2021 Suzuki V-Strom 1050 XT | First Ride Review
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- Опубликовано: 19 сен 2021
- 2021 Suzuki V-Strom 1050 XT | First Ride Review
Last year Suzuki made a significant update to the venerable V-Strom 1050. So join me as I take this latest incarnation of Suzuki's flagship adventure bike, the 2021 V-Strom 1050XT for a first ride review.
Thanks to Suzuki UK for making this video possible.
A big shout out to Merlin Bike Gear for sending me the Chigwell Utility jacket to try out. Please visit their website below to check out their awesome clothing range:
www.merlinbikegear.com/
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My Riding Gear:
Helmet - Shark D-Skwal 2.0
Jacket - Merlin Bike Gear Chigwell Utility - Olive.
Trousers - Rokkertech Vintage Jeans
Gloves - Oxford Brisbane
Boots - Daytona Arrow Sport GTX
My Camera Gear:
Helmet Cam - GoPro Hero 9 Black
Handlebar Cam - Insta360 One X2
B Roll Cam - Sony A6300
My measuerments:
5'7" with 29" inch inseam. 
Авто/Мото
Lets all be honest. It's gorgeous. We all know this bike is going to be timeless.
The square headlamp is a nod to the old DR BIG. They need to put this on the 650 as well, looks much better than the oval one.
Yes that's the one! Not sure what the plan is with the 650 as they are also making a new SV650 parallel twin (allegedley). It would be an easy update with the square headlight though.
1st thing I got for mine was the low seat which is apparently 30mm lower. I have to admit it certainly helped & made it easier to live with..👍😀👍
That's what I have been waiting for! 🥳😍 Thank you and have a nice day folks!
Thanks for watching!
Recently found your channel and i love it! your sincerity and focus is very much welcomed in a sea of memes and shitposting from most other bike vloggers! You also made me set my mind on the cb650r as my first big bike [UK btw] so thankyou so much for your humble and honest opinions on many a bike!
Well thank you very much for a positive comment. I hope you enjoy the CB650R as much as I did. Just watch out for that hard seat if you go on a long distance ride or tour! Cheers! Dan
@@Englishbikerdan you're very welcome my friend, nice to have real opinions! Thankyou for the reply too, well my commute Is a 60 mile round trip (30 either way) and it's all twisty nationals so hopefully it does the job! Keep up the work Dan!
I really like the style of your videos Dan! Keep it up!
Thank you!
Love all your videos, Dan! Hopefully you could do some reviews on the Svartpilen from Husqvarna!
Hey Dan, thanks for introducing the Merlin Chigwell jacket. Just purchased one and am looking forward to putting it through its paces 👍
Welcome Peter! Went out for a spin in mine today! Cheers.
Another great video Dan, Often in the cafe you started at so I'll come and interrupt if I see you there doing your walkaround!!😁
Haha please do Huw. Although it's usually really busy so I don't get much done!
Awesome video!!! 👍💪
Dan I've had my 21 plate V-Strom 1050 XT Tour (Red n White) for just over 4 months and I've covered nearly 5000 miles on it so far (including two 1400+ mile tours of Wales and Cornwall/Devon).
I gotta say Its a stonking bike, It does most things very well, but lets be honest, at over 250kg (fully fuelled) the furthest you'd ever wanna take it off road is a gravel car park or the odd unnamed/unpaved road. I did try a bit of green laning on it but it wasn't brilliant.
You mentioned the brakes had no feel? Just wait until the pads bed in properly (ie more than the 257 odd miles on the clock showing in your video) and they get a lot better..
As for the seat? I don't have a problem with it, I find it very comfortable (I'm 5'10" with a 31' inside leg) and have done lots of extended mileage days in the saddle without a problem, both my brothers have brand new KTM's (one 1290 Super Adventure and one 890 Adventure) and on our recent 1400 mile Devon/Cornwall trip both of them complained about their seats after about 100 miles despite both having the optional "comfort" seats fitted.
Overall the V-Strom 1050XT is a do anything, go (almost) anywhere mile muncher, a super all rounder which I hope to have in my garage for many years to come. . . . (Unless the new GSX S1000 GT is as good as being reported!)
Yep a good solid bike but I couldn't get on with the seat. Far too hard for me. My lady loved the pillion seat though.
I own that bike as well since March 21 and I am really happy with it. Coming to the seat I felt first not very confident if this part of the bike would be good enough for longer tours in terms of comfort. But on my 5 day tour this spring trough Switzerland I learned that the seat is very nicely designed for a daily pain free riding. So based on my experience a prospective buyer of that bike can expect a seat which is capeable to care for the riders most vulnerable bodypart on longer tours: the bum.
Yes gsx gt or this xt more proper ?
I've got an earlier V-thingie, replacement while my CB650R is being uncorrugated after being knocked over in a carpark. I like it. Nice engine. I have the same difficulty as thou, however, being between 5 ft 7 and 8, depending on the time of day. Stopping requires thought. Good bike though, love the torque.
Feel free to check my content. You may like it. :)
Great rewiew thanks
Another good review Dan. Still unsure if I like the looks of this bike or not lol. No doubting it’s great value compared to its rivals for what you get though.
Yeah looks are not everyone's cup of tea. In the right colour though I think it looks pretty good.
Catalogue poses .... brilliant 🤣
Reminds me of an Adventure bike version of a Katana. I formed that view as soon as you parked the bike for the walk round. The 650 is so big I thought it was the thousand version. I didn’t ask to see that. I’m 5’8- I wouldn’t think about getting the thou model unless I was about 6’4.
Yeah, I think I said that about the light.
Great review as always, but you did not mention the pannier fixings for drop on panniers which must come as an accessory for touring = check view of bike at 9:55 where it shows those quick connect brackets. (OOPS! You did mention the Touring Luggage Option a little further on... 11:15 ) Its a bike made for touring and green lanes and highway, so why not mention the accessories list this bike must have. Especially if one is comparing this to a GS where they have very similar performance parameters - although less than the GS but... compare prices? Keep it up (I have an R1200RT as well as the RE650 haha!) Hmmm, Firm Suspension... perhaps it was designed for Teapot1 and co?? :)
Whoa! 29" inseam! Finally someone who has it worse than I do. Im 30" but 5'11" so Im definitely top heavy....I keep falling forward. Also, we can see that youre quite the dapper Dan in your modeling clips lol. Great review ! The looks on this new generation have grown on me exponentially and think its quite the masculine and solid looking bike. I think it would be great if they made their 650 Vstroms to look the same. Not sure why they haven't yet.
Manlets lol
Thanks! Yes I'm cursed with short legs! I'm guessing an aesthetic update on the VStrom 650 next year.
Nice feature is the anti stall on the bike. Computer senses revs needed when taking off and raises revs if necessary.
Definitely! Very handy for new riders
I test rode the basic version and came away very surprised by the same things you mentioned - ie the bike feeling very light on it's feet and being very nimble, while also having a rather stiff suspension. I was expecting a heavy pig that's undersprung, but it's actually far from it. And this is coming from a Hornet 600 which is a 173kg dry bike (so A LOT lighter then the V-Strom). It makes my Bandit 650S feel like a pig, and you'd expect it to be the other way around. Great bike, would buy.
Definitely agree. I've owned many Hornet 600's too and one Bandit. The Bandit definitely was a heavy ol beast! Cheers! 👍
@@Englishbikerdan Makes me enjoy riding slow and smooth tho :)
New updates for 2023 look like they've nailed it, the base model with cast wheels, tft dash and cruise control etc etc looks like I'll be buying a new bike next year😀😀
I'd say the old models will be massively discounted now, sickener for anyone who bought new this year though.
Yep new bike ticks all the boxes, and I really liked last year's V-Strom! I can also see a purchase next year....
Just test rode the new standard Vstrom 1050 this morning absolutely loved it .
I always wonder if I can ride on light offroad with cast rims?
Love the bike, love the review, I even really like the Belstaff jacket, very smart! I'm looking for a new bike and this is deffo on my shopping list, 2023 model has colour TFT screen, but it looks like only the DE model has spoked wheels, I think it looks better with them rather than cast?
Thanks man, but it's a Merlin jacket! Yeah the new DE replaces the old XT but they wheel is now 21" instead of 19".
dream bike
Ah, we sometimes ride our bikes down to BlackBushe for a bite to eat. Suspension is excellent, once dialled in you cannot get that bike to wobble at any angle or bump.
THE REAL REVIEWS,
Thanks for the dreat videos. Can't decide between this, A Tiger 900 Pro, Rt1250, GS 1250 for 2 up touring, We are both in our 50s and both 5ft 8 with 30" inseams.
You should also consider the Tiger 1200 fantastic two up shaft driven tour bike 👌🏼 we find it a very comfortable well capable bike for two and the luggage 👍🏼
@@stevenross2357 The only problem with the tiger 1200 is that the c of g is high and also the seat.
Great channel, do you still have the 850 sport? im thinking of getting one this weekend, all the best
I certainly do, although it spends much of its life not being ridden!
It looks better in the other two colours, especially the yellow and blue. Good-looking bike. A bit too heavy.
Good video, EBD.
I would go for the black one with golden rims. :) Feel free to check my content. You may like it. :)
Currently following a young couple named Lavi and Ollie who are riding around the world on one of these in a Guinness world record attempt. Surprisingly enough their channel is called Lavi and Ollie!
the reason you cant adjust the windscreen from where you're seated is for safety. Windscreens are either electronically adjustable or made so that you have to stop to do it
I can adjust my windscreen on my Tiger, one handed on the move.
@@Englishbikerdan I get that. That's triumphs decision. Most japanese brands make it hard to adjust on the move. Kawasaki for example made it so you have to undo nuts in order to loosen the screen. It's made so you can do it by hand, but not easily while riding. Because they don't want you to.
I believe the africa twin even requires a screwdriver or alan key.
I believe BMW also allows you to manually adjust windscreens on the fly. Maybe it's a japanese design philosophy thing.
It seems unreasonable to believe that motorcycle manufacturers couldnt design a system to onehandedly adjust a windscreen if they really wanted to. The DL1000/50 has been on the market for an eternity. It's a decision at this point
I bought a GSA but I would have definitely been fine with this bike and possibly should have gone in this direction.
It's certainly a bike that makes you think!
Does anyone know if the 2020-22 1050XT can have both an up and down quickshifter fitted?
Or is it only up shifts?
Please test the standard one Dan 👌
I have asked but none available at the moment. Hopefully soon.
Hi Dan. If Suzuki are working on a parallel twin for the SV650 what will that mean for Big twin ?
A big parallel twin but I'm guessing here!
Hoper for the V2 to stay in production. Have it. Feel free to check my content. You may like it. :)
Good value compared to the competition, but I'd still spend a bit more and go for the Tiger. :)
Or save a bit and get the 850 Sport :D
Very good review. I would like to know if it feels much more powerful than SV650. What would you say, 10 or 15% or even more powerful/faster? Thanks for the answer.
It is about 50% more powerful than the 650, so do the math :-)
@@Ole.Schultz Would think the same, but the feel is probably different. :) You can check my content.
@@RRRRefuelRideRace Nope the 1050 is a lot more powerful. I have owned both the DL650 and DL1000 (2018 model) and the 1050 has a few more ponies. Another important thing is that the 1000/1050 has better brakes and suspension. :-)
OK. I have the SV650 3rd gen, more or less like Vstrom 650, a bit lighter ... What do you think of acceleration between 650 and the new 1050? Thanks.
@@RRRRefuelRideRace I have not tried the 1050 yet.
Great video but I have to ask the obvious question, how does it compare to your Tiger, as they are competing against each other and now that you've ridden this, would you still have bought the Tiger?
Tiger has a more engaging engine and better brakes but I think the Suzuki handles better due to the higher spec suspenion. Not surprising mind you as the V-Strom is a good bit more expensive than my Tiger.
With only 29 inch inseam I'm surprised the seat isn't too high.
Me too!
The screen is adjustable at the front to stop people from doing it whilst riding. It's there intentionally for safety reasons, whether or not we the riders agree with it!
Yeah, I disagree. Plenty of bikes have screens you can adjust easily on the go.
@@Englishbikerdan And it's not like it's any less dangerous than using the switchgear or adjusting a mirror... I don't get it.
Other manufacturers have done similar things, forcing you to use two hands.
How did you find the sizing on that Merlin jacket? Any need to size up/down? What you wearing, a Medium?
I went for a large but obviously, it depends on your shape/size. It's probably a little big around the belly but fits nicely on the shoulders/chest.
@@Englishbikerdan awesome, thanks... nice jacket! (and videos)
The Suzuki v twin sounds good 👍❤️ I prefer the sv with that TFT display to the vstrom, too big and bulky.
SV also had LCD display I think. I'm picking up a really interesting Vtwin next week. You might enjoy the vid. 😉
@@Englishbikerdan wonder what it is?
@@Antimortem It's something pre 2000. :)
I was looking to get a new bike, but i got me a new merlin jacket instead😂😂
It's a start at least! :D
It's a good value bike, but somehow i feel its not quite good enough compared to its competition. I look at the other bikes and feel they're worth the extra cost, as opposed to this being a bargain buy. I actually think i'd go for it if the price gap was bigger.
I guess it depends what you're comparing it against, a GS TE for example is almost twice the price.
Im meltingggggg 😭😭
Oooh la la, we even got a little dance
Be selling my 1200gsa 2019 for a 20/21 1050XT next month. Im a new rider, not only will i save and pocket back £4,000, ill save £680 a yesr on insurance.
Please review the new KTM RC 390
I'm sure KTM can oblige!
I'm in the market for a new bike, currently on a 2006 V Strom 1000 GT which in many ways is a cracking bike but ruined by the terrible clutch chudder from the badly designed clutch basket. Unfortunately Suzuki have had this problem since the very 1st use of this engine, and in 20 years still haven't bothered to fix it, and it's still a problem on this new model. Great shame but I'll never buy one again.
review starts at 2:28
But then they miss out on my amazing modelling! 😂
@@Englishbikerdan :)
Dan for a model 🙈
Haha, still waiting for the those modelling calls. Any day now...... 😂
Anyone that can get the words “turd” and “anal” into a motorcycle review deserves at least 100k subscribers 🧐
Wow. Maybe I need to moderate myself haha!
Put it in A mode and learn the throttle i have one and its gorgeous no Fuelling problem Suzuki have this engine nailed for many many years so no way any snatch you just need to learn the bike ATB
I have these bikes for a short term loan. I. might get used to it if I had it longer, but I ride many, many bikes and mention things I notice.
What is the difference between 2020 and 2021 ?
Just Euro5 approval I think.
@@Englishbikerdan , this is a wonderful bike, but Suzuki needs to upgrade the suspension and put a 21 inch wheel on the front!!!
@@jblue1299 Suspension was amazing from my test. Brakes could do with a bit more bite though.
@@Englishbikerdan , when I rode this bike a few weeks ago, it seemed the front suspension was transmitting road conditions onto the rider, more than I expected…
@@jblue1299 Yes it does feel quite stiff in stock form, however it is fully adjustable so you can tweak it to make it better for you. I really liked it on the stiffer side as it made the bike feel quite sporty.
I need to add "reaching out" to my list of Americanisms used more and more by us Brits
At work I call those phrases "bullshit bingo". 😂
Great review. “Hill hold control” is the only one I’m skeptical about, they give this to us, but perhaps one shouldn’t be riding a bike if they can’t balance the clutch, throttle and brake to move away safely on a hill. If someone said it meant a lot to them, I would probably recommend they didn’t ride! Wow, it has a proper front mud guard, no need for fender extender!
57mpg after saying how many litres the tank is.... Means nothing without actually converting mpg/kml unless I care enough to look it up.
It's a Suzuki so I won't
I could have worked it out for you but I'm also lazy. Thanks for watching. :)
Feel free to check my content. You may like it. :)
~5.3 gallons
chewsday innit m8