Street-Biased Suzuki V-Strom 800 on the Way

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The Suzuki V-Strom 800DE will have a new stablemate when Suzuki releases the upcoming base model equipped with more street-oriented wheels and tires. (Suzuki/)

When Suzuki launched the new parallel-twin-powered V-Strom range last year it focused firmly on the bike’s off-road capabilities with a two-model lineup of the V-Strom 800DE and V-Strom 800DE Adventure. For 2024 there will be a third variant, simply called V-Strom 800, and designed with a focus on street use.

This third V-Strom 800 variant was first hinted at in May, when the company filed documents with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) listing it, with the internal designation “DL800 RQ,” alongside the V-Strom 800DE (DL800DE RC) and V-Strom 800DE Adventure (DL800DE RCA). The three-model range mirrors the existing Suzuki V-Strom 1050 lineup, which includes a base model with alloy wheels and street tires alongside the wire-spoke-wheeled 1050DE and higher-spec 1050DE Adventure.

Suzuki’s V-Strom 1050 lineup includes a base model with alloy wheels and more road-biased tires. (Suzuki /)

Now the CARB information has been backed up with new, and much more detailed, European type-approval filings, listing specifications of the new model including its weight and physical dimensions and confirming the most significant change of all in the form of a smaller, 19-inch front wheel to replace the 21-inch version used on the V-Strom 800DE machines.

The European approval lists the base V-Strom 800′s front tire size as 110/80-19, on a rim that’s 2.5 inches wide. That compares to the existing bikes, which use 90/90-21 rubber on a 2.15-inch wide, 21-inch diameter wheel, and mirrors the difference between the V-Strom 1050 and V-Strom 1050DE models. There’s no change in rear wheel dimensions—all versions will have 150/70-17 tires—but the base V-Strom 800 is sure to use cast-alloy wheels and tubeless tires as opposed to the tubed tires and wire-spoke wheels of the DE versions.

The Suzuki V-Strom 800DE Adventure. (Suzuki/)

The smaller front wheel contributes to a reduced wheelbase, down from 61.8 inches to 59.6 inches, and brings the front of the bike down by around three-quarters of an inch compared to the DE. That indicates that despite being more road-oriented, the base V-Strom 800 doesn’t get a shorter fork than the DE, as the entire reduction in front-end height can be attributed to the smaller diameter of the front wheel and tire.

Weight is another area where the V-Strom 800 will differ from the DE versions. According to the European approval documents, the base model is 15.4 pounds lighter than the DE, equating to a curb weight of 492 pounds compared to 507 pounds for the V-Strom 800DE. The Euro documents also hint at minor visual changes, confirming that the base V-Strom 800 will be 35.6 inches wide, down from 38.4 inches for the DE and indicating different, narrower bars for the street-biased model. It also receives a new windscreen, around 2.5 inches taller than the version used on the DE and sharing the same range of adjustment.

There’s no change to the engine specifications, and power for the base V-Strom 800 remains at 83 hp, arriving at 8,500 rpm and allied to 57.5 lb.-ft. of peak torque at 6,800 rpm. With approval for the bike achieved in both Europe and the USA, an official release can’t be far away now.

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