V-Strom: Old Vs New

This entry is part 8 of 17 in the series Adventure Rider Issue #43

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Adventure Rider Magazine was lucky enough to ride the new V-Strom 1050 alongside The Boss’ 2019 1000XT. A quick, non-scientific, head-to-head comparison was inevitable.

Suzuki’s all-conquering all-rounder first came on the scene as a 996cc, 90-dgree V-twin in 2002. It was offered as a ‘sports tourer’ and used the liquid-cooled, four-stroke, DOHC, four-valve engine from the hoo-aah TL1000 sports bike, but with revised low- and medium-speed throttle response. The donk was installed in a lightweight, aluminium twin-spar frame which also supported a bikini fairing.

‘DL1000’ was the original model designation, and the V-Strom name, Suzuki says, combined the ‘V’ from the V-twin engine with ‘Strom’, short for ‘a stream of storm’.

The DL1000 did well for Suzuki around the world, and in 2004 a 645cc DL650 joined the stable and it too proceeded to take the world by a stream of storm.

For no reason we can explain, the 650 ’Strom caught on with Aussies in a much bigger way than the 1000.

Anyhoo, it’s the 1000/1050 we’re looking at here.

The DL1000 was redesigned in 2014 and ended up with a bigger engine capacity, an updated ECU, traction control, and the front-guard beak Suzuki had used on earlier off-roaders like the DR BIG. The model diddley-bopped along, quietly winning a big and well-deserved following as a bike which did lots of things really well without being a specialist in any particular area, and of course it offered sensational value.

In 2018 things took a bit of a leap forward for adventure riders with the introduction of the XT model. The big giveaway when spotting an XT is the spoked wheels, but there’s also a bash-plate, tubeless rims, and the pipe was a little lower to allow panniers a closer fit.

A 2019 1000XT is the bike you see here alongside the 2020 1050XT.

The 1050 is definitely a step up from the 1000XT, but the older model is still an extremely capable adventure mount.
Where it all started. The 2002 DL1000.

New

We went through the upgrades to the 2020 model last issue, but one we didn’t mention was designation. The bike is now officially the ‘V-STROM 1050XT’, all in capital letters. Suzuki has been under-standing in allowing us to just call it a ’Strom or a ‘V-Strom’, so that’s what we’ll continue to do.

The 2020 bike looks a little more angular and has a couple of obvious differences to the previous model. The screen’s adjustable, the LCD instrument panel is an amazing palette of information,and, biggest of all, a new six-direction, three-axis IMU offers amazing ABS, a hill-control system, and ‘slope-dependent’ and ‘load-dependent’ control systems. Cruise control has been added – it was sorely missed on the previous model – and an easy-to-use, OEM luggage system is available.

The new bike is great, and we had a ball riding it.

But how much better is it than the previous model?

Both the 1000XT and 1050XT are great adventure-ready dualsporters.

Not fair

Before all the keyboard warriors start wailing in on us, we totally accept there’s nothing scientific or controlled about our upcoming observations. We were blatting about willy-nilly on the 1050 and having a great time when The Boss showed up on his 2019 model.

As if we weren’t going to swap around a little and make comparisons.

The Boss’ bike is fairly personalised while the 1050 was bog-stock, and the older bike was loaded with luggage while the new bike was unburdened. Also, Suzuki fitted up the 1050 with Pirelli Scorpion STRs in place of the standard Bridgestone Battlax rubber – because we’re so hard-core and every-thing – and The Boss’ bike had knobbies front and rear.

In a lot of ways the two bikes were very similar, but there were couple of immediately noticeable differences.

Still the same

Probably the most overwhelming impression from riding the two bikes back-to-back was the 2019 model being a frigging great bike. It’s very comfortable, the motor and handling are sweet as, and it doesn’t give much away to the new bike as an adventure tourer. Even if we did think the new bike was the better performer, it could easily have been because the 1050 was new while the 1000 had had some use.

The seating position, allowing for the 1000 having a tankbag, luggage and having been set up for The Boss’ fairly lofty tallness, felt very similar, and considering the load there wasn’t much to pick between the handling and suspension of the two bikes.

So that was all good.

We reckoned the 1050 had stronger low-down torque. As we mentioned in issue #42, the tech material Suzuki supplied with the 1050, which had a little room for interpretation, suggested that wasn’t the case. It wasn’t a huge difference, but it was one aspect of new-versus-old which all riders noticed and commented on.

An update to the right-hand switchblock accommodates the cruise control on/off button and a new rocker switch for ignition and starter button, as well as a switch for the hazard lights. It does look a bit more modern than the older model.

The big step forward

Undoubtedly the biggest difference between the 2019 model and the 2020 V-Stroms is the electronics, and it’s interesting that such a big difference only shows in subtle ways.

The new bike is absolutely streets in front of the previous model in terms of electronic rider aids, and those things really only show when they intervene.

If the 1050 was never pushed to dangerous braking, poor throttle control or insane cornering, the electronics wouldn’t get to show their stuff. Owners might be left thinking they may as well have an older bike.

Don’t get us wrong. There are some substantial updates on the new bike, and as far as we’re concerned they’re al good, but riding the bikes head-to-head doesn’t make the rider go, “Geez, this Euro-5 compliance is the go, eh?” or “Crikey.

Does that LCD instrument panel give some snort, or what!”

The left-hand switchblock looks the same, but the grey rocker now adjusts the cruise-control speed as well as scrolling through the modes.

Naturally the cruise control is a big, obvious plus as soon the new bike hits the freeway, and the hill-hold control is nice for the once-in-a-while occasion where it comes into play, but their absence isn’t a huge down-fall on the older model. For the overwhelming majority of the time both old and new fulfil their intended purpose beautifully.

But when things do get a little wriggly the new bike shines. Cornering ABS is a big safety asset, and the IMU watching out for a careless, tired or unwary rider gives the new bike a considerable advantage when it’s most needed.

Cosmetic stuff like an adjustable screen and a speccy instrument panel are nice, and the new bike just looks plain sharp. But again, that didn’t make us feel the older bike was at any disadvantage when measuring the pleasure of riding.

The new LCD display marks a big change from the previous model.

Not much in it

So there it is. The 1050XT is undoubtedly a step up from the 1000XT, but whether or not it’s a huge step will depend a little on your view of things. For us cruise control is enough to sway our decision. We’d opt for the 1050XT every time. The electronics would be a bonus and we’d be glad to have them, but not so much we’d offload what we feel is a great bike – the 1000XT – before its time. Some riders don’t like a lot of electronics, but even then, the intervention from the 1050 systems is so smooth it’s sometimes hard to pick, and when they do step in it’s usually to save the rider’s bacon, so we can’t see how that could be a problem for anyone.

But would we bust a gut to change over the 1000XT for the 1050XT?

No. We definitely wouldn’t. The 1000XT is still a great bike.

When the time came for an upgrade we’d be slapping the cash on the counter for the 1050XT with a big smile and plenty of excitement. But until the upgrade is due, the 1000XT is still a fantastic adventure tourer.

Not your average 650

Seeing as we’re doing a totally uncontrolled and unfair comparison, we’ll cast a weather eye over a ring-in: Pottsy’s 2012 650.

Matthew ‘Pottsy’ Potts has filled a few pages of the magazine in the past for things like the build of his DR650 in issue #12 and for making an amazing transformation to our work KLR.

Nowadays Pottsy’s punting around a 650 ’Strom, and naturally it came along on the 1050 shoot. While there shouldn’t really be any comparison between the 1050 and an older 650, Pottsy’s bike is a bit special – like Pottsy, really.

Some obvious changes include an Akro and Givi crash bars, pannier racks, top-box rack and tank bag. Less obvious are a braided front brake line, heavier fork springs and Teknic T-valves, a raised front guard to accommodate a knobby, a heavier Eibach shock spring, a Power Commander, Scott’s oiler, Pro Grip pillow-top grips, a Puig screen (which is taller than standard) and Pirelli Scorpion STRs front and rear.

The rear of the bike has been raised 20mm courtesy of a dog-bone link and the seat has been customised by Sunshine Coast Seats to change the shape and raise the seat height by 20mm.

The bike is a scorcher. It’s a dead-set competitor for its 1000cc bigger sisters in getting power to the ground and holding a tight line, and it’s an absolute hoot to ride on – or off-road. We’ve chased Pottsy around some good rides and can tell you he doesn’t spare the bike a thing on a tough off-road section.

The bike has no real relevance to the 1050, but it was so horn to ride we wanted to show it to you.

The 1050’s nod to bikes like the DR BIG is obvious.