2020 SUZUKI V-S TROM 1050XT
R I D E R E V I E W
P48
exciting motor, but now it has a little
bit more of both. Even the engine
sounds a bit more "enthusiastic."
You'll easily notice the difference
between the three engine modes.
"B" seems to find the happy me-
dium between the noticeably more
aggressive and abrupt "A" mode and
the mellower "C" mode. However,
all three have their usefulness, but
B mode is excellent all-around and
was where I left it most of the time.
Throttle response in all modes
is superb; there are no hiccups or
surprises anywhere. Same when
it comes to shifting the six-speed
transmission. Gear changes require
just a light nudge on the shifter, and
the slipper clutch ensures it stays
that way when things get hot and
heavy on the twisties.
Braking from the front Tokico
four-piston monobloc disc brake
and rear Nissin 2-piston caliper
brake is plenty strong. The corner-
ing/combined ABS (which is lean
sensitive) offers two-way interven-
tion adjustability but, unfortunately,
cannot be switched off. That is a
bummer, in my opinion, at least
make it so you can switch off the
rear ABS.
Suspension is quite good for
the pavement and still does a fine
job soaking up bumps on those
neglected pothole-filled back roads
with loose rocks. However, it blows
through its six-plus inches of wheel
travel quickly and rather easily on
bumpy dirt roads. It's best to steer
clear of rough dirt roads and trails
all together on the V-Strom, the
stock street-biased tires, under-
sprung suspension (for these con-
ditions), low six inches of ground
(Above) That
lever in front of
the windscreen
is used to adjust
its height, so, yes,
you have to get off
the bike to do it.
(Below) The LCD
dash is new, but
not new enough.
TFT would've
been cooler (and
better).
Despite all of the changes, in motion, the V-
Strom is still a V-Strom at heart, which is a good
thing. It's still extremely comfortable and solid
as a rock at speed. In my opinion, there just isn't
a motorcycle more comfortable to ride on the
street than the V-Strom, except for perhaps a
Honda Gold Wing (even then). Luckily, nothing
has changed in that department for 2020 when it
comes to the 'Strom; however, what has changed
is power—there is more of it. It still has great bot-
tom-to-mid pull but definitely delivers the goods
much better than before from mid on up. The V-
Strom has always had a strong but not necessarily
