2014 DL1000 Test ride

[Gassoon]

A dangerous game though - knowing Suzuki owners, more will be going to independents for servicing ! Not the same profile as many BMW owners who, for various reasons (lets not go into those ;-), might just stump up the dosh!

EDIT:frez - I hadn't realised that - disgusting policy. I certainly won't buy a new one given that info...

[Jacko]

Yeah, it's been like that for years with Triumph. It was this, and the shocking warranty claims service from Hinckley, that put me clean off buying the 800xc I was about to put a deposit on.

Also, if you fit a Scottoiler, it voids your warranty because you've sliced a vacuum pipe. Triumph are following the success of the BMW template.

[frez]

I'd love to buy British, but the Triumph warranty servicing requirements meant I didn't even bother test riding one.

And I didn't test ride a BMW because I've owned one before and swore to never own one again.

I didn't buy the new vee because it wasn't available when I wanted to change and whilst I might have been able to hold off a couple of months to get one I considered it over priced.

[Juvecu]

Thanks Jacko, worth the read  

Regarding tye rear shock, this seems a common theme with Suzuki and their taller bikes. My old Wee needed the spring changed, full preload was barely enough for solo riding without luggage and I only weigh 12 stone. The DR-Z is also lacking in that department, though less so because the rear of the bike is lighter.

[Jacko]

Yeah, as I said it's not so bad on this, an improvement over the Glee, which is barely enough when fully wound up for solo and luggage.

[Gassoon]

Interesting stuff, Ali, especially on the suspension side of things...when you said it was possible to make a bike unrideable, it brought back with a jolt a memory of me, prior to a european trip 2 up on my VFR 750, fiddling (not 'adjusting' , that word would have an undeserved technical connotation    ) with the suspension both ends. The bike afterwards in all honesty was never quite the same, I never got it properly set up again for solo riding, despite trying; and in retrospect I should have taken it to someone who knew what they were doing. Still a dark art to me...

[Jacko]

Giving the front end on the new 1000 full adjustability without matching it at the rear will cause some difficulties, maybe not ones that will affect the large majority of owners though. Setting it up for normal riders, slinging a spring in it and adding a preload adjuster means that, although mostly adequate the front will now outperform the rear if you choose to make use of the full adjustability of the forks they've provided. I don't profess to be a suspension expert, I wind up my comp damping for trackdays and wind it back down again for the road. If I forget to back it off afterwards I wonder for days why I'm running wide on bends and then check the front comp, then roll my eyes, back it off along with the shock and it behaves on the road again.

What I had with the 1000 test ride was a mismatched pairing of full front and restrictive rear, that was my issue, and like I said, maybe given time I could get a balance but to truly make the very good front setup worthwhile you need to have a reasonably equal rear.

[ziggy]

I have just completed my first 1000 miles on the Dl mostly 2 up. I see no problem with the suspension. I have been over to the edge of my tyres without any one-nerving experiences.
We shall test her fully loaded in 3 weeks but do not anticipate any problems.
At the end of the day I have a touring/ adventure bike and not a R1 or GSXR so I find the suspension more than adequate. But each to their own views.

 

[Jacko]

Point missed, never mind.

[Gassoon]

  When I talked about suspension set up being a 'dark art', I mean there is a level of subjective preference about it - it's not an entirely objective, scientific procedure to get the best set up for any particular suspension. Which also means it isn't all about how 'expert' a rider you are, and how sensitive you are to suspension/ride characteristics of a bike. Like you say, Ali, we're all different!

[Bobstar222]

Ziggy how much was your first service I've just been quoted £150

[ziggy]

£42 including oil, filter and Environmental disposal charge.
Redcar's at Leicester are always very fair.