Not the usual high-test sports tool but a model that we see quite a few of: Suzuki’s DL1000 V-Strom. This bike’s a little more interesting than normal however; it came in to have a Power Commander fitted to cure the throttle surging and low speed running issues they come with as standard and, while waiting for the kit, we stripped it ready to go.
It dates from 2007 and was built right at the time Kawasaki and Suzuki were sharing development costs and production lines. This meant that although this DL was badged as a Suzuki, there were lots of differences evident. The lambda sensor was different for starters, and the Suzuki PC III wouldn’t fit as its connectors were meant for a, well, Suzuki and this DL had a Kawasaki loom.
Once we’d carefully got it hooked up the straightforward job of mapping on the Dyno was next. It was running lean and needed fuel, and rather than using the accelerator pump feature on the PC III (which is a great feature but can add a lot of fuel all of the time on top of the map’s fuelling). A lot of bikes with this DL’s low speed running problems don’t need all the extra squirt so what we do is backfill all the small throttle openings at higher rpm, so as the throttle is closed, and then picked back up again (as typically happens a lot on the road) it chimes in with the extra fuel it needs, and no more.
With its fuelling sorted and the lambda sensor and secondary air removed this DL’s V-twin engine mapped beautifully with a sorted bottom end; the motor is getting what it wants, essentially. Now trundling along in traffic is no longer the horror show it was and the bike’s owner (who’s not interested in outright speed or performance) can now enjoy a day out, two up, with smooth power to play with, and a bike as Kawasaki/Suzuki (whoever built it…) meant it to be.
Binning the lambda, secondary air and mapping carefully with a Power Commander has transformed this DL1000 V-Strom.
