The Suzuki V-Strom platform first appeared in 2002 and since then Suzuki has sold well over 400,000 of them around the World, a success story of note! Its versatile nature, conquering everything from touring to off-road excursions was the attraction, and still is. It’s 2024 and we still have Suzuki's DL650 (born in 2004), the new version of the DL1050 and, of course, ‘our’ 2023 Bike of the Year, the superb R59k V-Strom DS250 SX. But now there’s a new one sitting right in the middle, the all-new DL800 DE.

When was the last time you heard of a patented internal component hidden inside a motorcycle engine? Quite a while ago I’d imagine, if at all! And if the latter is your answer, well, you have now so give a commendable round of applause to Suzuki and its brand-new 776cc, DOHC, eight-valve, parallel twin.

Well is it? At around 190kg (depending on which model), and of course 180hp and 140Nm sounds as scary as a night alone in an isolated haunted hotel, or graveyard, when your flashlight’s battery has just died as well, my answer has to be yes and no…