Wanna buy » Anyone tested a Suzuki DL1000?

[Wolfman]

Has anyone taken a test ride on the Suzuki DL1000?

My lady has an SV1000 and although I hate the handling and riding possition the engine is excellent. Also given that it was bought at the same time as my MS it still looks brand new, including all nuts and bolts. She doesn't wash it and I have only washed it twice in two years (after borrowing it whilst the MS was being fixed).

I have had so much trouble with my MS since August 2003 and the warranty work will soon be all finished, subject to parts arriving.

I have listed as follows, so new buyers beware!
New discs (including pads and cylinder restrictor) New engine casings, alternator cover, clutch cover, brake hose, right side mirror and screen.

A side pannel fell off but I did not claim for this althouigh perhaps I should have.

When this is all completed I will probably be looking for a new bike. Owning the MS has been great fun, probably the best bike I have ever had. A to B times are great and there is real pleasure to be had riding it as a comuter, a tourer and scratching around the back lanes. However it has given me no pride in it's ownership.

I would be grateful for advice on the DL 1000 as I have already tested the BMW 1200GS and found it to be slow, heavy and no fun around the bends.

[fgunnr]

I test rode the Suzuki DL1000 before I bought the MTS. It is a great bike and is very comfortable and powerful. It has a good windscreen also. I was turned off by the engine sounds created by the water pump and other water cooling mechanics. The bike is very good but it didn't connect with me the way the MTS did. It is also set up more for adventure touring and I wanted a street bike.

[GREATLAKESRIDER]

A friend of mine owns a DL1000. I've ridden the bike several 100 miles. My conclusions are as follows: Engine is quite powerful and smooth, handles well but the suspension is too soft when pushed hard, weird ergonomics for me, I'm 6'4". You feel like you sit down in the bike too much. The bike looks strange, but just my opinion. Good wind protection. Brakes are powerful enough for the performance. Reliability has been impressive. Other than routine maintenance such as tires and oil changes maintenance costs have been $0.

[morphi]

I have rode too the suzuki, excellent bike, good feeling , great engine ... just the design make me changed my mind.

[lotus54 - Moderator]

I rode one a couple of weeks ago for a very short ride.
My first impression, where are the brakes? Nothing like the MTS or the ST2.
Felt a lot mushier than the MTS 'S', I didn't like the handling as much. Power at the bottom was way less 'seat of the pants' than the MTS.

Nice bike, but not in the same league as the MTS as far as I could see.

Mark

[islandstrom]

I've put 13,000 commuting and touring miles on my '02 DL1000 and am here checking out the MS...

The bike is fast, fun to ride, (much more though than any BMW airhead I've ridden), cheap to maintain, and 100% reliable. The rear suspension can be easily firmed up, but the front fork sucks. 2-up is no problem at all, even fully packed. The thing is like an SUV. and oh yeah, the best headlights of all time. Better than nay car I've ever owned. And it's dirt cheap, especially used.

Weaknesses: bad windscreen, terrible idle-hammer in some bikes, weird low-range vibe in most bikes around 3000-3500 rpm, no factory luggage worth mentioning, and IMHO one of the ugliest rides ever designed. Some bikes have a grinding shift from 1-2.

But it is sure fun to ride...

[NovaCoder]

...and IMHO one of the ugliest rides ever designed.

I'd have to agree with that, what were they thinking

[finn]

Wolfman,

I had a DL1000 for 10 months before picking up my MTS two weeks ago. I'd agree with much of what others say here: 100 per cent reliable with a real SUV feel to it - a real work-horse.
I did a 7,500 mile trek from Ireland through the UK, France and Spain and the V-Strom took it all in its stride. My summary:

1. Very vague front end at high speeds - at around 100mph the bike was prone to a slight front-end wobble. This frightened the life out of me the first time it happened but after a while I just increased or decreased my speed slightly and the bike righted itself. Still very disconcerting though.

2. Low-speed vibe at around 3,500 to 4,000 revs was fixed under warranty by Suzuki. I'm no mechanic but I believe they replaced the clutch springs(?) and this seemed to solve the problem.

3.THE most comfortable bike I've ever ridden. We drove from the Spanish town of Nerja on the Costa Del Sol to San Sebastian (just south of the border with France) and although I wouldn't recommend anyone riding it in one day, I had no major aches or pains. My fellow traveller, who rode an Aprilia Falco, said his body had aged 20 years during the journey.

3. Questionable looks, but many would say the same about the MTS.

4. Stating the obvious here, but maintenance is very cheap when compared with the Duke.

5. Not a great town bike. Very heavy. Short first gear means changing between first and second all the time in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Summary:
DL1000 is an excellent touring bike which is also hard to beat as a commuter, once you're not doing a lot of city driving.
If you're looking for a bike with soul, however, I'd look elsewhere. The MTS is an absolute pleasure to ride compared to the rather uninspiring DL100. Also, I've only had my MTS for 10 days, so I've yet to encounter any of the many problems other riders have complained about on the forums.

[dirtyboots]

It seems to me that with the money you save buying a DL1000 you could fix the front suspension. I've always wondered what the DL1000 would be like if you replaced the 19" front wheel with a 17"wheel from a Bandit and put some street tires on it. Could it keep up with the multi in the twisties?

[Chairguy 2006 620 Dark]

sitting @ the salemens desk closing the deal on my Mts620.. Looking over my shoulder at the DL.. hmm 1000 for hmmm $1000.00 more & more bikefor the money. It was like a snail crawling cross a straight edge razor.. the horror..

If it didn't look like a tank/SUV.. I would have bought it.. the bike just didn't speak to me.. The MTS did..
the bottom line ..you want a duc you buy a duc.. I really wanted a duc. I am still very happy 3200 miles later..

MU

[stevespiers 2011 1200S (Red)]

Hi Dirtyboots,

I owned a DL1000 before I bought the Multi, and yeah with stiffer springs etc it might even give the Multi a run for it's money as it has more power and a faster top end. But as it is it's rather spongy when pushed hard. A great engine though and also bullet proof. Very cheap to run and service. Extremely reliable. Fantastic head lamps.(you get two lamps on at a time)

What I did find though is when I pulled up and parked alongside other bikes, no one ever gave the VStrom the slightest look.

The steering does get vague at the top end but so did my Multi. The brakes are not in the same league as the Multi and although a very good value for money bike...just way too bland.

Steve