I have always been fascinated by the genre of adventure motorcycles (fondly called ADVs). Hence, when I decided to buy one, my choices were limited to the Kawasaki Versys 650 and the Suzuki V-Strom 650XT. Given the overall package, I decided to choose the V-twin, and since then, living with the Suzuki V-Strom 650XT has been a wonderful experience for me.
It has been six years with this Jap, and I am impressed by its versatility. Having ridden it across India through all kinds of terrains and even on a racetrack, I can confidently say that Suzuki did a fantastic job of honing this adventure tourer. But, as every greedy human, I am craving for an upgrade. Having owned the 650XT, could the new Suzuki V-Strom 800DE be that choice? Should one choose this over its rival, the Honda Transalp 750? I am here to decode exactly that.
Design-wise, Suzuki has done a complete overhaul. As it is a generation change and not a mere facelift, you won’t find any common ground between the V-Strom 800DE and the 650XT whatsoever. The front gets a stacked dual-pod headlamp design with LED lights. The forks now get a golden finish, which gives the motorcycle a bit of a premium look. Compared to the 650XT, the 800DE gets a shorter windscreen which results in wind buffeting at higher speeds. The windscreen can be adjusted manually, but even in its highest setting, wind buffeting remains an issue.
The side profile is pretty minimalistic, with the shroud panel extending to the front beak. At the bottom, you get a fibre guard as a sump protector, which definitely won’t serve its purpose if you are planning to hit rocky trails. The rear end also follows a minimalistic approach with an LED tail lamp and LED turn indicators.
Along with the design, Suzuki has also made extensive updates in the equipment and features department. The 800DE gets fully adjustable front suspension. You can adjust the rebound damping and preload from the top and compression at the bottom of the forks. The rear monoshock is completely adjustable as well and also gets a remote preload adjuster. This has been a major addition to the 800DE. While I have been riding with the non-adjustable telescopic forks on the 650XT, it was quite fun and refreshing manhandling the 800DE on the trails.
The seat height has been increased to 855mm compared to 835mm on the 650XT. So, people shorter than six feet will find themselves tip-toeing a bit. The 800DE has put on some weight compared to the 650XT. It weighs 232kg compared to the 650XT’s 216kg kerb weight. Even after the increase in weight, the 800DE feels lighter to manoeuvre than the latter, thanks to the improved center of gravity and overall ergonomics.
Keeping with the global market standards, Suzuki has slapped in a colour TFT display. It is neatly designed with crucial information placed right in front of your eyesight, and you do not need to toggle between the options. The 800DE gets three levels of traction control, two levels of ABS, and engine power modes, whereas the 650XT gets only two levels of traction control and no modes for ABS or engine power. I must say, this is a fantastic leap of engineering taken by Suzuki as far as the V-Strom nameplate is concerned.
With 21-inch front and 17-inch rear wheel sizes, the 800DE proves its identity as an Adventure Sports motorcycle rather than an Adventure Tourer, the latter being more apt for the 650XT. It is kind of disappointing, though, that the 800DE does not get tubeless tyres, whereas the 650XT gets tubeless spoked wheels. Having travelled across India on the 650XT, the tubeless tyres were a great advantage to have in case of punctures. Overall, the 800DE has made a great leap in the features department and is at par with the competition.
Now, addressing the elephant in the room, the engine. Suzuki has plonked in a parallel twin in the 800DE as opposed to the much-adored V-twin in the 650XT. This V-twin was a powerhouse on the DL650, one of the most reliable ADVs from the brand, and Suzuki’s decision to shift from this to a new parallel-twin has been a surprising move for loyalists like me.
The engine churns out 83PS and 78Nm, but it lacks grunt lower in the rev band, which the 650XT offers loads of. The power delivery is very linear, and that makes it less engaging. The power kicks in later in the mid-range, and thus I remained unsatiated on venturing off-road. The missing low-down grunt forces you to constantly stay at the higher revs, thus compromising the ease of navigating through obstacles, especially when you want to change lines spontaneously on a trail.
The engine shines, though, once you are on the highways. It gives you that sombre feeling every time you twist that throttle. There is no sense of aggression or urgency, which is perfect when you are globe-trotting. This trait also helps make the V-Strom 800DE an easy-to-ride motorcycle.
Handling has always been Suzuki’s strong suit, be it a sports bike, sports-naked, or an ADV motorcycle. The same applies to the 800DE. The on-road handling is pretty impressive, as it made me forget that I was riding with the 21-inch front/17-inch rear wheel combination, instead of the 19/17 configuration that I am used to on the 650XT. The handling experience is further enhanced by the fantastic ergonomics. In fact, the ergonomics are better than the 650XT.
The wide handlebar, a tall stance, and a grippy tank shape make it easy to manoeuvre this 232kg ADV through traffic. The off-road handling has also improved significantly. The ergonomics enable you to stand up comfortably, even in an aggressive stance for a longer duration. I quite liked the posture that the 800DE offered compared to the 650XT, where I had to always slouch in an inefficient way. This is definitely a big improvement in the 800DE.
So, to answer the million-dollar question: Is this the upgrade that I am seeking after owning the V-Strom 650 XT for six years? To put it bluntly, the answer is no. Though the 800DE packs in a lot of ammo, it is more of an upgrade to its own lineage rather than being one for the owner of a 650XT. With the 800DE, it feels like Suzuki has upgraded the 650XT, which was effectively an Adventure Tourer, to an Adventure Sports motorcycle.
The V-Strom 800DE, however, is a fantastic upgrade for those coming from quarter-litre ADV motorcycles. Priced at ₹10.30 lakh, the 800DE offers a great assortment of features and equipment, but I feel the Honda Transalp 750 is a more apt upgrade as it provides better performance for a premium of just ₹70,000. Simply put, the Transalp will keep you happy on the road, while the 800DE will keep you happy off it.
