The Suzuki V-Strom 800DE has been launched in India at an introductory price of Rs 10.30 lakh. The Japanese company’s all-new adventure motorcycle joins its lower capacity sibling, the V-Strom 650 in the Indian portfolio and there’s a lot riding on the shoulders of the bike.That’s because the V-Strom 800DE enters a highly competitive segment but it has the teeth to fight the competition, at least from what’s apparent on paper.
Beginning with the engine, the V-Strom 800 gets a 776cc, parallel-twin engine that produces 84bhp at 8,500rpm and 78Nm at 6,800rpm. It is paired with a six-speed gearbox.
Suzuki has kitted the bike with a long list of features such as ride modes, traction control system, bi-directional quickshifter, switchable ABS and more. The settings for these features can be accessed via menus displayed on a five-inch colour TFT.
Moving to the chassis, the bike has a steel frame that’s suspended by an adjustable USD fork and monoshock with a remote preload adjuster. The bike rides on a 21-inch front and 17-inch rear spoke wheel setup, shod with block pattern tyres.
Lastly, the V-Strom’s design is unique with largely flat body panels all around. It takes inspiration from Suzuki’s old ADV bikes and looks rather special in the yellow colour. The other colour options are Gray and Black.
The Suzuki V-Strom 800DE’s pricing is excellent in comparison to the competition. It undercuts the Honda Transalp XL750 by Rs 70,000 and the Triumph Tiger 850 Sport by a whopping Rs 2 lakh.