After teasing us for months, Suzuki has finally unveiled the production version of its all-new V-Strom 1000 ABS, which loses 18 pounds and gains a bored out 1037cc v-twin engine. With a claimed wet weight of 501 pounds, considering the large 5.3 gallon gas tank, the big V-Strom will be quite light for a large displacement adventure tourer (with dry weight in the neighborhood of 450 pounds).
Displacement is increased from the prior engine thanks to a 2mm increase in bore. The bike also gets revised transmission ratios and a slipper clutch for 2014. Adjustable suspension and very beefy, four-piston radial-mount front brake calipers address a couple of issues with the older model.
Suzuki is going for the “sweet spot” in terms of engine displacement and size. Many competitors are well over 1000cc in displacement. Presumably, the V-Strom 1000 ABS will be cheaper than some of the competition as well. Don’t think the new V-Strom will be short on features, however, as it incorporates sophisticated traction control and extremely extensive information from its instrument panel. It even gets a convenient dash-mounted power outlet.
Four colors are available, including black, red, white and the khaki shown. We don’t know U.S. MSRP at this point, or when the bike will be available in showrooms.
Embedded below is the full brochure published by Suzuki today, and here is a link to the V-Strom 1000 ABS web site.
I’ve been looking for a bike for awhile to move up to from my old GS500 and this bike looks promising. I love the L-twins with a passion, after riding on an SV650, i was extremely impressed with the power and feel of the engine. I decided that the only thing better would be a 1000cc version. 4 cylinder engines sound whiny and riding on one too long would give me a headache. An L-twin is perfect though, Amazing torque and a great sound ontop of it. Can’t wait to ride one.
Honda nc1000x. Will wait for your intro with belt or shaft drive. Still love the 650 Wee.
The visual finish and final details are disappointing compared with the “Concept” I was looking forward to.
How come the only color matched seat from Suzuki is that “diarrhea” color?
What about a “red” and a “white” color matched seat option?
Where are the color matched panels for the luggage?
What happened to the color matched wheel rims – like the “Concept” bike?
What about a rear fender to keep the passenger and luggage dry?
Why are essentials such as center stand and hand guards sold as “accessories”?
Woody meets Eastern-European industrial.
Can’t somebody design an “Adventure Bike” that has smooth lines and actually looks good?
I love how they ride and function but would be embarrassed to be seen on one. Sorry.
Embarassed, why? Are you really that sensitive to what others think? And who are you apologizing to? If it’s anyone other than yourself, can assure you no one is concerned with you.
I’m warming up to it. The weight really isn’t bad for a big ADV bike, and kudos for the weight loss. It’s pretty attractive minus the very front fairing, but so are all of them at this point. I think they should have gone shaft drive on the 1000 and let the 650 be chain but oh well. Still, I think I’d spend $1000 more to get the Triumph 800 which is plenty powerful and lighter. Suzuki needs to come up with some new engine options, they can’t live on 2 V-twins forever. I think it will be a great all around bike, but doesn’t really make me want to buy it. But at the same time, I can see how many people will settle on it as the right mix of price and capabilities, in the same way I might end up settling on an NC700x despite not exactly being my perfect bike.
I for one am glad they have kept the V twins. They are wonderful engines, probably in the top 10 ever to go in to a production motorcycle (the 650 at least). They are a cheap, reliable and reasonably efficient alternative to the Ducati or Honda twins. They enable a nice narrow bike and produce more usable torque than a comparable 4 cyl bike. If they fixed the clutch basket on the new 1000, it will be even better. As for the 650 twins, Kawasaki tried and failed to make their parallel twin compete with the Suzuki mill. The numbers and every review I have ever seen agree. Too bad they screwed the pooch with the design of the SFV650 and killed one of the best middleweight bikes ever produced.
I test rode a Super Tenere this spring. Rode my DL1000 to the dealership. The Tenere was vary noticeably better for many things, but the engine power was not one of them. After the test ride and getting back on the Strom, it felt like a rocket ship. This was with the electronics on the Tenere set for max throttle response. The Tenere is a wonderful bike, and I would like to own one, but the engine is only average I would say.
I think there are plenty of alternative engines in other brands to suit anyone’s needs. Hopefully Kawi will bring the Versys 1K for those who would prefer a 4cyl
I am disappointed that it does not have cruise control as discussed when it first appeared on various websites. After just going 7200 miles I do not think I would buy a bike without it at my age…66. I have tried all the various “dodads” and nothing works like factory cruise….like my BMW GT had.
As far as “ugly” goes…this bike looks like most stuff coming out now.
Everyone factory should make their version of a BMW, oh wait, everyone already does. Carry on.
It looks versatile and capable. I’m glad it’s weird and ugly. One of these days, somebody — probably somebody Italian — is going to figure out how to make a good-looking bike that doesn’t look like an old British bike or like a Harley. It’s already happened once, with the original Ducati Monster. This one is closer than the original V-strom.
Agreed.
I like it and might be trading up from my do-everything, tricked-out Versys.
Really, you dudes think that a beak hasn’t been wind tunnel tested?
This bike is being tested by the people from “Duck Dynasty”. This is the only bike that doesn’t scare the ducks away.
Frickin’ hilarious dude!
Having owned 3 V-Stroms and put over 200K on them, I’m a huge fan. This looks like a step in the right direction. Lighter is good. I’m sorry to see the tank get 2 liters smaller (though the write up says .2 gallons, the brochure says 20 liters vs. the old 22 liters if I recall), but traction control and abs are good things. The single side exhaust is going to make luggage space more precious, but there will be work arounds. Let’s hear a price Suzuki! The nice thing about the old one is you could get them for $8,500.00.
23 liters on the old one I believe.
Looks like woody woodpecker to me; especially in the red. Interested to see the reviews from the field
IMO, this is a nice bike, and depending on the cost maybe a bargain. It’s not the Mulistrada, and I am sure it won’t cost $20K +. Suzuki seems to be incrementally improving their line up across the board and we the consumers are the beneficiaries.
The bike looks better than the Kawa Versys – possibly the ugliest bike ever built. For those hating on the beak, it could be worse. Take one look at the front end of the Versys – yikes. That’s how this bike might look like without the beak.
Thank God for the beak.
re: “the Kawa Versys – possibly the ugliest bike ever built”
dueling for dubious honors with the defunct R12ST.
Boy, you guys are a tough crowd. not wrong, just tough.
FWIW, I’ll vote for the R1200ST. It was so ugly I just kept thinking “Who signed off on this? Somebody had to approve this thing, how did it happen?”.
Goose
I like the 2010+ Versys, though I admit something just wasn’t right about the original. The R12ST? Yes, hideous. This Zook? A bit of an ugly duckling, but not bad.
My vote for ugliest bike goes to the Road Glide Ultra, though, with a Buell S3 Thunderbolt as a close runner up. The former looks like some kind of clown school art project, and the latter looks like it has been shat from the arse-end of some extinct beast.
Love It!
Seems like the bike to finally replace my 05′ Wee. I like the looks and the hated beak gives the front some character instead of a flat face. Everything I want is on this thing with the exception of cruise control. Well – looks like Kaoko will get my business again….
Great Job SUZUKI!
re: “the hated beak gives the front some character.”
the hated beak will cause Wile E. Coyote to give chase…!!! 🙂
re: “Suzuki is going for the “sweet spot” in terms of engine displacement and size.”
breaking news, in this hotly contested segment, 1200cc’s IS the sweet spot (read, these bikes are heavy). engine displacement isn’t going make this bike physically any bigger or smaller, alls it’d do is give it competitive power/weight in the real world.
re: “With a claimed wet weight of 501 pounds, considering the large 5.3 gallon gas tank, the big V-Strom will be quite light for a large displacement adventure tourer”
an empty stat unfortunately once intended use is factored in. and as if to make my point, the very first pic fresh from the marketing department shows passenger, top case and side bags (bursting at the seams no doubt), lower cowl, hand guards, etc.
what’s saving 18 pounds…? when the end game is routinely “saddling up the horse” with +225…? when your “donk” has only got 100 horsepower (comma), that isn’t just a zero-sum game, that’s a NEGATIVE-SUM game.
I’m not sure what your point is? That luggage makes it heavier, or that 100 hp isn’t enough? They don’t even mention the output, but that’s around where the old one was (I think 96 hp is what I usually saw on dyno results). 100 hp is around where the BMW is (at the rear wheel). I don’t need more horsepower, I need less weight.
Agreed.
At 501 pounds 100 HP should be plenty for most mortals.
so long as said “mortal” is short in both wallet, stature (150lbs), and pillion…? his or her ship has come in…! if the price point is right, nothing wrong with making a conscious decision to pay for “less”, and then receiving it.
re: “I’m not sure what your point is?”
exactly.
re: “That luggage makes it heavier, or that 100 hp isn’t enough?”
yes and yes.
re: “I don’t need more horsepower, I need less weight.”
you need nutri-system for men. ’cause if less weight is what you seek…? you’re not going to find it here.
I disagree. My guess is buyers in this market aren’t super concerned with class leading power to weight. 100 hp from a 500lb bike is totally acceptable. That’s better than a VFR800.. or 50% more power than a weestrom and only 5% heavier. In fact I’d give up the new +10hp for another -18lbs if it were my choice.
re: “My guess is buyers in this market aren’t super concerned with class leading power to weight.”
as you say… you’re guessing.
re: “In fact I’d give up the new +10hp for another -18lbs if it were my choice.”
minority report. if only you were in a position to altruistically reward Suzuki’s efforts by buying up the entire production run…? if only.
A GS for those who can’t afford a GS. Nice improvements here and there compared to the old model, but it’s still needlessly long and unwieldy, and somehow they made it even uglier.
Who was the blind cretin that ushered in the Age of the Beak, anyway? Dude needs to be handed a spatula and made to work the graveyard shift at Waffle Barn for the rest of his life.
Suzuki invented “the Beak” on their rally bikes back in the early 90’s………………if anyone has the right to use, or abuse, “the beak” it has to be Suzuki.
Self cancelling turn signals and cruze control. They could have done it. Suzuki knows how. My 1983 GS1100 has great SCTSs. It isn’t rocket science.
nice, but i’d get some other panniers.
Again, not seeing anything that makes me want to sell my Tiger 1050. The Tiger is very similar, certainly not ugly and highly functional in all the same areas. I even do a little dirt when the route calls for it, but not trails. LOVE the Triumph Triple in any bike.
I had a DL1000 and it was a good bike, but not great. This edition looks improved, but still nothing out of the park.
The panniers are the perfect shape and size to hold a… an… um… Hmm.
As a current V-Strom owner, I’m glad to see they finally fixed the F-ing clutch and alternator! I like having a power outlet on the dash so I don’t have to wire one in. ABS and TC? Sure, why not. However the itty bitty bags aren’t going to put Givi out of business anytime soon, and who thought it was a great idea to make the tank SMALLER on an adventure/touring bike?
Yes it’s ugly. Hit it again with the ugly stick Suzuki! It just means that giving the choice, some weasel is going to steal your GSXR or bloated blinged out moving chicane/speed bump cruiser and not give a second glance to my dirty adventure bike.
re: “As a current V-Strom owner, I’m glad to see they finally fixed the F-ing clutch and alternator!”
t’was the dough saving solution.
re: “Yes it’s ugly.”
let’s face, there isn’t a looker out of all the kit in this category. “utilitarian” is the new swimsuit cover for sport’s illustrated.
Looks much improved but with that low mounted oil filter I don’t see this being a real off roader. Almost like a slightly more dirt biased Versys. I’m very happy to see they are sticking with the V-twin engine design. I’ve always thought there was a lack of Japanese v-twins in the US market. So for the more-off-roading-larger-bikes we have the BMW GS, Tiger Explorer, and Super Tenere. For the less-off-roading-large-bikes we have this new V-strom, Multistrada, and regular Tiger Explorer. Glad to see so many choices in the US. Now, I hope we start to see these same type of bikes with smaller displacement engines (857cc Yamaha triple??).
Triumph already makes two 800s in this category, both very good bikes. The BMW 800 and even the 700 are great all around bikes that get around 60 mpg, handle well and are very comfortable for touring. None of the above are lacking in power, but the V-Strom definitely will provide more if you ride mostly 2-up. Lots of choices for adventure riders.
Most aftermarket skid plates for the V-Strom take care of the oil filter vulnerability. I rode the Alcan 5000, several AMA dual sport events, the Magruder corridor twice, etc. etc. and never damaged my oil filter. It is in a silly place admittedly, but one you put a piece of steel under and in front of it all is well.
Please knock it out of the park with cruise control!
Has anyone actually ridden a Suzuki with one of these god forsaken motors? Suzuki must have spent a lot of money developing the TL1000 engine to keep foisting it upon us. No soul, weird vibration, spotty reliability (I’ve rebuilt a few top ends with completely burnt exhaust valves) and every bike I’ve ridden with this engine sounds like its going to blowup around three to four thousand RPM. Buy two used wee Stroms and teach you passenger to ride you will be much happier!
I put 140K on one and never even had to replace the clutch disc. Your experience is totally different than mine, no vibration to speak of, dead solid reliability, and an incredibly flexible bike. Weird.
Actually, ifyou look at it from any angle except the front, it’s pretty attractive and functional looking. It’s the foolish beak and overdone “Ivanna B Anadventurebike” styling that ruins it. But I’m sure tons of people will buy it for that look, in the same way people buy SUVs instead of station wagons, even though they’re the same thing.
It looks bigger than it really is for its engine size, especially around the gas tank area. I like it overall except the beak. What kind of bird does it want to imitate?
http://www.roastbrief.com.mx/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Angry-BirdsJPG.jpg
gotta admit, that’s prolly the best reference going right now. LOL
I can only wish that there would be a new SV1000S with this updated engine and clean looking aluminum spar frame. With a Single Sided Swingarm, please.
But that probably won’t happen. It would be too logical for a road bike not to look like an over-stuffed, too heavy to recover, faux-trailie.
If you can handle the looks probably a great bike. On the plus side, from the rider’s POV it seems to look clean and very modern, that is what you see when you are riding. And it looks like Suzuki finally addressed their failure prone “constant output” alternator design.
Sort of moot for me, my nearest Suzuki dealer is over 100 miles from my house.
It is really a shame Suzuki can’t swallow their pride and bring in an outside stylist. They seen to have great engineers but absolutely no styling talent. The only Suzuki I can remember called beautiful was the Katana, designed by a German named Hans Muth.
Goose
PS and I’ve really liked the chain/ gear cam drive on the big ‘Zuke V-Twins since friend bought a then brand new TL1000 a long time ago. A really cool design.
Goose
Remember the original GSXR’s in the 80’s? Some of the best styled sport bikes ever built. They practically created the sportbike segment.
It’s not about pride. Suzuki can style better if they want. They just don’t want to. They figure they can still sell enough bikes even if they are ugly.
Jake,
So you think the director of marketing went to the Suzuki board of directors and said “We could sell 150,000 units but we’re going to make the bike ugly so we’ll only sell 75,000 units”? That could explain al the problems Suzuki has been having.
Goose
Something like it. The BMW GS has become an iconic brand similar to Harleys in the motorcycling world, and similar to the metric cruiser offerings, the Japanese are choosing not to challenge too directly the icon defining bikes.
With the advantages the Big 4 have in engineering, cost structure, financial might, and marketing, imagine what would happen if the Japanese actually decided to style their bikes on par with or better than the European brands and Harleys.
The Big 4 want these more exotic brands to exist, for them to have their place in the world, so they deliberately limit themselves in certain ways to avoid competing with them too directly.
I think the styling of Japanese bikes is as much a reflection of their culture as any other make and has nothing to do with tempering their competitive offerings so the “exotics” can exist. With the exotic brands gone, the Big 4 would have a bigger and better place in the world. Market share lines are a battleground, not a cozy home.
While the new Strom is certainly not intended to go head to head with the GS, the bike they are offering is, in their minds, the best possible shot at the niche they are aiming for. They are not holding back anything… for better or worse.
So you are saying, as a matter of culture, the Japanese, more specifically Japanese multinational corporations, are unable to style their bikes as adequately as a European or an American one – it’s a silly notion, but then that’s what they want you to think.
It’s too obvious, from the ridiculous tank seams on a bike like the Bolt, to the use of plastic and rounded, feminine styling on their metric cruisers, to this ugly rendition of the GS. Even the choice of a different color scheme on the new V-Strom would make a world of difference.
Any world corporation can style their products on par with any other. It’s just a matter of desire. If somehow culturally they are deficient in this respect, then they can just spend a little dough and go and hire someone outside of their culture to do it. It’s all about money and sales after all, if that’s what they are really aiming for.
I think “adequate styling” is a subjective matter. BMW makes precious few bikes that anyone would call beautiful, but we are not talking about a German inability to style bikes adequately. I can’t argue with the popularity of Harley Davidsons, but most of them look pretty goofy to me. Don’t even get me started on how adequately styled Buells are.
However, I think we are defining styling differently – to the point that we are talking about completely different things. (Maybe my definition would be more accurately represented by the word “design”?) Tank seams, plastic trim pieces vs. polished metal ones, etc. don’t really fall under my definition of styling. Putting a seamless tank on a Bolt does not change the overall styling of the bike by my definition, but a tank with a different shape would.
So if I am seeing your point more clearly now – yes, I agree that Japan could very well “touch up” their bikes to the same degree as anyone else. I still disagree with the premise that the Big 4 want these other premium competitors to exist in order to help define their place. They made their final trim decisions based on what they figured would gain the most market share, which I think is what you are saying. And I still contend that the V-Strom looks like this because enough people at Suzuki looked at this bike and saw a thing of beauty.
This is no forum to argue a point like this, so I will just let the matter rest…right after this one last response:
“And I still contend that the V-Strom looks like this because enough people at Suzuki looked at this bike and saw a thing of beauty.”
If your view rests on this contention, then I think most here would consider you to be on the losing side of the argument. Yea, and the very same people would have “Shallow Hal” disease and think Roseanne Barr is the epitome of beauty for a female. Don’t make me laugh.
The Japanese might have their unfathomable eccentricities, small squinty eyes, and may eat too much raw fish and drink too much saki, but to say they are so weird as to mistake this Frankenstein creation of theirs to be beautiful – that’s just too much to ask a rational mind to believe.
Common sense should tell you otherwise.
re: “Sort of moot for me, my nearest Suzuki dealer is over 100 miles from my house.”
now here’s a phrase you don’t hear every day. who nearby had their Christmas cancelled…? their franchise pulled…?
Norm,
In 2006 we several shops and a great variety of brands in my area, CanAm to Vespa. All but the Harley shop went out of business during the great recession.
The good news a Harley shop a little outside this area took on Kawasaki, Honda and Triumph. Even better, the same people just opened a Yamaha/ Cagiva/ Moto Guzzi shop only about 15 miles from my house. Taking to a slightly out of area Yamaha shop and the manager of the Harley shop that added the brands I get the feeling nobody is interested in picking up Suzuki, too many problems.
Goose
re: “bring in an outside stylist”
rhinoplasticioner and it’s all set.
You liked the Hand Muth designed Katana? I hated it. I much preferred the GS1000S. Different strokes!
Actually, I never liked the Katana but lots of other people seems to think it was fantastic. I liked Mr. Muth’s R100RS and R65LS much more.
Everybody’s got an opinion on styling. Regarding the early GSXRs, I was never a big fan but lots of other people were so I’ll call them an exception to the ugly Suzukis pattern.
Goose
I remember the first Katana 600 I ever saw, all red (including the seat) with gold wheels. At the time I thought it was stunning. But few other Suzukis before or after have impressed me with their styling.
“Imitation ist das sincerest form of flattery, ya?”
I would never take this off pavement, so I’m not sure what makes it that useful to anyone except as an ugly sport tourer.
Why not?
At my age, getting anything up, ain’t easy, especially a bike that weighs 500+ equipment pounds. If you take it off road, eventually she’ll tip over.
Especially on those fire trails in Utah, or so I hear;)
Needlessly large. And it wouldn’t be that fun. And laying it down even at low speed would be horribly expensive.
It would be no more expensive to drop than any other bike of that price. So you’ve no point made there at all.
These bikes are much better balanced and more easily manoeuvrable at low speeds, which reduces the likelyhood of low speed tumbles and also helps with travels off the beaten track, logically.
People who slate the off road abilities of the bikes in this sector don’t know what they are talking about. You can change tyres with a different on/off road bias and get to pretty much anywhere. The limiting factor is the rider, not the bike. Same as race reps.
OK, so get the 650 version instead.
Even more porky for its size, being only 25lbs less.
Eh, will probably go for a CB500x and see if I can get its weight down and suspension up. Or screw it and get a regular sport tourer used and a KLX.
re: “Needlessly large.”
translation: Road Holding.
Exactly, no need to worry about the road blowing away with this thing sitting on it ;^)
Got beak?
it is the 2014 Goose-zuki. Honk!
That khaki version is strangely…attractive, compelling, even. Isn’t there a Europe-only Yamaha this color; the MT-0-something? I had a ’79 BMW R65 whose color was called “champagne”, and everyone said it was so ugly, but I loved it. This is flatter, more liquid-looking…pale mocha non-dairy creamer. Mmmmmm,(drool)…
re: “Isn’t there a Europe-only Yamaha this color”
BMW F8GSA.
It’s me or a motorcycle with side engine guards shouldn’t include something to protect the lower part of the motor? Maybe it’s not that much targeted to the dirt roads…
That’s what the optional belly pan is for.
If the bike came in red, that light/fender combo would make it look like Woody Woodpecker. Someone at Suzuki needs to be fired.
It’s not as fugly as the new GS, so it’s got that going for it. I actually like it…well equipped, well integrated. Looking forward to seeing one in person.
I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There seems to be a number of people who like it, and many others who hate it. I vote seriously ugly. No adventure tourer is particularly attractive (the Triumph Tiger 800 is probably my favorite of the breed, at least in terms of looks) but I don’t mind the GS…this one is at a new level on the ugly factor scale to me, but to each his own. This breed is about utility so it will be interesting to see the reviews.
I’ve ridden the new liquid cooled GS…freakin’ awesome. The Tiger 1200, pretty good but the suspension and balance were not up to the GS standard. The Super Tenere…nice suspension and balance, but the motor was a dog relative to the GS and the Tiger. The GS is tough to beat, of course you pay for the awesomeness. The new KTM looks jewel like. I have a feeling it will be a legitimate challenger for the GS. If Suzuki can get close, at a great price, there will be a market, ugly or not.
Will there be a Wee-Strom version of this. I’d buy a Wee-Strom like this right now if there was. I sure hope Suzi makes a Wee-Strom based on this a Wee-Strom would be awesome I love me some Wee-Strom. Just don’t make it quite as fugly as this bike. A little less fugly would be great. Don’t hit it with the fugly stick quite as much. They need to fire the guy that designed this fugly thing. If they could just dial back the fugly a little I’d be all over it. And price it similarly to a DR6/XR6/KLX6.
So let me get this straight: you want a minimally-fugly Wee-Strom.
At 1137cc wouldn’t that make it a “WHEEE!” Strom? Sorry. Had to.
It’s so ugly it has a certain kind of charm to it, a slight cool factor. Ugly as hell but I’d buy it. The kind of bike I’m looking for.
Refined development is very evident in this design. The motor was always a gem, now they’ve tweaked it with more power and hopefully low speed fueling. The styling will bring out the haters but they are into image and not aerodynamic function. The chain drive is the most efficient and it’s a way to get us old dogs down on the ground doing a bit of upkeep. Cast wheels don’t need cleaning as much as spokes but I guess they don’t have the “Look” like spokes. I like it, it even has a fender extender! Lite them up Boys, it’ll be fun to read what’s coming down the pipe!
Ha. That looks pretty cool! Much nicer than the current V-Strom.
Looks like a nice ride.
But the headlight/windshield/beak assembly looks a lot like an old cartoon character: Woody Woodpecker.
Looks a lot better than the old model. I like it.
The FZ-09 doesn’t look so ugly now.
That’s funny….made me snicker.