The DR650 Highway Touring Thread

shortly after i got my bike i regreased rear linkages, swing arm bearing & coated the bolt and head bearing. every DR needs more grease even new!

I'm ordering a 20" CR in Dark Gray this week, ironically. Mark told me if 20" isn't enough for me he will swap it out without question, so that's reassuring.

Nearly $300 is a lot for me to spend on a windscreen but I think it will completely change the way the bike feels to ride, especially since i'm commuting on it year round!

As you mentioned, this seems to be well suited for the DR, just as extremely versatile.

I'll report back with pics and experience.

looking forward to those pics!

On the subject of wind deflection, I have tried a little experiment. Having traded in a GSX650F on a new TigerXC, I had the original Suzuki windscreen.
After holding it up to the Slipstream I realized it might fit. So I drilled 2 holes and mounted it up. Happy to say that after a 100 mile ride today the screen worked great. Total wind blockage at highway speeds. It may look a little strange but not as bad as some KLR farkles I have seen.

Another one here thinking of possibly trading her DL650 for a DR650. As much as I love the Strom, she's a top-heavy pig to me no matter how "used to it" I get. It's all farkled out how I like it but even with the crashbars etc, I don't feel comfortable taking it offroad because of the weight (heavy to maneuver/lift up). I have the Madstrad with a Givi tall screen and it keeps me perfectly clear of the wind.

Quick questions:

1) What's your mpg for the 15T sprocket? 16T?
2) Are those 5+ gal Safari tanks street legal in CA? A dealership guy told me plastic tanks aren't street legal, CA requires them to be metal. ???
3) I'd like to go new but am not hating on used, do different years offer different options? Any I should stay away from?
4) One reason for the possible downsize is that I want to do a South American ride in the (hopefully nearish) future and am looking for a bike that is simple enough to fix with a few tools in the mud. The newer DR's don't have anything hitech I'd need to worry about does it?
5) What panniers are most liked? I see a lot of Pelicans on these bikes, any thoughts on size? Also, if I did get the larger tank, are there any crash/engine guards that would still fit?

Thanks for any thoughts folks, I'm glad I found this thread.

a well setup DR go along way to off-road riding and SA touring.

you don't need crash bars on a DR.
i like pelicans 1520 for side bags on the new wolfman racks.
mileage did not go down when i went from 15t to 14t. 50mpg.
14t is better for everything. 16t would suck.
buy 2004 on for the head gasket fix

Awesome, thanks for the info. I'd probably stick with 15T as I do a lot of highway commuting and I'd want this to be an all-around bike. So the 16T gets too luggy? I'm used to 6 gears, 15T with the Strom, are the revs about the same in 5th gear between the two (very different) engines w the same chain/sprocket set up?

Also, wind: the DL vastly outweighs the DR and with the Madstrad/tall Givi screen I don't get buffeting even with the biggest trucks going by. I've seen a couple pics here with the Madstrad and a tall windshield (I forget the make but it's only a few posts back I think), does it help with buffeting? Do high winds make the lighter bike squirrely?

1) I've averaged 43+ on my trip, fully loaded, in all conditions, over 12k miles. Many people claim over 50mpg however. My Stock '06 Dr650 got 51mpg once.

2) The 4.9gl tank is an IMS. Agualine makes the Safari 7.9gl tank. $250 for the IMS new, $590 for the Safari new. That guy might have been misinformed. MANY people in California are running aftermarket plastic tanks. ADVgrifter for example.

3)+1 on the 2004 or up. Keep an eye on the Flea market. I know you're no NOOB, so don't count a fly and ride! GREAT deals are out there, and you'll save hundreds if not thousands simply by buying from another inmate. I've done it twice.

4) The new DR's aren't any more high tech than the 1998 models. You know how I feel about my DR, you're reading the RR. You've seen what my bike has been through, and it's still kicking ass. I'm selling my bike here and buying a newer one from the Fleamarket when I get home.

5) A: I have had Pelican 1520's (25liter) and Happy Trail (35liter) panniers on my bike. I will not go back to Aluminum when I get home. PELICAN all the way. Next choice will be Pelican IM2400(25liter 6.5lbs a box) or IM2600 (35liter 8.5lbs a box). http://pelican.com/cases_detail_storm.php?Case=iM2600 I really like my Happy Trail racks, as they are very very tough, and their mounting puck system is great. I think I'll go that route next.

B) I haven't seen any crash bars for the Dr650, regardless of tank option, but maybe I missed them? I've been considering buying a set of Colombian Police DR650 Crash bars, and taking them home with me... But I'll likely not. My bike, outfitted with the best hand guards I've ever witnessed (HIGHWAY DIRT BIKE), and the Pelican Cases on Sturdy racks serve as Crash Bars in their own right.

Don't think twice. DR650 = AWESOME.

P.S. I have the Screens for Bike wind screen, and it is awesome. I'm 6'6", and the windscreen moves the air to just below my chin. I love it.

The bike comes with a 15tooth sprocket, so don't worry to much. You can buy a 16tooth and try it out for $15 or so. I started my trip with a 14 \tooth and it limited my comfortable highway cruising speed. The 15tooth regenerated my bike, and made it worth of highway travel. Lightly loaded, with the air box mod, properly jetted carb, and aftermarket exhaust, and many people enjoy the taller gearing that the 16tooth allows. In the mountains of Peru, you'll be on a 14tooth :)

The Dr650 still weighs nearly 400lbs, so it's not a weeny 250cc bike, it doesn't get smacked around by high winds very easily. However, at highway speeds, and oncoming Semi Trucks, you better know where you are in your lane position, as you will notice the trucks.

Can't blame you for ridding yourself of the wee. Did so myself, too heavy for my old ass. 16 tooth countersprocket works very well for me, don't see why somebody says it would suck. Maybe they haven't tried it. I am not hillclimbing much although I take it in the dirt quite often. Highway riding with the 16 tooth is smooth and RPMs low.

Matter of opinion, they are cheap enough you can try both and see which appeals to you.

let expand. if you ride off-road w/ climbs and such the 14 tooth keeps the motor spinning up better. it still cruises at 75 all day long and SOB the average speed is 45 if that. if you ride in the US on just straight paved roads then sure the 16t would work. i've ridden all over the mountains in Colorado (paved and dirt) and 15t does not cut it there nor does it work SOTB.

i have a modified stock carb/airbox (not dyno-jetted) and get 50mpg

they DR motor likes to spin and is happy doing that making power.
strom motor can be lugged more.

I have ridden some pretty gnarly dirt with the 16tooth and had no problems, Wayne National Forest, Mines and Meadows, Brush Creek Wilderness Area. That being said, I am not super radical at age 52 but never got stuck or had a problem getting to the top of a muddy hill.
Everyone has an opinion, I really like getting to the trails on pavers at 65 mph.
I spent years SOTB, never riding always surfing. Hope to get some riding time in there.

Took my dr out for another high speed run today to check out that vib over 80. I got it to about 90, which is the top speed WOT on my vapor. I noticed that the tank wobbles, at most, 1/2 inch left and right. If I get off the throttle and pull the clutch at that speed, the tank stops. So the engine is causing the vibes, as far as I can find. I've got 16/46 gearing, and I will probably lower that to 16/42 and 14/42 if I go off road.

Anything I can do to stop that wiggle? I mean I never get up to those speeds, so I'm not really worried. The tank was at 3/4 full.

Man I wish there was a way to get that low speed RPM grunt the 14T gives you while at the same time having that high speed low RPM ability the 16T or even higher tooth sprockets give ALL AT THE SAME TIME. Like having a granny gear on a truck. Why don't they have something like that for dual sports?

Some guy was telling me the other night that he had a bike you could kick into "off road" gearing when he was a kid, maybe a 90 of some kind?

Maybe there could be some kind of gear changer engineered for the DR, like a mountain bike has? I'm dreaming, i know, but how awesome would it be for it to have the best of both worlds?

I was thinking the same thing today while riding!!! Something like this...

Hey man, this is what you are thinking about. Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Honda all had bike with dual range transmissions. I have a Suzuki TC90 at home that has a 4 speed dual range tranny. 35mph in 4th low, 70 (SEVENTY) in 4th high. (2 stroke)

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=737486

MxRob (http://mxrob.com/mxrob_004.htm) solved your wishes a year or more ago when he Fuel Injected his DR650 using a Micro Squirt unit. His bike idles at 1250rpm's, fuel shuts off on deceleration when throttle is closed and motor is about 2k rpm, his bike pulls like a horse, has 47hp, and delivers 50+mpg. Throw a 15th, and you've got LOW END grunt with no bogging, and high end power on the free way with the same HP as a carbed bike with less RPM

The condensed version: http://www.msruns.com/viewtopic.php?f=93&t=23004

The WHOLE version: http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-857903.html

It's next on my list when I get home. Though I'm sure it'll take a month or two!

--Alex

I haven't looked up any tires of this size yet, but can you run a 110/90 up front? Will it fit?

Okay, my turn now.

Hope this helps..................shu

That's right.

That injection stuff looks pretty cool. Not sure I have the ability to pull that project off.

They do. It's called "highway gearing and slipping the clutch".

Short of that, aint you ever heard of an XT225?

The DR has a gear changer. It's just in front of the left footpeg.

The tranny on the DR actually has a pretty good spread for a 5spd. It works even better if you sort the carbing on your DR so that it pulls nicely from low RPMs...and continues pulling well up to the rev limiter.

'You wanna feel a tranny that needs some more spread? Dualsport a DR-Z on the slab and in some tight rocks.