When I first saw pictures on the 2018 Suzuki V-Strom I just knew that I wanted to head out and take this bike for a ride. As many of you know, last year after attending Americade both my wife and I fell for the V-Strom after just one demo ride, and a couple of months later we were both totally converted. I now have a 2002 DL1000 and my wife has a 2004 DL650, and we are enjoying them as often as we can. But who can say no to taking a brand new one out for a ride.
It was a great day for a demo as the temperature was in the low to mid 20’s (Celsius) and I got the opportunity to take the brand new DL1000 out for a spin. So how does it compare to my bike which is now 16 years old! Surprisingly it feels like a V-Strom! With all the new bells and whistles it still feels like the same bike. The engine, of course, feels smoother, the shifting slid into the next gear with little to no force, and of course, she had ample power! Are there better Adventure bikes out there? I’m guessing yes. The BMW R1200GS, and the Yamaha Super Tenere are 2 bikes that I have always liked, but you can almost buy 2 V-Stroms for the price of one of those. I honestly just don’t think you can find a better-priced bike with all the power, features and build quality! Would I buy one? Without question!
