You have seen the Suzuki DL800 featured in these here pages on many occasions.
In our opinion it’s a seriously underrated bike in the Adventure market. Suzuki has decided to add a bit of a spring in its step to make it even better…
Here’s a quick recap on the bike – and then we’ll get into what Suzuki has done to it, which in everyone here’s opinion anyway has really bumped the bike up a few notches on the Richter scale…
Engine:
The 776cc parallel twin engine features a 270-degree crank, four valves per cylinder, and a long-stroke configuration.
Suspension:
The V-Strom 800DE comes with a fully adjustable Showa suspension, with the rear shock lacking compression adjustment. The DE model boasts 220mm of travel front and rear.
Wheels:
The V-Strom 800DE features a 21-inch front and 18-inch rear spoked wheel.
Electronics:
The bike includes a Suzuki Intelligent Ride System (SIRS), that features like a multi-mode traction control system with a dedicated gravel mode, switchable ABS, and a Suzuki Drive Mode Selector (SDMS) with three power modes.
Other Features include:
A bi-directional quickshifter, a 5-inch colour TFT display, and a USB charging port.
Comfort and Practicality:
The bike boasts a comfortable seat, generous legroom, and good wind protection, making it fun for long-distance touring as well as that little poke out on the weekend.
In our opinion, Suzuki really ticked all the boxes in terms of what the SA ADV rider is looking for. We have spent thousands of kilometres in the saddle, including trips to Lesotho for The Roof Of Africa and always come home with a smile.
But. And there is a but, we always found the standard bike, as good as it is to be – perhaps just a little conservative.
Enter Suzuki SA and their marketing guy, who also happens to be a serious ADV aficionado. He petitioned and bothered the head office until they agreed to allow him to “Rally” the bike. Just a little.
What they did:
It’s not complicated really, The very cool decal kit was sourced from the friendly bunch at Bandit Graffix.
They will custom make a sticker kit for – well just about anything.
Then they sourced a Black Widow shorty pipe (Imported by DMD) which they modified slightly to make it a bit shorter for the guys who enjoy jumping and the tougher kind of ADV riding. The pipe looks great, sounds better and literally moves your soul every time that you whack it. Seriously, the sound of those plugs detonating under the cylinder head really is a thing.
It also makes that quickshifter talk when you gear down… Pop-pop-pop!…
You know what we mean.
They also paid a bit of attention to the Showa rear shock and fitted a Hyperpro, progressive rear spring.
A Hyperpro progressive spring offers a softer initial response to small bumps and a progressively stiffer response to larger impacts or heavier loads, improving both comfort and handling. This design allows the motorcycle to absorb small road imperfections smoothly while also providing more stability during braking and cornering.
In laymans terms, while the stock shock is good, the Hyperpro spring alters the shocks manners, stiffening things up a bit, without making the bike harsh – and enables the DL to handle harder, faster adventuring.
Black Widow and Hyperpro components are available for most adventure machines on the SA market. DMD for your nearest stockists.
Need more?
This bike is running the standard Dunlop tyres. Suzuki is about to fit a set of Michelin Anakees which, for harder ADV, are a great choice. If run in correctly, the rear is good for around 7000 Km’s
We love the results. If you do happen to own a DL and want just that little bit extra, these mods absolutely get a nod from us.
If you happen to be buying a new one, ask your dealer to quote you for this job.
If the mods are undertaken by an authorised dealer, it will not affect your Suzuki warranty.
Our opinion – at less than 20k, It’s seriously well worth the cash.
No seriously, there were fights here as to who would ride the bike!
