One last internet rumor for the week, before we let you go on your way into the weekend, as there is much talk about Suzuki’s plans to bring a “Big” DR model to market.
We use the word “Big” in quotes, as it gives a nod to a previous model from Suzuki’s past, and gives us a hint that the Japanese manufacturer could be working on a large adventure bike, worthy of giving the Honda Africa Twin a run for its money – a bike we should add that is getting its own fair share of rumors this week as well.
The news first came from Spain, and spread through the internet like wildfire. Maybe it is because we are hungry for truly new models from Suzuki. Maybe it is because we are intrigued by a name from motorcycle lore. Or, maybe it is because the idea of a cost-effective but capable ADV from Suzuki is exactly what we have been wanting from the Japanese brand.
The Suzuki DR Big name refers to the 1988 Suzuki DR750S, which was a big air-cooled single-cylinder enduro that debuted at 727cc and ended its run as a massive 779cc machine under the DR800S name. The front “beak” you see on ADV bikes? Yeah, that was started by the DR “Big” series of bikes.
A bike with a pedigree in the Dakar Rally as well…back when The Dakar was actually a race that finished in the country of Senegal, the use of the name Suzuki DR Big gives a nod that this will be capable machine that caters to the long-held hope from ADV riders for lightweight capable off-road machines, which can still pound some tarmac miles when asked.
That hope might be strained, as the rumors point to Suzuki continuing to use the v-twin engine found on the V-Strom 1000. A motor that has been in Suzuki’s arsenal for almost 20 years now, we would hope for an all-new modern lump in this rumored machine, and for a bike that strayed further from the V-Strom’s DNA.
The reality might be a more off-road capable version of the V-Strom 1000 motorcycle, which could still give the Honda Africa Twin a run for its money, but might not be the ADV weapon that the KTM 790 Adventure is promising to be.
Lately, Suzuki has been recycling the great bikes of its past in order to jumpstart its product lineup. In 2017 we saw the GSX-R1000 finally get an update; last year we saw the rebirth of the Katana lineup; and this year we expect to see the Hayabusa finally getting a rebirth. The DR “Big” seems the next logical step down that path.
Of course, we are early days on this rumor, and hope to see more information uncovered in the coming months. As we like to say, time will tell on this one.
Source: Canada Moto Guide
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