Why I Bought The Suzuki V-Strom 800 DE

[@trailrider1980]

Happy vstrom 800 de owner here. Also had a bad experience with ktm. The vstrom has been flawless, 7000 miles of joy.

[@ashleyhinton6926]

What KTM did you have? Iv got a gsxs1000 looking at a middle weight next, I was considering the 790 but I also love the 800de after having one for a day on 2 occasions

[@ashleyhinton6926]

How are you prepared for punctures? Do you miss the cruise control from the GT,?

[@trailrider1980]

@@ashleyhinton6926 2023 ktm 390 adv. I used to have a gsxs1000 2018. I really loved that bike but now doing more adventure riding.

[@trailrider1980]

@@ashleyhinton6926 my gsxs1000 did not have cruise control. The youtuber had it not mine. For cruise control, veridian cruise is creating one, while aftermarket it is a great quality product and it will cost a bit over $350 dollars. For punctures, i installed e07+ dakar tires that have a stronger ply and are regarded to be puncture proof. I also got tools with me just in case.

[@trailrider1980]

@@ashleyhinton6926 i had a ktm 390 adv with stalling issues. Researching it I saw that other ktm models experience the same. Some even only starting on one piston. As for the cruise control my gsxs was older 2018, the naked model so no cruise. However, veridian cruise will be producing a cruise control for the 800 de for a bit over 300usd. They already have one for the transalp.

[@UncleWally3]

Cumulatively on three V-Strom DL650’s I rode well over 230 000 trouble free kilometers. I can’t see the new 800DE being any less reliable. I still own other more expensive and “better” bikes but the old V-Strom will always hold a special place in my memories . . .

[@jehovawreggeles3934]

so you will choose a dl650 over the 800DE? BTW i just sell my Africa Twin to look for a dl 650...

[@UncleWally3]

@@jehovawreggeles3934 Nope, it all depends on what I want to do; love my Africa Twin Adventure Sport DCT too and I’d use that over the DL650 if I was riding hard off tarmac or across the country. But, if I wanted a gentler, easier ride, I’d use my DL650 - it certainly appeals to my sense of frugality!

[@fuglbird]

I'm 66 and got a used SV650 in May. It's 30 kg lighter and 125 mm shorter than big brother. After 2800 km I'm quite happy with it.

[@falchiherve2024]

25 000km on mine on south of France......what a bike!!!!! Best i have ever had!!

[@contactinspect]

is it a V

[@blackxybone6357]

​@@contactinspect It's a parallel twin.

[@stoatsngroatsuk5012]

It’s a great bike, I bought one despite the minor issues many people are concerned about. Vibes/CC/heat etc, but it doesn’t cause me issues - I love it 😀🙏

[@etruscanadv3296]

I tried the 800 de last week. Lovely engine, a lot of torque and very quiet. However, the vibration through the footpegs after 5000 rpm, the lack of cruise control, tubeless wheels, and the engine heat made me opt to keep my KTM 790. The engine heat for me was the major issue, it was much more than my 790.

[@podunkman2709]

The high frequency vibrations of this engine turns rght leg into jelly. I do not get why people do not mention this - some sadomasochistic pleasure or what? And tubed tires 🤮

[@8andsk835]

I have a 790. The heat from the cat is so bad that it cooked my clutch. I have a heat shield over the cat which the dealer said might have been part of the problem. Under 2,000 miles on the bike. Going to trade it in on the DE

[@etruscanadv3296]

@@8andsk835 dealer blamed a mod that you made to not take responsibility and pass the repair under warranty. The 790 and 890 are pretty famous to burn the clutch because during assembly they use too much thread locker that clogs the oil squirter for the clutch.

[@toddbenfield6546]

What yr 790🤔

[@etruscanadv3296]

​@@toddbenfield6546 2019. They were euro 4 engines, so they weren't running as lean as current euro 5 engines.

[@zudosmg]

Also a happy 800DE owner. Traded my 19/MT09 for it. Its been a great bike and definitely what I was after. I just installed a Full Arrow exhaust/Sprint AF/Stage 2 AB Mod/Tune/Crash Bars/Skid Plate/Center Stand and rear hard cases over the winter here on Vancouver Island. I just started getting it out in April here to test all the mods. That thing is a beast now. If your itching for something on cruise control the Kaoko Throttle Lock works well enough and is very easy to install/use. I will most likely upgrade to an electronic one if they make it down the road. I road the new Vstrom 1050 the same day and actually chose the 800 for the engine. It felt better to me, spun up faster, the P-twin is more forgiving in higher gears and low revs where I found the 1050 is more sluggish and you have to drop the gear. Hope you enjoy yours!

[@exothermal.sprocket]

Did you notice any drop in heat, or decreased engine vibration overall?

[@zudosmg]

@@exothermal.sprocket Sadly no drop in Heat - it hovers right @ 84-85 Celsius, but I found after the tune unless its a really hot day, it takes awhile to get above 90-100 now. Engine vibration is still there but there is a sweet spot I found between the 5-6K RPM mark where its way less and it likes to be there on the highway etc. For me it works and was fine on my 1800KM trip that I just took. The heat never bothered me, but I was also riding the coast and it was pretty cool those days. Your experience may very etc.

[@exothermal.sprocket]

@@zudosmg Did you utilize an ECU tuner in the States or someone in Canada?

[@zudosmg]

@@exothermal.sprocket I used Vcyclenut out of Washington - He has a KZbin Channel and website. I would also recommend 2wheeldynowerks (they are located just outside of seattle) Let me know if you have any other questions

[@carlosvejar3938]

I got the RE and I thoroughly enjoy it

[@johannilsson3362]

Good choice! Congratulations! Haha low power?! I come from a Zzr 1400 and i have more fun on my v-strom 800 de because the storm has the “right” power delivered exactly when you want it. I whas stunned by the engine on my first test ride and i still am . I have grown up from bikes where you only can use the the power looking at the spec sheet!

[@mattbaran5413]

I do have SE version, and love it so far. Enjoy your new bike and ride safe

[@martinpotts3460]

Having watch numerous reviews on this bike I have to say this one, without the usual BS of paid reviewers and the pseudo knowledge of many would be content producers, this one absolutely nailed it for me - concise, up sides and down sides to short term ownership so far and as it happens, as I am heading this way from a distavorous couple of years with Aprilia, this review ticks of all of the boxes I was hoping it would. Test ride later today so let's see if that gives me the extra push to buy. Thanks

[@sheafrank4816]

It's true that the bike is amazing!. I can ride to work enjoying a sunrise. Then lean in on a merge for some thrill . Then go.mudding after work all in one day .

[@pw3591]

Can't really beat an Adventure bike for all round abilities, and a comfortable seating position, and Japanese for peace of mind and reliability. I have a Tenere 700, always looking at other bikes and have test ridden a few, but so far I've always been glad to get back on the Yamaha. I'm sure the Suzuki is also an excellent bike, just not sure about the looks personally. I will also never buy another KTM, how are they still in business ? Their reputation for reliability has never been great, but it seems to be getting worse rather than better.

[@TheDennzio]

Yep sounds like it’s up my alley after selling the Honda RR.

[@kkiwi54]

"Relatively low powered bike" - back in the day two of the most powerful/largest capacity bikes were the Kawasaki 750 H2 (70hp) and Z1 900 (85hp) 😮 😅

[@volt8684]

Yes my honda 750/4 felt and looked like a rocket, sounded like a beast -- 69 bhp😂😂😂

[@exothermal.sprocket]

Boy how times moved on. Now you can make near 200 wheel horsepower on bikes that weigh 420 pounds.

[@MikeK6046]

Great motorcycle (great performance to cost factor).

[@MikeK6046]

I'm really interested in this 800! How is its Quick Shifter, is it smooth or notchy? Also, one reviewer commented that it is "very" vibey at around 70 to 80 mph+ on the highway? Sincerely, Mike

[@0menadds]

Great review. All of is fantastic in being open to “ how it is for you” ( nobody expects you to evaluate for them obviously) HOWEVER.. @6:20 your first downside is confusing “ for me” as I do not understand why you would want both legs locked straight. If I’m sitting at a red light or stop sign and I have both feet flat on the ground. I’M HAPPY Do my legs need to be directly beneath my hips ? No Could my feet be flat AND legs bent AND my feet are slightly behind the ideal ( pegs in the way) position.. sure ! If my feet are flat and I can push the bike forward behind the pegs, I see it as a feature. I see it as a positive thing that my pegs are directly in line with my centre of gravity. Something BMW has mastered. For me, your first disadvantage is not such a dis.. more a positive feature. Thanks for the review, I am grateful and appreciative.

[@averagebiker]

It just feels less stable to me and means I feel more likely to drop it

[@Sventy11]

You probably would have enjoyed the TA, but im sure the 800 is nice as well

[@jonwoodworker]

You made a great choice.

[@RealHooksy]

It’s a Suzuki, enough said 😎

[@TheOmniscientAtheist]

This looks much better than that jixxer you had.

[@nickthebig]

great video, thank you, you helped me a lot to choose motorcycles. Thank you again .

[@RideFree317]

I had the DL 650 . Didn't come with rad guard .after i saw where something had hit the top of radiator i ordered a rad guard straight away . Was a good bike . no issues

[@klausgromenauer5856]

Now I know why you didn't like the GT. This bike is enormously different. Hope you enjoy it a lot.

[@5tevieb954]

Nice video AB, looks like a good fit for you. I’ll watch with interest to see if that 80 BHP keeps your interest.

[@williamardenjr116]

Yea I wish I had at least 90 or even 95

[@kkhalifah1019]

I don't even have any serious off-road pretences, so I tend to dislike 21" wheels preferring 19" ones for their better on-road manners. So, the 800RE would have definitely been my choice if it had come out 3 years ago before I bought my Tiger 850. Mid capacity ADVs are perfect for the daily commute, long-distance tours and the occasional jaunts on dirt/gravel roads.... not to mention climbing up and down the kerbs in the city.

[@pistolpete6321]

Great choice, enjoy!

[@alenfora1400]

Cool but i like the v strom 1000cc with the v engine i own a fjr 2002 so most bikes are not even close in its category maybe someday a gtr kawa and dream bike is the newer goldwing

[@flimbar]

I was about to comment on your last video where you ditched the GSX-S 1000 GT: "Get a V-strom", been riding mine for 15 years

[@averagebiker]

😅 great bike so far!

[@cokomattekudassai]

@@averagebiker do you not regret letting the GT go?

[@1786crafty]

Pleasantly surprised with your choice. Really nice bike so underrated. You are right about comfort, i am 6 7 and it is still comfortable for me.

[@falchiherve2024]

Why do you Say..it IS underrated ? It seems that everybody love this bike!

[@sewerfr0g]

Gonna test ride one this week. Downsides (IMO) No option for cruise control and tubed tyres. Tested a KTM 790 Adventure yesterday. Lighter, tubeless tyres, option for cruise control. Felt awesome on road. We shall see.

[@averagebiker]

Yeah the lack of cruise is ridiculously frankly 😅

[@johnmartin7158]

A truly outstanding all round machine is the KTM 790.

[@dr3804]

Check out mccruise in Australia. Super simple cc setup for the 800de. Game changer for those long trips.

[@podunkman2709]

​@@dr3804Terribly expensive and no ergonomy at all

[@ren11000]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWfMfoanj999bJY&ab_channel=VeridianCruise

[@ThePalmatron]

Good choice!

[@ThePalmatron]

Enjoy!!

[@bikersquest]

It's fairly normal for Suzuki's to sell well below RRP new I feel as I've been keeping an eye out on various models so I wouldn't worry about one of those big KTM discount crashes

[@prof.2248]

the best bike for you imo is Triumph Tiger 900 GT pro

[@averagebiker]

Yep, I'd have liked that - too expensive though

[@bhargavbhatt6194]

Really loved to watch yr vlogs can u suggest me adventure bike with best heat manegement and lowest vibration possible under 850cc

[@averagebiker]

The only other one I tested was the Transalp. Better heat management than the V-Strom...

[@ninji5226]

I think a lot of people are confused on what a sports tourer is, or the title has been muddled. Not saying your one of them but going from the GT to this is not even remotely the same bike. This is an adventure tourer light imo, which is fine but I seen a lot of comments on your "Why I sold" vid about people saying just get a "insert adventure bike here". Even Yamaha calls the Tracer GT a sports tourer. To me a Yamaha sports tourer would be a comfortable R!. I'm prob getting the SX because I feel the gripes you had with the GT would bug me too but adventure bikes and sport tourers are on different planets imo.

[@averagebiker]

Yep, turns out comfort is more important to me than anything so an adventure tourer light is perfect 🙂

[@nightterror5131]

I did consider this bike. It was a toss up between this and the tenere world raid. Anyhow I opted for the world raid.

[@tartrek87]

So now that you've had this bike a little longer, has the engine heat become a bigger issue for you? I'm interested in purchasing one, but the heat could be a deal breaker.

[@averagebiker]

Yeah, I definitely notice it. It's not really a problem in the UK and it hasn't really bothered me even on hot days. But it gets noticeably hotter than most bikes I've had.

[@DaddyBiker_Reviews]

I reviewed this bike last year. My biggest complaint was really the tyres. For a bike intended to be green lane capable the oem tyres are garbage. The Pirellis on the Tenere are far superior.

[@exothermal.sprocket]

Engine heat, vibration.... both are signs of running lean condition for Euro5. If you swap in an exhaust and get ECU flashed, problems would be solved.

[@FBK-811]

have u considered buying the African twin , tbh from your last video i thought would go for it

[@averagebiker]

I wanted something cheap and not too heavy so that was out - nice bike though

[@FBK-811]

@@averagebiker as i quickly researched about weight , is slightly different, And trust me AT feels so light somehow from what papers mentioned , However I’m sure about the price in UAE is just 500dollar different between the bikes . ( 1050 not 800 de ) . i don’t mind going for any of them after selling my gsxs1Gt after same as ur bad experience only after 2900 km .

[@marct9587]

What about engine vibration compared to an inline-four?

[@averagebiker]

It does sometimes get a little vibey on the motorway, but never enough to bother me. The GT was probably more vibey, but I don't remember it being really bad.

[@lordmahad]

Hi, I have the RE version. Love it so far but I’m struggling to find the SW Motech tank ring. Where did you get yours? Do you know if it’ll fit the RE version? If so, do have a product code? Thanks in advance

[@averagebiker]

I had a GSX-S 1000 GT before this and I just used the one I had on the GT - fits perfectly 🙂

[@lordmahad]

@@averagebiker Thank you!

[@wensg4772]

Hi mate, I'm just curious about the USB charger. I also have the 800DE and am experiencing my iPhone not charging (it drains while charging) when plugged in and using Navi. Are you experiencing the same problem?

[@averagebiker]

I went on a 300 mile round trip this weekend. On the way down, I lost about 10% battery which is less than if it wasn't plugged in but still not ideal. On the way back, it gained about 30% so was working fine. I was on motorways on the way down so going faster so not sure if that means less voltage available for ports. But I didn't do anything else differently apart from double check both ends were connected properly. Bit weird and I can't really explain what I did to fix it I'm afraid...

[@wensg4772]

@@averagebiker im thinking about getting back to the dealership to get a new usb interface for the cockpit. Probably there’s something wrong there. Tried several cables etc. Anyways, thanks for responding!

[@PhillipBear-w1w]

What windshield is that? Mine has suzuki touring screen which is okay but I get a bit of buffeting on helmet. Also my fuel gauge consistently over registers fuel consumption by at least 2km to litre which is annoying as it's telling you you're nearly out when you have 5 or 6 litres left. I normally fill up at around 350 km but it normally only takes around 15 litres to fill.

[@averagebiker]

It's the MRA. It's OK but not brilliant but it's good enough and relatively quiet

[@PhillipBear-w1w]

Thanks

[@thodoris3790]

in 6.1 its good.at 5.10 that i am i found it a little big,too wide,too tall feeling ,too heavy

[@MotoCampAdv]

Suzuki failed to put a usable headlight in this bike.

[@All_Day_Shay]

Could you elaborate on this please?

[@kokopit41]

Can you give any comments about the level of vibration please?

[@averagebiker]

I haven't done any properly long journeys yet, but I do notice a bit of buzz in the foot pegs. It's pretty minor, but it's there.

[@charliepyle1626]

pity about the weight and vibration, they may have had something

[@podunkman2709]

Engine could be gem. But these high freq vibrations are so anoying....

[@bobbob8765]

A couple of washers help a lot.

[@RideSafeNSmart]

Did you try any of the other vstroms?

[@averagebiker]

The 1050 and the 800 RE. RE handled slightly better but didn't soak up potholes as well and looks a bit boring. 1050 didn't do anything for me - didn't feel much faster and felt very heavy.

[@RideSafeNSmart]

@@averagebiker thank you, much appreciatted!

[@F3udF1st]

I want to get this. But it would be my first bike. Do you think it would be OK for that purpose? I've sat on it in shoppe and it's super comfy, I'm 190 cm. I'm not an american so I didn't get my license after a weekend ride in a parking lot, so I think I could get away with having this as a first bike but I also don't want to bite off more than I can chew.

[@averagebiker]

It's quite big and heavy for a first bike - my first bike was a Triumph Street Triple that's 40 kgs lighter and I still manged to drop it 😅 but if you like it, I say go for it.

[@boxxjumper82]

250

[@johnmartin7158]

The nice channel guy is right. It’s quite heavy for a 1st bike. But the bike does look pretty awesome.

[@olbo]

It's my first bike, I'm 187. Works fine for me.

[@starseeddeluxe]

How is the 6th gear ratio for driving at a standard 80mph for USA roadways? As far as I can tell, we are in the dark ages of motorcycles, where political forces are colluding to stop motorcycles from having an overdrive gear (95 mpg gas mileage instead of 60 mpg). Sixth gear was never supposed to be a "passing gear." It's not a good thing when you have plenty of power in 6th gear, it just means the gearing is way too low. Soon, all motorcycles will have a functional tall windshield. And they will come with a super tall 6th gear overdrive, even on small enduros. The 1983 Honda XR500 had a super tall overdrive 5th. Why can't figure it out 40 years later?? In conclusion, I can't wait for the end of ultra low geared, zero wind protection, angular spaceship 1980's styled motorcycles.

[@averagebiker]

It's not great and I feel like it's happier at 70. I'd definitely appreciate 6th being an overdrive gear.

[@roadwarrior8560]

190 miles? come back and talk when you have 19,000 done on it, great engine but an odd feeling long plank of a bike to me.

[@queenslander954]

Because it’s average

[@ramblinjay3816]

yuck lol.