Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE: Evolution of the Beak

What It Is Not

If you are looking for a motorcycle sporting every conceivable accessory, wings and ride height devices, then you are looking in the wrong place.

There is sophisticated simplicity to a V-Strom. You get everything you will use daily, and none of the gimmicks and bling. Useful stuff such as fully adjustable suspension and the 6-Axis IMU are included, and Suzuki has married this to their motion track brake system (cornering ABS) and traction control with gravel mode.

Cruise control comes as standard, as does the quick shifter, which needs 5,000 RPM plus to operate smoothly, yet is there when you need it.

The V-Strom 1050DE even comes with lower crash bars, an aluminium bash plate, handguards, and a centre stand, all as standard.

Ergonomics

To accommodate the 21-inch front and the longer forks, the swinging arm on the 1050DE is slightly longer than standard. Sitting in the car park, the bike has a definite presence, and with a 880mm seat height, it is towering over the other bikes.

At six feet tall and with a 31-inch inseam, I’m still stepping on the nearside foot rest to mount the 1050DE. I can do it without cheating, but this way is just easier.

The V-Strom’s seat is reasonably wide where it meets the tank, so flat footing on both sides isn’t possible. It is either the balls of my feet on both sides or one side flat-footed.

There is a 30mm lower seat option, reducing the seat to 850mm and matching that of a standard Africa Twin.

Yet none of this changes how the 1050DE feels once it is moving. The riding position – bars to footpegs to seat – remains almost identical to the road-based V-Strom, although the DE has slightly wider bars.

It is a comfortable place to spend a few hours with a commanding view of the road.

That Motor

Suzuki’s V-Twin power plant goes back to the late 1990s. It has been used in touring bikes and sports bikes. Kawasaki and Cagiva have used it under license. Originally a 996cc engine, with the 3^rd generation of the V-Strom, the engine went up to 1037cc and the 1050 series was born.

Peak power comes at 8,500 RPM (106 bhp) with peak torque at 6,000 RPM (74 lb-ft).

When it was first released, the engine quickly created itself a reputation for being bulletproof, partly because it was a slightly detuned version of the version found in the TL1000, which made 125 bhp. Add in years of continual refinement, and 80,000-plus-mile V-Strom engines are not uncommon.

Gearing

On this generation of V-Strom, the most significant change was to the gearing, with the rear sprocket going up by four teeth while the gearbox sprocket remained the same.

To accommodate the change, the first and sixth gears were changed, with sixth becoming a motorway mile muncher of a gear, and not something I found I used much on the twisting Welsh roads.

These changes make the V-Strom 1050DE much more sprightly and an encouraging ride. The surge coming off roundabouts and out of slower speed corners is noticeable, greatly easing the snap overtakes to put the cars and campervans in the rearview mirrors.

Perhaps that is why the mirrors are so well-positioned and deliver such a wide field of view … it is all so you can watch the traffic recede as you carry on unencumbered.

The Ride

If I hadn’t known the 1050DE had a 21-inch front wheel, I would never have thought about it. The bike turns quickly and absolutely rails around corners, holding the line I’ve chosen. It is a tall bike, and I’m sure a pocket rocket could turn underneath me, but it is still impressive in the corners. You will not be the last to the tea stop on Sunday morning.

The motor pushes definitively out of corners, and when I’m on the herbs, the quick shifter clicks up the gearbox cleanly. Downshifts are a little more industrial, and a lot of the time, I’m using the clutch to smooth things out.

The brakes are positive, and a linked brake system applies the rear progressively if I haul on the fronts with sufficient force.

Enjoying the sweeping and twisting Wales roads in third, fourth, and fifth was 300 miles of absolute pleasure. But the V-Strom has another trick up its sleeve … the road less travelled.

Getting Lost

Along with the delightful sweepers, mid-Wales has an abundance of narrow tracks zig-zagging the region, with perhaps the Cambrian Mountain National Park (the Devil’s Elbow) and the roads through the Elan Valley being the most well-known.

These roads are tarmac end to end and not difficult to ride, but add something extra to the day. The wind was whipping through the higher parts of the Elan Valley on the day I rode through, whereas, other than the two finicky corners of the Elbow, the second and third gear bumble through the National Park was a scenic delight.

The fully adjustable standard suspension coupled with the 21-inch front wheel does a cracking job of evening out the bumps, lumps and ruts in the roads, with second and third gears covering a wide range of speeds without ruining the countryside’s ambience by rev bombing.

Leaving Wales

All good things come to an end, and eventually, I needed to stop enjoying myself and return to reality.

Wales is a great place to visit, with the journey across the country taking between three and six hours, depending on how many motorway miles I am prepared to endure.

Having done every other type of road, I opted for the fastest, direct route home, which includes the A5, M54 and even part of the M6 Toll. Not my preferred route, but in the name of science, I needed to understand if motorway mile munching was part of the V-Strom 1050DE’s repertoire.

The DE screen is small compared to the rest of the bike, but it is the finishing touch on the aerodynamics. Sitting at an indicated 80MPH on cruise control, it was simply a case of letting the miles drift calmly by, and trying not to get annoyed at people sitting in the middle lane of the M6 toll.

Broken Roads

There is a road near our office that we use to test suspension. No one can remember the original road surface; it has been repaired that often.

Despite being a back road, it is used by trucks and articulated lorries that break up the road surface, and it then gets another patch. If you want to know how good (or not) the suspension is on a motorcycle, ride this road.

Taking this route to the office was as good as any, and gave me one last chance to try and find something the V-Strom couldn’t do. I failed.

It wasn’t a smooth ride, yet even when aiming for the worst parts, the V-Strom went where I pointed it, and the 21-inch wheel helped the suspension soak up the bumps. Impressive for stock suspension.

Where Can I Find …

The Rain

Other than the last 20 miles when returning the V-Strom to Suzuki, I was lucky to enjoy dry roads and sunshine. The addition of rain highlighted the difference between the profiles of a 19-inch and 21-inch tyre.

The feedback from a 19-inch tyre gives me greater confidence in the wet than the 21-inch tyre was delivering. This could be due to the made-in-China, OEM version of the Dunlop Trailmax Mixtour tyres the V-Strom was wearing. Or perhaps it is how 90/90-21 tyres feel when riding greasy town roads.

Bottom Line

You can’t talk about a V-Strom 1050DE without comparing it to an Africa Twin. It isn’t a case of which is better, as that will depend on your personal preferences. Parallel twin or V-twin? Honda or Suzuki? Even price doesn’t make any difference.

At face value, a 2025 Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin with a traditional gearbox, suspension and a 19-inch front wheel has a list price of £13,399. Add on the handguards, centre stand and lower engine bars to match the standard specification of the V-Strom and the Honda’s price rises to £14,028 compared to £13,999 for the Suzuki, with which you also get a 6-axis IMU and a quick shifter.

But if there is one defining factor, it would be that the V-Strom has character. The Africa Twin is an excellent motorcycle and perhaps very “Honda”, whereas the V-Strom will push you and evoke an emotion. Maybe that is why I’m such a fan.