Suzuki V-Strom DE

From a pres release issued by Suzuki:

Suzuki has revealed a new V-Strom 1050DE, which adds more off-road capability to the firm’s adventure bike range. The DE, which replaces the XT as Suzuki’s flagship adventure bike, gets a series of performance enhancements shared with an updated V-Strom 1050, plus additional features, modifications, and enhancements designed to improve its performance when the highway ends.

The V-Strom 1050DE is designed for wherever your journey takes you – on any terrain, to any horizon, on any adventure – and builds on a proven, robust, and reliable platform that has made the V-Strom a cult motorcycle and the choice for many adventurers.

For 2023 both the new V-Strom 1050DE and the V-Strom 1050 feature a new, full-colour TFT dash and a bi-directional quickshifter, plus a suite of complex electronic features that includes:

- Six-axis IMU
- Lean angle-sensitive ABS with two sensitivity modes
- Slope-dependent control
- Load-dependent control
- Hill hold
- Linked brakes
- Cruise control
- Three power modes
- Three traction control settings

The V-Strom 1050DE also boasts a number of additional features, including:

- 21-inch front wheel with Dunlop TRAILMAX MIXTOUR tyres front and rear
- Increased suspension travel and ground clearance plus revised chassis geometry and ergonomics
- Wider ‘bars and steel footpegs
- Two ABS modes plus the ability to disengage rear ABS
- Additional off-road ‘G mode’ traction control setting

Styling

Much like the previous generation, the new V-Strom 1050DE and V-Strom 1050 channel the design ethos of Suzuki’s iconic DR-Z800 off-road racer. While both models embody the DR-Z with a similar silhouette, beak, and obvious design cues, the DE goes further in its homage with a traditional yellow and white livery, complete with gold rims, plus a blue and white colour scheme finished with blue rims. Both are available alongside a classy all-black version.

The V-Strom 1050 will come in black and gold with gold wheels, blue and black, a classy grey with red rims, and a red and black version with the same red wheels.

Chassis

With the V-Strom 1050DE’s more off-road focus, the most noticeable change is the switch from a 19-inch to a 21-inch front wheel. Providing more control and manoeuvrability on rougher terrain. The DE’s spoked wheels are also shod with Dunlop TRAILMAX MIXTOUR tyres, with a semi-block tread pattern. The V-Strom 1050 continues to roll on 19 and 17-inch cast aluminium wheels with Bridgestone Battlax Adventure A41 tyres.

The DE’s larger front wheel, allied to longer travel suspension – fully-adjustable front forks and rear shock from KYB – increases rake and trail, and also improves ground clearance, boosting it to 190mm, while contributing to improved ergonomics when riding on looser, rougher surfaces. Its wheelbase is also 40mm longer than the V-Strom 1050, thanks to a new aluminium swingarm that retains the same level of vertical and lateral rigidity but improves torsional rigidity by 10%, while tapered aluminium handlebars are 40mm wider for an improved stance off-road.

The twin-spar aluminium frame is updated for 2023, on both the V-Strom 1050DE and the V-Strom 1050, with aluminium castings along with extruded aluminium sections that lend the right amount of suppleness and strength to an overall rigid alloy frame structure. The incorporation of extruded aluminium sections allow for the use of thinner material while maintaining a high level of strength. The result is a lighter, stronger frame.

There are also updated seat rails that better support the input load from unpaved surfaces, with the V-Strom 1050DE using a new seat with a fixed-height design and a new shape that not only reduces weight by 706g (37% lighter than V-Strom 1050’s seat), it also achieves greater rigidity. This durable new seat better stands up to input load when riding on unpaved surfaces, as well as to weight shifts as the rider changes position.

A smaller screen aids visibility, there’s a new, more rugged front fender, engine bars are fitted as standard, along with a sturdy aluminium sump guard. There are also wider, steel footpegs designed to be better suited to off-road riding and better accommodate a rider’s off-road boots.