Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd. (SMIPL) is testing the Suzuki V-Strom 800 DE on Indian roads. A motorcycle enthusiast spotted it while riding his own Triumph adventure bike. The Suzuki 800 DE was first showcased at the 2022 EICMA Motorcycle Show and was launched globally in December 2022. But, with the motorcycle being spotted in India, there is hope that Suzuki will launch the middleweight adventure motorcycle in India in the near future.
The Suzuki V-Strom 800 DE sits between the 650 XT and the 1050 XT internationally. It gets a new engine, a parallel twin 776 cc DOHC unit, which makes 82 bhp at 8,500 rpm and 78 Nm of peak torque at 6,800 rpm. The engine also gets four valves per cylinder, and a 270 degree crankshaft the Suzuki says will help deliver bottom end torque and traction for off-road endeavours.
The V-Strom 800DE gets a 21-inch front wheel and a 17-inch rear wheel, which are wirespoked and shod with Dunlop Trailmax Mixtour tyres. The tyres, however, are not tubeless, which is odd, considering that the V-Strom 650 XT gets them! And it is on sale in India too.
The V-Strom 800 DE also gets fully adjustable Showa suspension with 220 mm travel on both ends, and 220 mm of ground clearance too. The bike gets a steel frame chassis with an aluminium swingarm and is designed to have a narrow profile for better control.
The bike also gets electronic rider aids like ride-by-wire throttle, switchable traction control, switchable ABS with two different levels of intervention, and four riding modes including a "G" mode (G stands for gravel), which is specifically tuned for off-road use. It also gets a bi-directional quickshifter, and a low rpm assist.
In terms of rivals, if it does get launched in India, it will go up against the Triumph Tiger 850 and the BMW F 850 GS. We expect the motorcycle to be priced at around Rs. 11 lakh to Rs. 12 lakh (Ex-showroom, Delhi).
Spyshot Source: Bunny Punia (YouTube)
