Long-term report: Lights start to become more important for the Suzuki V-Strom 800RE

Those nights are getting longer already, don’t you think? While I’m not against the rather balmy October temperatures, there’s no getting away from those evenings which seem to be getting longer and longer.

For bikers, that does mean riding in the dark for more of the time. For me, that means I’ve been assessing the Suzuki V-Strom 800RE’s lights a little more keenly than I did through the summer.

All versions get LED lighting at both front and rear as standard, which means that you’re starting on from a pretty good point to begin with. The hexagonal headlights are stacked on top of each other which not only gives them a more distinctive appearance, but also means that the ‘throw’ of them is a little bit higher. Click the full beam on, and things do get better, with a slightly wider beam of lighting going out ahead.

At the rear, there’s a well-sized light which does help to make you more visible, though I’m starting to think a little bit more about how reflective my gear is when I head out on the Suzuki.

The good thing is that since the temperatures haven’t really fallen all that much, I’m not having to get fully kitted out in warm-weather clothing just yet. I’ve still got my Goldtop leather summer gloves, my single-layer jacket and relatively thin Kevlar jeans as my go-tos, which I’m happy to keep riding in for as long as I can.

Recently, it’s been shorter journeys for the V-Strom than longer adventures. I absolutely love being able always to find a parking space, while nipping through traffic gives an instant advantage now that the schools have gone back and there are more people on the roads. The V-Strom’s size isn’t backed up by a lot of weight, so while it is quite a tall bike, it doesn’t feel unwieldy when you’re moving at slow speeds. That height also gives you really good visibility over cars in front and, in my mind, helps to make you more visible to other road users as well.

Quite often, I feel that the RE’s exhaust could be a little louder, not only for more excitement but, again, so that other people could hear you coming more easily. While I understand that a lot of bikers might take this ‘noisy exhaust’ policy a little too far, the Suzuki’s somewhat muted tone does mean that it feels as if some other drivers might not be aware of you.

I’m going to keep trying to make the best of the weather as it still looks like it’s going to be relatively warm over the next few weeks. I’m really hoping that it sticks around, too!