Most of you will have noticed that the Suzuki 1050XT Tour I’m riding doesn’t have a top box. The top box is missing because it was either allocated to the press fleet or delivered to a customer. So naturally, the customer came first.
The metal panniers on the 1050XT Tour are big enough, yet I seem to work on the basis that if there is space, then best to fill it. Whatever I leave behind will be the very thing I need, and hence the Oxford Drystash T15 roll bag strapped across the V-Strom’s pillion seat.
And while I’m talking about seats, I’m sure someone is going to notice the Comfort Air Seat Cushion and tell me that, yesterday, I said my backside didn’t ache after a day riding across the Netherlands and Germany.
Sitting on a motorcycle all day will make your backside numb. Yesterday, I endured a numb backside to see if the V-Strom 1050XT seat was any good, which it is. Nonetheless, biology kindly dictated that my backside went a little numb. It’s nothing a 10 minute stop doesn’t cure.
Today I decided to be kind to my backside and use my air cushion. The difference between numbness and pain is the difference between the V-Strom and the Tracer 9GT seats. The Tracer 9GT has a painful seat. Very painful.
The Nurburgring
Having finish yesterday’s deliberations about insurance and riding the Nurburgring I arrived bright, early, and ready to ride. Never mind the panniers and a Drystash roll bag; there has to be something the V-Strom can’t do. Sadly, the Nurburgring is closed today until 17:15.
A kind gentleman in the car park, who spotted my confused look, pointed me at the official website and the opening times – Open Hours | Nürburgring (nuerburgring.de) and the massive sign on the side of the Devil’s Diner explaining that “Tourist Laps” started later this evening.
The Nurburgring will have to remain on the bucket list, as tomorrow the B500 will get ticked off. Meanwhile, I’ve 180 miles through forests to cover, so I best get on with it.
The Route
Today has been a day of backroads and forest roads, and it has been worth every kilometre of getting here. The scenery in this part of Germany is stunning. I’ve had castles on hilltops, farmlands, and mile upon mile of twisting tree-lined roads.
There have been some gnarly hairpins to deal with too. The worst of the bunch was so tight and had so little radius – imagine two strips of tarmac side-by-side and now connect them with a 180-degree hairpin – I don’t think I could have pushed the V-Strom around that corner without running wide.
It is all part of the joy, and every time I’ve thought it couldn’t get any better or that it would end soon, another few miles and another series of bends would appear in front of me. And I hadn’t arrived at the good bit yet.
Bypassing the town of Kaiserslautern, put me onto the L504, which leads into the Palatinate Forest. If you look it up on Google, the photos do not do it justice. It is beautiful, and the roads are just as stunning.
Emerging from the 30 miles (50Kms) perpetual succession curves and bends through the forest, near the town of Eschbach, I can’t ignore the temptation to turn north to Neustadt an der Weinstrasse and loop back into the Palatinate Forest again.
However, my route back to the start of the L504 – the L499 – was closed for road repairs. Perhaps the L499 is the one road in all of the Palatinate Forest that wasn’t covered in smooth grippy tarmac and is now getting a facelift.
I could spend days here exploring the forest, cutting back and forth along the numerous roads and tracks, and the delight of riding these roads has more than made up for missing out on the Nurburgring this morning.
After today, the B500 is going to have to work very hard to impress me.
Suzuki V-Strom 1050XT
As well as enjoying myself immensely, riding these roads is all part of trying to find challenges for the Suzuki 1050XT. I’m searching for something the V-Strom can’t do.
Yesterday it was Autobahns without speed limits and fast country roads between towns with sections that resembled some mountain passes I’ve ridden. Before that, it was pitch black roads on my way to the Stena Line ferry.
Today, when not riding curving and twisting roads through forests, there has been town riding and a few kilometres on the Autobahn to avoid trudging through the middle of the larger towns.
I even went through one town in 4th gear at 30mph (50KPM) on cruise control, just to see if the V-Strom could do it. It would have been smoother in 3rd gear, but the cruise control only works in 4th gear or higher.
The very low RPM did make the ride a little lumpy, but the torque delivery of the V-Strom made it possible. I did sneak up to an indicated 53 KPH at one point, just to even things out a little.
Whereas the V-Strom isn’t a sports bike, neither is it a lumbering whale of an adventure bike either. It is slightly heavier than the previous model, but the power and torque have also increased, and the balance of the bike makes it feel lighter.
It changes direction easily, and the XT holds a good line through the bends even when bumps and ripples appear mid-corner. When I move my body rather than just countersteering the V-Strom flicks left or right even faster.
And I’m describing a V-Strom that is currently dragging two over-stuffed panniers and a roll bag along for the ride. If I want super smooth arcs around corners or fast flicks, the V-Strom is happy with me requesting either.
I doubt if there would ever be the need to fit sintered pads. The brakes are powerful, and I’ve surprised myself a couple of times with just how abruptly the twin disks could stop me if I needed them to. Despite their power, the ABS is yet to go off, and I have it set on the most sensitive setting.
The traction control is Suzuki’s usual perfection and can be turned off if you so wish. You won’t need to pay extra for this, nor will you need to buy a dongle or visit your dealer. The option to turn the traction control off comes as standard.
As this is the Touring Edition of the 1050XT, factory heated grips would have been a welcome addition, but that is easily fixed with a pair of Oxford heated grips and a conversation with your Suzuki dealer.
The Hill Hold Control caught me out when I took a wrong turn, and the bike wouldn’t roll backwards until I selected neutral. Hill Hold control is another no-cost option. It comes standard on the XT.
And then there is the Six-Axis IMU, electronic throttle bodies, cruise control, low RPM Assist and all-around LED lighting. The list of standard features on the V-Strom reads like a BMW “options” catalogue. The big difference is the price of the V-Strom isn’t going up every time you pick something.
What Don’t I Like?
The footpegs are directly in line with where I want to put my leg when I stop. No dramas have ensued, just that moment when you think WTF? Having done it twice, I appear to have adapted to it now. I’ll check tomorrow to see if I do it again.
Screen adjustment is something you can only do when you are parked, which is most likely a very sensible idea anyway and saves me from thinking about trying it when moving. And honestly, once set, how many times would I want to alter it?
I’ve not wanted to change the screen position in the past 1,000 kilometres, so why would I start now? Other than for the sake of curiosity, that is.
The standard engine bars on the Touring Edition look as if they would stop a sump guard from being fitted to protect the oil filter. And that is about everything I can think of that I don’t like about the Suzuki V-Strom 1050XT.
Perhaps 15% more power would make the V-Strom more appealing, but I’ve not found the V-Strom to be lacking in the engine department. When I’ve asked the Suzuki to “proceed with all haste” when overtaking, the response has always been there.
So why isn’t there a 1050XT V-Strom parked in every motorcyclist’s garage across the land?
Hiding From the Rain
As usual for this part of Germany, it rained today. The heavens opened, and for 15 minutes, large, fat raindrops bounced off the road. I decided to hide under some trees and spotted a BMW GS rider doing the same thing. The perfect circumstance to discover why a German riding a BMW didn’t buy a V-Strom.
The V-Strom had been on the Gentleman’s list of bikes to consider when he was buying, so this wasn’t a BMW or nothing decision, but the BMW dealership was his first destination.
Seduction was the impression I got from his description. Once in the BMW dealership, they were never going to let him out without buying a GS.
His GS was in excellent condition, and the Gentleman wasn’t a Sunday rider either. He was on a two-week tour of Germany, visiting friends and getting as many kilometres in on the backroads as he could.
As the conversation rambled on, we agreed that the crux of the matter is that the V-Strom can do everything well but isn’t known to be outstanding at any one thing. Other than costing at least £4,000 less than a BMW GS, that is. And that is perhaps the bottom line.
The GS is known as that bike from the TV program. In contrast, the Suzuki V-Strom 1050XT gets on with life and doesn’t make a noise about it.
The argument that BMW’s have better residual value doesn’t really work either as you would pay so much more for it in the first place. Reliability then. Err, top yokes and flaky paint anyone?
The GS is a very good motorcycle and an easy choice. No need to think about it, just do what everyone else does.
Yet, if I subtract the cost of this trip from the price saving, I calculate I’d still be £3,243 in credit over buying a GS.
Would the trip have been better if I was on a BMW? I think not. After all, we were both hiding from the same rain shower.
The B500 is top of tomorrow’s agenda, and the forecast is for rain, lots of rain. I’ll just put the V-Strom in throttle mode C and ride the B500 anyway.
