Test fleet: Suzuki V-Strom 800RE

After making the final modification to his V-Strom, Mossy gets the chance to assess the value of all the changes by comparing his bike to a stocker.

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I'm often asked about how much difference aftermarket products make to the performance of a bike. I'd like to think my 30-years' testing experience allows me to make a credible judgement, but there's still nothing better than a back-to-back test to confirm things more fully. With that in mind and knowing it won't be long before I have to return my trusty V-Strom to its owners, I arranged such a test, travelling to Suzuki GB to compare my modded 800 to an absolutely standard version. The result was interesting.

Whether the weather....

The day I tried the stock bike wasn't ideal. Single figure temperatures and slippery roads had greeted me on the run up to Milton Keynes, though as it turned out, such conditions were useful in assessing some of my bike's mods - primarily due to their absence on the unmodified machine. Really underlining that opinion was how I felt right from the off... bloody cold! Without the handguards (£86) and heated grips (£357) on my 800, my hands felt the whole effect of the winter wind chill immediately. The rest of me felt cooler too. I was also missing the Puig screen I've just fitted (£100) to my bike, which is 6.5" taller than standard. Offering more shelter, it diverts the cold air appreciably more. The standard screen can't offer quite the same benefit.