SUZUKI'S DL1000V-Strom has firmly established a unique place in the UK motorcycle market and its popularity is likely to soar to a new high thanks to its unrivalled performance and Suzuki's price restructuring. An abundance of both practical and sporty features has already earned the mighty awe-inspiring 996cc V-Twin a big thumbs up from sports and touring fans in Britain, both for its high performance and a wallet-friendly price tag of just £6,349 for 2004, a massive £1,000 less than in previous years.

The V-Strom is derived from the exciting race-bred Suzuki TL1000 engine and has an aluminium-alloy twin-spar frame providing nimble and agile sports bike handling that's guaranteed to leave the opposition standing and deliver a huge injection of adrenaline in the process.

As a practical touring vehicle, the mile-hungry DL1000 has it all. A relaxed upright riding position provides good visibility, whilst the full width seat gives a large dollop of comfort. The convenience of a large 22-litre fuel tank makes for longer riding distances between fill-ups and Suzuki's digital fuel injection and engine management system helps to achieve better-than-average fuel economy.

And to make the experience even more pleasurable, Suzuki has equipped the versatile V-Strom with an integrated luggage rack as standard, and now offers a host of approved colour-coded accessory options to boost its touring credentials further.

The complete range of accessories totals £943 and includes a three-piece luggage set (£549), a centre stand £126), tank protector (£18), taller windshield (£75) and for those chilly days, a heated grip set with variable settings (£175). So the £1,000 saved on the purchase price of the Suzuki could buy the full kit with enough left over for a tank of fuel, or two.