How Much Power Does the 2023 Suzuki V-Strom 800DE Make?

For 2023, Suzuki debuted two all-new middleweight motorcycles, the V-Strom 800DE and GSX-8S. Both motorcycles utilize the same and new 776cc parallel twin. At EICMA, Suzuki announced the same parallel twin will be used in the new middleweight sportbike, the GSX-8R. But what prompted the development of three new motorcycles with the same powerplant? Clearly Suzuki noticed the success Yamaha has had placing its 689cc CP2 parallel twin in the MT-07, YZF-R7, and of course the Ténéré 700 and thought, “we can do that.” And we are glad they did.

The 2023 Suzuki V-Strom 800DE features a 776cc DOHC parallel twin with dual 42mm throttle bodies, three power modes, five levels of traction control including off, three levels of ABS including off, and a bidirectional quickshifter. Its all-new chassis is designed around a steel frame with a bolt-on subframe, fully adjustable Showa suspension front and rear with 8.7 inches of travel, dual 310mm rotors with dual-piston Nissin calipers up front, and 21/17-inch wheel sizes. A 17-inch rear wheel may not offer as many options as an 18-inch, but it is the same size found on the Suzuki DR650S and still allows for a wide range of tire options.

Related: 2023 Suzuki V-Strom 800DE/800DE Adventure First Look

Before loading the 2023 Suzuki V-Strom 800DE on our in-house Dynojet 250i dynamometer, the middleweight adventure bike measured a 507-pound wet weight on our automotive scales. On the Cycle World dyno, the Suzuki V-Strom 800DE produced 72.2 hp at 8,500 rpm and 50.2 lb.-ft. of torque at 5,500 rpm. For reference this places the Suzuki above the Yamaha Ténéré 700 (61.7 hp and 42.5 lb.-ft. of torque), Aprilia Tuareg 660 (69.9 hp and 44.2 lb.-ft. of torque), and Honda Transalp (70.6 hp and 47 lb.-ft. of torque) in the Cycle World performance database. The Suzuki V-Strom 800DE’s abundance of low-end torque and linear power delivery provide a thumpy engine characteristic that is tractable off-road yet exhilarating on the pavement. This engine has already won over the CW staff, and we expect that this powerplant will pay off for Suzuki for many years to come.