2003 Suzuki V-Strom Dual Sport reviews

Excellent all-around bike. Get EFI set to proper factory specs (shop manual is wrong) with stock pipes. Remap or Power Commander with aftermarket. Bike is fragile if dropped. Great headlight, decent suspension and brakes and plenty of power. Show less

After 11 months and 31,000 miles, I can say that I still love this bike as much as I did when new. Everyone else summed it up as accurately as can be. Yes, the stock seat and short windshield suck, I commute a minimum of 190 miles a day to/from work in San Diego, 24/7 rain or shine averaging 80+ mph. The buffeting and monkey butt get old, but I just keep on riding, it's just a great bike. I'll get a custom seat eventually and sort out the windshield problem, there're so many choices it's unreal. On my second chain sprocket set, and just put on my third set of tires. Metzeler Tourance - I got 16k out of the last set riding it fairly hard. Show less

After 8000 miles, it's still an absolute blast to ride. The V-Strom is easily the best all-around motorcycle available and a steal at the price. This bike gives the rider such a well-balanced combination of comfort, handling, wide torque band and of course, speed. Driving from Seattle to Missoula, Montana, is effortless on the V-Strom. I've ridden for 35 years on bikes ranging from dirt bikes to big bore cruisers and none have made that trip so effortlessly, even when riding two-up with a full load of camping gear including cooking equipment. The only problems have been "the chudder" which was fixed by the dealer, and a small coolant leak at the thermostat housing which was also fixed at the dealer. A funny metallic scraping sound turned out to be caused by a dirty rear disk rotor (cured by spray brake cleaner, a maintenance item that took all of one minute). Keep in mind that the only bike that is anywhere near as fun for touring, commuting, and keeping up with the "sporties" in the mountains is BMW's new 1200GS at over twice the price. It's no wonder that riders who ride for the absolute joy of riding and who make any excuse to get in the saddle absolutely LOVE this bike. No other bike outside of a Ducati or some of the other superbikes can keep up with me on my favorite roads (mountain twisties). Yeah, I might get another Vulcan Nomad (puts Harley to shame in everything but cornering clearance, and don't even get me started on the reliability subject) or one of the new 2005 Yamaha Venture Tour Deluxe cruisers (gotta love that 5-yr, unlimited mileage warranty and roadside assistance), but I wouldn't even consider trading the V-Strom for either. Show less

This bike is great. Takes a little getting used to being that high up on the seat (I am 5'9 shorter legs and I tippy toe it but now balance without any problems). The power and torque are excellent. Good stability all around and the suspension works wonders on poor freeway conditions. It might not look all that sporty but its something you can run for hours at 90+ on the freeway and then ride the twistys like a sport bike. The tires are good too, at first I was worried about them being a little on the thin side but I have leaned this bike over quite a bit and haven't run out of tire yet. Show less

After three months of ownership, I have to state that this bike borders on being indecently fun to drive! I've put more miles on this bike in 3 months than the previous 11 months on my old cruiser, and I've easily had ten times the fun on the 'Strom as well. I've come to appreciate more with every mile, the cushy and well damped ride, even riding two-up with the Givi luggage filled to bursting. The 'Stoms's liquid smooth v-twin with its stump pulling torque continues to be reliable and gets smoother with every mile. In summer months I do a LOT of riding in the mountains. The Strom's combination of superb power delivery and excellent braking turns my favorite road (with 42 miles of gorgeous non-stop mountain twisties) into one incredible road-gasmic experience. Once I got the custom saddle from (Ironbutt) Rich's Custom Upholstry in Seattle, and a larger windshield with laminar lip/EARs installed, the 'Strom is easily the most comfortable AND downright fun bike I've ridden in my 35 years of riding. By the way, I ride my 'Strom in downtown Seattle every day, rain or shine. In addition to being an incredible open road bike, it's also one helluva fantastic urban assault vehicle. Ride Hard, Ride Safe! Show less

I bought the V-Strom based on the reviews in the media. As a big person, the tallness of the bike didn't bother me, but it is always present when mounting and dismounting. The capabilites to be a cruiser or a sport bike or a hooligan bike, are up to you, it will do everything as well as most of us are up to. 2 peeves, the luggage situation is difficult and expensive due to the placement of the exhaust system, and the guages are not real readable (a problem I understand they fixed in 2004). I am currently putting on a Corbin seat and a taller windshield which I expect will give me a better touring bike that will still corner like hell. I'm happy. Show less

Compaired to my 6R (2000)this thing rides smooth.Been over same bumps as 6r on dl and bearly feal them.Its A pleasant change from a bike designed for the trak.This DL is fun doing the speed limit around town and all the power i need on the Xway.The foot peg are a little too far forward for standing on quickly going over bad bumps,here in new england. The wind screen works ok to protect your body, but causes wind to rush around helmet causing irritating noise. Maybe in the future they will put larger plastic up front. Show less

I bought my 2003 V-Strom about 2 months ago, and have put about 1400 miles on it so far. I am very, very happy with my purchase. When I began my search for a new bike, I had the following requirements: 6 speed, liquid cooled, 5+ gallon tank, and the ability to carry hard sidebags. I found that the V-Strom was the best value in bikes that had all the above requirements. But, the final test is how it rides, and let me tell you it rides great. It is very comfortable, handles great on twisty mountain roads, and has a fun motor that'll hit 100+ mph with little effort. But, there are a few problems I have noticed. First, with a 32.1" seat height and 5.8 gallons of gas, it is a bit top heavy and precarious at low speeds of 5 mph or so, at least for myself (5'8" tall and 150 pounds). Second, the stock windscreen only keeps the wind off your chest, leaves your helmet out in the wind, and gives no protection for the legs. (A good windscreen is available from Laminar Lip). Third, my bike runs rough in the 3-4k rpm range, and I have read of many others with the same problem (it is due to a defective clutch basket, according to what I have read). Show less

First impression is how everything falls into place when you sit on the very comfy place to spend all day. The swtich gears are typical UJM user friendly, suspension keep you in control and away from the tarmac, until you really start pushing it. Wish Suzuki would have included a "fully adjustible" suspension as same as the SV's. Handling is second to none in its class, but with full 5.8 gals fuel on top and hard into a corner, you may risk sliding the front wheel. The motor, now, that's where this bike sings! The ole' TL motor simply cooks on the road! Motor is sooooo easy to use, it's unbelievable...around town, in the hills, on the freeway, and even on "LIGHT" fire-road jaunt! The low/mid range grunt is similar to the BMWGS, but with serious top-end to boot. I just got the bike, so I'm not certain exactly what the fule economy, but according to all the write ups on this bike, a tank should be good for around 200 miles +/- 20 miles. I purchased mine with set of (3) color matched hardbags offered by Suzuki and a center-stand (a must). Suzuki's got a heated-grip kit and a taller shield on the way, which will eventually work their way onto my bike as well. It's the best all arounder I've ever ridden and motor is a LOT more capabale than I dare to explore. You won't regret investing in this bike if you ride everday, including long distances! I'm sure this bike won't be the "best seller" for the Suzuki, simply due to its "looks", but seriously folks, "don't judge the book by its cover..." Besides, you can always add your personal touches to change the looks. Show less

I've ridden bikes for 30 years, 20 on the streets of So. Cal. This bike can frustrate even the best racer replicas on a canyon road, and put more miles on one tank than a Gold Wing. And while I wouldn't venture too far off road with it, I have flat-tracked it around a few corners in a vacant dirt lot with surprising ease. Hard to argue with that kind of versatility. Drawbacks: 1) Buffeting from the stock screen. The aftermarket offers a solution. 2) Having to explain your purchase to less informed motorcyclists. This is a "form over image" bike. It does anything you could expect from a motorcycle. I chose it over the new VFR, the FZ1, CB 919, and the new SV 1000. Show less