The other half has put a spoiler on the top of her RE screen which was a huge improvement, might be the same for the DE.
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V-Strom 800DE
- Thread starter Arsey
- Start date
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Bought a Puig touring screen and spoiler although not perfect it’s ok.
Done 2300 miles on it now and it’s a cracker.
Engine is tremendous
Done 2300 miles on it now and it’s a cracker.
Engine is tremendous
I know it’s not a de but interesting to see what Mossy thinks about the re
Laguna Maidstone have a deal on preregistered DL800 DE. I'm sure deals are to be had elsewhere but seems good to me
Suzuki V-STROM DL800DE Brand New Preregistered 27/10/2025
SAVE £2200 Was £10,999 Now £8,799
Plus Free Genuine Suzuki Heated Grips to keep you warm this winter, Worth £500 Fitted
FREE DELIVERY Uk Mainland Excludes Highlands
www.laguna.co.uk
Suzuki V-STROM DL800DE Brand New Preregistered 27/10/2025
SAVE £2200 Was £10,999 Now £8,799
Plus Free Genuine Suzuki Heated Grips to keep you warm this winter, Worth £500 Fitted
FREE DELIVERY Uk Mainland Excludes Highlands
New Suzuki DL 800 DE HEATED GRIPS for sale in Maidstone | Laguna Motorcycles
This New Suzuki DL 800 DE HEATED GRIPS is one of the Suzuki models for sale at our showroom in Maidstone
Views so far. (Moved these thoughts across from other thread as more relevant to this thread so apologies if you’ve read this already)
So initial thoughts on the 800de whilst still in the break in phase with all the limitations that has on testing it under unrestricted performance envelopes.
Comfort has been better than expected given the amount of bikes that appear to need aftermarket seats for brand new bikes, how manufacturers get away with selling optional “comfort” seats is a mystery to me. It’s like saying, “here, buy our bike with a shit seat so we can charge you a bit more to fix something that is our fault”. Seat to bar to foot peg position all seem good for now, but I’ll be repositioning the clutch and brake levers so they fall more naturally to hand for me which is a personal thing. One very small niggle is that the indicator switch is a little high on the switch housing for my liking.
Build quality appears good for this price bracket and I can’t see anything that shouts out to being a future problem because of the bean counters influence beyond the hand guards which are best viewed as brush guards against minor vegetation.
The engine as has already been well documented exceeds what the spec sheet would suggest and I reckon over the years this twin iteration will become one of the classics from this decade. I can see other manufacturers trying to ape its low and midrange strength as a result of how much real world users love it both on and off road.
Let’s not get carried away, it’s never going to thrill in the way the big cc hitters do on faster roads but on 90% of British roads it’ll be just as much fun.
Having owned an Africa Twin it gives a pretty similar riding experience, maybe even better in the lower revs and only loosing out towards the top end.
The A,B&C modes for throttle mapping are actually distinguishable between each other. “A” not surprisingly offers the best option for a more spirted playtime but still fuels smoothly, haven’t really explored the “B” setting but what has really surprised me is the “C” setting. I was expecting it to be mapped so you could ride across the skin of a rice pudding without ripping it up, but It actually still gives a reasonable chance to make progress with a bit of roadcraft skill when dealing with overtakes etc.
Not had any issues with engine vibes but I’m operating below the rev range reported by some.
ECU is telling me that with generally smooth twisting of the throttle and relatively low speed that we are averaging 64mpg but expect that to drop by at least 10mpg once I start using it in earnest.
Gearbox is typical Suzuki and selecting 1st and neutral is a breeze, no hunting around setting off or coming to a halt. Quick shifter appears to work effectively but too early to tell how much of a nice to have thing this will be. Personally I can match the smoothness it might bring to the party in terms of looking after a pillion, and the advantage it might provide of a few milliseconds X 3,000 gear changes during a timed endurance event doesn’t really transfer to normal road riding in my opinion. I’d rather they took the money from fitting a quick shifter and put it into fitting heated grips as that would have more of an impact on comfort and fatigue. It seems like a simple cost to gain equation to me, others talking about quick shifter virtues to mates in the pub might disagree…….
Suspension hasn’t really been put to the test but so far on the roads here on Cornwall it’s been great soaking up the poor surfaces and holes that most of us see on a daily basis. There’s plenty of bikes where I’ll make a determined effort to change lines to avoid riding over things but even with these limited miles under it’s wheels I’m finding myself not having to constantly scan for pot holes, badly fitted drain covers etc as it’s already giving me confidence it’ll just shrug them off.
I’ve purposely sought out cat’s eyes, thick white lines, overbanding and disintegrating joints between carriageways, and not surprisingly given that one of the bikes design briefs is to be ridden on rock strewn and rutted tracks it doesn’t deviate at all, no drama no fuss (this may change as speeds head north of 65
)
Nine stone pillion dismounted a happy bunny, with the only adjustment made for them being a bit more rear spring preload. Front does dive on braking so for the moment it’s just a case of using more rear brake until I can see if there’s is something that works by way of fork twiddling without compromising the ride that’s provided by standard settings.
Headlights untested to date, rest of the led’s nice and bright, sturdy hardware.
Dash is great. I don’t get particularly excited by having the latest type of instrument panel, it’s a functional piece of equipment not a work of art or amazing design feature, but having said that Suzuki have nailed this one. Easy to intuitively navigate around and very clear and easy to read information displayed. Selecting and adjusting rider aids in particular is something a lot of other makers need to emulate, it really is that easy.
Expect there’s something hidden in the less used menu’s that I’m no doubt not aware of but I’ll get my teenage daughter to explain those to me later
.
Screen is small (off-road bias so that’s to be expected) but the airflow is pretty clean and no buffeting for me at 5’11” normal proportions (oo-er matron). With it set at its highest position it gives a bit of cover for my upper torso with the uninterrupted air flow starting at about the bottom of my helmet. With ear plugs there’s no abnormal wind noise and if you were never aware of other options you’d happily ride around in the same way we did when naked bikes were the norm. As I’ll be using this mostly on roads I’m going to be on the lookout for something like the MRA Vario to provide a bit of weather protection against rain etc. on longer escapades.
So in summary, I was really happy with what it cost and with the riding experience it delivers at this price point its exactly what I’d hoped for.
I generally shy away from “this one’s a keeper” but I’m beginning to think this one may well see me out as now living on a pension with daughter heading towards Uni I can’t see much on the horizon that will give me as much bang for the buck.
Now, if everyone can stop advertising bargains in the for sale section I may have a chance of keeping garage space free
Any model specific advice or experiences from fellow owners would be welcomed
Cheers
So initial thoughts on the 800de whilst still in the break in phase with all the limitations that has on testing it under unrestricted performance envelopes.
Comfort has been better than expected given the amount of bikes that appear to need aftermarket seats for brand new bikes, how manufacturers get away with selling optional “comfort” seats is a mystery to me. It’s like saying, “here, buy our bike with a shit seat so we can charge you a bit more to fix something that is our fault”. Seat to bar to foot peg position all seem good for now, but I’ll be repositioning the clutch and brake levers so they fall more naturally to hand for me which is a personal thing. One very small niggle is that the indicator switch is a little high on the switch housing for my liking.
Build quality appears good for this price bracket and I can’t see anything that shouts out to being a future problem because of the bean counters influence beyond the hand guards which are best viewed as brush guards against minor vegetation.
The engine as has already been well documented exceeds what the spec sheet would suggest and I reckon over the years this twin iteration will become one of the classics from this decade. I can see other manufacturers trying to ape its low and midrange strength as a result of how much real world users love it both on and off road.
Let’s not get carried away, it’s never going to thrill in the way the big cc hitters do on faster roads but on 90% of British roads it’ll be just as much fun.
Having owned an Africa Twin it gives a pretty similar riding experience, maybe even better in the lower revs and only loosing out towards the top end.
The A,B&C modes for throttle mapping are actually distinguishable between each other. “A” not surprisingly offers the best option for a more spirted playtime but still fuels smoothly, haven’t really explored the “B” setting but what has really surprised me is the “C” setting. I was expecting it to be mapped so you could ride across the skin of a rice pudding without ripping it up, but It actually still gives a reasonable chance to make progress with a bit of roadcraft skill when dealing with overtakes etc.
Not had any issues with engine vibes but I’m operating below the rev range reported by some.
ECU is telling me that with generally smooth twisting of the throttle and relatively low speed that we are averaging 64mpg but expect that to drop by at least 10mpg once I start using it in earnest.
Gearbox is typical Suzuki and selecting 1st and neutral is a breeze, no hunting around setting off or coming to a halt. Quick shifter appears to work effectively but too early to tell how much of a nice to have thing this will be. Personally I can match the smoothness it might bring to the party in terms of looking after a pillion, and the advantage it might provide of a few milliseconds X 3,000 gear changes during a timed endurance event doesn’t really transfer to normal road riding in my opinion. I’d rather they took the money from fitting a quick shifter and put it into fitting heated grips as that would have more of an impact on comfort and fatigue. It seems like a simple cost to gain equation to me, others talking about quick shifter virtues to mates in the pub might disagree…….
Suspension hasn’t really been put to the test but so far on the roads here on Cornwall it’s been great soaking up the poor surfaces and holes that most of us see on a daily basis. There’s plenty of bikes where I’ll make a determined effort to change lines to avoid riding over things but even with these limited miles under it’s wheels I’m finding myself not having to constantly scan for pot holes, badly fitted drain covers etc as it’s already giving me confidence it’ll just shrug them off.
I’ve purposely sought out cat’s eyes, thick white lines, overbanding and disintegrating joints between carriageways, and not surprisingly given that one of the bikes design briefs is to be ridden on rock strewn and rutted tracks it doesn’t deviate at all, no drama no fuss (this may change as speeds head north of 65
)Nine stone pillion dismounted a happy bunny, with the only adjustment made for them being a bit more rear spring preload. Front does dive on braking so for the moment it’s just a case of using more rear brake until I can see if there’s is something that works by way of fork twiddling without compromising the ride that’s provided by standard settings.
Headlights untested to date, rest of the led’s nice and bright, sturdy hardware.
Dash is great. I don’t get particularly excited by having the latest type of instrument panel, it’s a functional piece of equipment not a work of art or amazing design feature, but having said that Suzuki have nailed this one. Easy to intuitively navigate around and very clear and easy to read information displayed. Selecting and adjusting rider aids in particular is something a lot of other makers need to emulate, it really is that easy.
Expect there’s something hidden in the less used menu’s that I’m no doubt not aware of but I’ll get my teenage daughter to explain those to me later
.Screen is small (off-road bias so that’s to be expected) but the airflow is pretty clean and no buffeting for me at 5’11” normal proportions (oo-er matron). With it set at its highest position it gives a bit of cover for my upper torso with the uninterrupted air flow starting at about the bottom of my helmet. With ear plugs there’s no abnormal wind noise and if you were never aware of other options you’d happily ride around in the same way we did when naked bikes were the norm. As I’ll be using this mostly on roads I’m going to be on the lookout for something like the MRA Vario to provide a bit of weather protection against rain etc. on longer escapades.
So in summary, I was really happy with what it cost and with the riding experience it delivers at this price point its exactly what I’d hoped for.
I generally shy away from “this one’s a keeper” but I’m beginning to think this one may well see me out as now living on a pension with daughter heading towards Uni I can’t see much on the horizon that will give me as much bang for the buck.
Now, if everyone can stop advertising bargains in the for sale section I may have a chance of keeping garage space free
Any model specific advice or experiences from fellow owners would be welcomed
Cheers
Thank youViews so far. (Moved these thoughts across from other thread as more relevant to this thread so apologies if you’ve read this already)
So initial thoughts on the 800de whilst still in the break in phase with all the limitations that has on testing it under unrestricted performance envelopes.
Comfort has been better than expected given the amount of bikes that appear to need aftermarket seats for brand new bikes, how manufacturers get away with selling optional “comfort” seats is a mystery to me. It’s like saying, “here, buy our bike with a shit seat so we can charge you a bit more to fix something that is our fault”. Seat to bar to foot peg position all seem good for now, but I’ll be repositioning the clutch and brake levers so they fall more naturally to hand for me which is a personal thing. One very small niggle is that the indicator switch is a little high on the switch housing for my liking.
Build quality appears good for this price bracket and I can’t see anything that shouts out to being a future problem because of the bean counters influence beyond the hand guards which are best viewed as brush guards against minor vegetation.
The engine as has already been well documented exceeds what the spec sheet would suggest and I reckon over the years this twin iteration will become one of the classics from this decade. I can see other manufacturers trying to ape its low and midrange strength as a result of how much real world users love it both on and off road.
Let’s not get carried away, it’s never going to thrill in the way the big cc hitters do on faster roads but on 90% of British roads it’ll be just as much fun.
Having owned an Africa Twin it gives a pretty similar riding experience, maybe even better in the lower revs and only loosing out towards the top end.
The A,B&C modes for throttle mapping are actually distinguishable between each other. “A” not surprisingly offers the best option for a more spirted playtime but still fuels smoothly, haven’t really explored the “B” setting but what has really surprised me is the “C” setting. I was expecting it to be mapped so you could ride across the skin of a rice pudding without ripping it up, but It actually still gives a reasonable chance to make progress with a bit of roadcraft skill when dealing with overtakes etc.
Not had any issues with engine vibes but I’m operating below the rev range reported by some.
ECU is telling me that with generally smooth twisting of the throttle and relatively low speed that we are averaging 64mpg but expect that to drop by at least 10mpg once I start using it in earnest.
Gearbox is typical Suzuki and selecting 1st and neutral is a breeze, no hunting around setting off or coming to a halt. Quick shifter appears to work effectively but too early to tell how much of a nice to have thing this will be. Personally I can match the smoothness it might bring to the party in terms of looking after a pillion, and the advantage it might provide of a few milliseconds X 3,000 gear changes during a timed endurance event doesn’t really transfer to normal road riding in my opinion. I’d rather they took the money from fitting a quick shifter and put it into fitting heated grips as that would have more of an impact on comfort and fatigue. It seems like a simple cost to gain equation to me, others talking about quick shifter virtues to mates in the pub might disagree…….
Suspension hasn’t really been put to the test but so far on the roads here on Cornwall it’s been great soaking up the poor surfaces and holes that most of us see on a daily basis. There’s plenty of bikes where I’ll make a determined effort to change lines to avoid riding over things but even with these limited miles under it’s wheels I’m finding myself not having to constantly scan for pot holes, badly fitted drain covers etc as it’s already giving me confidence it’ll just shrug them off.
I’ve purposely sought out cat’s eyes, thick white lines, overbanding and disintegrating joints between carriageways, and not surprisingly given that one of the bikes design briefs is to be ridden on rock strewn and rutted tracks it doesn’t deviate at all, no drama no fuss (this may change as speeds head north of 65
Nine stone pillion dismounted a happy bunny, with the only adjustment made for them being a bit more rear spring preload. Front does dive on braking so for the moment it’s just a case of using more rear brake until I can see if there’s is something that works by way of fork twiddling without compromising the ride that’s provided by standard settings.
Headlights untested to date, rest of the led’s nice and bright, sturdy hardware.
Dash is great. I don’t get particularly excited by having the latest type of instrument panel, it’s a functional piece of equipment not a work of art or amazing design feature, but having said that Suzuki have nailed this one. Easy to intuitively navigate around and very clear and easy to read information displayed. Selecting and adjusting rider aids in particular is something a lot of other makers need to emulate, it really is that easy.
Expect there’s something hidden in the less used menu’s that I’m no doubt not aware of but I’ll get my teenage daughter to explain those to me later
Screen is small (off-road bias so that’s to be expected) but the airflow is pretty clean and no buffeting for me at 5’11” normal proportions (oo-er matron). With it set at its highest position it gives a bit of cover for my upper torso with the uninterrupted air flow starting at about the bottom of my helmet. With ear plugs there’s no abnormal wind noise and if you were never aware of other options you’d happily ride around in the same way we did when naked bikes were the norm. As I’ll be using this mostly on roads I’m going to be on the lookout for something like the MRA Vario to provide a bit of weather protection against rain etc. on longer escapades.
So in summary, I was really happy with what it cost and with the riding experience it delivers at this price point its exactly what I’d hoped for.
I generally shy away from “this one’s a keeper” but I’m beginning to think this one may well see me out as now living on a pension with daughter heading towards Uni I can’t see much on the horizon that will give me as much bang for the buck.
Now, if everyone can stop advertising bargains in the for sale section I may have a chance of keeping garage space free
Any model specific advice or experiences from fellow owners would be welcomed
Cheers
Great comments from a real owner
so which would you buy, suzuki or voge 900?Had a couple of hours to kill this afternoon so demo’d a new Vstrom 800 around the Surrey lanes for 90 minutes courtesy of those nice people at Bulldog Suzuki.
First impressions- very comfy riding position and feels light and manoeuvrable.
Nice controls , great quick shifter and the stand out feature - that motor . It’s amazing . So much grunt at any revs.
In sixth it’s got plenty of shove from as little as 3000 rpm and redline is 9500 !
I can see why so many reviews have preferred it to the Transalp !!
Less peak power (82 v 92 ish ) but MUCH more shove where you need it in the midrange . It’ll even make the CP2 Yamaha motor feel a tad asthmatic!
Feels just fine if you need to stand on the pegs ( arriving at Dent ).
I’m 6 ‘1” and wouldn’t need bar risers .
Brakes were good and the handling on the 21/18 wheels was very planted with nice compliant suspension ironing out the worst potholes .
Negatives ?
Only two .
The screen is crap . Very noisy at speed . I think it’s just a bit too tall as you don’t get clean air over your torso .
Either needs virtually no screen or a tall screen , which is an option .
Same issue on Transalp yet I rode for a decade on a KTM950SE with the smallest screen and it was great .
The other issue is the seat .
After 90 minutes my arse was uncomfortable. But it was 30 degs c and I was wearing normal jeans so might have not helped the issue .
But overall a cracking bike and the engine is the star .
Prefer this colour though
Bigger screen and a comfort seat and I could see myself getting one . But not yet .
Sent from my Nokia 3310 using Thetwatcantalk
Depends what you’re using it for .
For touring and longer rides the Voge would be much better .
For mild off-roading and local twisties I’d get the 800DE
Having said that ,, I rode mine Scotland to the Nordkapp and wanders around Norway in the summer ,, and it managed well enough on all the various roads involved 
Only observation is that it needs a heavier rear spring / shocker , but beyond that it’s a nice stable machine which has enough brakes and power for my needs .
Only observation is that it needs a heavier rear spring / shocker , but beyond that it’s a nice stable machine which has enough brakes and power for my needs .
Attachments
Sometimes it’s ok to just go out and use what you’ve got in order to have actual experiences in a variety of environments despite the net reviewers telling you it’s not the pinnacle in a particular sphere.
Good example below (not me in the vid but could be tempted to take a ride up that neck of the woods to take a probably slightly more relaxed pace as it looks a great lane
)
Good example below (not me in the vid but could be tempted to take a ride up that neck of the woods to take a probably slightly more relaxed pace as it looks a great lane
)
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It’s all in foreign but you can have it overdubbed in English
Some interesting comments
Some interesting comments
Bullet bitten.
No cruise for 2026.
Dealer had a white/blue in before Xmas .
Had another nose at it this morning . They PDI’d it and let me take it for a spin on trade plate.Not ridden one for a year but instantly reminded me what a great bike it is . The motor is sublime and the quick shifter is buttery smooth . Such a difference from the crap GSAP on R900GS I rode in GC last week.
I did love the 900 apart from the GSAP. My bro was selling his Oct 2024 with 1000 miles on clock for a bit more than I paid for the Vstrom but I prefer the Suzuki plus I have local dealer with cheap labour rates , but no BMW dealer , plus couldn’t have part-exd the CB650R.
Been trying to sell CB650R for a while and no sniffs . Only really bought it as a play thing till CB1000F turned up . But I’ve cancelled that as it’s delayed till late summer and I’ve since bought X-Diavel.
Suzuki dropped the price of the Vstrom by £1000 in November and dealer offered me more for the CB650R than I was trying to sell it for so only lost £600 on it .
The Vstrom 800 DE is great value I think at £8700 OTR over here .
Just ordered a Fuel exhaust to replace the dustbin and a Shad top box and rack. I’ve used one on my Wing for three years and love their kit.
Canary Ride in GC use all Shad top boxes and panniers and there stuff is great quality,expandable and great value .
Not going to fit anything else apart from main stand . Might get Veridian cruise one day but will wait and see if Suzuki update the 2027 bikes first as unlikely to take it much further than Brittany this year as other trips planned using X-ADV and then renting in Himalayas.
Fastest colour
Hopefully collect tomorrow.
Lovely bike bit gutted I got rid of mine as it was for me the most comfortable bike I’ve had.Screen was shit and tried a few different screens.
Never say never could be going back again love that colour.
Enjoy the bike
Never say never could be going back again love that colour.
Enjoy the bike
Yeah but most riding this year will be on island or wazzing around back roads in Brittany so wouldn’t use it much .
Just ordered a PD mirror mount as it’ll fit on the crossbar above the TFT for my phone . You can even remove the arm for a neater fitment tighter in to the bar (obviously still utilising the vibration damper )
Picked her up and I bloody love it .
Bike number 81 I think . And for me almost the perfect adventure bike for solo touring .
What would make it perfect ? Cruise and tubeless but I could fit both at a cost .
I might get a Veridian cruise unit but as I won’t be venturing further than Brittany in 2026 due other trips/commitments, I’m going to wait and see if they upgrade the bike for 2027.
But other than that , it’s bloody ace . Love the colour too.
Perfect riding triangle for me at 6’1”. Loads of leg room but can flat foot , which is great with dodgy back and knees. I’ve removed foot peg rubbers .
I know some hate the short screen but I don’t mind it . I rode my KTM 950 SE for a decade with a tiny screen . I’d rather the clean air over torso that the 800 generates rather than turbulence over helmet . Some people spend ages trying to find the perfect bubble behind a screen but that just gives me lower back ache after a while as there’s no wind to support you .
Like I said above , I rode one for a week and 800 miles in Gran Canaria last year . I rode that mainly in B mode as A was a tad snatchy, but I’ve not even tried B yet as A is perfect . Perhaps latest bikes have been tweaked . Best quick shifter I’ve ever used and for me the best engine ever fitted to a mid capacity adventure bike .
On paper it’s only 82 bhp but it feels faster than the 92bhp Transalp. Loads of midrange grunt and so refined .
The Dunlop tyres seem fine . Can’t recall what the GC bike had on but it handled the stunning roads there amazingly.
My Vstrom 1050 was 245 kgs ish . This 800 is 230 wet I think but that’s with 20 litres of fuel , good for 260 ish miles to empty . Dunno why but it feels very light and flickable and easy to push in and out of stable (
)
Not going to farkle it to the max . Ordered Shad top box and plate plus inner bag . Just over £300 delivered . Getting main stand and side stand foot jobby , plus the PD bar mount mentioned above . Oh… and Fuel exhaust at £300.
That’s it for now .
Total spent under £10k.
As an aside , I had to pop back to dealer to drop something off . A biking mate was there - he’d gone in to discuss buying the bike having tried and loved the GSX8S last week . They’ve had this bike on the shop floor since Christmas. Timing is everything . Trying a bike and going away ‘to think about it ‘ is very foolish
PS
I know you all love a top box .
It even matches
Same as on my Wing and on Canary Ride bikes . Quite compact when not expanded .
Reckon I can easily tour on the Strom with just the top box and one of my Enduristan roll bags .
That’s assuming I don’t sell it by April
( very unlikely )
PPS
And I tweaked the fully adjustable suspension to make it more suitable for a 15 stone fatty rather than a 10 stone Tai Chi master . Even more planted
Bike number 81 I think . And for me almost the perfect adventure bike for solo touring .
What would make it perfect ? Cruise and tubeless but I could fit both at a cost .
I might get a Veridian cruise unit but as I won’t be venturing further than Brittany in 2026 due other trips/commitments, I’m going to wait and see if they upgrade the bike for 2027.
But other than that , it’s bloody ace . Love the colour too.
Perfect riding triangle for me at 6’1”. Loads of leg room but can flat foot , which is great with dodgy back and knees. I’ve removed foot peg rubbers .
I know some hate the short screen but I don’t mind it . I rode my KTM 950 SE for a decade with a tiny screen . I’d rather the clean air over torso that the 800 generates rather than turbulence over helmet . Some people spend ages trying to find the perfect bubble behind a screen but that just gives me lower back ache after a while as there’s no wind to support you .
Like I said above , I rode one for a week and 800 miles in Gran Canaria last year . I rode that mainly in B mode as A was a tad snatchy, but I’ve not even tried B yet as A is perfect . Perhaps latest bikes have been tweaked . Best quick shifter I’ve ever used and for me the best engine ever fitted to a mid capacity adventure bike .
On paper it’s only 82 bhp but it feels faster than the 92bhp Transalp. Loads of midrange grunt and so refined .
The Dunlop tyres seem fine . Can’t recall what the GC bike had on but it handled the stunning roads there amazingly.
My Vstrom 1050 was 245 kgs ish . This 800 is 230 wet I think but that’s with 20 litres of fuel , good for 260 ish miles to empty . Dunno why but it feels very light and flickable and easy to push in and out of stable (
)Not going to farkle it to the max . Ordered Shad top box and plate plus inner bag . Just over £300 delivered . Getting main stand and side stand foot jobby , plus the PD bar mount mentioned above . Oh… and Fuel exhaust at £300.
That’s it for now .
Total spent under £10k.
As an aside , I had to pop back to dealer to drop something off . A biking mate was there - he’d gone in to discuss buying the bike having tried and loved the GSX8S last week . They’ve had this bike on the shop floor since Christmas. Timing is everything . Trying a bike and going away ‘to think about it ‘ is very foolish
PS
I know you all love a top box .
It even matches
Same as on my Wing and on Canary Ride bikes . Quite compact when not expanded .
Reckon I can easily tour on the Strom with just the top box and one of my Enduristan roll bags .
That’s assuming I don’t sell it by April
( very unlikely )
PPS
And I tweaked the fully adjustable suspension to make it more suitable for a 15 stone fatty rather than a 10 stone Tai Chi master . Even more planted
Last edited:
I'm picking my 800RE up on Monday, the other half has one already, I took a 1050DE out but found the 800 engine far better. .
If the DE was tubeless I'd have had one but I do a lot of training and didn't fancy having to deal with a puncture,
Its going to be very different to my GSA that's for sure.
Sent from my SM-S921B using Tapatalk
If the DE was tubeless I'd have had one but I do a lot of training and didn't fancy having to deal with a puncture,
Its going to be very different to my GSA that's for sure.
Sent from my SM-S921B using Tapatalk
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