The Suzuki V-Strom 1050 has finally received an ‘epic’ upgrade. According to overseas media, the 2023 Suzuki V-Strom 1050DE (DL1050) has been given upgraded wheels and suspension to give it an edge in the increasingly competitive flagship ADV class. In a rather simplistic and brutal way, Motor Suzuki has upgraded the front wheels of the V-Strom 1050DE to 21″ and changed them from the vacuum spokes of the previous V-Strom 1050XT to a tabular format, with a nakedly visible change in the towing distance. Apart from the travel system adjustments, 2023 V-Strom 1050 remains largely the same as the current model, with a new full-colour display to enhance the technology.
Usually, Suzuki’s annual mini-facelift mainly focuses on updating the colour scheme and decals, but this time it has taken the initiative to make adjustments to the wheelset and suspension of the DE version, which should take full account of the current consumer demand for ADV models.
The V-Strom 1050 has been on the market in China for more than 2 years now, and although we’ve always called it a niche product, it’s a good product with a retro look and classic colour scheme, making the V-Strom 1050 the perfect choice to make a statement.
We’ll just talk about the changes this time. The V-Strom 1050DE has upgraded the front rim to 21″, from the previous vacuum spoke format to an inner tube, and with that comes a suspension upgrade, the previous 43mm KYB USD fork has been increased to 170mm of travel, and the trailing distance has been adjusted to cope with the sudden 21″ rim, so visually the V-Strom 1050DE looks bigger than the old model.
The rear wheelset remains unchanged, retaining the vacuum-spoke wheel set-up. The front and rear tyre sizes are 90/90 R21 at the front and 150/70 R17 at the rear, a relatively common specification and the same as the F850GS range. Another change is the aluminium flat fork at the rear, which has been lengthened to improve high speed tracking, while the overall wheelbase has been increased by 40mm and ground clearance has been increased to 190mm.
The full colour TFT instruments replace the previous monochrome negative LCD screen, giving a much improved sense of technology and luxury, and the instrumentation operates with essentially the same logic as before. In terms of powertrain, the 2023 model is still powered by the same 1037cc V-Twin engine and the power figures remain the same as the current model, with a maximum power of 107bhp and 100Nm. The main changes are in the gear ratios of the transmission, with the front 5 gears being more closely spaced.
Summing up.
The new V-Strom 1050DE has changed its off-road performance in a relatively simple way. Although the overall equipment upgrade is not significant, the tweaks to the travel system mean that the driving style will be very different compared to the old model. Now marginalised in China, the V-Strom 1050 could be the same downfall as the current V-Strom 1050 XT if the V-Strom 1050DE is introduced, but don’t underestimate the strength of Suzuki’s fan base.
