Suzuki DR 650 Modification

 We like to tinker don’t we?  It seems modifying and “improving” our bike is in the DNA of most bikers.  I really wanted to do something to my Yamaha SR400.  With the single cylinder personality of the SR, I envisioned myself as Geoff Duke on his Norton Manx down shifting into Douglas on a fine June morning.  Maybe I could install a lighter (louder) exhaust pipe, lower shorter handle bars,  power commander, open the air box…

When it got down to doing something, I just couldn’t get myself to make the mods to what really is a wonderful old crock of a bike.  It seemed I was breaking a trust.  It doesn’t need those things, I just wanted to do something.

I decided to lose weight.  Now I have better brakes, it accelerates better, and handles better.  Plus, I get to ride a quiet bike with smooth power delivery AND I get to sit upright for a better view and more comfort.  I still feel a little like Geoff Duke when I ride the SR, but it isn’t the same as modifying and improving, so I had to look for something else.

So what should I do?  The Suzuki DR 650 is a bike that many riders like to modify.  Before trying to make it “better” though we need to know if we can really improve it.  The DR 650 is very very similar to the DR 600 that was introduced in 1985.  In 1990 Suzuki increased bore and stroke to evolve the bike into the DR 650.  Very little other changes took place.  From 1990 on, Suzuki tinkered with improvements as the bike developed a history.  Truth is they did not really need to fix much.  They refined and improved as time went on but the bike is much the same as it was in 1990.  So the bike has seen steady factory improvement and refinement for either 35 or 40 years.  Depending on how you count.  From early on the bike was strong and reliable.  In fact, it raced and completed the grueling Paris to Dakar race multiple times.

Today the bike has been eclipsed in performance by many more cutting edge bikes and it is easy to forget how good it was and is.  Suzuki marketing strategy seemed to be to stay with a tried and true design rather than run to every new technical advancement.

When we bought the Suzuki DR 650, we knew it was pretty tall for us.  I am 5’7”, Kim is 5’5” and the DR has a stock seat height of nearly 35 inches.  We thought we might be able to get used to it.  We couldn’t.  Sliding off the seat to put a foot down at a stop gets old quickly.  Even a small slope to the road, a small dip in a gravel trail, or off camber ground can make getting a foot down and back up a challenge.

OEM seat, luggage rack, hand guards,  and tank

Our first mod to the DR was to lower it.  Suzuki makes this pretty easy.  A little suspension work on the front and back as well as installing a shorter sidestand does the trick. Now the seat is a tad taller than 33 inches.  We also set the suspension sag for our weight and riding style so when we sit on the bike we can better reach the ground.  I can touch both feet to the ground on flat surfaces, but not flat foot.  Kim still cannot comfortably reach the ground though.

The next thing I noticed was when I rode to a forest to ride the fire roads and trails the bike was a little short on fuel capacity.  Probably adequate, but after riding to a forest and getting on a fire trail I would start thinking about where I’d come out of the woods and how far afterward I would need to ride to find a gas station.  I hate sweating fuel…. We added an IMS tank.  That increased the fuel capacity from 3.4 gallons to 4.9 gallons.  Not so much fuel that the bike is top heavy, but enough to let me ride 225 miles before it hits reserve.  The tank is a plastic of some type. It is not as nice looking as the factory tank but the added range is a good trade.  My turn signals nearly touch the tank at full lock.  Tanks larger than this one may require moving the blinkers.

The seat.  Let me tell you about the seat.  Suzuki put a nice narrow seat on the DR.  It is great for standing on the pegs and riding, but less great for a full day in the saddle.  There have been riders that have ridden very long distances on the OEM seat.  I found I could ride about an hour before I had to get off the bike.  After my hour was up I had to get off at increasingly shorter time intervals.  The search for a seat began.  After a good bit of research I settled on a Seat Concepts seat.  The seat fits both the OEM gas tank and the IMS tank with no modifications.  Now the seat is an all day seat for me.  Your mileage may vary…

After market seat

I like to carry things with me. Some times my camera gear, sometimes a rain suit, extra clothes, a lunch, you name it, I seem to want to carry it.  To help with carrying capacity I added a Suzuki luggage rack.  There are other good racks, but the Suzuki rack does the trick and looks pretty good.  Now I can strap on a water proof pack and carry my things.

While we don’t ride hardcore off road I wanted to add a skid plate and hand guards.  Both went on easily.  The hand guards are a permanent swap of the light duty guards that came with the bike.  I remove the skid plate and ride without it most of the time.  Why?  I don’t know. It is just a Steveism.  There are many options for skid plates so you can find one that suits your needs easily.   Mine is a heavy duty plastic unit. I wanted both these mods when I was prepping to ride the Trans America Trail.  For most of the eastern half of the TAT a light duty skid plate is adequate, but I do like the added security of protecting the engine just in case.  The hand guards are probably more needed as they protect your hands from branches and cold and also protect the levers in case you drop your bike.  (Or just tip over because you can’t reach the ground…)

Are there other mods I will make in the future?  I don’t know. Time will tell.  The DR is a very good bike without any changes. Suzuki got it right or it would not have lasted so long or with so few factory upgrades.  It really did not need any of the modifications I made to it, but for me, the bike has become a better fit for what I want to do with it.

You will notice none of the mods made it faster, brake better, or handle better.  I still have weight loss to thank for all those improvements.

My fully modified DR you can tell it has been lowered by noting the silver side stand in place of the standard black stand

Poking Around on the DR 650

We have spent so much of the summer working on a fixer upper house that riding has had to take a back seat to more pressing projects.  The house has been a challenge but my good riding buddy Kim and I are slowly turning the tide on what was a very neglected but potentially beautiful home.  Will have to write about it some time.

I deliver motorcycle training courses for the state of West Virginia’s motorcycle safety program.  Seems most of my recent riding has been on range bikes during training.  Today was a day to get the DR out for a little stretch.  The temperature today eased its’ way up close to 60 and the sky was dry and blue.

The ride started on top of one of the ridges near Charleston.  I coasted down hill and rolled into the town of Marmet.  I turned away from the Kanawha River on the Lens Creek Road.  Lens Creek Road follows Lens Creek slightly uphill into the wooded hills.  Our route turns right on Four Mile Hollow Road.  Four Mile Hollow turns to gravel as it enters the State Forest.  FMH is a narrow one lane that climbs steadily into the forest.  The road sees very little traffic and today the smells and colors were just great, exactly what a mid October day in the Appalachians should be.  

Climbing Lens Creek Hollow

There are many gravel roads through the forest but I transitioned back on to pavement at the Kanawha State Forest Drive.  Another narrow road about one and a half lanes wide.  The Drive eventually widened into two lanes and took me into the camp grounds.  Even though the weather has been warm and sunny, only few sites were being used.  The Kanawha State Forest was a  CCC project and the campgrounds reflect the design layout of the era.  That is the sites are smallish and close to the road.  Nevertheless they are beautiful and spotless.

Campsite and view from the far end of the same site

Leaving the campgrounds, I continued down the ‘ Forest Drive past Dunlop and Polly Hollows and rode alongside Davis Creek for a bit.

I continued down the Drive until I passed the park offices.  This dropped me out in the town (gathering of a few houses?) of Loudendale.

I found myself riding alongside Davis Creek again until I turned right on Connell Road. Connell climbed and wound its way up a steep ridge.  I wandered around a bit looking for a familiar land mark to get my bearings. Eventually I stumbled on to a road I thought I recognized.

From there I felt my way around until I found the road back to my own ridge.

Just a short 45 mile poke and a very needed break from “home” work.  It is amazing how a little time on my bike will always make me feel so refreshed!

Here are a couple more photos of the forest.  Thanks for riding along with me!