Honda Transalp vs Suzuki V-Strom 800DE vs Yamaha Tenere 700 Preview!

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[RuggedEarthMan]

It's worth mentioning the V-Strom also has a fully adjustable suspension, bolt on subframe, and is likely the best for 2 up riding. Add in the extra fuel capacity, I'm definitely leading towards the Suzuki for long distance back road riding.

[ragerider]

The Transalp looks like a show pony to me & the Suzuki seems the best all rounder overall on paper out of the three. However the weight could be an issue but you can't ride a spec sheet & it will depend how the weight is distributed & how it feels in real life. I also don't see the Transalps peak power as an advantage for an off road bike either. Surely the Suzuki's higher torque is a better engine characteristic for a bike with real off road aspirations. Plus the bolt on subframe & fully adjustable suspension on the V-Strom have the Transalp beaten all day long off road you would think. Although I guess only a group test & a demo rides will see for sure.

[Ridingforsanity]

The V-storm seems to be the most versatile bike for touring, 2 up, and off road. At least on paper and To me that is what wins in the ADV segment. The Honda looks and reads great on paper and built to a budget. The T7 is great for what it is but now there competition in the segment. I’m not as picky on the ADV bikes when it comes to looks, though the Honda looks the best IMO. A more tractable engine and power and is more important to me than a peaky high HP power band. And it just appears that Suzuki is able to deliver the complete package with all the accessories with its top of the line model .

[lcdubs]

I currently ride a V-Strom 1000, and would seriously consider buying the new V-Strom 800, BUT not as long as it's got tube-type tires. I just wouldn't want to deal with taking the tire off the rim every time I had a puncture, and I like the way tubeless tires tend to get a slow leak when punctured rather than a blow-out.

[manishjha]

Great comparison Bob!! It’s always Tenere for me. Nothing beats the handling and simplicity.

[Ted-rr]

Re: Torque

700+ cc at 6000+ rpm torque values are pretty much meaningless in an off road situation.
This is where low RPM torque provides the ride-ability in more tricky situations. In fact torque at idle & just above can be most important. IMHO, YMMV

[skybluetenere]

Styling is #1 for me, followed by reliability and cost of ownership.

I test seated a couple of bikes during EICMA 2022 in Cologne and I recognised, I don't fit on every bike, even when I like them and they look great. My advice: take a seat and than start to create your own short list for a test ride 💙💛🏁🤛🏼

[michaelharper]

I think the v-storm is a bit underscored.I would take it or the Yamaha

[nemerkha]

the cp2 in the T7 has been rated as the most reliable engine in the last 10 years. Tried and tested. The other 2 new parallel twins still need to prove themselves worthy. 3 years down the line, could be a fair fight. For now, id take the T7 as it is the proper riders' machine with no gimmicks, aids or any other bollocks.

[allwheeldrive]

Wouldn't really rank any of them until they're ridden head-to-head. Have to see how all of their features and dimensions work together. And the longer you're able to have them, the better. Especially these days, more riding time reveals more of what the engineers and designers intended.

[imranibnismail]

Suzuki's cross balancer shaft makes it the top choice for me for 2-up riding and overall creature comforts.

[tonyseeley]

It would be interesting if you also compared these bikes to the Aprilia Tuareg 660 that has cruise control (none of these have it) and tubeless tires. Yes it's a bit more expensive but I'd bet it's one peoples lists who are looking at these.

[pw]

Got the Tenere, and love it. But would be happy with any of these bikes.

[dmitryshuvaev]

Another thing that I consider important is an interval between services. Suzuki bikes often have it shorter than others.

[swissteam]

Great review! In the future, because those bikes as so "similar" you could add comparative data such as: insurance classe (i.e., for me the Suzuki will be one class up compared to the other one because of its engine CC), manufacturer warranty (sometime Suzuki offers like 5 years etc.). Cheers!

[MacAlex]

I think all are good bikes and the best one is the one that matches your road/off-road bias. So considering T7 > V-Strom > Transalp, from the most off-road to the most road oriented bike, just pick the one for you.

[LloydGrace]

T7 because it’s more off road capable out of the box, it looks the biz and for me, less is more in terms of tech

[leevuong]

The Transalp is a road bike primarily, with off-road capability. But don't hope too much. The Yamaha T7 is a trail bike. Two different markets.

[ownyourworld]

I’m disappointed in both tbh, I’ll still be looking at a Tenere next.

[thelundberg]

Apparently you can feel that the honda is built on a budget. A bit cheaper plastics etc. Atleast the hornet and the Suzuki got a better bump in the quality department.