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@@EwePeople thanks dude. I’ve been making strides to improve myself with my hobbies and other aspects of my life. It just takes getting yourself out more and doing it more often.
@@crosstrainingadventureThis review was definitely from the "regular" rider point of view. DR650 is a wheelie beast with basic techniques like in your videos, no clutch needed even.
Owning a dual sport changed my life, and my true opinion of what freedom and happiness meant. If you enjoy motorcycles or are at least even curious, please do yourself a service and own one, at least once in your life.
HL Vlogs I ride my Dr 650 80 miles round trip to work. No it’s not comfortable with the stock seat but get a Seat Concepts touring gel seat and you can ride 400 to 500 miles
I'm into this mindset! Looking at a dual sport for my next bike I'm lost on what to get. I test rode a CRF250l yesterday and really liked it, but it lacks power above 55mph. Should i be looking at a DRZ400S or DR650?
Look Kyle, I know it's your bachelor party, and we're all brothers here, but I don't think having that stripper do that to you on stage is gonna be the best thing ever when your fiance finds out.
I love finding other RCR fans. I was just doing "the voice" and a manager at my work was like OH NO YOU TOO. So now my team is puzzled with all our 'inside jokes'. For example I greeted him with" brown brown brown Ezra Pound Pound Pound Pound." this morning.
I've created a fast desert touring bike from my DR. Suspension, desert tank, exhaust, saddle bags, skid plate, fork brace, tall bars and clamps, custom seat. Best long distance off road bike I've had.
GSX650F and Honda CBR650F, the official bike of "I wanted an inline-4 sportbike, but my dad has a superbike and he refused to let me have a 600 as my first one. Something about too unforgiving or some bullshit like that, instead he made me have this heavy ass thing that barely moves. What? It's only 5 lbs heavier than his bike, runs a low 12 and has a 0-60 of under 4 seconds? Shut up you don't know what you're talking about this thing's too slow for me!" (Aside: calling 460lb heavy is laughable and weight generally= stability)
Agree. Was honestly surprised when he said the DR650 was his, his being says "KLR 650" all over him. Maybe it's too ubiquitous or the DR650 fell into his lap at the right time. Dunno, but he is a KLR guy if he knows it or not.
Coming from a DR650 owner, I was a bit disappointed to see that you sold yours before having a opportunity to participate in any of the eastern PA dual sport/adventure rides. I had the exact same thoughts when I got mine but once you have a sanctioned 200 mile event it changes the way you see the bikes strengths and appreciate it for what it does well. Once you effortlessly cruise by the massive BMW 1200GS's spinning out on a mild rock face or hear the 2-stroke guys literally complaining about being butt-hurt by the 2"x4" that is their seat than you realize that maybe all these purpose drive machines are just more than what's needed.
Same here with an 05 lc4, got it used in late 06. Thrashed it until it died. I mean everything, commuting, drunken beer runs re up missions through miles of forest to shake the fuzz, errands, 500 mile marathons into the middle of nowhere during a severe thunderstorm. No oil changes for 2 years and 20k miles. Traded rides for lines. You name it. Then at 40k miles in 09 rollers locked up on the cam after a failed lash adjustement. Apparently tdcc is not the same as tdce. Bike sat out back in the sun and rain for the next decade. Not even a tarp over it. Then last year wifey had a great idea . Why don't you fix up that old thing and use it to go to work and cut your commute time in half. Hmm I pondered and proceeded to spend the next 6 months locked up in the shed till midnight everyday rebuilding the engine. After my neglected family left me and my wallet was left full of scorpions, bats and tarantulas now I have a new bike. 10k miles on the build so far so good. Threw real mc treads on it thing climbs like a mountain goat. Some sludge on the rad cap, oil and coolant clean though. Thanks for reading, replying and likes. Sorry for the long drawn out post.
Everyone has different expectations and goals. I own two DR650's. One set up for supermoto and one for dirt. I understand all his talking points on the bike. But I like mine, and appreciate his opinion as well. I am interested in the CRF450L, but cannot afford to buy one new, I will need to wait a few years.
And what the fuck has all this to do with DR650? Honda RCR? Suzuki VR? Kawasaki Why800? Yamaha DX-7? Triumph Celebrity? Do the growl, find yourself a forum. In Greece please.
This is the bike I bought my wife to come with me on a week long ride, and it was perfect and she loved it. This bike holds a special place in my heart.
This channel introduced me into motorcycle riding, and after owning a 1982 Honda CM400 for a short time, I purchased a DR650 and could not be more grateful for the experience. Kinda crazy to hear that Mr. Regular owned one too. Riding has seen me through a lot of hard times, and I have Mr. Regular and The Roman to thank for the experience. So thank you.
I was hoping for this review since the day you mentionned suzuki DRs in your XT350 video. Finally you got your dream bike and it's not ideal at all, just like every "dream vehicle". And now I'm eager to watch your gsx650f review. I guess I'll have to wait 2022 to see it. Hopefully it will be sooner than that. Thanks for all the rider who watch your channel, you know how to convey your passion for these machines.
@@mmazourov I don't quite understand what you are asking. The GSX-F is not a motorcycle I lust after and the same goes for most vehicle Mr Regular "reviews". Mr Regular and The Roman know how to make an interesting story out of an ordinary car or motorcycle or lawnmower. The more connected they are to it the better.
@@ifrit35 I was not asking anything. I was saying: GSXF is a bland budget bike, so I don't see why it's worthy of a review. I watch this channel because regardless of whether the car/bike is good or bad, you get entertained. Might as well get entertained watching a good bike review. Gsxr1000 k6
Innovative as always. Really loving the quick cutaways and the b roll of working on the bike. The zombie bug out narrative was fantastic as well. Had to take some time out of my honeymoon while dropping a log to check this out and I'm glad I did.
I know it's not a great option in central Pennsylvania, but why does nobody ever choose the sailboat in the zombie apocalypse? You get a solar-powered desalination system and some fishing equipment, and you're done. No sticking your neck out for fuel, food or water. Only extreme weather and marauding jetski gangs can get you.
Really? Damn man. I put 17k miles on my DR over the past year. If you rode one with better tires than the horrible stock ones, an exhaust, and a jetted carb it is a totally different bike. I will keep this bike untill it is totalled. If the motor lets go then i will rebuild it until it cant be rebuilt. I also take mine off road all the time. The only thing i refust to do is jump it. I have done single track, sand pits, forging a path in the woods, and i still take it to work everyday. I was so hype watching this that i commented before you said you sold it. Now im sad. Hopefully the next owner knows better. And BTW, the XR650L is BARLEY better offroad. That was a terrible choice for a more dirt oriented street legal bike. The DRZ SMs are also quite a bit more expensive as well. You can usually get the 650 and buy warp 9 SM wheels for about the same price.
Oh, and the DR650 DOES have a rev limiter in the CDI ignition. It cuts at 7200 RPM. The first gen (pre 95) did not. So no, you CANNOT over rev the bike.
another thing about the xr650l is that everyone wants a honduh. well at least by me so when i went used xr650l shopping on a budget, they would sell way quicker than i could even react to or they were more than i wanted to spend, usually both. then i broadened my search and noticed this DR650 for sale. HALF the price and significantly less miles than the hondas i was looking at. AND I LOVE IT! He should have tried some kenda trakmaster knobs on it before selling it. its not like they are expensive and they are GREAT offroad. he said that the dot knobbies are still not the best offroad but these are just as good as any track tire. ill probably put springs and dampers in it this winter and still have spent much less than buying a stock used xr650
And then everybody always thinks the XR650l is the same as the XR650R. The L model offers performance fairly similar to the DR. I'm part of an even weirder minority, riding a 2005 DR200. Modified mine for long distance touring. Been riding it since 2009. Sure, having a little more power would be nice, but I geared it up, switched to led lighting, and gave it luggage capabilities. As it sits, I get between 80-90 mpg which usually gives me an average range of about 290 miles. All of the bikes in the DR(Z) family are honestly pretty excellent, but very overlooked.
My second bike was a 1992 Suzuki DR250. I was able to ride it harder than any kid on his SPORTY 2 stroke 125. Speak for yourself Mr. Regular, a real man can ride one of these off road. I did it when I was 14.
@@DaOzMan0608 they must be a delete option then, I have seen plenty of tweakers and bikers wannabes making display and in some cases, use of those options
I love these motorcycle reviews. It doesnt even matter what bike he reviews, they´re all freggen hilarious and amazing to watch cuz you never know what going to happen xD
yeah. i guess thats why 1 in....id say 7 bikesi saw in a big rally to the middle of Australia were DR650's, whilst i was on a KLR650 after traveling from Perth, to near Birdsville, cos the DR is a terrible bike.
I found it weird that he mentioned "70mph stable" like it's a feature, hell, my XR 200R goes past that easy peasy without rattling, granted the engine is modified but I'd reckon it's no more than 260cc (and using stock gearing too!).
Fawthur Plus those 250 dirt bikes won't be as good on the highway, the DR650 will more or less cruise at a WR250R's top speed, and the DR has torque for overtaking cars.
I had a 2001 KLR 250 and the one time I took it on a serious trail I had a miserable day. 50lbs lighter than the DR650 but the same tire issue and every patch of mud was like ice. I was 14 (AL laws) so I learned to drive on that bike and rode it to school year round for all of high school. That bike was compromised in almost every way but I loved that bike.
I've got this bike, The GSX650F. It's got similar power to a 600 supersport but it's a bit wider and more comfortable. Turning isn't quite as sharp as a supersport but the comfort makes it much nicer for commuting purposes, a hidden gem in the motorcycling world imo.
I bought a DR650SE this summer. its a 96 and needed a carb rebuild and a new gas tank, but after that its running like a hot damn. I think Mr. Regular is underselling these bikes. Ive been taking it all over the trails and single track stuff near where I live. After getting some real DOT knobbies and a larger fuel tank, its serious an awesome adventure bike. Ive set it up more for going offroad than street. Granted, a smaller lighter bike might be better for some stuff, but this gets me pretty much anywhere i want to go, and its still like 50-60lbs lighter than the KLR650.
@@RenttaGonna run out of gas like a month into the apocalypse. Bicycle and a stock pile of bike parts all the way. Fast enough to outrun zombies and quiet enough to not attract them.
Watching you fix the nsu gave me flash backs to replacing the doohickey on my 07 klr.Its kind of funny how there's always one thing wrong with the engines on most cheap thumpers.For the uninitiated the doohickey is a name for the infamous cam chain tensioner. It's like a triangle with a curved slot at the bottom and a hole at the top that fits on a gear to put tension on the cam chain. The problem with it is that it's made of cheap steel and they usually break at the weld on the top mounting hole. So if you don't replace it with a cnc part it can break and send shrapnel into your engine. I got lucky and had mine break but it stayed in the sump. Now that I have replaced it the engine is rock solid. After that I put on an FMF power bomb header, a Big gun evo r slip on, 142 main jet, klx needle, Shinko 705 tires, a progressive front spring kit, and a rear progressive 465 shock. I also did some common carb mods that help with throttle response. The bike feels so much better now and I can kinda power wheelie in second. It's still an oil burning pig but at least its reaching peak braap.
As the owner of a DRZ400, I agree with most of the negatives of the dual sport category... Yet there is something there, that you mentioned at the end of the video. Experience it, then sell the bike for what you bought it for when you've had enough. These bikes come alive when you realize that you can go ANYWHERE on them. They are only limited by your spirit (and perhaps the gearbox as well). One day i'll sell the DRZ, but until then I have many more suffering filled adventures ahead of me.
I've ridden a 1998 DR for three summers now. I just love it, and have adapted to its limitations. You're right in saying that it must modded to suit one's needs. The previous owner installed a KTM front fork - very sturdy. Brembo brake up front - fabulous. Öhlins in the rear - fantastic. Pumper carb, titanium exhaust. Lighter than the original. With taller gearing (14/41) I've turned my Doc into an easy traveling bike. The tyres (Conti Track Attack) are great on asphalt and good on gravel. I'm 6 feet tall and get my soles on the ground. I love commuting on it, but it'll do highways, too. Many riders say a Dual Sport is the thing to have if you only have one bike. I can't imagine a better one than my doc, thank you very much!
I used to have a DRZ400S and had similar dilemmas. Mostly rode it on the street ; Changed it for a V-Strom 650 2010 which i kept 1.5 year. Enjoyed it too but i wanted more power after 10 years of riding sub-70hp. Moved up to a Yamaha FJ-09 and i'm very satisfied ! If you like the high riding position and the idea of a torquey triple, I highly recommend trying one if you get the chance. It's a machine with a lot of character that will wheelie whenever you ask it, and even sometimes when you don't, so you know, at least you'll be in control of whether or not you indulge the incompetent, overbearing sods.
@@jamirdianalan6349 Its a very fun bike ! They are raw machines. Its actually because of my buddy who has one that i went with my FJ ! Are you riding a motorcycle currently ?
First I've heard of the FJ-09. I have been dead set on the V-Strom for the same reasons you sold your DRZ. I'm riding a DR myself right now, but since having two bikes would be difficult right now I'm gonna have to sell it. Do you still have the FJ?
Of all the bikes I've had, the DR650 is the one I wish I had kept. Mine was set up quite nicely for my usage (commuting and hooliganism) and ran exceptionally well. FCR39MX carb, high comp piston, Web cam, full exhaust, 16T front sprocket, stiffer springs, 19" front wheel, Trailtech Vapor, and a few other odds and ends I can't remember. No, it was not great off-road but it handled dirt roads and fire breaks well enough. Single track was out of the question, ha! So much fun on the street though and power wheelies in 1-2, and occasionally 3 were plentiful. Would love to get another one at some point.
if you put about 1000 bucks into mods you can make this bike a beast. step 1 for modding is do the BST magic (mod the carb and air box), get a full exhaust, put some better tires on, get progressive fork springs, get a different seat or make your own, get different handle bars. thats pretty much everything you need to have fun in the dirt or destroy sports bikes in the twisties. you can also make it a light weight adv bike. there is none on the market with this weight or lighter besides the little 250 honda which is honestly way to underpowered for a 200lb grown up. also whats most important: the DR650 community is probably the best vehicle community on the planet.
You are so right it is the most vanilla bike you can get. It is essentially bomb proof in its durability and a pig sled to ride stock out of the box. It does everything right down the middle and that's why as you said it is also the most customizable bike you can get. I have had mine for 8 years and it is perfect but only because of the changes I made. While other bikes do a lot of things better at a much higher price, no bike does what the DR650 does at a bear bones price. Thank you this was a very realistic review, but in the end it comes down to what the rider wants.
I love my DR650.. but even at 6'3" i cant even flat foot it on flat road. I would recommend lowering for most folks. Its EASILY done (15 minutes max, one bolt on rear shock and for front loosen shock mounts on triple tree and let forks slip out the top of triple tree about 1.5 inches and tighten. Boom ur done!) I personally me even go back to that, i could flat foot then. When i bought it the guy lowered it, so i raised it back up... its TALL. Just the ball of my feet touch on flat.. so off roads i can get off balance at stops
Well this pretty much summed up how I feel about my KLR. It's a gen 1 so, similar weight, similar handling, similar gas mileage. It sucks offroad but I take it anyway, it sucks on the highway but I take it anyway, the seat's uncomfortable on long rides but I take it anyway. I'll take this stupid, old, heavy, and uncomfortable bike to the end of the world though, because, for some strange reason, I love it.
@@tieran9491 well, another reason I went for my '99 DR650SE was several tens of pounds less *stock* (I do KG not LB 🙏) plus mine was modded by the previous owner with plastic 25-liter tank (Acerbis) & lighter cut-off GSX muffler so it was even more attractive opportunity..
@@generaldistrust I wish I could have gone with a DR650, because yes, it is 21 kg lighter. But I just couldn't pass up a 1999 KLR with only 10k miles(~16000 km) for 1500 USD.
@@tieran9491 - where I live it is really hard to find a 'find' that a working class (more like 'peasant') can afford and isn't a fail.. I indeed examined KLR option deeply and really dug into all material & details on the web.. this very DR was a major find I admit .. if it weren't this one it might have been even a KLR or who knows make a DR350 to just get acquainted with dualsport before I really familiarize my style more in depth.. I really had a wider variety that I examined but I still wanted the option to go trailing with my friends so there U have it. Can't afford 2 bikes, *plus* the insurance here is *grand theft* so it is tough. One bike. What can you do..
Great Zombie bike, my thoughts exactly! Love the bike videos , please do more! Honda XR 200 R like I had and somehow was able to register it for the street without blinkers
By far my favorite DS tires were the Kenda K270s (or anything that resembles them). You get 2 solid oil changes out of them, great on the highway, great in the city, ok in the rain, and ok on trails. They’re affordable, and soft enough to change tires with 2 spoons. They DO NOT like mud or anything loose. I retired my 85’ XL600R to off road use only, but it still runs like hell at 50,000+ miles, and I switched to the Kenda K760 Track Masters. They’re DOT legal, they will “work” on the highway, but only for 1000 miles, and they eat up the trails like it’s nobody’s business. Super important to have DOT tires if you like to explore, because a lot of wide dirt roads can only be driven by street legal vehicles. You may even need to run down the highway to the next trail.
If that's the extent of your "off-roading" then a V-strom/BMW GS will do all that and be a MUCH better ride on the highway. A DR650 is the same thing as a XR650L so I don't know what you're talking about there. A DR650 isn't even a preferred commuter bike. If you want a commuter the Honda NC700X can get 70+ MPG. If you want a proper trail dual sport for PA woods, a TW200 is where it's at. Sure it only goes 50mph but you can bash that bike off rocks all day long and if you get into a pickle....stand up.
Yeah, once I hit an actual motocross dirt track in rain on my KLR650 and then sat down on a DRZ400 i definitely knew weight is just too much of a factor for extreme terrain (mud or DRY fine sand) For anything else you can pretty much bring any bike that isnt on 100% sport tires
My buddy has an older Suzuki DR650. One winter he stored in my shed. When Spring arrived I rode it from Towson to his home in Cockeysville (don't giggle), MD, And as I am the owner of a Ducati ST2 I quickly discovered the glory that is the DR650... It may not be an true off-road bike... but DR650's eat Pot-Holes like a Cat eats a bowl of Canned (for humans) Tuna Fish! And as we are both familiar with the nature of Pennsylvania roads (and I only lived there for 4 years) the DR650 is the perfect Pennsylvania Street Bike!!!
When I bought my RE Himalayan my wife was furious. I told her I needed a zombie bike because I wasn’t going to die in a car with her sitting in traffic during a zombie apocalypse.
How'd that go down? (Not sure how I can approach the issue of not wanting to die WITH my partner in her mode of choice (a car) in the zombie apocalypse!) Women get touchy over these things! :-D
This brought back memories of my first bike, a Honda XR250L dual sport. It also reminded me that eventually I need to get my hands on a XR650L, as I do miss riding a bike that tall and versatile.
Kyle here, I learned to ride a motorcycle in Portland, OR and got tired of crossovers constantly merging into me so I switched to a Ford Fiesta. Then, I switched to the train, because I got tired of crossovers also merging into the Ford Fiesta. All Hail the MAX! No one merges into the MAX and wins!
There's no hope here in the PH just a CRF250L is 1k pessos per CC while in the US 2nd hand its only like 2-3k dollars why does it suck to have a bike here
Jamir Dianalan same story here, if one import a bike with displacement above a quarter liter it would get 100% value added tax and its like paying for the price of two but only getting one. But then again, bikes and car would retain their value better than in the US and won't be a too big of a loss should one have to sell 'em.
Service Manual: "Dry mass................................................... 147 kg (324 lbs)" Owners manual: "Curb Mass................................................. 166kg (365 lbs)" So even with a full fuel tank can it lose 41 lbs of fluids? Forks, shock, battery water, engine oil?
How much do you think gas and oil weighs? Between 6 and 7 pounds per gallon. The gas tank holds 3.5 gallons so that's 21 to 25 pounds right there. The oil capacity is 2.5 quarts, so that's about 5 pounds. Shock oil is about 3 pounds, and a battery is going to be about 7 pounds. Add all of that up and you got 36-40 pounds.
The DR series of bikes is in my opinion, the best entry bike to the dual-sport enthusiast world. It's perfect for the person who already has experience on riding and handling a motorcycle, and has limited knowledge on mechanical wrenching. The DR (and XR's and to some extent the KLR650) is a completely analog bike, it doesn't have any electrical stuff that will fail and hinder your riding experience. Everything on the bike is fixable by a willing home mechanic and provides an easy and (sometimes) fun learning experience. Take for example the carburetor, that's a part that you can disassemble by yourself, and do all kinds of upgrades to get a significant performance boost to your bike. That kind of upgrade is kind of out of the question with new bikes, yeah you can upgrade the injectors on some bikes, but mostly it's just fuel maps that are done by wizards in shops. You don't take your carburated bike to a shop, because you're a cheap-ass and you bought a cheap-ass' bike. No, you do it yourself and feel proud of your accomplishment. I bought a DR350S as my first enthusiast bike, and I've already done a great deal of fixes and upgrades, that I never even dreamed of doing to any of my previous bikes. Right now I'm fitting a Husqvarna front end, that I got for dirt cheap. It's been really rewarding to learn the ups and downs of the whole hobby and meeting other enthusiasts who have at some point wrestled with the same problems, that you are now facing.
I owed a DR650 as my first bike (because Im 6'2) and it has since not been replaced, but added to. After about three years of modding I went out and purchased a road bike because my DR had been modified out of street comfort. I've come to the conclusion that I'm never going to sell my DR, but it can't be the only horse in my stable.
@@ianwright2253 Similar situation in Europe. To the point where 250s are barely even available, with the exception of a small number of enduros(like Honda CRF250). In general there's a big gap between 125 and 500 where the European market is mostly skipped over. I think it's part emissions standards and part licencing system, A1 gets you a 125, A2 gets you a 500 or ecu-restricted 650, A gets you anything. There's no reason for most people to get the bikes that are situated between A1 and A2. I can't even find any used DRZ400s for sale in my entire country.
I had a DR650 for several years, and I never found the off-road situation it wouldn't handle if I was careful enough. Maybe our dry climate meant I never had my tires gunk up (not that it was on the stock tires), but it was a total blast to ride around the desert. With the larger fuel tank, windshield, and a nice seat, it was 'doable' for long highway stints. Something to note is that this bike is the easiest thing in the world to work on. This bike taught me how to replace/rebuild a carb, replace a piston, rebuild suspension components, do some dodgy electrical work, and then some. It's so easy to get to everything that you don't have all this daunting plastic that you're worried about taking off before even getting to the valve adjustment.
I had a 1997 DR 650. Absolutely loved it...for the same reasons you mentioned. Sold it before moving to Texas. Thing was bulletproof and easy to work on. Loved your video. Now I want to go buy one again!! :-)
Haha. Never have I heard someone recap my exact feelings of driving a motorcycle. "Oouup. You're texting. Oh, you've got 2 kids in the back you're a problem."
I would argue that it is the perfect beginner motorcycle. The best part about dirt bikes is that they are kind of expected to have been crashed. If you fall over on a Honda CM 400, you have to call a truck, tow it back to the house, replace the case cover, fill it up with oil and hope nothing else is wrong. If you fall over on a DR, you pick it up, look around to make sure you aren't being judged and then speed away from there on your still-functioning motorcycle without once thinking about how much money you just cost yourself. It is the perfect beginner motorcycle because it is the most forgiving motorcycle to someone who makes frequent mistakes.
Love my DR 😁 Sure it's not awesome at any one thing but that's the point. Like you said, it's a blank canvas and that's what I personally like about it. The fact I can chuck a heap of gear on the back, travel hundreds or thousands of kms on the black top and then dive of into the dirt, find a camp site, dump my gear and go explore the wilderness, even some moderate single trails and in a range of conditions depending on your tyre choice...then ride it to work the next day. That's what the DR650 is all about, and for a lot less $ and weight than what a BMW GS or Honda Africa Twin will set you back 😉👍
What you said about Suzuki cheaping out is right on the money. For the DR-Z400, they cheaped out on the cam chain tensioner. Suzuki is like Bethesda; they make a good product, but you know you're gonna need a bunch of unofficial patches as soon as you get it.
Dont forget about the engine cases you MUST buy covers for and the axe shaped shifter that will punch into the engine case the 1st time you drop it if you don't file it down.
