Suzuki DR Big – Are You Ready for the Great Comeback?

Rumor: all-new DR Big to be unveiled as a 2020 model

Suzuki is rumored to be working on the DR Big revival. Only this time, the DR will be based on the V-Strom 1000 engine and chassis. Good-bye, big thumper! The news comes from the Spanish trailridersmag.com, and quotes a direct source from Suzuki. 

If the rumors are true, we’ll have a 100 horsepower bike with a 21 inches front – an adventure motorcycle with a more off-road oriented approach than the V-Strom 1000, which is focused mainly on street use. Spoked wheels, 20 liters fuel tank, a higher ground clearance than the V-Strom and a high exhaust. The suspension travel should be longer, and the ABS should be switchable for off-road. 

It’s also the wet weight that matters in the adventure segment, and probably the new DR Big will feature the same weight as the V-Strom 1000 – 230 kg wet. The Spanish magazine is stating that Suzuki will use the same twin-spar type frame, but we don’t know if it’s aluminium. 

When it comes to electronics, we’re expecting some dedicated riding modes – considering the competition and the fact that the V-Strom 1000 already comes with an IMU and two-level traction-control. 

Watch our Africa Twin vs. F850GS vs. Tiger 800 off-road review

If the rumors are true, we’ll have an attractive motorcycle in the upper-middle-class adventure segment, to fight models such as the Africa Twin, BMW’s F850GS and the KTM 1090 Adventure. 
 

Suzuki DR 800 S Big was released in 1988 and featured a 52 horsepower 727 cc single-cylinder engine. Then, in 1990, Suzuki upgraded it to 779 cc and 54 horsepower. It was a giant bike, with an enormous fuel tank at the beginning – 30 liters [7.7 gallons]. Then, it was reduced to 23 l [6.6 gallons]. The seat was also very high – 876 mm, it had a soft suspension and a weak front brake. It wasn’t the best bike of its times, but it had a significant influence in the adventure motorcycling design – the useless beak – the front mudguard that does nothing but signals you that you're looking at an adventure bike. Many companies are using it – BMW, on all of its adventure bikes, Triumph, Ducati Multistrada.

We hope the rumors are true since Suzuki doesn't seem to be in its greatest moments. Suzuki needs a new adventure bike – and an Africa Twin competitor would be a big thing. 

The main photo of the article is an older render made by Oberdan Bezzi.