The Suzuki V-Strom 800 DE has been spied testing in India for the first time. Since this bike has nothing to do with our market in terms of being manufactured or exported from here, it stands to reason that Suzuki intends on launching the bike in India.
- Based on an all-new platform
- Gets an 84hp, 776cc parallel-twin engine
- Will be positioned above the V-Strom 650XT
The V-Strom 800DE was unveiled overseas in November 2022 and you can read all about what the bike has to offer here. Essentially, this is a brand new parallel-twin platform that is designed to slot in above the existing V-Strom 650 XT.
The bike uses a new 776cc engine that produces 84hp and 78Nm with a focus on mid-range grunt rather than higher rpm performance. Like almost all new parallel twin engines, this one has a 270-degree crankshaft, which will give it a deep, V-twin style rumble.
Chassis-wise, the bike will be significantly more off-road oriented than the Suzuki V-Strom 650XT, which preferred being ridden on the road. That’s thanks to a bigger 21-inch front wheel as well as 220mm of ground clearance and 220mm of suspension travel. The bike weighs in at 230kg and it has an 855mm tall seat. The suspension is adjustable, but one disappointment is that, unlike the smaller V-Strom 650XT, the spoked wheels on the 800 come with tubed tyres.
The 800 is far ahead compared to the 650 in terms of features and electronic assists. These include a bi-directional quickshifter, a 5-inch TFT display, riding modes and two modes for the switchable dual-channel ABS.
The V-Strom 800DE is priced a little higher than the Triumph Tiger 850 Sport in international markets but below the Tiger 900 GT. How Suzuki plans to price it in India remains to be seen, considering that the unreasonably high Rs 8.85 lakh price tag has put a big dent in the appeal of the otherwise very likeable V-Strom 650XT.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
