Suzuki releases its most adventuresome V-Strom model to date with its upgraded-for-2019 V-Strom 1000XT Adventure. Aptly named, the “Adventure” brings its own brand of long-range capability to the table with a five-plus gallon fuel tank and a whole host of ride-quality and safety electronics to help you keep it dirty side down. Stock panniers provide the dry, secure storage American riders expect with their touring bikes, and the factory offers up a robust line of accessories to fill in any perceived gaps. This may well be the V-Strom you've been waiting for.

2019 Suzuki V-Strom 1000XT Adventure Design

Suzuki stepped up its adventure-bike game yet again ahead of MY2019, and the results are impressive with its V-Strom 1000XT Adventure. To be fair, the factory kind of had to make some kind of major moves to compete against the likes of Ducati, BMW, and Triumph in addition to its domestic foes 'cause it was falling behind in the R&D battle. Well, up until now anyway.

The factory drew on its own deep roots for design inspiration with DNA from the DR-Big model that ran from the late '80s through the late '90s. A narrow bird's-beak fairing leads the way over a secondary fender that mounts to the fork caps and protects the swept area from grit and grime that can reduce the life of your seals. Over/under halogen headlights split the night, and Suzuki keeps to the old school with incandescent front turn signals even though the factory gets with the times with full LED lighting out back.

The windscreen is almost 2-inches taller (49 mm) than the previous max, and it comes adjustable for both height and angle so you can dial in for your body style and personal preferences. It's all wind-tunnel tested, so you can count on low-drag penetration and minimal head-buffet effect where pocket and slipstream meet.

Handguards protect your hamburger shovels from the weather with backup by stock handwarmers that'll ease some of the pain of cool-weather riding. A 5.3-gallon fuel tank creates the typical hump in the flyline ahead of a precipitous drop to the shallow-scoop seat that rests the pilot's butt at 33.5 inches off the deck. If that sounds a tad on the tall side, that's the price you pay for the 6.5-inch ground clearance and all-around 6.3-inch suspension stroke. The rider's triangle is set up to allow for an upright riding posture, and if the circumstances call for it, a standing one, plus the seat is pared down up front so as not to interfere with your ability to reach the ground. Be that as it may, those among us with shorter inseams will tippy-toe it or pick a foot at the redlights.

Most of the subframe is screened by the voluminous, 3.7-liter, sheet-aluminum panniers that come with quick-disconnect, stainless-steel carriers so you can easily convert from joyriding to touring or some serious grocery-getting. If you fancy a bit more storage, the 35-liter top case is a must-have accessory.

A short mudguard uses the license plate as an extension to help control the fling, and a set of high-visibility, LED turn signals join an LED taillight to make you stand out from the rear. Visibility equals safety, for the most part, which makes me wonder why the Adventure doesn't carry them all around.

2019 Suzuki V-Strom 1000XT Adventure Chassis

For the 2019 V-Strom 1000XT Adventure, the factory tuned the aluminum twin-spar frame to make it 13-percent lighter than the previous gen, yet stiffer to better handle rough terrain. Laced wheels reinforce the off-road chops with aluminum rims and stainless-steel spokes to mount the tubeless hoops. A 110/80-19 leads the way ahead of a 150/70-17, and while the hoops are billed as dual-purpose tires, they have an undeniable bias for the road. In short, if you plan on entering the Paris-Dakar race or entertain some other serious off-road endeavor, you'd do well to look for a set of stealth knobbies instead.

Inverted, 43 mm, KYB front forks deliver the full trinity of adjustments, and the monoshock out back has adjustable rebound damping and spring preload to make it easy to dial in for changing passenger/cargo loads. Since the Adventure weighs in at 514 pounds wet before you put any touring gear on it, you have the potential to develop considerable energy. You'll have to rely on the dual, 310 mm discs and Tokico Monoblock calipers to slow the front wheel with a twin-piston Nissin anchor to slow the rear, but they come with a pair of safety-related subsystems to help you get the most out of the brakes. First off, a Combination Brake feature automatically distributes pressure between the front and rear calipers for improved stability, plus, the ABS is of the corner-sensitive variety , so you can safely use the brakes with near impunity under almost any conditions.

The steering head sets a rake angle of 25.5 degrees with 4.29 inches of trail over a 61.2-inch wheelbase, and the steering swings through 36-degrees of rotation on each side to give the Adventure a 9.5-foot turning radius. That's tight enough for a U-turn in a two-lane road and decent parking lot maneuverability.

2019 Suzuki V-Strom 1000XT Adventure Drivetrain

The fandanglery continues into the engine control systems on the 2019 V-Strom 1000XT Adventure with a three-mode (One, Two, and Off) traction control feature that marks a first for the family. Set the machine to 1 or 2 for conditions good and poor, respectively, or unleash the beast by turning off the TC entirely. The system works by restricting the intake and adjusting the timing when wheel-slip is detected in order to keep the rear end from wiping out, and it's impossible to overstate the value of that peace of mind.

Power comes from a 90-degree, L-twin plant to the tune of 99.57 ponies at 8,000 rpm and 74.49 pound-feet of torque at four grand. That'll give you plenty of grunt around town and enough power to cruise comfortably on the highway. A 100 mm bore and 66 mm stroke, times two, gives the mill a 1,037 cc total displacement and a moderately warm 11.3-to-1 compression ratio. Dual over-head cams time the four-valve, dual-spark heads, and the engine water jacket helps keep the mechanical noises where they belong; inside the cases.

A pair of throttle bodies house the rider-controlled valves as well as a duplicate butterfly that responds to input directly from the ECM. The system smooths out the difference between demand and engine response to give you smoother throttle transitions

The two-into-one exhaust rocks a pair of catalytic converters, fresh-air injection and a crossover tube in a bid to keep emissions low, and it boasts an ECM-controlled valve of its own that delivers variable backpressure and a broader torque band. On top of all that, there's the Low RPM Assist and Automatic Idle Speed Control features to help keep the fire lit on cold mornings and prevent stalling as you come out of the hole.

Power flows through a backtorque-reducing slipper clutch and a six-speed transmission before it heads to the rear wheel via a chain final drive for a top speed of 126 mph.

2019 Suzuki V-Strom 1000XT Adventure Pricing

MSRP on the 2019 V-Strom 1000XT Adventure is $14,599 as it sits on the floor. Blue, white and gray are the main components in the unique color scheme, and they go well with the bright aluminum and blackout treatment throughout the bike.

2019 Suzuki V-Strom 1000XT Adventure Competitors

Suzuki is just one more big fish in a rather crowded pond, so I've got no compunction whatsoever about going right to the top of the food chain with the Multistrada 950 from Ducati. The Italian stallion takes a wider approach with side-by-side headlights set over a wide, stubby bird's-beak fairing. A windshield parts the weather for your upper torso with handguards to extend the coverage to your hands. Best of all, Duc incorporated the front blinkers with the handguards in a bid to reduce clutter up front.

A similar rider's triangle makes the Multistrada equally comfortable, but the Duc leaves the saddlebags in the accessory catalog, so it's not quite as tour-ready right off the floor as the Suzuki. As far as aesthetics are concerned, it's hard to beat the voluptuous curves Ducati brings to the table, but the V-Strom has charms of its own. Besides, form follows function, especially in this genre.

The Multistrada rolls on cast wheels (unless you spring for the 950 S – Spoked Wheel version) with high-quality Pirelli rubbers that come with a ZR rating as a testament to the intended performance envelope. Cornering ABS is a constant across the board, but Ducati adds to the brake functions with a Vehicle Hold Control feature that holds the brakes for you so you can deploy both training wheels on a grade. Ducati's Power Modes compound Suzuki's woes in the fandanglery department, as does its Riding Modes that bundle the various ride-quality controls for easy adjustments.

A 937 cc Testastretta delivers 113 horsepower and 71 pound-feet of torque in a trade-off from the 100/75 Suzuki mill, but honestly, the ol' heinie dyno isn't going to notice. What you will notice is the Ducati rolls for $14,395, just a tad less expensive than the V-Strom, but not enough to matter until you add in the price of the optional hard bags onto the Multistrada and then the V-Strom is the winner at the checkout counter.

He Said

“Suzuki's V-Strom has no shortage of competition, and it'll be interesting to see how it performs in the market against the other top adv bikes. Personally, I kinda like the narrow front fairing and the adjustable screen, but its the electronics that really sell this bike.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “I find the V-Strom 1000XTs to be no-fuss-no-hassle adventure bikes with plenty of torque down low and smooth power delivery. Scour the accessories catalog for the most popular adventure add-ons and you have the 1000XT Adventure. It might be worth a mention that the panniers use a different key than the ignition. In this day of keyless ignition and one-key-does-all, I'm wondering how I feel about going old school with two keys again. It's probably not a big deal and Suzuki does offer additional tumblers to match the ignition key.”

2019 Suzuki V-Strom 1000XT Adventure Specifications

Further Reading

Ducati Multistrada 950

See our review of the Ducati Multistrada 950.

Suzuki V-Strom 1000 / 1000XT

See our review of the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 / 1000XT.

Suzuki DR Big

See our look at the Suzuki DR Big.

Suzuki

Read more Suzuki news.