There are motorcycles that shout for attention, adorned in aggressive graphics, stuffed with electronics you’ll never use, and accompanied by marketing photos of riders jumping dunes in exotic deserts. And then there’s the 2025 Suzuki V-Strom 800DE. It doesn’t posture. It doesn’t promise you the moon. Instead, it waits quietly in the corner, confident in what it can do, letting the riding speak for itself.

That’s why I chose it for one of my most anticipated test rides of the year, an off-road loop around Italy’s jewel of the Dolomites, Lago di Braies. I’ve ridden here before on lighter dual sports and heavier ADV tourers, but the V-Strom 800DE was a wild card. Would its “midweight” adventure credentials hold up against steep gravel climbs, loose hairpins, and the unpredictable mountain weather that this loop is famous for?

Before diving into my impressions, let me set the scene. Lago di Braies is postcard-perfect. Turquoise water framed by jagged limestone peaks, alpine meadows spilling down to the shoreline, and a loop that quickly turns from smooth tarmac to chunky gravel paths, forest tracks, and rocky inclines. It’s the kind of place that demands a bike that’s not just capable, but adaptable.

First Impressions – More Substance Than Show

The moment I rolled the V-Strom 800DE off the trailer in the parking lot near the lake, I noticed something: it looks purposeful without being flashy. The yellow-and-black livery of my test unit had a quiet confidence to it, no sharp fairing cuts for the sake of style, just a functional front beak, slim waistline, and enough clearance to tell you it’s ready for the rough stuff.

Swinging a leg over, I was greeted by an 855 mm seat height, tall enough to give a commanding view over the handlebars, but still reasonable for my 180 cm frame. The cockpit layout felt instantly intuitive: no labyrinth of menus, just clean controls and a crisp TFT screen with your ride modes, traction settings, and ABS at a glance.

And the weight? At 230 kg ready to ride, it’s not feather-light, but the balance is so well sorted that it didn’t feel intimidating from the start.

Technical Specifications – The Core of the Machine

These technical specifications are as listed by the Suzuki’s official site. For the latest updates, always refer to the brand’s official source.

Specification	Suzuki V-Strom 800DE 2025
Engine type	Parallel-twin, crankpin offset
Displacement	776 cc
Power	83 hp @ 8,500 rpm
Torque	78 Nm @ 6,800 rpm
Gearbox	6-speed
Front suspension	Showa USD fork, fully adjustable, 220 mm travel
Rear suspension	Showa monoshock, fully adjustable, 220 mm travel
Front brake	Dual 310 mm discs
Rear brake	Single 260 mm disc
Seat height	855 mm
Fuel capacity	20 liters
Wheel sizes	21-inch front / 17-inch rear
Weight (ready to ride, ABS)	230 kg

Climbing Out of Lago di Braies – Power Where You Need It

Leaving the lakeside tarmac behind, the V-Strom 800DE’s 776 cc parallel twin immediately impressed me. Suzuki’s engineers have given it a beautifully linear power delivery, with plenty of grunt in the low and mid rev range. That’s exactly what you want when you’re negotiating loose gravel hairpins and don’t feel like wrestling with constant clutch work.

On the steep climbs heading toward Ponticello, I found I could stay in second gear and let the torque do the heavy lifting. The engine’s balance shaft keeps vibration low, I could still see clearly in my mirrors even on rocky sections, and the quickshifter (standard, both up and down) made gear changes seamless without having to feather the clutch.

It’s not a rev-hungry engine, and you don’t need it to be. This bike is happiest in that sweet zone between 3,500 and 6,000 rpm, where power meets control. On tight, rocky switchbacks, that made the difference between struggling and flowing.

Suspension – The Secret Weapon

I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect the V-Strom 800DE to feel this composed off-road. Showa has clearly done its homework. With 220 mm of fully adjustable travel front and rear, I could hit embedded rocks and ruts at speed without getting bucked out of the saddle.

I started the day with the suspension on factory settings, which already offered a great mix of compliance and support. Midway through the loop, I dialed in a touch more firmness to the compression damping, and the bike instantly felt sharper in the faster forest trails beyond Prato Piazza.

The chassis balance is spot on. That 21-inch front wheel gives you the confidence to roll over bigger obstacles, while the rear stays planted even on washboard surfaces. On the long downhill section into Val di Landro, I could brake late into corners without the front diving excessively.

Braking – Predictable and Strong

The dual 310 mm discs up front have a reassuring feel, progressive enough not to upset the bike’s balance off-road, but with plenty of bite when you need to scrub speed quickly. The 260 mm rear disc was surprisingly sharp at first, but I learned to feather it for controlled descents.

Suzuki’s Gravel ABS mode worked well in the looser stuff, letting the rear slide just enough for directional control while keeping the front stable.

Electronics – Simple and Effective

In an age where some adventure bikes hide basic functions three menus deep, Suzuki’s minimalist approach felt refreshing. Three ride modes, three traction control settings, and a Gravel mode, all accessible without stopping.

A long press disables traction control completely for more advanced riding, and, unlike some rivals, it stays off when you restart the bike. The only thing I wished for on these longer stretches of road between trailheads was cruise control, not essential for off-road, but handy for touring.

Durability – Built to Take It

A three-day loop around the Dolomites is a perfect durability test. Loose rocks, water crossings, and long stints of high-rev road riding didn’t faze the V-Strom 800DE. The bolted rear subframe is a practical touch for repairs, and the air filter location is easily accessible for dusty conditions.

Even after several hours of punishing off-road terrain, nothing rattled loose, the engine temperature stayed consistent, and the chain required minimal adjustment. That’s exactly the kind of low-maintenance reliability you want on a long adventure.

The Home Stretch – Smooth on Tarmac

After days of dirt, the final ride back down into the valley was pure mountain-road bliss. The V-Strom transitions back to asphalt duty effortlessly. The suspension that soaks up rocks also smooths out rough road surfaces, and the engine’s midrange punch makes overtakes on mountain straights easy.

Sure, it’s not as razor-sharp as a sport-touring machine in the twisties, and the knee angle could get cramped for taller riders on long tarmac stretches, but as an all-rounder, it’s hard to beat.

Conclusion – The Honest Adventure Bike

The 2025 Suzuki V-Strom 800DE doesn’t try to dazzle with overcomplication. It’s the quiet companion that never lets you down, whether you’re picking your way over rocky climbs above Lago di Braies or cruising back down to civilization.

Its strengths lie in a perfectly judged balance between road and off-road performance, a robust build, and a motor that delivers exactly where you need it. It’s not the lightest in its class, but it carries its weight well. It’s not overloaded with tech, but the tech it has is practical. And, most importantly, it’s a bike you can trust in the middle of nowhere.