The new frame is a computer-designed mixture of different thinwall tubing forms and stamped gussets, and is claimed to be both lighter and stronger (13% stiffer) than previous efforts. It is a single downtube cradle frame and controls a new welded box-section aluminum swingarm that looks plenty stiff, with a CNC machined aluminum shock linkage.

The new 43mm KYB fork is a conventional design with gold anodized lower legs. Suzuki calls the new design a "hybrid-style", it is also used on the 1996 RM250. The dual-chamber design has progressive springs and a good feel, but no adjustments. The previously mentioned rear swingarm and linkage drive a Kayaba shock with a piggyback reservoir, with adjustable preload and compression damping. The shock spring is powder coated yellow for bonus coolness.

The engine has been made much more compact and lighter, with a new oil cooler located high and to the right side of the front of the cylinder. It has a pent-roofed compression chamber with dual spark plugs, and 4 valves driven by an single overhead cam. The bore and stroke have been changed from a nearly square (Bore = Stroke; 95 x 90mm) design before '96 to an oversquare (Bore > Stroke; 100 x 82mm) design like the XR650 and KLX650. The result is more flexible power and increased reliability. The counterbalancing system has been simplified to one gear-driven disk, down from two in earlier models. The engine is very compact, with very little plumbing hanging out (v. the notorious XR650 smog pump). Even the oil lines are tucked away neatly. The sizeable oil cooler is protected by a beefy steel rod guard bolted to the frame. The small electric starter behind the cylinder is powerful and reliable but there is no back-up kick lever, so be prepared to roll-start this puppy in an emergency.

The new seat is really long and moderately firm, but much of the length is used running up the back of the tank, leaving a shortage of pillion space. The white plastic side panels are attached with single screws, and the seat is bolted onto the frame in two places. Unfortunately, you will have to remove all of these screws to access the the battery which is located behind the airbox under the seat.

The 3.4 gallon painted steel tank is quite narrow at the seat junction and flares out towards the front. It has black plastic edging around the seams at front and top. The DR650 uses a vacuum switched gas petcock. This system automatically cuts off gas flow to the carburetor when the engine is not running, so you don't need to turn off the gas when you stop to park. In fact, there is no Off position, only Main/Prime/Reserve, so I'll be watching those vacuum lines as they age.

A widely reviewed feature of the DR650SE has been the unique adjustable seat height (actually bike height). Suzuki, apparently actually listening to the complaints of shorter riders, has a kit available for dealers to lower the frame 1.5 inches by relocating the shock links and fork internals, and installing a shorter kickstand. Incredibly, they claim this does not affect the suspension travel, with only ground clearance and wheelbase reduced (this is disputed by the factory service manual). It's possible that this modification would be a quick first step towards converting this bike into a supermotard street bike. At 6'-1" I'm happy with the original seat position, and can put both feet down flat at lights, but 92% of the population is shorter than me! But this is great outside-the-box thinking which could help make dual-sport riding more accessible to more people.

Other goodies include: a huge and quiet stainless exhaust system with an aluminum heat guard; large-diameter hollow wheel axles; plastic handguards; folding shift lever; rubber-mounted handlebars; rubber-mounted wide steel footpegs; helmet lock; locking gas cap and fork; steel grab-bar/luggage tie-down on rear fender; low profile tail-light; racing-style serrated aluminum passenger pegs (I know, it's an oxymoron); sealed plastic tool carrier under left side panel; thumb operated choke lever at left grip; and an OEM low resistance foam air cleaner (accessed thru two layers of screwed-on side panels).

The DR650 easily pulls 80 mph (and tops out at about 100), but the lack of a fairing and the upright position mean that you'll tire quickly from wind buffeting (which is why I've added a small (removeable) fairing. Hmmm, with my 4.9 gallon IMS tank and the fairing, I've sortof made a DR/KLR...). I've taken a couple of trips with multiple 280+ mile days - The bike is fun, handles great (especially on tight twisty mountain roads, with pretty much infinite lean clearance and a torquey motor that pulls nicely out of corners), but long days on the stock seat will put a hurt on you. I upgraded the seat with a gel seat pad and the problem disappeared.

I ride my DR daily to work here in Atlanta, and it's great in traffic! You're up high so you can see well ahead and around (and I'd like to think people can see me better, too). It's got plenty of grunt when you need to get out of the way (careful! Keep the front end on the pavement, please), and the light weight and wide handlebars make turning quick and controllable. Dual sport suspension is somewhat of a compromise, giving up some rigidity for travel, but the bike is not upset by random lumps, pothole infestations, or speed bumps, even at (hey, be reasonable) speed in a corner. The fork will dive when you clamp on the front brake, but it's predictable and there's still some effective suspension left over.

Off-road the bike is a handful in tight corners and very throttle sensitive, but I'm getting the hang of it. The OEM Bridgestone tires are OK on dirt roads and gravel, but there's not much traction in mud.

In 95°+ degree heat, you don't want to be sitting still in traffic for long, or the heat from the exhaust and oil cooler starts to seep into your right calf. Anything above 20 mph and it's comfortable even then. I give up on riding when it gets down below 30°, but the choke works fine in that range, and in stock trim the bike starts easily and is rideable in a minute or so. If you leave the choke on after the engine starts to warm, it coughs and dies when you brake hard.

At 4000 miles/9 months, I had a warranty repair when many oil leaks mysteriously and suddenly appeared, (probably due to a dealer goof 200 miles previous when I had the normal 4000 mile servicing performed) aside from the extraordinarily long time it took to repair (22 days, same dealer) the bike seems fine and I don't expect a recurrence (mostly because I've found a new repair shop).

Likes:
1. POWER! There's no substitute for cc's
2. Road handling is predictable, lots of clearance for lean
3. Easy starting, hot or cold (well, down to 30° F anyway)
4. Suspension great for road, good for off-road riding
5. Comfortable level of vibration (for me, YMMV)
6. Excellent ground clearance
7. Easy access to almost everything.
8. Good gas mileage - 45 city, 55+ MPG touring average
9. Low insurance rates
10.Very noticeable, tall with white/purple/yellow graphics

Dislikes:
1. Seat feels low to pegs, hard, little passenger room
    (1/2" SportsMed gel pad helped this)
2. 15/42 Final gearing is very high for off-road, especially 1st
3. Parking light lock position drains the battery accidentally
4. Tool carrier is too small for extra tube, vise grips, etc.
5. No protection for engine side cases (skid plate fixes this)
6. Smallish gas tank, 90-130 mile main range
    (3.4 gallons including 0.8 gallon reserve)
7. Surprising amount of heat on right side
8. Melted a hole in my right side panel riding with saddlebags
9. Hard to get to the battery (must unbolt side panels and seat)
10.No tachometer

Motorcyclist, December 1996
Up to Speed - "The Honda XR650L is still a better street-legal dirtbike. But the big DR is more refined and better behaved on paved streets, or dirt roads, or cow trails or golf courses ("Hey, get off the golf course"). And at $5199, it's even something of a bargain."

Cycle World 1996 Buyer's Guide
"...the new DR650SE seems to have hit the dual-purpose nail dead-square on the head."

Cycle World, September 1996
1996 Top Ten Bikes - Best Dual Sport

Cycle World, April 1997
Baja Cannonball; Celebrity Dual-Purpose Shootout - Competing against the Honda XR650L, KTM 620R/XC, and ATK 605ES; "The Suzuki DR continues to surprise us. Clearly the smoothest street ride, it can still hang, albeit using discretion, with any of the other bikes in the dirt. Bonus for the best motor and lowest price, $5299. Compromise used to be a dirty word in dual-purpose circles. No longer."

Motorcycle Online
Big Bang Theory, Big Bore Dual-Purpose Shootout
Just goes to show everyone doesn't think alike.

Cycle News Archive - DR650SE Review

Bikenet UK Review, July 1996 (or quotes from it anyway)

Bikenet UK Review, March 1977 (they try it again)

Suzuki USA Home Page is finally up, you can give them all your feedback now.

Suzuki Japan Home Page with export specifications on entire line. Check out the fairing on the DR650RSET! Also has a 20 liter gas tank (5.3 gallons)

Anita Nguyen's Site with pictures of French versions of the DR line. Hmmmm, more fairings... DR800s, Green and Black paint schemes.

Laura Lemay's How to Live with a Neurotic Motorcycle Page Too True.

Acerbis Rally Handguard and Spoilers
Better protection than stock flappers, optional spoilers provide more knuckle protection and block wind. Require some drilling and filing to route cables.

Acerbis aluminum front Fender Brace
Works great, no more bounding fender, also holds fender bag more securely.

Alumilite RM Bend Handlebars, Purple Anodized
Moved hands forward and up, gotta like that color.

Pro Grip 737 Dual Sport Grip
Very cushy, yet grippy, bigger diameter fits my hands better.

Moose Dual Sport Fender Bag
For my rain suit, fits both front and rear fenders. Slight headlight interferance when on front fender. Very secure.

Chase Harper Dual Sport Saddlebags
These have heat shielding for muffler, good size, only 2 of 3 suspension straps were useful - strap on bottom? for a long travel swingarm? Not Waterproof. Weight in bags can push plastic side panels into your pipe.

Thumper Racing lever action workstand
A little tall, you'll have to lever the bike up onto the sidestand and front wheel, then drop it onto the lift in the down position. Still, much better than deadlifting the bike.

DG Baja Skid Plate
Good fit, 0.200" heavy aluminum plate, had to file edges to remove burrs from manufacturing, makes engine louder by reflecting sound back at rider. Used rubber around frame tubes to quiet vibration and protect paint. Still Noisy.

SportsMed Blue Gel Seat Pad
1/2"+ thick, extra large pad trimmed to seat shape with scissors and installed under cover, aaahhh. Heavy but worth it. Unexpected side effect: sorta cold in Winter. (Alack, their site is unreliable. Here's the phone: 205.510.3333)

CEET Custom Seat Cover
A bargain at ~$65.00 they let you pick your 3 colors. Well, 2 colors and black kevlar side triangles, screened-on kevlar logos rub off in a hurry. Gotta use a hairdryer and clamps to stretch material for installation.

IMS Plastic Fuel Tank
4.9 gallon spec, more like 5.1 gallons. Looks a lot like OEM tank but taller/softer and extends further forward, available in white, yellow, and natural milk-bottle-translucent. Bolts right on, takes 10 minutes to install. Only downside is loss of gas cap lock. 155 - 165 miles before Reserve riding intown!

Rifle Nightflight Fairing
Small (14" wide x 16" high), lightweight (3.3 lb.), easy to install. ABS plastic attaches to headlight side bolts and upper fork clamp bolts. Available painted in white, black, or silver no charge, custom color matching through Rifle. Windscreens available in two heights (15" and 17") tinted or clear.

Lockhart-Philips 7 inch Round Headlight
Huge! Chrome! Retro! With quartz halogen barely-legal lamp, very bright and even illumination. Lots of space inside bowl to hide wiring harness. (Secret mod: 55/100 bulb will fade paint on offensive cars)

Thumper Racing Stage 2 Carburetor Kit
Just a Dynojet kit, revised to include '96 DR. Includes 150/155/160/170 main jets and replacement needle/clip with much steeper taper than stock. '96 DR Requires airbox modification (no Stage 1 version available). Stock DR is horribly lean for EPA purposes, main jet is 140; Dynojet recommends 160 with stock exhaust and airbox mod (I added a filterskin over the OEM foam filter), and 170 with a high-flow aftermarket pipe. Simple installation (with my Suzuki shop manual for reference). BIG improvement. My ending settings: 160 main jet, Dynojet needle, idle mixture screw set 2 1/4 turns out.

Russell Braided Steel Front Brake Line
Russell, Fastline, others have front lines as catalog items, rear lines can be fabricated to a specification. I ordered and installed a Russell line, it was the correct length and was simple to attach. The semi-rigid plastic spacer for the straight section was 3 inches too long, but relaxed into the needed curve after a week or so. Better feel at lever; I can now stop with one or two fingers.

Moose/Dunlopad Brake Pads
The trick here (courtesy Thumper Racing) is that the front pads are same as the KLX650, which has been around long enough that there are lots of choices. Rear Pads are same as DR350 or KLX250/650. The Moose/Dunlopad offering has different compounds for front and rear to enhance control. I tried some of these and found they wore out in 7 weeks!

EBC Sintered Brake Pads
Installed EBC pads as replacements, we'll see how they last...

Race-Tech Gold Valve cartridge emulators for fork
With proper setup, I've read these can work wonders.

Progressive Suspension Fork Springs
Don't have any detailed info on these, OEM springs are progressively wound.

Custom Fork and Shock Services
Available from Thumper Racing, probably through Scotts in California. They claim it'll be transformed from 70/30 (street/dirt bias) to 30/70.

Exhausts from Yoshimura, DG, Supertrapp, Cobra
They're all lighter but louder. Yoshimura YRD just started advertising a (slightly) reverse-tapered stainless header to go with their aluminum or carbon fiber slip-ons (the most expensive choice of course). FMF has a new oval chamber/oval disks 4-stroke design in two versions, but I don't think the higher performance Megamax fits the big DR. Note: the Supertrapp can melt rear fenders since the exhaust exits the discs 360 degrees perpendicular to the muffler axis. The FMF design has a removable shield for that area.

Foot Pegs are same as DR350, so lots of choices here
I've read many testimonials for Thumper Racing Burly Pegs on the ThumpORL maillist.

White Bros. Carburetor Tuning Kit
Claimed +5 hp!? effect in dirt catalog. Probably another Dynojet Kit. Includes jets and airbox modification instructions/parts.

Brake Pads from Moose, Vesrah, Dunlopad, Braking, Ferodo, White Bros., etc.
The trick here (courtesy Thumper Racing) is that the front pads are same as the KLX650, which has been around long enough that there are lots of choices. Rear Pads are same as DR350 or KLX250/650. The Moose/Dunlopad offering has different compounds for front and rear to enhance control.

Renthal Replacement Sprockets using 520x114 chain
Since you should replace front, rear, and chain together it's logical to switch from the OEM 525 chain to a 520. Renthal has 15t (front, Chromoly)/42t and 45t (rear, Aluminum alloy).

Twin Air Filter
Probably about the same as the Suzuki OEM foam filter.

White Bros. All Around Performance Cam, Valve Springs
in Dirt catalog No. 19

JE Pistons, Replacement Piston
Standard 100mm dia., increase to 10.5:1 compression ratio.

Edelbrock Quiksilver Carburetor
Saw this in White Bros. Catalog No. 19, lotsa claims of increased power, etc. Specific kit for DR650se listed. Isn't this the standard KTM Rotax carb on the Duke?

Small Tachometer
Jegs (1-800-345-4545) mini-dragster tach 105-6652, 2 5/8" diam. 0 - 8000 rpm, ~$92 comes highly recommended from the Thumper maillist, works with any single cylinder engine with a "wasted spark" coil design.

Headlamp rock guard

Headlamp and/or brakelamp modulator

Taller or Larger Aftermarket Mirrors
OEM's are half filled by my elbows.

IMS Dual-Sport Mirror Pivots Cool Idea.

Suzuki Aftermarket Parts: Rear Rack, Skid Plate, Gel Seat.

Centerstand
Suzuki thoughtfully left a couple of threaded bolt-holes in the bottom of the frame for this, but there's no Suzuki or aftermarket solution.

Off I went to the bookstore, to feed my obsession with information. 8 magazines, 3 buyers guides, and 2 books later I was utterly convinced that scooters were dangerous, but by then it was too late; I had the bug.

I started looking for a first bike which could do many things reasonably well. Commuting. Tours. Maybe some trails. Not too heavy. Not a sportbike. The more I read and talked to riders, the better a dual-sport sounded: high off the ground for better visibility, light and simple, low insurance, reasonable purchase cost, decent resale value.

I visited the local dealers in the area. (It's funny how I remember lots of dealers in close to the city when I was growing up here, but now we're reduced to a few mega-jumbo-colossal dealerships way out in the suburbs.) I looked at Kawasakis, Hondas, Suzukis, Yamahas, KTMs and ATKs. It was instant lust. I started patrolling the convenience stores in search of fresh Auto/RV/Bike trader magazines weekly. What bike to get? New or Used? The decision came down to two issues: Displacement and (of course) Financing.

My opinion on displacement kept changing; basically I felt a 250cc was too small for the freeway, a 350cc was barely comfortable, the XR400 required a DOT conversion, the KTMs were too much $money$, and the 650's were big, heavy bikes.

So originally I was fixated on a 350. At 350cc there was only one choice, the DR350SE; the Yamaha XT350 just seemed old and toothless in comparison, and new Honda XR400 would require DOT conversion and certification/registration headaches. But after a couple of weeks went by with too much time spent absorbing catalogs (man, just stop reading and go ride!) I began to wonder about the DR's limitations (questionable power, flexy rear swingarm, fork improvements needed). And I realized that more power would be really useful if I planned on doing much touring (and the Honda and Suzuki 650s didn't weight THAT much more than the 350s, and, well, I rationalized myself up a size.

At 650cc there were three choices in my price range: The KLX650 was $400 more expensive than the others, had the most distant dealer, and a suspect rear shock; the Honda XR650L was a great 4 year-old design but very dirt oriented; the '96 Suzuki DR650 was too new to have proven its reliability (while the older DR650 wasn't very "dual-sport", more an unpopular street machine). Magazine reviews were contradictory, (and these guys are experts?) they were interesting but not much help. In May and June, when I was searching for a bike, the used motorcycle market (for 650 dual-sports anyway) dried up. Dust-like. None.

Availability, and the newer design pushed me over the edge from the XR to the DR; plus, I've always loved the underdog. Final price/finance negotiation was an equally long story, but I'll leave it up to your imagination. At least it was easier than buying a car. This was not an impulse purchase (or maybe it was just a really, really long impulse), I researched and looked and talked, ad nauseum for over two months before I bought.

I took an MRC RiderCourse in late June, and learned a lot. Honda has a huge training facility North of Atlanta, which is used for this course. Unfortunately, the first all-day riding session coincided with a Georgia heat wave. There we were, 8 sweaty riders and 2 sweaty instructors standing on a black-coated 4 acre asphalt solar collector. A reported 97 degrees and no shade. I must have really wanted to be there. Leather boots, jeans, and long-sleeve shirts. At least we weren't required to wear full leathers. I was the only rider on their own bike in the class, and I almost ran some other folks down on the range because my first gear was much higher than the loaner bikes. The instructors passed me despite the fact that I totally wigged during part of the riding test (Thanks, De). The story of my life: Ace the written exam, forget my head in the demonstration.

Took some weekend rides out into the country and experienced the adrenaline rush of getting blown sideways by sudden gusts of wind at 60+ mph. Whoa! How'd I get over here? I quickly learned that hanging on tight was not the answer (Just made my arms tired), the bike wants to go straight... slowing down though, that did help. I later found that my Bell off-road helmet and loose jacket were making this worse. Since my head was far from the already tall center of gravity, side loading of my visored "dirty" helmet was great leverage. I now think an aerodynamic helmet and jacket are required for sustained freeway speeds. A fairing helps a lot, too, but adds it's own quirky sail-like effects when the wind is just right.

After the break-in service at 570 miles, the bike felt very different. Much more power on-throttle and engine braking on off-throttle. Checking the work order I found racing gas additive. Hmmmm. The next tank of regular gas made the bike feel sluggish. Hmmmm. Switched to premium, much better. Hmmmm. Hey, it's only money.

(Anybody else wonder why they've not put in some sort of temporary throttle stops for break-in time, since it's hard to know what is 50%, or 75%? Some kind of screw could be inserted during manufacture and removed at the break-in service to limit the movement. Aaa, what do I know?)

At 800 miles I installed an Alumilite handlebar, dual-sport grips, and Acerbis handguards. Suzuki uses a co-molded throttle grip, so I had to carve off the OEM CR-style rubber to install the new, fatter ones. As Tom Warr reported, the Acerbis handguards require some modification and wrestling to install, but they're strong. The new bar does not vibrate any more at speed despite removal of OEM bar-end weights to install the handguards. I also installed an aluminum front fender brace, much stiffer! Fiddling around, I lock-tited all the bits and bolts, increased the rear compression damping, and found that the rear axle snail adjusters were not equal so I corrected the rear alignment.

In July I finally broke down and went trail riding for the first time at a friend's farm outside Atlanta. Discovered rear-end steering through throttle control, front braking can have surprising consequences, those little balls on the ends of brake and clutch levers can break off, soft dirt can scratch plastic, and sometimes it's better to just let it go and run away. In between discoveries I managed to stay upright and yell "Woo-Hoo!" a lot. In short, I had a great time.

After getting used to the bike, it sure beats the hell out of driving my '82 Volvo wagon (but it's too damn practical to sell!). The thing I enjoy most when I ride is that it's a real flow acivity. I'm only thinking about riding; Who's around me? What does the bike sound like? Is that van turning left? Upshift, shift your weight for the corner, scan the road surface, watch the side streets. Feel the wind. Smell the fresh-cut lawns. Be IN the environment. It's like meditation, all the mundane job and day-to-day problems disappear. If only I could get my girlfriend to understand...

Considering how little I knew about bikes last March when I started, I think I ended up with a great choice. And, unlike a lot of first bikes, I believe I'll keep this one for a long time. (Of course, this could just be cognitive dissonance. When you pay this much for anything your brain has to rationalize and balance and justify the costs. hmmmm.) Since there was no entry for the DR650, in July I grabbed the KLX650 description and began inflicting this obsession onto the web. Thanks to Jerry Hanna for letting me vent here. Thanks also to Steve Johnson for the obvious work that went into his KLX Review. - (originally) 11jul96

The next day was sunny and low 80's. I had to choose between continuing North or working my way South, back towards Atlanta. My butt was sore, but still I was tempted to head up to Mt. Mitchell before a weather report showed that the next day would not be fair. So I took to the BRP South, and smiled all the way down to Bryson City as I carved up the ultra-smooth curves in the light traffic. Nice to have all that lean clearance in a decreasing-radius turn! From Bryson City to Franklin I took a "shortcut" down a long dirt road running along the Little Tennessee River. At about 200 miles that day, my rear end finally stopped hurting and I zoomed the the last hour down freeway to get home (typical Atlanta freeway speed is somewhere around 75 or 80). A trip to remember.

I did have a casualty that weekend. The weight of my right saddlebag pushed my right side panel into the muffler and melted a dollar-bill-sized hole. Very ugly. The Chase Harper saddlebag ended up with a scorch mark on the heat shielding and it got warm enough inside to trash a nylon and suede hiking boot. Replacement right side cover was $65, and I've got to design a fix to keep this from happening again; I made a removeable fiberglass heat spacer to fit under the panel, and added two layers of moto-tile under the plastic to the aluminum tape reflector. If that doesn't fix it, I'll try an extension to the existing aluminum heat guard mounted to the muffler (currently spanning from the plastic rearwards)?

Back in August I bought a Vanson SRX properf leather jacket; It gets hot and sticky in Atlanta, but I can wear this thing when it is mid-90s and feel comfortable (well, if I'm moving. Sitting still in the sun is still not fun in black leather). Thick protection with double elbows and shoulders. I did not get the optional armor, but I can easily add it later since the velcro is already sewn in place. The fitted shape is more aerodynamic and reduces effects of gusts of wind, passing trucks, but I got cold up in the mountains on the trip to Asheville, and ended my day riding with my rain jacket on top as a wind barrier (now that's ventilation!). Good jacket, but expensive.

I also installed an enlarged IMS tank. (155 - 170 miles between fillings intown!) I have to compliment IMS on their eMail responsiveness; once I contacted them in July looking for the tank they sent me regular progress reports until I was able to get a production version in October. The new tank is roto-molded from thick (0.200 or better) plastic, and holds around 5.1 gallons. The kit comes with mounting bolts, a seat attachment flange, an off-road vented gas cap, and a really useless instruction sheet. All bolts into the tank (gas pickup/petcock and seat mount flange) are captured by molded-in brass inserts. The mounts are very clean, especially the petcock area - bolts right in with no leaks! Installation was very fast, in fact the only lesson I can pass on is to avoid tightening the rear mount bolts too much or the tank will vibrate. This tank is several pounds lighter than the steel tank it replaces so the extra range is almost free as far as affecting the weight of the bike. The only downsides to this product are the cost (~$200), the loss of the OEM locking gas cap, and the scratchability of the HDPE. A great modification for a DR650.

The moto-style graphics were beginning to get under my skin, so I tried to peel 'em off one day (side panels were easy, tank graphics are clearcoated into finish so I passed). The IMS tank I added took care of that; only added a red Suzuki "S" to each side. My only concern is that I'm losing some of the bike's high visibility in traffic. (Later: stickers aren't good on the IMS tank. I think the polypropylene is semi-permiable, because the stickers keep bubbling up with air pockets. Will try other stick-on materials)

I saw a picture of a BMW F650 the other day that looked much more sophisticated and subdued (but probably not as conspicuous as my PURPLE and YELLOW machine). But (inevitable for me) followup web research showed that the Aprilia manufactured BMW is much heavier than the DR (421 lb v. 324 lb.), without much more power (48 hp? v. 35 hp stock tune, est. 42 hp with mods?); I read the BMW's Rotax is tuned more for top-end than low end torque like the DR. It also has 3 inches less suspension front and rear, all for only $2,200 more than the Suzuki. So I think I can rationalize my way around this one.

I've found that I just enjoy riding the DR on the street; the handling and acceleration are really addictive, and there's always a wheelie just a clutch and throttle away in first and second (which is pretty different from when I drive my 1982 Volvo DL wagon). But you don't have to be going 80 mph to feel like you're riding the DR properly. I don't know how people stay anywhere near the speed limits on these sportbikes I read about; If a KTM Duke is much faster than the DR, then their owners must struggle with daily temptation just to hang on to their licenses. I'm not sure I'm that strong.

Finally, I ordered a small clear fairing just to try it out (hey, $50, I can always put it on my bicycle...). Though small (rounded 14" wide by 13" high), it provides a lot of torso protection, and reduces the amount of "human parachute" effect on the freeway, at the cost of cooling Summer air movement. I'll keep it on this Fall and see how it works. I (still) lust for a euro dual-sport fairing with small dual lamps and room for a tachometer...and a centerstand, and a taller seat, and, and, and...

I read that Kawasaki has killed the KLX650 in the US market, and is instead pushing the KLR650 here. I don't know what this will mean for the DR (which is unchanged mechanically for 1997, only slight graphics changes were made); I'd like to think that big dual sport bikes are on the upswing, as they've been in Europe for a while. I actually saw a BMW F650 ST (street version) in a local megadealer in January. I've also read that Aprilia will begin importing the Pegaso 650 in late 1997. We'll see.

If you take the time to actually re-read this whole huge page (no, wait, you don't need to), you'll see that I've made numerous changes, especially to the History and Addendum sections. I was trying to make the story more intelligible, but I probably have only made things too long. Anyway, it's nice to be able to re-write history. I reorganized the page into a table to make reading easier; reading research shows that a column 8 to 13 words wide is faster to read, and users have better retention.

The past couple of months I've been wrestling with some new modifications to the DR:

I ordered and installed a DG "Baja" aluminum skidplate through Dennis Kirk. This bolts into two threaded frame inserts at the rear and uses two frame tube clamps at the front. It's a pretty simple install once you get the hang of aligning the frame clamps with fingertips while starting the allen bolt from beneath while laying on your back in the parking lot. It's made from 0.200" aluminum plate with welded seams, it comes up the sides about 3" to protect the side cases and oil filter cover. A single large hole in the bottom gives access to the oil plug and lets spooge and water drain out. The only problem with this thing is the noise. It's like a large bell down there, and resonates at some engine speeds. It's really loud. So I re-installed the plate with sections of inner tube for damping, which quieted the problem some (and reduced the paint damage that the clamps were causing). I also tried sticking foam around the bottom of the engine. Even with the ringing effect reduced, it still reflects engine noise and makes valve noise more noticeable. I may give up on it for my day-to-day commuting duty and save it for trips. Maybe I can drill holes in it and change the resonant frequency...for now, I've removed it.

In late November I ordered a Rifle Nightflight fairing and a 7 inch round headlight assembly from Dave's Cycle World. We eMailed back and forth for a couple of month's about fitting a Cagiva-like dual-headlight sport fairing (like an FZ400) to the DR. Finally lost my nerve on that project and instead went with the smallest Rifle in white with a tinted shield and a round 7 inch headlamp assembly to replace the stock rectangular unit (I was concerned about clearance below the stock lamp, and thought the bigger light would make the bike more visible). Eventually received the fairing in mid-January, still waiting for several small parts in late February. Sorry Dave, but 9 - 12 weeks is a long time to wait for off-the-shelf parts.

The chrome 7 inch headlight is HUGE!

Hmmmm, the OEM headlight assembly is trapped by the fork clamps on the upper fork tubes. So to remove old headlight assembly you've got to unbolt the triple clamps and slide the fork tubes off the bike!

Oops, there were no off-the-shelf headlight mounts to fit the DR's fork tube diameter, so I spent thirty minutes walking around Home Depot and came up with some rubber drain pipe splices which, when slit to fit around the tubes, made neat grey spacers for fitting the oversized (50mm) clamps to the 43mm fork tubes. That done, it was simple to put the lamp and housing together, connect the electrical plug and tuck the wiring harness glob-o-wires into the bowl housing behind the lamp. I went with a quartz halogen lamp at maximum DOT (55/60) wattage. I'm gonna try a 55/100 bulb next and see what effect that has.

While I had the forks out I removed the stock yellow rubber accordian-slider boots and installed some early '90s RM sliding plastic fork protectors. They don't provide the protection of the rubber boots, but I'm riding on-road mostly anyway. At least they keep the bugs and tar off (and roost when I do go off road) plus I can see my sliders and visually track their sealing condition.

When I ordered the smallest Rifle fairing I went ahead and got 2 tinted windscreens, one regular height and one tall. space inside shell for storage or instruments. weighs only 3 pounds, so there is minimal effect on handling from the weight. But, as I found with the small National Cycle fairing, there are some unexpected handling changes at speed. get used to this after a day or so. The new fairing does a slightly better job keeping wind off me than the old windscreen. Still, during the Summer I'll probably remove the thing for better airflow.

I also ordered and installed a Thumper Racing Dynojet kit, so I could start learning about carburetor adjustments the hard way. It turned out to be just another Dynojet kit, revised to include '96 DR. It includes 150/155/160/170 main jets and a replacement needle with much steeper taper than stock and multiple clip positions. The 150 and 155 jets are included for the 90-95 DR650S (I wonder if I can exchange tham with Dynojet for a 165 jet?).

The 1996-on DR Requires airbox modification; there is no Stage 1 version (stock airbox, filter, and exhaust) available. It turns out that the stock DR is unbelievably lean for EPA purposes, with an almost cylindrical needle and a tiny (140) main jet; Dynojet recommends a 160 jet with stock exhaust and airbox mod and a 170 with a high-flow aftermarket pipe. To open up the airbox, I drilled two 1.5" holes in the top and removed the rubber snorkle, that gives me approximately 6.5 square inches of opening. I also added a filterskin over the OEM foam filter out of hope and paranoia, visualizing all that air hurtling through the box. The rest of the kit was a simple installation (with my Suzuki shop manual for reference). You also need to drill out the brass plug over (actually under, it's on the bottom of the carb) the idle mixture screw, which was preset at 1 1/4 turns out from the factory.

Learn from 3 things from my carburetor experience!:
1) Be careful when reassembling the diaphragm cover not to pinch one edge (the slide won't pull up evenly or completely). 2) Check the float bowl vent hose four times after re-installing the carb to make sure it isn't kinked. 3) You don't have to disconnect everything to swap jets, etc. If you loosen the hose clamps on the rubber inlet/connections, you can pivot the carb to the side without removing the throttle and choke cables and access the diaphragm and float bowls easily.

The bike feels much more powerful, and I don't think this is wishful thinking. The front end gets light more easily and the top end has more oomph; it's beginning to feel less like a beginner bike and more like a sportbike with ground clearance. I called Dynojet about trading in the smaller (old DR650) jets for a 165, and they sent me 2 of them for free. Cool. My ending settings: 160 main jet, Dynojet needle on middle clip position, idle mixture screw set 2 1/2 turns out.

Winter/Spring Projects and Fantasies:
In spite of my fear of my front brake (or maybe because of it), I'm upgrading my brakes in 1997 with a braided steel front brake hose and Moose/Dunlopad replacement brake shoes. I'll flush my old fluid and put in fresh DOT4 while I'm at it.

Now that I feel comfortable on the bike, I'm getting those little tickles in the back of my mind (more HP? hmmmmm). I had a conversation with a race tuner in early January about some head work; he seemed to think there was another 20 HP available through head porting/polishing, cam work, cylinder/head spacing, and replacing the carburetor. Sounds a little optimistic, and I worry about screwing up the DR's reliability and ease of starting. And, this would not help the throttle sensitivity on dirt.

Speaking of dirt v. street riding, I had another conversation with the guy above about fitting a second set of Supermotard style 17 inch rims and tires to the DR. Since the rear is a 17 already, I could go cheap and re-lace the front with a new rim, but then I couldn't go back. For convenience, the idea of 2 sets of wheels sounds a whole lot better than swapping tires. Unscientific analysis (we held up a tire and looked at the front end) shows that the front would probably be lowered 2 inches with a 17 inch wheel, and would stay closer to stock height with a 19 incher. We could also go with some salvaged cast sportbike wheels and custom machined spacers, etc. (tubeless tires!) Of course, this also opens up related issues like: Oversized braking rotor kit for both front wheels? (320mm v. 295mm stock) 3 or 4 piston replacement front brake caliper? And all those sportbike tire choices? How do I pay for all this?

Over the past 500 miles or so, I've noticed a flat developing around the central tread of my rear tire. While I could probably slow this by using my throttle less, I'm surprised it has worn so soon. I'm thinking of trying a pair of Metzeler Enduro 4 (or Pirelli MT60?) tires next, since I ride 90+% on the street, and they happen to come in the OEM rear tire size (120/90-17 Bridgestone TW 42). Most other dual sport tires go up to 130/80-17, which I believe will also fit (looks like 3/4" minimum clearance to chain to swingarm on right side, +1" clearance to chain side and crossbrace). If I'm open to the larger rear size, I can consider the Avon AM24 Gripster, Pirelli MT-80, Metzeler Enduro 3, Continental TKC80, IRC GP-1/GP-110, Michelin T66, Michelin Sirac, and others. That oughta make this a tough decision! I've still got a copy of a Thumper maillist post from three German magazines reviewing tires for the BMW R100GS. It's translated by Marcus Grave, and typically German-ly thorough. Their winners?
Street only: Metzeler ME33/ME55 (only street tire in test)
Dirt: Avon AM24 Gripster/Michelin T65
Best wear: Continental TK60/70
All-around: Metzeler Enduro 4/Enduro 3/Michelin T66.

Longer range modifications? A Yoshimura exhaust system? Cover all my plastic with stick-on fake carbon-fiber vinyl? Replace all my plastic with custom carbon-fiber parts? (actually, I wouldn't mind having some carbon fiber side panels, they would take the heat and wear much better)

Well, I had a serious warranty problem with the bike in March. Seems that I suddenly developed about five oil leaks 200 miles after the dealer (Roswell Fun Machines; Roswell, Georgia) performed the 4000 mile servicing. Hmmmm.

Then they didn't even look at the bike for 2 weeks. Hmmmm. Finally, after yet another non-responsive phone call, I called Suzuki's national service center in California (whose number was not easy to find on any of their materials, instead I found it on the 411 website). They were surprised to hear I was having a problem with this dealer, who never had any complaints filed. Hmmmm. Could this be because no one could call Suzuki?

I wrote up all my notes from my phone calls, and included transcriptions from voice mails left my my dealer, and sent a copy to both Suzuki and the dealership owner. Time was still tripping along, and after 3 weeks, I got a call from the dealer and his service manager regarding the letter, but still no apology and no bike. Hmmmm.

Finally, after 4 weeks, I got the bike back. Finally, they actually apologized and accepted that they had 'screwed up'. Five weeks later, the leaking began again, although much less of it. Another 10 days in the dealer's shop (now I was starting to get paranoid about my warranty) and a simple 're-torqued the head' and it was fixed. Hmmmm.

So what have we learned? Well, I think a few useful things:

1) You are at the mercy of your Service Department, so find a good one. The minute you start hearing contradictory information coming out of their mouths, you've got trouble. As a consultant I've seen over and over that attitude flows from the top down, if your service manager is acting like a jerk, it's very likely the owner is one too.

2) You have little recourse. Your bike's manufacturer is not going to lift their line from a successful dealership, their business is to sell motorcycles. So the manufacturer has little pull with the dealer; and since their representatives are spread thin it is hard for them to come into the middle of a bad repair and understand the true situation. Service departments are testy when they come around asking questions anyway, so you may end up with slower service.

3) Warranty repairs are low priority. You have a contract with your manufacturer to repair your bike if it craps out in the first year. The local dealership has a contract to perform this warranty work for the manufacturer at a "special rate". YOU have no direct contract with the dealer for the warranty. If the dealer has plenty of normal work, warranty repairs are sent to the bottom of the queue, or worse, assigned to less experienced mechanics (if this happens, any damage is unlikely to show up until after the warranty has expired. They've mangled your bike, and still get paid to fix it, a vicious circle.)

Depressing, isn't it? Your options are to demand better service, take your business elsewhere, get a lawyer, buy a second bike to ride while this is happening, and exercise your first amendment rights and tell as many people as possible how to avoid your fate. Good information is scarce, so share your experiences, good and bad.

On to more Pleasant Things:
The OEM brakes are pretty spongy feeling. I had a panic stop where the brake lever squeezed to the grip and actually held the throttle open (oops, didn't get it rolled all the way off) and I ended up standing, clutch in, with the engine racing. This spring I replaced the front hose with a Russell steel-braided-Teflon line and now I've got 2 finger brakes (if I squeeze REALLY hard the back of the lever touches my ring finger still wrapped around the throttle). I'm not sure why these lines aren't standard equipment, except to exclude temptation to pull stoppies!

I also installed some Moose/Dunlopad front brake shoes I ordered through Thumper that wore incredibly fast (down to the base in about 7 weeks!). Must've been a bad batch. Switched to EBC pads now. They have pretty good feel, but we'll see how they last. It's a good thing it's only a 10 minute process to change the shoes.

After 4100 miles it was time to replace the OEM Bridgestone 'Trail Wing' back tire, though the front is holding on fine. I installed a Metzeler 'Sahara' Enduro 3 on the rear of my '96 DR650 in late June. I've only put about 600 miles on it so I can't vouch for durability (actually, it looks like I'm pretty hard on tires, with an in-town commute everyday I seem to be having way too much fun). I 'can' comment on street traction, which is surprisingly good as long as you keep required pressure in them. They grip strongly at lean and can even take a fair amount of throttle in a corner without complaint. This despite a pretty 'chunky' design. Also, not that noisy. Really, really good rain tire. I've only ridden a few miles on dirt roads with it, but it felt more controllable than the OEM Bridgestone 'Trail Wing' TW42. I had to go up a size from the OEM 120/90 to 130/80, but had no clearance or handling problems emerge.

That said, I'm not really expecting it to last more than the 4000 miles (2000 - 3000 miles, according to some folks on the DUST list) I got from the Bridgestone, at which time the front should also be ready for replacement. I'll probably get the front wheel re-laced with a 19" rim, since I boinked it pretty good on a really BIG pothole at 45mph, and try the Enduro 4 front and rear, since I'm a supermotard kinda guy. Forgive me, you trails junkies out there; After trying a few times I'd rather ride trails on my Cannondale, but I love this big thumper and the way I don't have to avoid dirt roads.

Still in search for the perfect mirrors, also thinking about contacting Suzuki to get a set of Euro/Asian market side panels and rear fender and converting the bike to black (also have to order a custom black IMS tank, and a black aftermarket supermotard front fender...). Hmmm.

| Introduction |
| Technical Specs |
| Opinion |
| Other Reviews |
| Aftermarket Stuff |
| History |
| Addendum |
| Addendum2 |

Is Interface Architect for Security First Technologies, planning future enhancements to SFNB, the world's first Internet bank. When he gets tired of torturing programmers and marketing personnel, or gets bored, he rides a motorcycle or hurts himself riding his mountain bike. He graduated in 1983 from Auburn University with a degree in Industrial Design, and his most startling professional achievement to date is the first nationally attributed use of the technical term "noogying around" in BusinessWeek coverage of the 1992 IDEA Awards (where a medical software interface he helped create was accidentally selected one of the top 25 products designed in the US).

He has also designed surgical instruments, cell phones, clocks, blocks, power tools, plastic tableware, and other three-and-two-dimensional products while consulting with companies like Apple, Citibank, Motorola, Medtronic, Hunter Fan, Porter-Cable, Delta Tools, Chase Manhattan, and Peachtree Software. He currently lives in an intown Atlanta neighborhood called Buckhead, with two cats who do not ride. His girlfriend is actually pretty sympathetic when he spends hours (and hours) taking his bike apart.

Any errors in the above information are his fault. But hey, let's be adults and not sue each other, huh? Oh, and if you want to re-use any of this you are welcome to try, but be polite and give him some credit (he worked very hard on this).

prcarter@s-1.com
active8@netbox.com
2450 Peachtree Road, No. 11
Atlanta, GA 30305