Suzuki awakens, updates 12yo DL1000

[Chippertheripper]

I take it all back. The wee have cruise? I'll take one of them.

[nhbubba]

Negative. I have a vacuum powered cruise that someone tore out of a 'strom (might have been a 1k, can't remember) that I swore I would install one day. I won't. Its yours if you want it.

[RandyO]

Are these kind of bikes faster (all around) than some of the sport bikes from 10 years ago?

if you want speed, stick with a sportbike or even a 20 year old standard

fwiw, my 30 year old '82 XV920R is just as fast as my '07 DL1000. any 600cc supersport less than 25 years old will blow past a DL easily

[Garandman]

/Serious question, not for the purpose of any e-penis measuring but just curiosity : It seems like today's sport bikes provide more capability than can be used on the road these days. So once technology "wins" the speed race and crosses in to ludicris speed, only makes sense that companies would be able to produce alternate models that are less race-like which can still approach the limits of the road. Are these kind of bikes faster (all around) than some of the sport bikes from 10 years ago?/

If by "these kind of bikes" you mean Adventure Touring bikes, and faster in an all-around kind of way, on a track, no way. For several reasons.

1. Most ADV bikes have 19" front wheels. There isn't much sport rubber available for that size: the sportiest tires are sport-touring tires which are very good but not nealry as good as hypersport tires at 10/10ths. At least they last longer: I've got 10,000 miles on the rear Conti Road Attack II on my V-Strom and it's just started to square off.

2. Most ADV bikes were detuned in the sense that their power curves were modified from the street versions by moving the peak power lower in the rpm band and flattening out the torque.

3. They aren't light. They all have large fuel tanks, windshields, lots of ground clearance, big saddles, rear racks, etc. A DL650 weighs 40+ lbs more than an SV650 and has 5 fewer hp.

What is the case is that the differences at street legal speeds are relatively small. A DL650 does 0-60 in around 4 seconds, a DL1000 3.6s, and a 1997 GSX-R 3.53 seconds (according to MCCN). But that old GSX-R does the 1/4 in 11.11 @124.70, compared to 12.5 @101 for the DL650 and 11.56 @ 114. And the top speed of that old GSX-R is 152 compared to 115 for the DL650 and 124 for the DL1000. And no one likes riding a stock DL1000 at 100+....

/I sure do hope they depreciate fast, because I keep saying the next bike's going to be leaning in the sport touring direction, and this seems like it fits the all-arounder bill.

The DL650 depreciates less (as a percentage of purchase price) than the BMW GS. DL1000's don't do as well, in fact they sell for close to what the same year DL650 does for a number of reasons. If the new model is appealing and as reliable as the others it should hang in there pretty well.

[aldend123]

And no one likes riding a stock DL1000 at 100+....

I guess that's a pretty important point, high speed stability.

The other day a guy pulled up next to me at the grocery store saying the bike I had used to be his. We talked for a quick bit, and he'd replaced it with a Contour (the generation that is similar to my bike, not the new zx-14 one). He said he really missed the sport bike because on the highway after 75 it didn't feel solid at all.

[TheIglu]

My Wee feels solid enough to do the Cherohola (all sweepers for 45 miles) at 75 and up the whole way.....on Tourances.

I still can't understand people who ride sportbikes on the street. You will NEVER use any of the delta between the performance of that bike and an adventure bike. Just ain't happening.

[SRTie4k]

I still can't understand people who ride sportbikes on the street. You will NEVER use any of the delta between the performance of that bike and an adventure bike. Just ain't happening.

Are you talking legally? Because if not, I couldn't disagree more. And I don't even ride sport bikes.

[markbvt]

Are you talking legally? Because if not, I couldn't disagree more. And I don't even ride sport bikes.

It depends on how extra-legal you want to get. My Wee-Strom was plenty capable of aggressive twisty-riding at speeds considerably higher than the limit; my Tiger even more so. If you're willing to risk arrest on the street, then yes, a sportbike will outperform an ADV bike. But at "responsible" speeds, there's little difference.

--mark

[SRTie4k]

It depends on how extra-legal you want to get. My Wee-Strom was plenty capable of aggressive twisty-riding at speeds considerably higher than the limit; my Tiger even more so. If you're willing to risk arrest on the street, then yes, a sportbike will outperform an ADV bike. But at "responsible" speeds, there's little difference.

--mark

Which is why I asked.

[nhbubba]

I am utterly shocked to hear someone claim the Concours isn't stable after 75! It must be a real clapped out wreck.

My wee does fine at 85 indicated on I-495. If anything its a little wound out. But I think it is actually way more manageable than my Bandit 1200 was.

They make Pilot Road 3's in DL650/1000 fitment now. That's sporty enough for me.

[Garandman]

Which is why I asked.

I did back-to-back track sessions on my SV650S and the V-Strom DL650. The difference was less than two seconds at NHMS. On a more-open track the sportier bikes, having aerodynamics and more peak hp, would be substantially quicker.

Here's the difference between Pete Kates on a 600cc sport bike and me. He's an expert rider and was nearly 20 seconds per lap faster, but you can see that cornering speed and deceleration rate are relatively close. Acceleration is not.

[TheIglu]

Are you talking legally? Because if not, I couldn't disagree more. And I don't even ride sport bikes.

I have two bikes that are in the 130hp range, and two that are around half of that. You might even venture to say that I've ridden all of them on the street. It would be a stretch, but it is a possibility I have enough experience to make wild accusations like I did.

Unless you are looking to kill yourself, there is no place a Wee (which is a SLOW adventure bike by comparison) will slouch driving on the street, including on sport rides.


Oh, that's right. You've never been on a sport ride with me when I was on a 36hp KLR650 on knobbies.....

[SVRACER01]

i was.....

[Garandman]

Gotta hand it to Hell For Leather to call a spade a fucking shovel.

Know what there’s not enough of these days? Large-capacity adventure tourers that are so heavy and so expensive you can’t take them within sight of dirt. Bikes like the Ducati Multistrada 1200, Kawasaki Versys 1000, Moto Guzzi Stelvio, Honda Crosstourer and the new Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200 leave such a gap in the market that the case of this new V-Strom 1000 concept practically makes itself. It’s exactly like all the above, but wears a Suzuki badge.

They describe Suzuki's pitch as, basically "Well, we came out with the DL650 and lots of people bought it even though it's not butch enough to be a 'real' Adventure Tourer. So we are recasting the DL1000 in that image."

Having new bikes on the market that celebrate function over form is a Good Thing.

[nhbubba]

Wasn't the DL1000 released in 2002? Like, before those other ones.

[RandyO]

Wasn't the DL1000 released in 2002? Like, before those other ones.

the Tiger's been around a lot longer than the V-strom, MotoGuzzi had the Quota an aging design that was discontinued and replaced with the Stelvio, and there was the Cagiva Gran Canyon with a Duc engine and the Navagator with a TL engine, didn't Aprilla make an large adventure bike as well

[nhbubba]

The Tiger was radically different though. Never seen most of those others you mention.

My point is that the DL1000 isn't exactly late to the game.

Either way, these things are here to stay. Ignore the fact that the marketing people act like they are supposed to be hard-core off roaders. They are still fine motorcycles.

Naked sport tourers, I say.

[markbvt]

The Tiger was radically different though.

In what way was the Tiger radically different? Up until the Tiger 1050 came out, it was a standard ADV bike with 19" front wheel, 110/150 tire sizes, etc. The Tiger 1050 was a supermoto-inspired aberration, then the Tiger lineup went back to its ADV roots.

--mark

[RandyO]

Capo Nord was the Aprilla, just took me a couple days to remember

[Chippertheripper]

Naked sport tourers indeed. I need a cross nation dirtbike.

[SVRACER01]

Naked sport tourers indeed. I need a cross nation dirtbike.

ktm adventure

[Chippertheripper]

Ill wait for the 690adv.

[markbvt]

Ill wait for the 690adv.

Apparently you'll be waiting a long time....

There's also been the long-standing rumor of a KTM 800 twin to compete with the Tiger 800 XC and the F800GS.

--mark

[nhbubba]

http://www.mcnews.com.au/2014_Bikes/...000/Intro1.htm


Warming to this thing. They are claiming 228kg (503 lbs) curb weight.. which is only ~15-20 heavier than my 650 is spec'ed at. Radial mount front calipers with ABS. Fully adjustable inverted forks. Traction control. Some sources are suggesting this thing will "get 50 MPG", which I have a hard time believing, but am excited about. Power spec's are being reported as 99 HP @ 8000 RPM x 76 ftlbs @ 4000 RPM. Compare that to my 650 @ something like 65 HP x 45 ftlbs.

This model seems much more interesting, despite the fugly beak. Maybe they will offer it in all black which will hide some of the fuglyness. Not that I am opposed to buying fugly motorcycles. I bought a V-Strom in the first place, after all.


The biggest question left is: whut's da price tag?!

[Chippertheripper]

Looks like it has a 30# exhaust can for the scrap pile.