VOLUME ISSUE JUNE , P97
plants in use right now. The low-end grunt is ex-
tremely fun on the pavement and works well in the
dirt. The standard quickshift, which works both up
and down, is flawless and adds to the fun factor.
The suspension is the most significant differ-
ence between the 800 and 800DE, with 5.9 inches
of front/rear wheel travel on the standard 800
and 7.9 inches of front/rear wheel travel on the
800DE. The standard model only includes pre
-
load adjustability on the front and rear, while the
800DE includes preload adjustability, compression
The two bikes here, the 800 and 800DE, share
the same steel chassis and 776cc parallel-twin
powerplant but have different suspension com-
ponents, wheel sizes (and cast aluminum versus
spoked), brakes and electronic adjustments,
making them much different beasts. We praised
the motor in our reviews of the Suzuki GSX-8S and
GSX-8R models, which are fitted with the same
base engine as the V-Strom 800s, and it is an
equally impressive power unit for ADV use. In fact,
it is one of the most fun sub-1000cc ADV power
-
The Suzuki V-Strom
800DE (left) and
800 (right) are
similar on paper but
surprisingly different
on the road or dirt.
