LONG TERMER: Suzuki V-Strom 800RE

Mossy’s clocked over 7,000 miles on the Strom, including recently dozens of laps at none other than Cadwell Park! Here’s how he got on…

I could sense the sniggers as I rolled down into the holding bay at Cadwell Park. Most of the smirking came from riders of more track-suited GSX-Rs, who probably thought I must’ve been more than a bit mad to take an adventure bike around the tightly twisting turns and undulations of the famous track. ‘I’ll show ’em,’ I thought.

Actually, I had no right to have any speed ambitions. The 800 might perform very well on the road, even when pushed hard. However, track pace is on another level altogether and would put the bike under far more pressure. Any ‘weaknesses’ would be uncovered quickly. In short, I didn’t really know what to expect from thrashing my V-Strom like never before. 

Fitting a fresh pair of Dunlop RoadSmart III tyres had been an essential mod in my book and was sure to give me the chance to go a bit faster and do so more safely by offering better grip. And though the useful plastic luggage that has made life with the Suzuki so much more practical, something I was reminded of during the three-hour, 170-mile trip up to Cadwell, removing it was bound to make the bike feel more agile.

Early circulations felt comfortable enough, and if I’m honest, had a degree of familiarity about them. I’d done laps on my V-Strom 800DE a year previously at the 2023 Suzuki Live event – a festival hosted at the same venue by the UK wing of the Japanese brand – and hadn’t disgraced myself. Theoretically, this version, the RE, would be more suited thanks to its smaller front wheel giving it quicker steering, with that handling advantage furthered by its 20-kilo lighter overall weight. That’s definitely the case on the road, and not long into the Cadwell ride I began to feel the same benefit. 

I’ve noticed on any track rides I’ve done of late, the primary limitation to my lap times is my fitness level. But that same friendly, manageable feel the V-Strom has on the road is also evident on track. Cadwell Park is a ‘busy’ circuit in that you always seem to be moving around the bike catering for stuff like significant changes of direction and braking. Under normal circumstances that starts to wear me out a bit after as little as 10 laps, but the Suzuki’s upright riding position and wide bars give you plenty of leverage to make muscling it around a lot easier. I think I did around 60 laps in total by the end, and though I wasn’t as fresh as when I started, I was nowhere near as knackered as I expected to be. 

The engine also plays a part in the 800’s more relaxed feel. Not especially powerful, producing only 82bhp, means acceleration is modest and doesn’t produce the sort of work-out that speedier track tools can. Just as useful, the flexibility of the motor results in fewer gear changes and a generally less frantic ride. With less overall performance, braking doesn’t need to be as hard and urgent either. I saw a maximum of just 115mph down each of the two straights, which would have been far higher or more strenuous for those GSX-R riders. On the V-Strom the tall screen gives loads of wind protection and cutting speed doesn’t generate much G-force, so I never had any arm pump. 

All in all, with its predictable steering, and surprisingly capable suspension, navigating Cadwell was pretty much straightforward. Perhaps the adventure bike’s biggest advantage though is its underdog status, meaning if anything more track-focused overtakes you, that’s no loss. But if you get by them, you feel like a real winner!

Chris Moss / Five months / 7195 miles