2023 Suzuki V-Strom 800 Owner Complaints

150/70/17, have had a recall on my rear tire for almost a year, and my dealer is doing nothing about it, bike has been parked for almost a year while making payments, i have been more than patient with them and have received no help. i was on a 700 mile ride when i noticed my rear tire rubber separating as if it was melted. i have called my dealer several times and they told me they were waiting on the response from suzuki. i have also had other issues from this dealer on kickstand issues, and when i purchased the bike, i rode it for a while and came home to clean it and noticed the the "pinch" bolts that hold my axle in place were missing, and this was even after a full service was done on my bike at the dealership after my engine break-in mileage was reached. i called and sent pictures to my dealer and they said, sorry, come get some more bolts tomorrow. i am simply tired of this situation and would love for it to be resolved. thank you.

NHTSA ID

11649870

Incident

Aug 1, 2024

I purchased this new motorcycle (2023 Suzuki V-Strom 800de) from the dealership in March of 2024. I had read numerous post on Facebook and other message boards regarding a pending recall covering the rear tire and how the tread was separating from the tire and cause a collision. Like numerous others, I stopped riding it and waited for the recall. After more than a month with no notice, I called my dealership and was told they heard about it, but had not been officially notified. I got tired of waiting so I ordered, and installed new tires. I saved the old tires because they only had 100 miles on them and Suzuki told me they would reimburse me for the cost of the tires and labor. I later emailed them and they rejected my claim. Their customer service said since I purchased the replacement tires prior to the official recall notice, they were not going to reimburse me or replace anything. They claimed there was no way I would have known of the pending recall. Numerous other people I have communicated with have received reimbursement or replacement tires even though they replaced their tires prior to the official notice. I feel that Suzuki is refusing to cover the cost of the replacement tires that I had to purchase if I wanted to ride this motorcycle and is finding ways to circumvent the recall. I would like this investigated. Thank you.

NHTSA ID

11617357

Incident

Sep 30, 2024

Front headlight (high and low beam) is extremely unsafe and does not provide sufficient illumination for rider when operating at the posted speed limit. The beam of the headlights have dark spots that creates a very unsafe condition. Riding with low beam is extremely dangerous, and when the high beam is activated, it does little to solve the problem. I was forced to install auxiliary forward facing driving lights, but their operation on public roadways is a violation of state law.

NHTSA ID

11605854

Incident

Aug 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2023 Suzuki V-Strom 800 Motorcycle. The contact stated while riding at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the headlight did not function as intended. The contact stated while riding at night, the headlight illumination was extremely dim and failed to provide adequate illumination to safely operate the motorcycle. The motorcycle was taken to the dealer. The motorcycle was not repaired. The manufacture was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11604561

Incident

Jul 25, 2023

The contact owns a 2023 Suzuki V-Strom 800 Motorcycle. The contact stated while riding at night at approximately 35 MPH, the low beam headlight was activated but failed to provide adequate illumination. The contact stated that low beam illumination was very narrow. The contact stated that the high-beam headlight operated as needed but the contact had to switch back to low-beam for oncoming vehicle. The contact had taken the motorcycle to a local dealer but was informed that the headlight was working as designed. The motorcycle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 4,500.

NHTSA ID

11604486

Incident

Jun 15, 2023

Mileage

4,500 mi

Vehicle lighting is downright not safe at night. It's somewhat bright but the beam shape is the real issue. While turning the beam dips 'below' where you are cornering, so cannot see ANYTHING through the turn. Extremely dangerous. Adjusting the headlight up slightly helps, but only after it's adjusted high enough to blind other drivers. I honestly cannot believe the headlight was allowed out of the factory like this.

NHTSA ID

11566399

Incident

Jan 9, 2024

Factory low beam headlights do not adequately light the road to ride safely. Lights are adjusted according to owners manual. The amount of light is dangerously weak if rider is forced to ride at night. This bike should not be ridden at night with no city lights to assist visibility. High beams are far too narrow and only serve as warning lights during daylight hours.

NHTSA ID

11548478

Incident

Oct 1, 2023

The headlight disappears when turning corners. The motorcycle is unrideable at night. The dealership inspected it and they were horrified by it's lack of performance. I contacted the manufacturer and they seem to think that it is street legal. I just don't see how this is possible. Does testing/certification involve riding the machine?

NHTSA ID

11542102

Incident

Aug 11, 2023