Could Suzuki Bring a DR Big Based on the V-Strom 1000 to Market?

[Admin]

Rumors Suggest It Is So Suzuki looks like it could soon be battling in the upper-middle-class adventure segment of the market. The bikemaker could revive the DR Big name with a bike based on the V-Strom 1000. According to DriveMag Riders, word on the street is that the model will come with 100 hp and be ...
The post Could Suzuki Bring a DR Big Based on the V-Strom 1000 to Market? appeared first on Web Bike World.


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[Gary in NJ]

I don't get the big "off-road" bike thing. I prefer 250's on tight trails, 450's in wide open spaces/desert. I've spent an 8 hour day on my DRZ400 in the Vegas desert and after riding that 300 pound pig I was exhausted. I can't imagine riding a 1,000 cc, 500 pound bike off road. My guess is that these bikes never actually go off-road. The attraction is upright seating, a comfortable triangle. I don't see myself paying a premium for what is essentially a dressed up UJM. Now get off my lawn!

 

[Motogiro]

I think the idea could be targeted at a bike you use to tour for hours and then have the capacity to off-road. To get a bike to do all the things a lighter dirt bike to do and be strong all day on the highway is not easy according to the all of the comments I've read about all the bikes that are adventure bikes but seem not to perform in the dirt as well as the expensive, top of the food chain bikes. I've never seen those bikes off road on many of the trails I've off-roaded on. These aren't tough trails at all.
At the end of the day I'm looking for the adventure bike that I'd see out in the desert, off road at a places like Split Mountain or the many canyon and desert trails we have here. I've never seen an adventure bike out there. I've seen plenty of dirt bikes and even SUV's/4x4's but never an adventure bike.

That doesn't mean no one does ride an adventure bike in these areas. It does seem like it would be rare since I haven't seen one in 25 years of being on those trails.

Give me the Suzuki V-Strom 650XT. I can go highway all day very cheap on fuel with great range and if I go off road It'll be the first adventure bike I see on any of these trails I've never seen an adventure bike on.
I can hear the ,"Yeah but" Yeah but nothing! There is always less fork travel, less this, less that. No matter how much money people put into off-roading you see them upside down on a trail and I guess that might be the adventure they were looking for. Does this negate the better technology? Not by a long shot. Someone with the capability will use it, but I probably won't use the extra fork travel. I would like the other extras like tank range, economy, serviceability, etc.

 

[bigborer]

One friend has a V-strom 650 XT. Riding high speed gets it poor mileage (identical consumption as my VTR1000F, tested petrol station to petrol station) and sketchy handling due to the large vertical fairing dragging air and unloading the front end. The handling is also sketchy on moderately bumpy roads as it wanders around (the FZ6 with the R6 forks is more stable). On walking speed he's always a bit nervous, as he's tiptoeing it and it's a bit top heavy with a full tank a a bit of luggage. The fork travel is 150mm, while street bikes have around 120-130mm- this clearly says that it wasn't designed with actual off-roading in mind. It's only marginally better off-road than a naked street bike, and a shorter/weaker/less skilled rider will find it even worse off road than a naked street bike.

I understand why he bought it and likes it - price, leg room, and the (currently trendy) looks, but it's impossible to have a vehicle that is great both on and off road. There aren't even any tires that are great both on and off road...

What they market (and what most people buy) is the idea of adventure- "this bike gives me endless possibilities, I could tour the world and go ANYWHERE" - and not a bike that could actually do it (not that most would care or need the bike to do it).

The only bikes light enough and with off road suspension that still has enough power for the road is the KTM 690...