[Closed] Anyone got a Suzuki V-strom 1050?

https://revtothelimit.co.uk/index.php

A few of the fellas here have owned them, don't think any of them do now.

Me, i'd go KTM 1090 Adv instead 🙂

I sat on one at the Manchester bike show last weekend and thought it was really comfortable. Infact, all the Suzukis I sat on were really comfortable. Maybe the best of everything I sat on.

I bought one in 2017. Not the xt. Loved it but swapped it last year for a gs ( always wanted one). I've ridden big adventure bikes for years. I loved it, not much worse than bmw but less toys. Plenty fast enough comfy and can cover ground quickly. I've a givi airflow screen in garage and a delkevic tri oval can if you do get one and want em

Yes but... no but...

Vstrom 650 here, so wasn't going to reply, but hey it's STW so just talk about what you have, ignore the question totally 😉

Incredibly comfy, I really like the riding position on the road, and it's capable on gravel. Definitely recommend swapping out the screen for a givi airflow.

I am a 5'6 slim 50 year old female, so went 650 as I was wary of the height and weight of the bike. But now also looking to move onto the 1050.

The 1050 is just shy of 250kgs so it would be a fairly heavy bike. I used to ride fj1300 and pan european at work, but its been nearly 10yrs since then.

Im looking to get something comfortable for some decent distance touring trips, and the V Strom seems to fit the bill without being too expensive or massively high.

A couple of riding friends have a 1050 V-Strom. Identical bikes bought at the same time from the same dealership. One has had no problems at all, the other has had continual problems with the gearbox for some reason... 🤷🏻‍♂️

I'm with weeksy though. Rather buy a KTM 1090 Adventure (much less to go wrong than on 1190's and 1290's) that was a couple of years older and in good condition... Or... If carrying pillion more often, then a 1200GS like I'm picking up tomorrow. The V-Strom is arguably a bit underpowered for such a big bike, especially if carrying a pillion and luggage at all.

I had the previous version (badged as 1000 but same cc).

I really liked it but then again, I’ve not much to compare it with.

I had the 650 before it (which I have a soft spot for, it’s the bike I really learned to ride on). I mostly used it on ride outs of 200-400 mile days across Scotland and around the highlands. Based on the never go above 90 (automatic ban territory) I found the 100bhp plenty (solo, top box only). Found the traction control (on first setting) did enough to counteract the odd ‘dirty’ road sections with an eager throttle... Like others I stuck on a Givi airflow (I demoed the bike with a high seat and on the motorway that put my head Bang in the turbulence zone which so bad I returned yo the shop to switch seats). I stuck an aftermarket end can (ti, natch) as that version had a reputation for low speed fuelling issues on stock. Sounded better too.

But I like v-twins, they suit my riding style (engine braking).

They are reasonably tall but that makes them comfy. I managed to pick mine up (despite a broken rib) after dropping it once but I guess that’s probably technique.

Back tyre was getting notch/squared around 4k (and that with a fair percentage of windy, twisty backroad use, very little dual/motorway.

Filtering was pretty easy too (bars are the widest).

I sold it as I don’t have anywhere to store it having moved (and it need a service/new tyres so would’ve need +£600 spent on it).

I do fancy another bike and keep an eye out on a few different bikes/types and keep coming back to v-strom. But I still don’t have anywhere to store it and not convinced I’d use it enough to justify the outlay

I really don’t get the GS thing though, they’re just tanks and when I was riding you’d see hunners of the full touratech catalogue outfitted squads, the ones with cans and shit strapped on the stuff strapped on the boxes... plus the purchase cost (to inc the ‘toys’) and their less than stellar reliability reputation. But, you know, hey ho.

Ive had one and much prefer my Tiger 1050, handles way better. Brakes and pretty much everything is above the Suzuki especially the finish and general quality of the controls.

I looked at the V-storms but went for a Tiger 800.
Wouldn't fancy anything heavier,too easy to get caught out on dodgy terrain.
Have had a few "Shit!,this is heavy" moments 😉

I had the 650 version and I'm now on a Versys 650 as I never gelled with the Vstrom. It was a very capable bike and did everything I asked of it.

However, if you're looking to move away from a sports bike due to flexibility issues you might want to consider something else. I love my Versys but due to age and dodgy joints I'm finding it increasingly hard to get my leg over the high seat I'm starting to think it might be time for a cruiser and I'd imagine the VStrom would have the same high seat issue.

My current daily ride is a versys 650, so i can get on ok. The position that hurts me is my Ducati 848, which feels like im climbing into a teapot. My hip angle means i get cramp amd end ip glad to get off at the fuel station!

I tried one 2 years ago, but bought a Tracer 900GT instead. The V-Strom was 3+ years behind the Tracer, no Cruise, lack of dash info etc. It has a nice engine though.
I sold the Tracer after 14 months and 8000 miles, I didnt really get on with it, and little things were annoying me about it. I swapped it for a BMW R1200RS, a little different styling, but a far superior bike. Weight is a LOT lower down, seat height is suitable for the short of leg, and it really does fly, and is quiet when doing it.
Another alternative is the BMW F800. They are overlooked a little,but they are a cracking bike, and can be had for really good prices. I prefer the ST, but if you want upright, the GS would suit. They are much better quality than the Suzuki, and around 40kg lighter.

Not ridden either so take with a healthy dose of salt but everything I’ve read points to the 650 being the better bike.

From my limited riding experience I’d not bother with the litre bikes unless you’re doing bigger motorway miles where the lower stress will be a benefit.

My 650 twin is more than fast enough for A&B roads (thirsty enough too ☹️)

Edit- just seen you’ve got a Versys 650 ignore all that then. Get a big 1000XR if you want something sporty and kind on the knees

I’ve had 160+ bikes and in recent years I’ve moved to adventure bikes as the knees have got worse. Currently an 1150GS as I don’t ride much but wanted a cheap bike. But prior 1090adv, s1000xr, tenere700, f800gs, Africa twin and a few more. All great, Africa twin best off road XR best in race track. The 1050 strom though does look good value and would be on my shortlist. However the 1090adv was a very good bike and well worth a look.

https://flic.kr/p/2gLgLeR

Mate of mine has one, he has owned lots of bikes over the years and says for him it’s one of the best bikes he’s ever owned. Fast comfortable and reliable

I really don’t get the GS thing though

Ride one...

Really...

I spent ages not getting them, taking the piss out of the owners who'd go for the full "Ewan & Charley" look for the once monthly 30 mile round trip to the local biker cafe...

Just like BMW cars (owner here too), they do suffer an image problem. Why? Well just as you've highlighted, many people buy them purely to pose with rather than to actually appreciate the capabilities of the machine. I've got a BMW M2, the facebook owners group (bear in mind these cars are still £30k+) is almost entirely people talking about arch gaps, styling tips and power figures, all the while shouting down anybody who dares to suggest a manual gearbox is more fun than the DCT... There's very few on there that actually bought their cars to appreciate the driving experience, most just bought them to pose in (often @ £500+ per month on a high APR% PCP!). Unfortunately, many (not all) GS owners are the same... The more rugged the bike looks, the more they think it will impress their peers, despite the fact the furthest off road it'll ever go is down a kerb outside the local pub.

These people totally miss the point...

Picked mine up this morning (wasn't ready yesterday sadly), been out for 160 miles on it already. It's just a really, really good road bike. They are heavy for sure, but because the weight is so low down, once you're moving at more than walking pace, the sensation of the weight disappears. At speed, the steering is really light and intuitive, yet the handling totally composed. They're not fast as such, but they're deceptively quick, the engine actually needs working a bit to get a hustle on (unlike a 1290 KTM which you could realistically never use more than 50% throttle on, and still leave anything else on the road for dead!) and feels more rewarding because of this. It's also a superb bike for back roads and lanes, broken singletrack roads etc. that you wouldn't want to take a dedicated road bike up out of choice. "On road singletrack" if you like... 😂

Here's mine...

It's 4 1/2 years old, and it cost me about the same price as a brand new V-Strom 1050 yeah... But it's only got 6500 miles on, came fully kitted (basically every conceivable extra including full vario luggage), brand new tyres, fresh MOT and service etc.

@mboy thats a very nice thing! I like it a lot!

Ian