the DR200 thread

[green hell]

minor update:

i drilled out the plug and backed out the pilot about 1/4 turn. i don't have a ton of miles on her, but after she warms up the throttle response is improved and 55 seems to come up a bit quicker.

the hesitation is gone when the throttle is opened.

the idle seems a little off though. i adjusted the idle screw based on feel, comparing it to the f650 since they are supposed to idle at 1400~1600 rpm. once warm, with the choke out, the bike seems to race a bit. warm up is pretty quick though.

i think 1/4 turn might have been a bit much; i'll play with it and see how 1/8 is.

overall i think it's an improvement. still needs a some fine tuning...

[steve gs]

Originally Posted by viverrid

We had a rider on a DR-200 in yesterday's 3rd Annual Massachusetts Dualsport ride. I don't know if she did any of the Hero Sections, but then a lot of the 1200 GS bikes didn't either. It is ironic or sumthin' to see the 200 and the 1200s riding the same event.

With a good set of knobbies and the OEM 15:45 (or maybe a 15:47) final I would NOT hesitate to take the DR200SE anywhere in the dirt. It's chassis is not up to high speed trail blasting but in the tight technical stuff the torquey engine just climbs like a mule.

I currently have my bike more biased to the roadways using 15W fork oil and the shock preload set to max.

Yes, it is the truth; 15:42 final, 4500-4800 rpm cruise (which equates to 42-45mph) 280-290 miles before hitting reserve with stock engine. I'm not bashful about throttle use in accelerating to cruise. Klay, looks like you hit the same reserve point. I fill to the bottom to the filler neck.




I don't want to be misunderstood on this point but with the common advice out there for beginners to start with a 650 for general adventure touring I have to agree. I was fortunate to begin riding in the dirt and backroads on a 175 2 stroke but many others start in suburbia and need the ponies to be able to stay with and manage traffic. They need a MSF course and a solid well performing bike. A beginner with a small bike in heavy traffic could be a prescription for disaster.

Now to my point; I see the smaller machines as the relm of the experienced rider who have the skills and knowledge to manage whatever is presented, be it man or nature. They have come to the realization that bigger is not always better and are seeking other solutions for their adventure touring needs. Some of us call this Minimalist Touring. Thanks to all of you for your contributions.



Another great ride....

[Klay]

Another North Dakota picture.




I got drowsy while headed west and rode into an abandoned farmstead for a little shelter from the high winds. I lay down in that tall green grass and took a nap. When I woke up, I took a look at the abandoned farm house. It looked like it hadn't been lived in for 15 or 20 years. I could tell it had been beautifully constructed and was still solid. I walked inside. There was a combination electric/wood cooking stove in the kitchen. The oven was wood fired and the range top had electric coils. The hardwood floors were deteriorating, but you could tell they were beautiful when new. The ceilings and walls were of plaster-and-lathe construction.

It was eery to consider what happened to the people. Why was this beautiful house abandoned? What were the hopes and aspirations of the people who lived here? What stories were lost? This house was built to last a century or two. Why didn't someone else move in if the original people left?

I forgot to look in the cellar. It was too spooky anyway, with the wind sighing in the windows only accentuating the deep silence of the place.

Eventually my curiosity of what was over the next hill overcame my interest in the abandoned house and I was off down the road again on the little thumper.

[Klay]

Look closely at the motor in Beemer Boy's Chinese bike. It's a DR200 design.



Robert is riding it across China. China or bust:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...222736&page=14

[beerjonny]

Can someone tell me why the 2004 DR200SE I just bought has solid bars?

I went to install a set of handguards last night and found the bars were filled with metal. I drilled for about 20 minutes but got tired and went to bed

Anyone else experience this or do I have a set of cheap aftermarket bars here??

[Klay]

Originally Posted by beerjonny

Can someone tell me why the 2004 DR200SE I just bought has solid bars?

I went to install a set of handguards last night and found the bars were filled with metal. I drilled for about 20 minutes but got tired and went to bed

Anyone else experience this or do I have a set of cheap aftermarket bars here??

Instead of having bar end weights, they welded some solid metal inside the handlebar to dampen vibrations.

[beerjonny]

Originally Posted by Klay

Instead of having bar end weights, they welded some solid metal inside the handlebar to dampen vibrations.

That is what I was afraid of.

So if I want handguards I am to keep on drilling then... that sucks. I drilled a pilot hole to check the depth, and it is longer than the bit...

[Klay]

Originally Posted by beerjonny

That is what I was afraid of.

So if I want handguards I am to keep on drilling then... that sucks. I drilled a pilot hole to check the depth, and it is longer than the bit...

Maybe easier to scrounge up some different handlebars.

[gdeiss]

Speaking of handlebars, those on my '97 DR200Se are very slightly bent and new ones are pretty cheap as long as I stay away from interesting alloys. If I'm replacing I'd want something that was a little taller, but I don't want to have to do anything to cables, etc. Any recommendations? How tough a job is it?

[viverrid]

Originally Posted by beerjonny

I drilled a pilot hole to check the depth, and it is longer than the bit...

Just get some aftermarket bars. Even if you keep drilling, are you going to be able to keep that big a hole concentric?

[Klay]

Originally Posted by viverrid

Just get some aftermarket bars. Even if you keep drilling, are you going to be able to keep that big a hole concentric?

I managed to do it once with a GS450E, but it was pretty messy.

[wickedsprint]

Originally Posted by gdeiss

Speaking of handlebars, those on my '97 DR200Se are very slightly bent and new ones are pretty cheap as long as I stay away from interesting alloys. If I'm replacing I'd want something that was a little taller, but I don't want to have to do anything to cables, etc. Any recommendations? How tough a job is it?

We found some aftermarket bars at the dealer, I forget what they were for, but they went right on, howevever the stock throttle cable housing has a plastic tiny nub that fits into a hole on the stock DR200 handlebars, just grind this piece off, it will be blatantly obvious if you try and tighten the throttle housing down on the new bars and you'll see right away what you have to file down. No biggie. The DR200 uses the common bar size, so just find an aftermarket one that is pretty close, I think they were renthal.

[BikePilot]

Yeah pretty much all bikes made except big crusiers and a few higher end mx bikes use 7/8" bars. Pick out whatever you like, aluminum is lighter and stronger. Either shave the nub off or drill a hole in the new bar.

have fun

[Klay]

Originally Posted by BikePilot

Yeah pretty much all bikes made except big crusiers and a few higher end mx bikes use 7/8" bars. Pick out whatever you like, aluminum is lighter and stronger. Either shave the nub off or drill a hole in the new bar.

have fun

The nub does a good job of holding the switchgear and so on in place, so when you shave it off, you lose the locating feature. The controls slip around on the bar more easily. After shaving off the plastic nub, put a layer of electrical tape on the bar where the control housing clamps down on the bar. That way the controls grab the bar real firmly without having to tighten them excessively.

[A.solgaard]

Hey,

I've found a dr 200 - 96 or 98, I forget, with 600 kms for $2300 canadian. I believe it to be a pretty good deal. my only question is, how bad is it really on the highway? some people on this thread say it's okay, some say not so much. is it really whining out at 100k - 60 miles an hour? I was thinking about doing a trip to baja later on this year, riding from somewhere in SoCal, down, would this bike be sufficient? I have no doubts about it on the trails as far as nimbleness and lightness goes, but the highway thing is my only concern.
thanks.

adrian