to Suthers Rd?? I haven't been in there yet.

[@onthebackwheel]

@@pigmeal2224 yes, it's called Wongi from memory

[@KyriakosSoul]

This or ktm 790 adventure 2023? I cannot decide! I can't test ride these where I live... 😢

[@onthebackwheel]

Adventure R or standard adventure? The R suits my style of riding more but I prefer the 800DE over the standard

[@KyriakosSoul]

@@onthebackwheel i mean the standard... But why do u prefer the suzuki? Where it does better?

[@onthebackwheel]

@@KyriakosSoul it's a really good package and all rounder along with that Suzuki reliability. I haven't ridden the new 790 yet though! If you're getting a KTM, the adventure R models are absolute weapons and a good point of difference if you're off road orientated

[@ryaandnice]

Dang. Great riding. Love it.

[@onthebackwheel]

Was a good un

[@Angelosts]

What tires are you using?

[@onthebackwheel]

Pirelli Scorpion Rally

[@mrcrankyank]

Rad day out what a great bike

[@onthebackwheel]

Loved it!

[@andreac3026]

Bellissimo video la moto mi piace tantissimo 👍

[@onthebackwheel]

Thanks, I'm enjoying it!

[@papachis9535]

This trip answers a number of questions. 1) The stock suspension is not adjustable enough for serious off road, so why worry about only preload adjustment on the Transalp? Neither are good enough for the spirited. 2) The Suzuki is heavy and awkward to pick up in dodgy conditions. 3) The plastic hand guards and sump guard are useless and exist only to emphasis its “credentials”. 4) The Suzuki is great, but it’s going to knacker you out during a medium challenging off road ride. My point would be that the extra “bells and whistles” that the Suzuki comes with as standard when compared to the Transalp are designed more for the eye than the brain. However, that standout torquey motor is the main difference. What do you guys think?

[@onthebackwheel]

True, both I'm spending money on the suspension. Will be interested to compare the quality once both are tuned. The sump design on the Transalp is bloody awful, there's a definite difference there. Engine, I've yet to ride the Transalp to find out!

[@papachis9535]

@@onthebackwheel You’re dead right about the sump design on the Transalp: it’s an alien for sure, and looks very vulnerable. However, I guess that if you smack any sump with a large rock it’s gonna end up with a hole in it in the absence of a decent sump guard. Love your Vids, keep ‘em coming and stay safe!