I'm not being defensive nor protective, nor am I in denial, as you can see from my posts. I don't care if anyone else likes the bike or not - I bought it for me. Some of the new bikes obviously have a fuelling issue (or what looks like a fuelling issue) and some don't. Mine seemed to have an issue with an "on/off" throttle with TC set to 2, which was unpleasant (as I said in my original write up).
I would have preferred that it was cheaper and I think it was originally priced slightly too high compared to other similarly-styled/sized bike for it to sell in high volumes. The way the plastic cover just under the tank doesn't run parallel to the frame irritates me. It also irritates me that Suzuki couldn't spend just 30 seconds longer when prototyping to tuck one of the electrical connectors behind the radiator instead of leaving it facing all the crap coming up off the road. Piss poor QC and attention to detail. The panniers are either shit or brilliant, depending on whether you want to go away travelling for a few days or just need to cart some stuff to the office and back.
I love the way it handles - some days when it clicks it just flows so nicely it's like surfing. I like the fact it doesn't way a tonne like the S10 does, for those times I have to paddle it backwards on a country lane to let a car go past. I love the fact it has a chain drive, so I can see how it looks, when it needs lubing and changing. I like the fact it doesn't have a whole load of electronic gizmos to potentially go wrong and deny me my freedom at 7am on a Sunday. Like you need electronically adjustable suspension for riding UK roads - ha! (And those electronic gizmos *will* go wrong.) I love the fact I don't have to plan overtakes like you have to on the 650 - you just decide and go. The economy is pretty good - I'm getting 55 mpg avg I would guess, though I wish it had a bigger tank just to save having to fill up as often. My tyres have squared off a bit early at 3.5k I think so maybe I'll put something different on next time (I've got no idea what's on there). I wouldn't choose to go back to the 650 and don't miss anything about it. I also don't regret not buying the S10 (too heavy, horrible engine), R1200GS (was poised to buy, desperately wanted to like it, put off by too many problems and by the nearest dealer being 45 min away), KTM (too off road for my needs), Triumph (not great stories about the dealer, don't like the look of the Explorer, other reasons), Kawasaki (seriously ugly, rushed "me too" to market), Ducati (an upright racing bike - WTF?), Aprilia (the racing bike company? Do they do an adventure bike then?), Moto Guzzi (still waiting (2 years) for the nearest dealer to call me back with a price). Warts and all summing up of the DL1000: great bike, Suzuki should drop its delusions of grandeur or up the quality, shame some seem to have fuelling issues, idle hammer's a minor irritation when I remember to listen for it, accessory prices seem to defy logic (£500 fog lights? Seriously?). Dropping the price, upping the quality and marketing it better could have been a genuine game-changer.
I'm all for open debate on the pros and cons but covering the same old ground (about anything) with nothing new to say is just ... boring. Some people think it's overpriced, some don't, some have fuelling issues, some don't. Just repeating any of those things isn't open debate, it's just going over old ground.
