Adventure Awaits: My New Suzuki Dr650 Dual Sport Purchase 

A legend that never dies

Can't agree more

Thx for the tips. I've knocked out the fuel filter and roller. I'll have to order the starter motor cap.

330,000 KM , that is AMAZING. I'm never selling this thing. :) Ride safe Sir !

Thank you kindly!

Every Suzuki I've owned needed head bearings replaced. Never enough factory lubricant and loose adjustment.

Amen Mike ! Keep the KLR shiny side up !

I'm riding an 06 KLR. I really like the DR though. Enjoy!

It's an amazingly well designed and built bike. I love it.

Thanks for the compliment. I definitely plan on upgrading the suspension as soon as I get a feel for this thing off road. If it kills the wobble that would be a NICE improvement.

⁠@@tsdmoto it may also be something as simple as the wheels haven’t been weighted/balanced correctly after changing the tread or perhaps a slight buckle in one of them? But yea, if you ride it stock for a while, you’ll notice the difference and love the bike a whole lot more once the suspension is keyed in. There’s an Australian youtuber who is a phenomenal rider “Skids ‘n’ Stuff”, rides a DR like an enduro, has a few tips on riding and suspension, you’ll be amazed at what he can achieve on the bushpig, I sure as hell am.😏🤙

I didn't consider the balance, definitely could contribute. I'll check out Skids 'n' Stuff ! Thx @@BadgerMcblasty

breathes beter n a jet. klr has big tnk to

Appreciate it!

You're going to have a blast if you get it!

Congrats on the DR ! The bike doesn't run to lean with the Staintune ? I've heard good things about those exhaust systems and I wouldn't mind replacing my Yoshi with a full Staintune system.

@@tsdmoto I'm in Australia. They're made in the next state to ours, so affordability and accessibility is likely a little more in our favour here. There is definitely some decel popping, but nothing major ... and no full on backfiring. Strangely enough it's nearly as quiet as stock at highway speed cruising with baffle in, but it becomes a dragon when you give it a twist!! Didn't buy it for the noise though, it was more for performance and the outright engineering. Never having to repack is a bonus too. First tank after instal showed a nearly 10% improvement in consumption ... but I won't declare that a given until we've used it more. I've only done that one test since the instal a week ago 🤞🤞. I'm certain that the synergy between it and the Procycle will be pretty amazing, but as I said I'm in no hurry with the carb. The bike has become sort of like riding a magic carpet just since the Staintune ... to be sure though, it looked like the previous owner (11200km) didn't know the secondary filter existed, and it was shocking!! Whether a full service of that helped with the improvement I can't say ...

If you're in Australia from what I've heard the DR and DRZ both have more HP there because they detune them in the USA to get past emissions, so they are around 40 HP each here so the Pro cycle mod may be a lot bigger of a change for Americans, but I don't own one just one here dreaming about getting one. Some of the bikes they dyno tested were even lower than 40HP, they really cut them back here, but if you don't have E-check where the put a sniffer in your tailpipe them you can change it so it'll run again.

I'm going to order the Seat Concepts seat soon. I got a little sore today.

Glad you liked it!

Agreed that knobbies look cool but I have some Shinko 705's waiting to go on my DR if that helps

@@tsdmoto I think the Shinko 705 is the only 80/20 tire I was able to find in street bike rim sizes. That's what I'm going to go with, once my Dunlop Sportmax Q3+ are worn out. Would be interested to know what you think about the Shinkos once you get some riding on them.

Thanks for the details and comment. I'm very jealous of the TM40 carbs. I'm starting with a jet kit for this bike and maybe I'll do pumpers next season.

Thank you

Thanks for the tip on the seat, that mod will definitely go on the list as I venture further on this beats. I'm so sorry to hear about your accident , especially the cowardice the driver showed by leaving the scene. I'm guessing you're mostly ok since you're riding though, and I'm happy to hear that. So what particular corks did you buy the DR650 for?

@thesoutherndistance I was between a modern classic or dual sport. During the shutdown (and in the past), I've had a hard time with service departments sometimes quoting weeks or months to do services or get parts. As my daily I needed something I could easily do all the maintenance on, including valve adjustment, and get parts. The carburated and air-cooled DR with screw adjustable type valves was a good modern classic feeling dual sport. I'm in my late 40's and enjoying a slower pace. Doing okay with a bruised and swollen right knee and toe. Hobbling, but blessed to be okay 😆. Thanks.

That's why many riders want "lane splitting" all over but the guys zig zagging through traffic ruin it for everybody.

I actually JUST added one last week but I haven't tried it yet. I can't wait!

Thanks for the comment and for the suggestion on the seat. I just got paid, so seat will be on the bike soon !

I'd really like a 800 DE but not to replace the DR. Love the DR.

Hmm XS650 tank you say...

Thx for the hot tip !! I’ve not heard of these bars before.

Thank you for stopping by and watching the video. The background music mix has been a bit of a struggle, it sounds one way before I upload it and another once RU-vid smashes it up. I will continue to tweak. I'm in Chattanooga Tn, where about are you?

@thesoutherndistance ahh ok, and year a bit far from me. I right PA and the pine Barrens in NJ.

Thanks for the guidance!

Thank you for stopping by and for the kind comments. I really love the DR ! Greetings from Chattanooga Tn, USA. :)

Yes, and needs to have personality. :)

The throttle response is so nice isn't it ?

I'm in Chattanooga TN !

@@tsdmoto cool I'm in Knoxville

Thanks for sharing that info. I can't wait to get my DR650 back out on the road and try to match your range !

Sure thing, NOT. :) Take your time and be willing to travel a couple hours outside of a major city. There are deals to be had.

Thx for the tip. That makes me hopeful although it doesn't bother me too much.

Hey Pat, I did and is pretty easy. Just watched a few RU-vid videos and I built up the confidence to do it. Be patience you can do it. Best regards and ride safely 🇺🇸🍾🎉🇺🇸

Hola amigo, gracias por el consejo! Viaja seguro

Thank you, that's the dream !

Marc, thank you for taking the time to leave these comments. I'm very jealous of your DR 650 RSE, they look so neat and sadly we cannot get them here. I'll check out the Metzlers. The 690 Duke is amazing, why did you sell it? Cheers Mark

@@tsdmoto Hi Mark Good to hear from u. Yeah the RSE is more a less the bike for travelling. Despite from the horrible seat everything on this bike supports long distance traveling. Ure right when ure saying u dont need a rev counter but I allways keep on looking at it. Dont know why maybe because we dont have a gear indicator. But its just me. Love your sence of humor :)) Well I bought one of the last Dukes in 2017 in Germany and I adored this bike so much that I bought a R version back in 2020 in Ozzie as well and traveled 14000 km through Australia with it. But there is one downer as well. Arround 100 km/h (60 mp/h) u have to change gear all the time. 97 km - 5 gear 100-6 gear. So u end up 5-6-5-6-5-4-5 The bike has no torque arround this speed due to its low crankshaft weight. Its a rever! The DR is right the oposite and much more enjoyable when it comes to cruising arround. My Ozzie Duke was under 200 kg fully loaded with 40kg luggage! I think thats a record for a adventure bike. And it did off roading very well to, because of its weight. I have a new partner in live and with a pillion the Duke is a little bit to small. These are the two reasons why I sold both Dukes. For adventure riding i would step up to a two cylinder bike with max 210 kg. My first bike back in 1981 was a DR 500S So the RSE now is a bit of a nostalgic thing which will ever remain in my garage :))

That's the plan !!

@@tsdmotohave owned 3 DRs and they are near indestructible but need suspension rework or your life will be threatened on dirt roads. Acerbis make 20 l and 25 l tanks which look better than the Safari tank. They are a bit gutless on the open road and benefit from a Pumper carb, aftermarket exhaust and opened up airbox.

Carb re-jet kit and gas tank are already here , just need to install it. I'll do the suspension this winter. Any specific recommendations for that?

@@tsdmoto Cogent DDC, Intiminators or Plex valve. Plenty of resources out there re particular ride style programming per option. Some have moved away from the PV after FFRC was bought by another company and subsequently redesigned the valve. Yeah there’s an old video out there somewhere of some AusBros sending a DR 60+ ft with that old FFRC setup.

The tires that came on the bike are some Tusk tires and they aren't the best in the current condition. I have some new shoes in a box that I need to put on her.

The DR650 is designed to be a low maintenance torquey dual sport, very capable , but no single track monster. The Honda 450 RL is a vastly different beast, weighs less than 300 lbs, makes 41 hp, no cush drive, it's designed to go like stink in the dirt and be street legal for those times when it has to be there. They are different as can be when it comes to dual sport , with the space between populated with bikes such as the DRZ-400 and CRF-300L.

No idea !

@@tsdmoto I think it is all the “adventure riders” realized they did not bargain for expensive 550 pound elephants, overloaded with electronic crap that is a nightmare to figure out, gets in the way of having fun and cost a fortune to repair when that tiny computer chip fails and leaves you stranded a long way from home. Part of owning motorcycles to me is maintaining it. The DR is easy to do everything on, performs very well, loads of fun, light and everything is not buried under a plastic fairing making it a headache to service. I just love mine and wished I discovered it sooner. I am soooo glad I do not have a modern headache laden motorcycle.

@@dogfeathers5646 I can't say it any better.I'm really hating the electronic issues on my KTM.

DO IT NOW ;)

Want it badly

Thx for the tip!

​@@tsdmotoI've had mine for 50 thousand km and never use the key. I don't think it matters.

Not true - use the kill switch not the key to shut off the bike - reason one, you will know it works when you stop your bike daily/after your ride, a constant test that it is functioning, so that when you need it in an emergency, you know it will work. Reason 2, if you need to cut the engine in an emergency, the switch is right there by your thumb, and you will not be fumbling to reach the key - shutting off with the kill switch daily will embed this in your brain, muscle memory. Hope this helps, 44 yrs licenced rider on motorcycles, 15 yrs Snr MSF/CSC Instructor. Cheers, Ronny

They teach here to use the key . Apparently it was said that the switch can malfunction eventually.

i bought a dr650 brand new last year and the factory mechanic told me to use the key - and dont use the kill switch as well just before I rode off. I told him I had planned a big ride outback australia, I assume he mentioned it as you dont want a cheap kill switch possibly failing and leaving you stranded in the middle of nowhere

Calm down

Also a good bike

I have had the bike to 70 plenty of times but it's much nicer around 55.

@@tsdmoto good to hear. 70 is bloody awful on a DR.

Thanks for the feedback ! I really appreciate it.