i recently finished a 20k km. trip through Mexico and the US on my DR650. This was a shake-down run, prepping for the Stans, Siberia and
Mongolia next year. Here is my take:
The DR is an awesome choice for adventure travel, if set up right. Mod the suspension, a new seat, larger tank, re-wire the stator for extra power to run heated grips and gear and your good to go. I have the Mikuni TM40, which i would like to change out to an FCR, can't get the decel popping under control. The motor is bullet proof! What impressed me the most is that i only burn the cheapest gas, and i never experienced knocking. The bike is very light and agile, off-roads exceptionally well and can run at 70mph all day comfortably. It vibrates much less than the KTM and the KLR, and has a strong sub-frame for luggage. Torquey motor with plenty of power! I never felt that it was under powered, but adequate in all situations. I give it

That's some funny stuff! (but all true!)
Well the DR650 is easily a 70 mph bike, no problem. Cruises very comfortably at that speed, all day, all night, even in 120F heat. A long way from an Enfield. I agree that on the road, especially in 3rd world countries, speeds need not be high. So even an Enfield, old Triumph or a 250 can do the job. The DR is well suited for many reasons. Strong, light, reliable, fast enough, economical ... and cheap!

My buddy claims the piston used in his 700cc upgrade is a high quality Forged piston (forgot the brand) as opposed to the stock DR's Cast piston. So, theoretically, should be reliable.
It's true, the DR runs pretty good on low octane fuel. I did find I could do more miles on higher octane. I use mid grade in the US (89) and high test gas in Mexico when available. But I never heard any pinging with the DR even running on barrel gas in Baja. (clean your fuel filters after a few tanks of that!) I have a bit a de-cell pop but with the stock pipe I don't much notice it. My buddies bike has the FMF Q4 and you do hear it, (TM40) not too bad but it's there.

The FCR is said to really wake up the DR nicely, but quite a bit of fine tuning required to get it right. The MX Rob thread on Thumper Talk outlines his evolution with this project, which has taken him about 3 years to get right. I gave up on this long ago, once I decided that good fuel economy was my main priority. I did the standard
Jesse (Keintech) air box/dyno-jet/Fuel-Air Screw extender mods to the stock Carb ... never looked back: 49 MPG, plenty of power, idles and starts perfectly.
My Needle jet is now worn, need to replace that. The Twin-Air filter is disintegrating (only lasted two years - junk - but breathes well).

The Keihin FCR pumper carb gives much better off the bottom throttle response and more overall acceleration. But Pumper carbs are complex and can be hard to tune, can be touchy. Lots more going on with leak jets, air jets, squirt duration, spring tension, pump diaphragm, plus all the special intake pieces required to make the FCR work on the DR and still give adequate MPG. I've dealt with FCR's on two modern dirt bikes. Bit of a pain.

For a travel bike I want utter simplicity where I can lean out jetting in 20 minutes, or strip the carb if need be. Fewer things to deal with. On the road I carry a spare pilot jet (they can clog) and two or three main jets. Never needed any of them.

Mr. Ron, Mickey D and others-

Great responses! Thank you!

So I'm bout 2 months away from having the funds to make my purchase of a DR. I have been checking the internet for used bikes and today headed to my local motorcycle dealer to check out my choice of bike in person. Sadly, these suzuki dealers didn't have a single DR650 in stock. In fact, they said there were no DR bikes even being made for 2010 (news to me). As a result, all the 2009's are gone from suzuki dealers in nearby states as well. Not that I care about having a new DR, but it seems like used DRs are hard to come across, too. I know its the wrong time of year to buy a bike, but I very much hope I'll be able to find one in 2 months that isn't on the opposite side of the country. fingers crossed.

It's true, no 2010 DR650's or very few. Same story for many other Suzuki models. Due to economic realities Suzuki have temporarily ceased production on many models for 2010 model year. (this direct from American Suzuki)

Still plenty of used DR's around here in California but prices are going up due to recent popularity surge of the model. Many dealers have sold out of DR's the last two years. (NOTE: most dealers only order one or two DR's for the year)

Most dealers can trade something to another dealer to get a DR650. They do this all the time.

Keep an eye on Craig's list and be prepared to act quickly for a good deal. Also, you may have to travel or do a Fly In/Ride Home deal.

Quite a few DR650's on LA area Craigslist:

los angeles motorcycles/scooters classifieds "DR650" - craigslist

IMHO there's no point in spending the money on a new one, a used one is just as good at half the price Use the money you save on suspension, seat, bags, etc... oh yeh, and !
Or, if your really handy you can do what this guy did:
Building a DR650 Adventure... - ADVrider

They come up on Craigslist in Colorado every now and then. Check all the Front Range (Ft. Collins, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and Denver- enter 'Suzuki DR' for search)
That's how I found mine a year ago.

Here's a couple right now:
'06; 1750 miles; $4500; looks like its got a skidplate; Greeley 2006 Suzuki DR650

'07 Dealer, Loveland; $3900;2007 Suzuki DR 650

Good hunting...........................shu

1999 DR650, zip 17345 - ADVrider
Don't blink, you'll missw it!

Thanks again everyone for your responses, I am now the proud owner of a 1998 dr650! came with only 8000 miles and had been garaged most of its life. In quite good condition for its age, and the next step is to add all the mods. I wish one of the previous owners had done some farkle, but its pretty much stock through and through. The 98's have the problem regarding the torque limiter and I have no idea if any of the previous owners had addressed that. I wish when people sell a bike, they could have a bit more of a clue as to what kind of maintenance the bike has seen during its life. maybe just wishful thinking. The handlebars on that model are Pro Tapers and I think I had the exact same bars on my mountain bike in 1998. Funny. They dont seem too shabby but i wonder if they need to be replaced since it seems everyone with a dr650 changes them. anyway, Im super stoked and just hoping some summer weather will finally make its way to colorado. Its mid may and we're expecting possibly a foot of snow along the front range. Come on, already, where are the summer 70 degree days i grew up with? Nothing like having a new bike just sitting in the garage waiting for the weather.

I should also add that whereas it seems relatively nimble for a 650 dual sport, at speeds over 60 its amazing how much the wind jostles you about. She can easily cruise at 75 but it seems that a windscreen would be imperative. Maybe this is why people buy the heavy klr pigs if they are planning on sticking more to the tarmac (which I am not).

Hi Cristiano,

Congratulations on your new bike purchase. I think the DR650 will suit you fine heading south for adventure. I personally prefer smaller thumpers for Latin travel, but I am a minimalist and in the minority. Most people prefer 650 or bigger with big metal boxes filled with stuff. I prefer 75 mpg.

What kind of bike did you rent in Bali?

You probably won't be going that fast if you take the fun backroads south of the border, so I wouldn't worry about a windscreen. They only are necessary if you are going over 60 and don't have a full face helmet. You won't find yourself going that fast on the winding roads in Mexico once you get past the northern deserts unless you take the cuotas (freeways). But it sounds like you have biking and traveling experience, so will probably be drawn to the backroads and out of the way spots more than the freeways and touristy spots.

You can get a universal fit National Cycle windscreen for high speed travel in the states. But I should think it would get in the way if you are traveling off road on minor trails where you're standing on the pegs and weaving around the ruts and potholes. I was sure glad not to have a lot of junk on my bike when I went to Panama last month. Of course there is a lot of straight line riding in South America, so maybe a windscreen would be helpful in your travels. I dunno.

Anyway, safe travels. There is no better feeling than taking off into the unknown on a cheap thumper.

Kindest regards,
John Downs

__________________
South America and back on a 250 Super Sherpa Minimalist Adventure http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=831076

Might be worth reading dr650 engine grenading? - ThumperTalk Community

Hope your vin number doesn't match.

Chris

__________________

Brighty's website: TheBrightStuffDotCom

CURRENT RR WITH REGULAR UPDATES: The Wife Takes on Chlamydia: A South American Retrospective

I remember this subject coming up years ago on the Yahoo DR650 list. Very rare event from what I recall and not effecting too many bikes. I've not heard of a blow up of a DR650 like this, although if the NSU (Neutral Sending Unit) bolts fall out, this IS a problem. Check them (a one hour job) Happened on a '96 I had some years ago.

Some early DR's can have base gasket oil leaks (more like a "weep"), but many never leak at all. The easy fix is to silicone around the base. I personally know two owners of older DR's that have successfully done this ... no more leaks!

I'd venture to say that if Christiano's DR's was one of the problem models it would have let go by now. After all, it's had 12 years of use. My theory is that if it's still running OK, it will continue to do so given reasonable use and care.

Sounds good. If you have Pro Taper bars on your DR then you've got expensive aftermarket bars on there. A good thing. Lots to learn on the bike. Go ride it a while, see how it works, figure out what it needs.

Go through it top to bottom, checking everything. Go to ADV rider to learn more:

the DR650 thread - ADVrider

Hi everyone--

JohnDowns, I think we share the same outlook. Im a minimalist to the core- eg- travelling around the world for 2 years with just a 40L pack, usually not filled. I appreciate your enthusiasm, and I have to say I'm pretty stoked to have this bike. As far as the bike I rented in Bali, I can't say I remember. What I can say is that it was a small engined Japanese bike, relatively nondescript. It worked well though, apart from needing to stop every so often to let the engine cool. Unbelieveably beautiful it is there- like driving on golf cart paths through hilly terraced rice paddies and up the sides of volcanoes. Its stupefying. If you have the means...
Anyway, I figured a windscreen would help mostly with the wind pressure I get on my chest more than anything. I feel like it would greatly help stabilize the bike at speed. Maybe one like Ponch and John had in CHiPs. Haha.

"There is no better feeling than taking off into the unknown on a cheap thumper."

Well put.


@Chris,

Yes my friend, shes a ticking time bomb for sure. But I knew that going in. Its in otherwise well kept condition, no leaks/ shards in oil. The fix to that little problem is a first priority, but Im not too worried It'll explode by then. That was actually part of my previous comment above as the previous owner had no idea if the former previous owners had addressed that already. Worst case scenario, I'm out $2K. Better than a $13K BMW at any rate.

@ Mickey

Thanks for all the information! I would say that whereas its true, shes had 12 years of use, there is only 8000 miles on her, so if there were to be an event, it would certainly be approaching. I wonder if Suzuki keeps a record of ones they have fixed.
One of the first things I had to do was to replace the tires. I threw on some Mefo Explorers which I must say feel fantastic. I just discovered some new trails up one of the nearby canyons that I'm itching to check out as soon as it stops snowing.

Cheers!

Well, as a review of my dr650, I can say that I am thoroughly stoked about choosing this particular bike. Despite my lame financial situation this summer, and zero mods to the bike, I was still able to log about 4000 miles puttering around Colorado. It certainly would have been higher if I had The funds for panniers, better tires, and a few things to ensure a happy, safe tour of the state. Unfortunately, my lack of funds had me relegated to the canyon roads and foothills of Boulder, by and large. No complaints, however, as the roads I had access to are great. The bike..... I don't think I could be happier. I have realized what kind of riding i seek when I go down south for my trip. I realize that 70 mph is just fine for cruising speeds on highways, especially south of the USA. I realize that for as fun as road riding is, I want to be in dirt as much as possible, and that I am going to Push that bike as hard as I need in order to explore the nooks and crannies wherever I choose. I have full confidence the DR can take me there. I love its simplicity, reliability, its available power, and its very light weight for dual-sport type bikes. Ive been having a hell of a time offroading as much as my tires, stock suspension, and lack of a bash plate will allow, and can only imagine how killer it would be to have a 250cc mx bike. Still, the DR is pretty nimble, even up some hairy sections. I love how reliable this bike has been so far. I love how cheap and simple the parts are to acquire and install (generally). When I think of how I paid only about $2K for this awesome machine, I don't think I could imagine spending 4x as much or more, for a complicated, un-simple BMW. After riding this bike for 4000 miles i can safely say I am 100% stoked with my choice of the DR over a F650/800, and the KLR.
I am this happy with my STOCK dr. I can only imagine how much Ill love her, with all the mods I'm intending to throw on her. Now if I could just make some money to get the mods on and get traveling......