Suzuki Dr650 Top 5 Mods 

The DR IS the unicorn. I don’t think people realize. You can buy the blank canvas and make it into anything. The most versatile platform!

That's a wicked sweet setup! Thanks for sharing your experience with us!

Solid choices. I'd say my top 5 were tank, seat, lighting, armoring (bash plate, side case guards & sprocket case guard) and tires. Exhaust/carb kit were honorable mentions, followed by suspension. I'd put safety over performance. Good video.👍

Another great video. I ride a Husky TR Terra, & my no 1 mod is daytime running lights as well. It’s so important for people to see us.

Had my bike for a month and already had everything nut the pegs waiting to be installed the day I got her. Love this bike.

Videos are becoming great! Good location. Keep the good work.

1, I prefer the Acerbis bash plate as it’s quieter and will slide over things easier than aluminum. It will also bounce back into shape instead of bending. It’s a misconception that it’s weaker than aluminum. You’ll be hard pressed to ever puncture it. 2, I agree with the additional lighting. The 1 candlepower headlamp is useless. I run the JNS aux light mounts with two small LED lights run on a Skene LED controller. This way they brighten and dim with my high and low beam headlight. I can also operate the headlight and aux lights independently of one another and turn all lights off or on. I wasn’t happy with the JNS headlight so I have a Baja Designs Squadron Pro light on order. JNS makes a mounting bracket for it. 3, I run the same pegs. Love them! 4, I run a seat concepts standard seat height. The stock seat wasn’t terrible but the seat concepts of course is a bit more comfortable. 5, I run a 5.3 gallon Acerbis tank. I think it fits the bike well enough that it looks stock. Plus I can clear 250 miles before fill ups which is great. Hers my mod list. As I stated I’ll be changing my headlight over to Baja Designs soon. I’ll also be adding a TM40 pumper carb and going to slightly lighter spring rate than what I currently have. GSXR Exhaust with custom Hanger FMF Header Modded BST Galfer Steel Brake Lines Works connection frame guards Steel case guards Pro Cycle lowered peg kit Brake snake Shifter snake Acerbis skid plate AMP Oil Filter cover guard JNS Engineering oil cooler guard Skene LED controller Rowe PDM60 power controller Voltmeter Red LED Speedo light Hour meter tach JNS Engineering aux light mount Moose rack Australia tail light with LED bulb YZF front fender Double take mirrors Acerbis tank Acerbis skid plate Seat Concepts tall seat Oxford heated grips Charging cable Cycra probenecid handguards Headlight guard GPR. Stabilizer with mounting kit Pro taper Suzuki / KTM bend fat bars ASV folding levers JNS CS cover SKF Sealed Wheel Bearings Cogent Dynamics Mohave Pro Shock Racetech Fork Springs with Cogent Dynamics DDC

I love the look of your bike. Many modded dr650s look like a bunch of random parts strapped together, with a semi transparent tank, diferent coloured panels etc. But yours look great!

Great upgrades ! You have a nice bike there man!! Excellent!

If you popped for the JNS light and peg brackets you should have just gotten their bash plate as well. It's the strongest one ive ever seen. Ive got it on both my DR and my KLR. The stock seat is miserable so ive got a Seat Concepts seat on order. At 6'1" i also needed to raise the handlebars 2" as well. Doubletake mirrors are also essential IMO. I opted for a 4.9 gallon IMS tank on mine.

Live in NZ and biked all over the North Island. Definitely miss it.

Great video, My top 5 are 1. Jetting kit 2. Exhaust 3. Bash plate 4. Wind Screen 5. Lowered Foot Pegs Bonus 6. Luggage system

Good video Dan! Your bike looks great with the 25l tank on it! 👍 I have the B&B baseplate, Seat Concepts seat, B&B baggage rack with top plate, Eagle windscreen, Barkbusters. My top mod was/is a Scottoiler. I got 96000km out of my (original) chain and sprockets! 🤩 Then there are the engine protectors, front sprocket guard, B&B front fender brace (like yours). Currently running conti TKC80’s front and back which are great! Oh - and then there is a Screamin’ Demon pipe as well (got a bit carried away 🙄). Might look at a suspension upgrade next…. Keep the good videos coming!🏆

Great stuff mate

Love it! I can hardly wait to get my hands on one too. Bye bye street bike, hello world!

Have all these mods to my DR. All very good. Can't really change what the DR is, it's a very good all round bike. I suggest the Atlas throttle lock for distance riding. Well worth the money.

- Armor. I source used OEM skidplates, on the cheap, for my DRs. The DR definitely needs one, as exposed as the engine is. Real handguards are available for cheap from sales at Cycle Gear or Rocky Mountain. - The stock seat works fine for me. I have a Seat Concepts for one of my DRs, but I've done 1000mile days on the stocker, even with an inch or 2 of foam cut out of it. - A big plastic tank gives this bike legs. It's less prone to damage. It also saves weight when not filled. - I pull the airbox snorkel, install an adjustable overseas/KTM needle, and install an extended idle-mix screw. I can remove the airbox door for high altitude. - Tires. DOT knobs work great on this bike. - Appropriate springs and damping transform this bike in the dirt if you ride gnarly enough surfaces to need knobbies. - Amber LED marker strips on the handguards and red marker LED strips on the sides of the rear fender make the DR more visible. The stock headlight works fine for me, but I use the amber LED strips for signals too. I like having tiny amber/yellow LED fogs too. - DR250 taillight on USA models saves weight, improves durability, and looks better. - Shaving weight can make the DR650 as light as the DR-Z400S. Start with removing extra stuff, like helmet lock, passenger pegs, grab handles, upper chainroller, etc. Swap on a GSXR 1000 Ti muff and a Li battery. - Performance piston kit and cam kit can wake things up. Don't forget to get stouter clutch plates and 2 or 4 stouter pressure-plate springs. - Braided stainless brake hoses make a noticeable difference.

Great mods. Think you could add the next five. Case savers on the sides and chain around the front sprocket. Suspension up grades, oil cooler protection power outlets and rim locks. But keep up the videos. Love seeing where I was born.

Good list. I went and looked at a DR for sale and it had almost everything you could imagine done to it. I figured he had 4-5 grand in farkles, some really cool stuff. It had a little computer where the speedo shoulda been, plugs and wires everywhere... It was a great deal for what he wanted for it, but it was so far removed from the simple, no-nonsense bike i wanted, i just had to pass. If i wanted high-tech I'd get a BMW or something like that.

Nice video mate. I'm also from Scotland (Dundee) and now in NZ, Chch. Actually rode RTW to get here. I just put a deposit down on a DR today and looking at all the same mods as you. Would be great to meet up one day

Hi MOTO DANS - I've read all the comments below. The mods for THE MIGHTY SUZUKI DR 650 are almost endless - and like with your DR - Mine is like no other, yet you'd never know it - unless you really started digging around. Love your video's - The only thing I can add is the obvious - It totally depends on where you live and the kind of riding you'll mainly be doing. The one thing I tell guys thinking about getting THE MIGHTY SUZUKI DR 650 is Get this bike and ride the shit out of it - the way that it comes right out of the gate. As time goes by, depending on the aforementioned, start making your mods based on the above - which includes distances. For me, I still have the stock seat and tank - but that's because if I ever ride over a hundred miles, it's very rare. My main problem is time.... I don't have much to spare right now.... But yes, at a minimum - Lighting and a bash plate are needed for sure - especially if you are going off road.... Best.

tough to pick 5 in an order because I made more than 5 mods in 6 years: seat, protection, suspension, tank, luggage mounts. If you want to raise the bike stiffer springs will do that. Cogent front and back. Pricey but worth more to me than more power.

Moto Dans, I really like the choices of mods you made for your DR. I don't have a DR yet, nor have I ever ridden off-road. I am compiling a list of mods/purchase ideas from DR-dedicated channels of things to change or modify on a DR. I want to buy a DR not too far in the future. I like the lowering of the foot pegs. I'm 72 inches and would want some lowering pegs too. Maybe bar risers as well. It certainly looks like, maybe, the seat was taken apart and new cushion (gel?) was installed and covered back over with the same OEM seat cushion covering. I agree with that. I would probably try adding some strobe amber LED's to my bike to attracting attention of other motorists so they could see me. Additional lighting is a great idea. A windscreen would be necessary. Larger fuel capacity is a great idea too. 25-liters/6.6 gallons?! Hell yeah! In the US, I could buy that for $280-ish USD. I don't know the exchange rate for currency in NZ compared to the USD. I'd paint my bike a nice desert sand color like my other bike I had, a '76 Honda CB750 Super Sport after a rebuild. I am in the USA. You are a Scot living in 'Kiwi'. Without sounding too intrusive, may I ask why you live in NZ? I hear, from my kiwi ex, that life is expensive there. Whatever you do there, keep it up. I like your videos. Thanks.

Nice one.

Great top 5 list Man.. I have all of those on mine as well. I would have to put windscreen on my top 5 as well. It makes road miles so much more enjoyable.. Any big adventures planned?

Good video mate…difficult to get top five coz I’m up to 15 already! Not sure about the foot pegs (you gave a good reason why not to drop them). I prefer higher seat and risers.

Nice information🇹🇷🕉🇹🇭🙏

Day/night time aux leds Mirrors 2" extensions Seat concept Givi bash plate SW-MOTECH centerstand Tusk side racks with soft bags When The starter start to be noisy...I have a WARP9 cap with a roller bearing waiting for it. Other than that, invest in some spare carb rebuild kit...so you won't have to wait for one in case the bike needs a carb rebuild .

On the lighting part i put a marker light in the turn signal for yellow up front and red in back for even more light

Stock seat my be ok for different people. I have had two dr650’s and both stock seats let me ride for many hours without pain or soreness.8-)

Hey Love the video!! What type of windscreen is that? Ive read so much about them and just not sure what the best choice is.

Bash plate, bark busters, wider mirrors and um stickers..🤣. I absolutely need to lower the pegs but can't get VSM to get back to me on an eta sigh.

Did you add the foot pegs? I wonder if everyone swaps out the shifter and break lever etc... Great vids btw.

Canterbury Upolstery north oh Chch will reupholster your seat for 350.00 A great mod, and he does a mint job 👍

Very good advice, except for the footpegs I've done them all. Question What model are your boots? Thanks

During the daytime run with the high beam on. you will not blind anyone, but your beam will be higher making you easier to see.

Hey bro there’s a 2015 dr650 on trademe going for 9k pretty much stock with 11000kms do you think that’s overpriced or worth the buy I’m in NZ btw TIA

* * * * * C O O L * * * * *

My Top #5 Suspension rework Braided brake lines Oil cooler guard Modified seat Aftermarket Exhaust

All good mods. Did those pegs and lowered mounts come together? Do the mounts retain the stock rubbers or are they solid? I’ll bet that seat is a totally custom job done on the stock seat pan from a previous owner. The top five mods I’ve done to my DR650: 5) cheap chromoly wide foot pegs 4) 90/100 watt H4 headlight bulb 3) lightweight lithium battery 2) higher CR bend tapered handle bars with better grips 1) Sit & Fly net thing since I still have the stock seat Also I have a rear top rack with a plastic trunk that I couldn’t do without when communing to work. Oh and aftermarket mirrors since all I could see in the stock ones were my jacket sleeves.

Hi from where I can buy Side Carrier Saddlebag Support Racks Suzuki DR650 like your Thank you

Lowered my pegs and love it. BUT,,,, I now hate the location of my shifter. One spline and then it's too low. What's the fix to simply position that shifter back to level with the lower pegs? Thanks

Great video! Thinking about swapping my bike for a DR650. I'm also 5'6". Did you drop the suspension?

Good video. I like most of your suggestions except for the lowered pegs. If you plan an doing any serious off roading you will have a much greater chance of breaking your foot with lowered pegs. They are already too low stock.

No mention is made have to to install a higher wattage stator in there for the added lights. Anyone know ?

Would definitely rather have the plastic bash plate, simply because of the noise from the aluminum

What windshield you use? Do you have helmet buffering?

Mine are handle bar risers , foot peg lowering . Straight through exhaust pipe , 14t sprocket . Taller seat padding foam . I'm 6'3. There's more, these are too 5 ..

Hola amigo, soy de Sucre Bolivia, me gusta muchísimo como equipaste tu moto DR 650, aquí en Bolivia no existe en el comercio todo lo que equipaste, por lo menos quisiera tener la cúpula o deflector de tu moto, ¿me puedes enviar a Bolivia?

Leaning between DR650 or KLR650. KLR comes stock with fuel injection, radiator, windshield, fairing, 6.1 gallon tank. And it's cheaper. And can do what DR can do. Makes it hard to pick the DR.

Seat Bash plate Exhaust Jet Kit Lowered pegs.

I’m thinking of getting me one second hand how much is too much kms on bike would you say?

I modded the shit out of my DR too. Top 5 1. Bash plate 2. Ehaust 3. Jet kit 4. Handle Bar risers 5. Aftermarket foot pegs (No lowering kit) Honorable Mention:. Case savers

How is that windscreen working for you? Any buffeting issues?

I'd wager somebody customized the stock seat

I’d say that is a customized stock seat.

What tires you running?

no hay en español

my top 5 begins with suspension. The others are assumed

Go on yak squad and look at my mods.

That seat is made by Corbin.

Your seat looks homemade, I modified and recovered my stock seat and its way better

I bought a KLR650 so I wouldn't have to make all these modifications!

Worst standard suspension of any bike, life threatening if you push it. Definitely No 1.

farkle derangement syndrome

Oh you work at circus

Hey bro there’s a 2015 dr650 on trademe going for 9k pretty much stock with 11000kms do you think that’s overpriced or worth the buy I’m in NZ btw TIA