I have a DR 650 and it has many good features. The engine does not have a lot of power or torque for two up riding in my opinion. I only ride solo. The seat can be an issue in terms of comfort. If you look at the stock seat you will notice it narrows and thins out at the pillion area. I think this can limit effectiveness for the pillion. The seat can be modified without a lot of money.

I find the seat ok but to get around the lack of comfort I ride with bike nicks (lightly padded insert)and a set of foam padded shorts made for off-road riders, under my riding gear. Works for me.

The bike is really a good bike - light weight; simple; no fuel injection and can maintain 100kph with the load; easy on fuel. etc. It does need (and I have) a safari tank; extra carry racks; tool carriers and tube carrier on the front mud guard.

For two up I think I would look at the V Strom. The twin cylinder motor provides more power and torque and will rev out better. Bike is a bit heavier than a DR however. Looked at these but for weight I chose the DR. A GS is a great touring bike (I have one) but too heavy when the going gets a bit technical.


M

I just bought a DR
Going to change the seat, get a safari tank and maybe change the position of the pillion handles

Well Done!

__________________
Cheers
Grif

'11 KTM 450 EXC
'09 Suzuki DR650
'00 Discovery Series 2 V8
'95 Defender 90 300 Tdi Overlander
http://gipperstravels.blogspot.ca

Thats a great trailer you've got there. Hadn't thought of doing that. Where did you get it from?

That is Big Al's bike. He did a fly and ride from Seattle to down South somewhere. The Seller through in the trailer. Not sure who makes it ... but there are several outfits doing lightweight trailers for dual sport/dirt bikes.

Find Big Al's ride report here and PM him. Perhaps he can provide info the trailer? ... or maybe he'll sell it to you? He pulled it all the way cross country with NO ISSUES. (he and his buddy rode DR650's to Tierra del Fuego ... but no trailer)

I appreciate the thought but I'm in Australia

That was going to be my next question, how does it handle RTW?

Hi, I am in the UK and just brought a DR650RS 2001 model, I was a bit unsure about the 650, I was going for a newer DR400, but a friend told about a DR650 he knew was good and going at a good price, I loved the bike when I saw it, they are rare in the UK, this one was owned by a bike nut who has stripped it and powder coated everything! frame, swinging arm etc., I was really happy with the bike, then I went to a Trail riders federation meeting, first time, they are the guys to know, but was told people buy big bikes as a compensation for a small "" well I got I bit put out by it and questioned my purchase! but I love it, and don’t give a f##k after reading the post on here, I think my gut feeling was right and the most important thing is to love the bike you ride, yer a CRF or KTM would have been more sensible for TRF stuff, but I want to get familiar with big bikes off road and hope to do a big trip, Thanks!
Kind Regards
Andy

If you have a DR650RS ... then you've I believe you got a different model DR than the one shown in this thread. (DR650SE) Take a look at the other DR650SE pics shown in this thread ... is your bike like those?

The DR650 RS model is a totally different bike. No interchangeable parts.

It's also news to me that Suzuki still even made the RS in 2001. That model was discontinued here in the USA in 1995 or '96. Perhaps production was continued in UK and EU? Dunno?

For more info, check out the Zen Seeker page:
Suzuki DR650 History Page

Mines the same as this only with full engine bars fitted, the logbook says DR650SE, the bike is an DR650RS? 2001, but these were all imported to the UK, prob. from New Zealand?

I think mines the 1991? because it was imported the log book is probably quoting the the year it was imported to the UK?

We've now fully kitted out our new DR650 for a RTW trip.

I'm noticing the side stand is too long when the bike is fully loaded, the bike sits almost vertical with stock suspension compressed.

We have a major concern than some people are pointing out to us - the gear box.

A bike dealership in Sydney say they have seen 3 different DR650 riders who have had to pull out of their RTW trip midway through because of gearbox issues, usually 3rd gear specifically. They said it usually blows up during acceleration with riders accidentally missing a gear on the way up. Whilst the engine is indestructible, the DR650s gearbox was never designed for all the extra weight associated with RTW luggage, safari tanks etc.

This was news to me and may have changed my decision to go with a DR650 for a 2-up RTW trip.

Cheers,

J

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

If you look into to the "3rd gear" issue you'll find some interesting history, facts, speculation and fantasy.
Below I quoted back something I wrote back in 2012, below that is a link to the ADV Rider thread on the subject. Below that ... a list of reported failures. As stated, very few of these guys ever posted details or ever posted on ADV Rider, so it's sort of "heresay evidence" from one very bitter guy.

I also make the point of all the failures in Australia vs. very few in USA. I attribute this to how the bike is used down under. Turns out DR's are raced and even used on Moto Cross tracks. TIP: The DR650 was NEVER made to withstand racing or Cross Country race events. Not in it's DNA.

Also note that with most of the listed failures we don't know if it was the NSU bolt that came loose and ruined the engine or if, in fact, 3rd gear actually broke. Hard to tell after the fact ... but MOST Of the guys listed apparently never did the simple preventative FIX of securing the NSU bolts with Loc-Tite.

If you believe in percentages ... then you should probably relax. Go easy on your bike, don't LUG the motor, don't bang shifts ... and DO the NSU fix! All good.

American Suzuki sell around 5,000 DR650's every year in USA (give or take 10%) and have done since 1996. There are around 1700 Suzuki dealers in the USA. The number of 3rd Gear failures is small when put against overall units out there. (about 90,000 units, give or take)

The fact the Oz and NZ units fail has, IMHO, more to do with use/abuse than product failure.


"Nordie boy seems to be the "keeper of the stats" on this issue. Below is "The List" of blow ups. Posted back in Feb, 2012. There may be more current updates, dunno. (it's a big thread!)

Question: Are we sure everyone of these so called 3rd gear blow ups was actually 3rd gear letting go? Or could it have been an NSU bolt come loose and wrecked havoc? Once metal starts bashing round in a gear box ... may be hard to tell where it started or what let go first. Did everyone of the reports include a total tear down of the motor? There is a reason I ask this. (see below *)

Funny, I've only ever heard or seen posts from a few of the guys listed below. Perhaps they post on the OZ forums and not ADV? On the 16 million view/90K post BIG DR650 thread on ADV Rider, in 8 years I've seen only about 6 reports of either NSU or 3rd gear failures. What does that tell you?

Note of the 28 listed, only 8 are from the USA. Yet the USA accounts for 40 times more DR sales annually than Oz and NZ combined. Oz/NZ are a tiny spec of the market ...yet somehow account for a majority of the "problem". Why?

*Actually ... our '96 DR650 should be added to the list. Problem is I can't confirm whether it was an NSU problem or 3rd gear problem. Sold off the broken engine to someone who needed a case, never fully opened it up, just removed from frame. Never heard what the problem was or if it was even identifiable. I did pull on side cover and saw inside was a disaster. I feel this is exactly what most owners do ... and they go no further to investigate.

Based on what we know in terms of blow ups (probably somewhat under reported in the USA) and putting that against the number of DR650's Suzuki has sold in the USA since 1996 ... I'd place the 3rd gear blow-up percentage at less than one percent among USA bikes."

Find 3rd Gear Blow up thread here:
DR650 3rd gear blowups - ADVrider


Originally Posted by NordieBoy
Another one.
From Oz, the land of the low mileage blowups.

DR650 3rd Gear Blowups...

NordieBoy (NZ) 2001 60,000km
Transalper (NZ) 2001 55,000km
Rosscoact (AU) 2004 13,000km
Mardy (US) 1997 53,000km
Haddon (NZ) 1999 40,000km
RubberCow80 (AU) 2001 25,000km
Philth (AU) 3 bikes <20,000km
BikeRooter (AU) 2006 10,200km
Madsdad (US) 2005 16,000km
briangv99 (AU) 2006 21,000km
bluebye (US) 2004 37,000km
Coyote X (US) 2007 33,800km
DRjoe (AU) 1997 100,000km
DRJens (SE) 2001 23,000km
DRjoe (AU) 2003 15,000km
Miniroot (NZ) 2007 39,200km
Helicopter (NZ) 2002 ???km
Klay (US) 2001 29,000km
RobTheButch (AU) 2007 17,000km
Ganjora (??) 2009 36,857km
shdashley (AU) 2006 17,500km
Scary fish (AU) 2010 21,000km
MrHilux (AU) 2007 7,000km
cva4259 (US) 2010 22,500km
ChromeSux (US) 2003 13,000km
Willson (FR) 2007 40,000km
Chupas (US) 2009 34,000km
002 (AU) 2002 18,500km

I'm not familiar with the Loc-Tite method of fixing the NSU. I thought the NSU issue was the rarest of rare occurrences. I wonder if there is a better explanation to why Aussie DRs are doing this.

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NSU issues not rare at all. But Failures caused by errant NSU bolts ARE rare.

You can read reports from hundreds of DR650 owners who have checked their NSU bolts ... and found them quite loose. Loose, but not missing!

Starting in round 2011 ... Suzuki changed the NSU bolts from a JIS head to an Allen. Also, on newer bikes these bolts have been found to be consistently TIGHTER than in previous years. Not sure if Suzuki are applying Loc Tite at the factory or not (they should do!)

Pre 2011 owners would find NSU bolts quite loose ... even from new.
Suzuki don't tighten NSU bolts very tight because it bears down on a plastic spacer ... which can crack if NSU bolts are over tight. Make sense?

So what owners do is to either use Loc-Tite on the bolts ...or...safety wire the bolts in place. (total overkill IMO). I found the NSU bolts loose on my 2006 DR650, used RED loc-tite on bolt threads. Easy fix.

If you re-read my post above ... you'll note my "theory" about why the OZ bikes have most of the problems. If you follow the OZ DR forums, ADV Rider and others where the DR is discussed, you'll learn about how the bike is used in Australia and New Zealand.
To them, it's a "Race on Sunday, Drive to work on Monday" bike. I've followed the DR threads and forums since 2006 ... after a while a pattern emerges.