The Adventure Bike With Honda Reliability And BMW Touring Comfort
Shopping for an adventure bike has always been an exercise in compromise. Do you prioritize all-day highway comfort, or genuine off-road capability? City maneuverability, or luggage- and pillion-carrying capacity? Fuel efficiency, or outright performance? And then there’s the question that haunts every motorcycle purchase: do you chase excitement, or dependability?
The good news is that one machine comes remarkably close to answering all of those questions at once. If you’ve been hunting for an adventure bike that pairs the long-haul touring comfort associated with BMW with the bulletproof reliability that made Honda legendary, you don’t have to look any further than Suzuki’s own lineup.
The Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE Offers Honda-Like Reliability And BMW-Like Touring Comfort
The V-Strom stems from the iconic DL series but has undergone serious evolution over the years. Currently, there are three V-Stroms in the lineup – the 650, 800, and 1050. The 800 is the most modern, featuring a 270-degree parallel twin engine. The other two are old school, powered by 90-degree V-twin engines housed in twin-spar frames. That architecture might seem a step behind the times – and in some respects it is – but what it delivers in return is exceptional comfort and rock-solid reliability. Think of it as the best of two worlds: Honda’s dependability and BMW’s touring refinement.
It Starts At $16,449
The V-Strom 1050DE can seem a little pricey, given it retails at nearly $16,500. However, for the price, you don’t need to add any options to it. It has all the features you’d expect from a full-size adventure bike, even a premium one. It does offer a V-twin engine and an aluminum twin-spar frame, neither of which is inexpensive, so if you look at it this way, it is a decent value buy. The price puts it somewhere right in the middle of the premium middleweight segment and near the bottom of the full-size adventure bike class.
The Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE Has The Last Big Japanese V-Twin Engine
Suzuki is the last Japanese manufacturer to stick to the V-twin format for its full-size adventure bikes. The V-Strom 1050DE is powered by a 90-degree V-twin displacing 1,037 cc. It features liquid cooling and a DOHC setup. A short-stroke design and an 11.5:1 compression ratio add a layer of modernity to the package. Output stands at 107.4 horsepower at 8,500 RPM and 73.7 pound-feet of torque at 6,000 RPM.
Those aren’t headline-grabbing power figures, but they arrive at relatively low revs, which translates to strong real-world pull. A ride-by-wire throttle with three ride modes, cruise control, and switchable cornering traction control are all on board. The six-speed gearbox is equally well-equipped, featuring hydraulic assistance, an assist-and-slipper clutch function, and a two-way quickshifter.
An Old-School For Sheer Ruggedness
As mentioned, the V-Strom 1050 uses an aluminum twin-spar frame. Most manufacturers have moved away from this layout for reasons of cost and weight, but it rewards the rider with excellent feel and feedback on the move. The KYB suspension consists of 44 mm fully adjustable inverted forks with 6.7 inches of travel, paired with a link-type fully adjustable rear shock offering 6.6 inches of travel. Wheel sizes are a 21-inch front and 17-inch rear, both spoked – though the front rim is not tubeless.
Braking hardware includes twin 310 mm front discs clamped by radial-mount four-piston fixed Tokico calipers, and a 265 mm rear disc with a Nissin two-piston floating caliper. The system is linked. ABS is standard and can be disabled at the rear wheel. A six-axis IMU brings cornering ABS into the mix, while wheel-lift mitigation and hill hold are also standard equipment.
Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE Dimensions
This is a large, heavy bike. It is 94 inches long and weighs 554 pounds wet. Seat height is 34.6 inches, which is normal for its class. The 59.3-inch wheelbase is a little on the shorter side for a full-size ADV, which should help counter that weight while turning. Ground clearance is 7.5 inches, and the fuel tank holds 5.3 gallons.
Enough Features To Keep You Interested
The V-Strom 1050 received its most recent update in 2023, which brought a 5-inch TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity and navigation through the RideConnect app. A useful range of accessories is available, including an adjustable windscreen, a center stand, and a skid plate. Stepping up to the V-Strom 1050DE Adventure adds hard panniers, an engine skid plate, and crash bars straight from the factory — making it genuinely tour-ready from day one.
How It Stacks Up Against The Honda Africa Twin
Since we’re talking about BMWs and Hondas, we’ll stick to those two brands. The BMW R 1300 GS is the king of the full-size adventure bike segment, but its base price is $20,395. And you know you’re going to want to accessorize it, so it will price itself out of this conversation. The Africa Twin, on the other hand, sits at the opposite end of the spectrum. It offers genuinely impressive features — a TFT touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, tubeless spoke rims, and an optional dual-clutch automatic gearbox — all for less than the Suzuki’s asking price.
Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE vs. Honda Africa Twin
|
Model |
Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE |
Honda Africa Twin |
|
Price |
$16,449 |
$14,799 |
|
Engine |
90° V-twin, DOHC |
270° parallel twin |
|
Displacement |
1,037 cc |
1,086 cc |
|
Power |
107.4 HP @ 8,500 RPM |
100.5 HP @ 7,500 RPM |
|
Torque |
73.7 LB-FT @ 6,000 RPM |
82.6 LB-FT @ 5,500 RPM |
|
Curb Weight |
554 LBs (wet) |
509 LBs (wet) |
Source: Suzuki Cycles
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