Who has the most tricked-out DR ?

Nice one Bing

To be honest the tank stickers have only been on there for one day so I've yet to see how they'll hold up. I got them from ebay and they are thick vinyl stickers meant for your front fender.

Does anyone know approx. how loud that Staintune full system is, compared to my FMF Q slip-on, and where to get one in the US?

i am combing all my sources now.
kicking myself that I passed on one i spotted in Boerne about 6 months ago.... it was well-configured. at the time I was hunting the DRZ.... which you see noted now in the sig!

I have had first the FMQ which was too loud for me. Now I have the full system Staintune which is much quieter and lighter.

Yes, I was asking about the handle bar side of the mount. I just put my S06 w/s back on last night so I'm going to have to re-think which mount is going to work. I have a radar detector and am looking at a portable gps, along with an Ipod...

Hey Bill, I was wondering if you put the windshield back on yet. Have you tried it out yet with it raked back?

I got the w/s on last night and went around the block, not enough to really try it out. I caged it today, but tomorrow I'll be riding. If nothing else, it looks cool..

I've got a 99' DR350SE...to date I've done the following.

Items Removed:

passenger pegs
subframe fender brace
tool box
kickstand switch
tail light
blinkers
assorted wiring

Mods:

Open up air box
Kouba Links
Rebuilt forks w/ heavier springs/oil
Mikuni TM33 pumper carb with Kientz ext. fuel screw
Intake spacer
Acerbis Dual Sport tail light/license plate holder
IMS footpegs
Clark tank
Supertrapp IDS 2 Quite
Pro-Taper CR High Bend Bars
Factory 909 Grips
Acerbis Hand Guards
Apex tank graphic
Russell SS Brake line Kit
Motion Pro Throttle tube
UNI Air Filter
Eiback rear spring and shock rebuild
Acerbis frame guards
Jesse Kientz 441 kit
Head mods - open passage to increase oil to cam
OEM aftermarket oil cooler
Clearanced clutch basket - always find neutral
Barnet clutch/spring kit
Black Fork Boots -not in pic
Moose front and rear fender packs
Ken Sean folding mirrors -not in pic
Moose chain guard
Moose rollchart
RAM Mount/Touratech mount for Garmin GPS
Travelcade gel seat and cover

I have just purchased a new DR650. I am still in the break-in process, only have about 560 miles on it. I have a KLR650 I'm now selling that I purchased new in 7/2002. I really like how the DR650 handles & feels under me. Dry weight is only 13 lbs. less than the KLR650, but it feels a lot lighter I think because it carries its weight lower. The DR650 is designed & built a lot better. The KLR has a few issues that need to be taken care of. What I like about the DR650 is its reliability & simple design. The engine is air & oil cooled which eliminates all the problems & weight of water-cooling. The KLR650 does come stock with a larger fuel tank, 6.1 gallons (only about 5.3 usable though) compared to the DR's 3.4 gallon tank. There are after market larger tanks available though. Both the DR & KLR have bad seats for long distance riding. The KLR is said by some to be a better at long distance touring. I don't agree with that though & feel the DR can be set up to do long distance touring with no problem. There are lots of people on this & other sites that have done serious long rides on the DR650. The DR is definitely an under rated bike that is very capable. Do your research before making a chose.
Pete

Welcome aboard PeteC.

Yes, thanks for gving us that comaprison, PeteC. This is what DR owners have suspected all along.

My long standing association with Suzuki's started when I was a young cacker riding around in the rain on an old TF100 (Ag Bike). From there I graduated to a DR250 when I got my licence at 16 and spent 65,000km's making the most of my new found freedom before trading it on a bigger version.

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A 1994 model DR650 saw me through Uni. It was an incredibly comfortable and reliable bike that allowed me to venture further into the desert with the odd trip to the Victorian High country and North Queensland too.

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I took a while to come around to the newer model 650's because my old one had served me so well. One ride on the new generation bikes with their improved suspension and lighter weight had me hooked though.

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Still using the DR's as my sole form of transport, I went through two before being drawn to a DRZ400. By now I had a ute and a serious girlfirend and the lure of something light and fast to do middle distance dirt trips on was too powerful, I needed a DRZ.

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A busted tailbone later, I decided that the dirt tourers were more my style and I experimented with a KTM Adventure and a Honda XR650R before buying a 1000 V-Strom for something totally different. It wasn't to last though, I really liked the V-Strom and would buy a DL650 tomorrow if I had the time to ride two bikes, but the call of the dirt was too strong and I am back on a DRZ (with a vow to take it a bit easier this time ).

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What have I learnt from all of this?

1) The DR650 is a fantastic allrounder. When I bought the DRZ it was a toss up between the two but in the end I figured that I would only be doing shorter days in the dirt so the 400 won out. Now that I am back doing pretty solid days of 5-600km in the dirt I think the 650 would have been just as effective, maybe even moreso.

2) The 400 is an amazingly versatile bike too. Many write it off as a tourer but if your preference is for travelling light and exploring the more isolated pockets of the forest, then this bike is hard to beat. Even after owning all of the above, I am still stuck on my 400 and can't think of a reason to trade it (which is rare for an indecissive bugger like me).

3) The V-Strom would be a great compliment to either the DR or the DRZ if you also wanted to tour the far reaches of the country or just go fast on the bitumen. It is capable in the dirt but requires more thought.

So in the end, my pefect shed would probably consist of a DR650 set up for dirt touring, a stripped down 400 and a DL650 with knobbies. My only problem then would be deciding which one to ride (probably the one with the best headlights because it would be dark by the time I made up my mind ).

Here are the fruits of my labour in the garage last night. I installed a voltage monitor, load equalizer for the signals and my S06 w/s. I angled it back a lot more, so I'm hoping for better results this time at speed...I'll pass on my results..

EDIT: Burrenrider's DR input was the final straw that pushed over the edge to get the DR. You will notice that I signed up here in Aug '03 and I got my DR in Sept...I cracked pretty quick...

I know, I know-I need to get some new pictures. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy................
Custom bash plate(stainless)
custom luggage rack
resprung front and rear
corbin
IMC tank

G'Day Bill,

The DR is looking really good . What do you think if the Corbin seat?

Cheers,

Danny

If I had to pick a winner now, this would be it. I have no idea how it works, but I really like the way the lights look... so I'll just assume they work great? If it's not the trickest, it's at least the coolest looking in my opinion.

Yep...burrenrider's posts and pics pushed me over the edge when I was deciding on a bike

I'm a 9-fiddy guy at heart, but this has to be the frickin coolest thumper I've seen outside of rally racing.

A beautiful post, as usual.

I appreciate the way you clearly see the project and plan.

Mission oriented....