A V-Strom 650 owner checks out the 800DE: His unbiased thoughts

The bike comes in at 13.14L on road in Bangalore. An extra 2L on rims + accessories, and it's still a very very good proposition.

BHPian shyamg28 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

A friend/BHPian took delivery of the new 800 DE. Had a chance to test ride (only a bit) and capture some pics

Coming from the V Strom 650, this bike will not at all be intimidating. Yes, the seat height has gone up to 855mm, but the suspension sag, along with the narrowness of the seat upfront, will allow your feet a similar reach to the ground, if not better.

I'm 5'10 and can flatfoot. Friend would be 5'9 and can reach, but not flatfoot. And he finds this easier than the Wee.

The tank is now a bit shorter (still retains 20L) and therefore the reach to the bars is better. The bars themselves are nice and wide and pulled back. Must be experienced!

Suzuki retaining function over form for the most part.

LEDs are as simple a design as it gets lol.

The bashplate is hard plastic!

While I might replace it with an aluminium one when one becomes available, this one is not bad at all.

In fact most will not need to change this. It also covers the bottom nicely, unlike the V Strom 650's cover.

The bike now arrives in a large crate like this, with the front wheel already assembled.

The V Strom 650 came with the wheel disassembled making the size of the crate much smaller for transport.

But that also made assembly longer, while the 800DE was unboxed and assembled within an hour.

The Dunlop Trailmax Mixtour tyre.

I believe these are now ISI rated, therefore will be cheaper and probably more readily available.

The longitudanal section with the seat removed.

Space for a manual, and what looked like a non-existent tool kit.

I could only see an allen key and double sided screw driver (no handle).

The default top rack. Not sure of carrying capacity though.

Will take a small bag at max.

For larger and heavier stuff, one might want to go with a custom tail rack.

On the V Strom 650, you knees typically touch the shiny bits on the tank. I installed tank pads anyway.

But on the 800, your knees go into the black area under the actual tank cover. I think this is nice and feels right at home as it is.

Tank pads may not be necessary here.

The much discussed number plate mount.

I hear someone is hacking a solution to get rid of this and mount alongside the visor.

This is the frame extending towards the number plate mount keeping it sturdy.

You can essentially remove the number plate mount from under here.

The ODO is clear - 1 lakh kilometers minimum!

Continue reading BHPian shyamg28's post for more insights and information.