If you love to cruise, there is one infallible truth: you want to hit the road—any road—and you don’t want anything to stand in your way. Luckily, Suzuki has long-distance road warriors covered with the new V-Strom 1000 cruiser, which has essentially been reinvented to handle the diversity of surface and terrain that is bound to come up when heading out for the long haul.

The magic is in the newly designed engine, which makes the most of the previous model with some obvious improvements. Suzuki aficionados can rest assured the hefty four-stroke, liquid cooled V-twin engine they know and love still packs a punch, but its redesigned cylinder bore kicks it up from 98 millimetres to 100 millimetres, delivering increased displacement from 996 cubic centimetres to 1,037 cubic centimetres. The larger pistons are as light as ever, but the cylinder heads now carry two iridium spark plugs each, for higher combustion efficiency, granting the rider more power, more linear throttle response, easier engine start-up and a more stable idle.

The fuel injection by Suzuki’s dual throttle valve system provides optimal fuel combustion efficiency and smooth power delivery thanks to 10-hole fuel injectors on each throttle body that bring improved fuel automization.

Combine the renewed engine with a compact, lightweight chassis optimized for stability and handling and you’ve got a machine that can make light of any road. Redesigned handlebar, footrest and passenger peg positions redefine the meaning of smooth ride.