DR650 Ride Report

[Fontanaman]

No ride reports Carver? Ha here is one......

I road my DR650 about 150 miles today. Finally got in some gravel roads for the first time since August. Yea!

Now after a good ride today I can say the DR is a keeper. The DR with the Russell Saddle fixes most of the ergo issues. Nice! The DR does not have a much wind protection so I may want to figure that out but it is not a priority.

I like the simplistic utility of this bike all though my 09 FJR has simplistic utility compared to a new Sport Touring bike. The DR has no fuel pump, no water cooling and not a hell of a lot to go wrong while on the trail. It allows me to ride roads I could not on the FJR. As Carver would say Coolio!

It is about one hour of road riding to reach the National Forest in Idaho. Still getting used to the DRs riding characteristics. Less than the speed limit seems quick enough vs. the FJR. Of course being old and retired helps in this regard. I am not in a hurry anymore but I am much slower on the DR vs. the FJR. It is refreshing to be on such a different kind of beast.

Got in a few photos today. Typical conditions all though I found some mud in places and was thrilled to have full knobs in the muck.

Snow capped mountains.

My DR.

This tree blocked my way. Darn. I could have used Cav47's knife saw today!

So now I am free styling it aka riding without a route. That was fine. I road back to the main road and continued on not really knowing where I would land. Didn't really care.

A view along the way.

Ended up on a main road and then found another gravel road in farm country. Nice.

It was a nice to be on the DR today.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Good Stuff! My DR hasn't been getting enough use lately but it will get there.

I put on a Bajaworx shield from ProCycle and I really like it. Of course you know how windshields and opinions work. I mounted mine as low as possible because I am short and wanted to eliminate the possibility of a karate chop to the throat. I wasn't looking for FJR like wind protection, I just wanted it to be nicer on the highway and it certainly is.

 

[Fontanaman]

Thanks for the advice Redfish. I will check that out. Due to hard won experience I can figure out how high it needs to be for me. I'd also mount the windshield with spacers to allow airflow beneath the screen to minimize turbulence. ( I spent a good portion of my winter days trolling the web to find that nugget of knowledge. Lots of fellows used a spacer.)

By the way please go get that DR dirty. It is hurting my eyes much the same way --G's bike do.

 

[escapefjrtist]

Nice work Fontanaman!

~G

 

[Redfish Hunter]

I read and saw the thoughts on buffeting and spacers. What I did was mount it close and test it, I had some spacers ready to go. I had zero buffeting. I could also have mounted it lower but I went as low as I could without covering the Suzuki logo.

Of course you know all about windshields from all the FJR windshield shenanigans over the years so you know that just because it works for me...

The DR was only clean for the windshield installation pics. I wish, oh how I wish I could clean a bike like G. I am not even in the same class as escapefjrtist. That man has Awesomeness by the truck loads.

 

[Niehart]

Nice work Fontanaman!~G

+1

 

[Bugnatr]

No ride reports Carver? Ha here is one......

Hell yeah!! Battle of the retired dudes RR'S!!

This tree blocked my way. Darn. I could have used Cav47's knife saw today!

Strap a small chain saw on that Zuki and keep going!

Fish, if you don't get real about riding that porch pooch I'm gunna have to come down there and kick it over. (I'm here for ya bud) Way, way,way to clean.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

DougBug, it is covered in dust right now from just sitting.

I have to come clean on this, I am having issues with the cush drive. It's a stupid design really but it has worked for DR650s for many years. But on the newer bikes some dimensions have changed. I get a lot of slack in the cush drive which causes the rear sprocket to wobble. I have replaced the cush rubbers but that lasts for about 500 miles. I need to take it back to the dealer but I am afraid that will get me exactly no place.

So yeah, DR650s are not bullet proof and perfect. Dammit.

 

[Bugnatr]

DougBug, it is covered in dust right now from just sitting.
I have to come clean on this, I am having issues with the cush drive. It's a stupid design really but it has worked for DR650s for many years. But on the newer bikes some dimensions have changed. I get a lot of slack in the cush drive which causes the rear sprocket to wobble. I have replaced the cush rubbers but that lasts for about 500 miles. I need to take it back to the dealer but I am afraid that will get me exactly no place.

So yeah, DR650s are not bullet proof and perfect. Dammit.

That sucks if the dealer can't help I'd poke around on DR650 forums or ADV. Something ain't right.

 

[dcarver]

Agree. Cush drives have been around for decades. If the cush material too soft.. it could be an issue. You ride that POS to the Hondarosa and I'll buy it for 1k dollars AND I'll provide a pair of worn out sneakers so you can start the walk back home! :rofl:

 

[Niehart]

Jim, you could set the bike up like my brother in Montana did.

 

[Fontanaman]

I bought a little folding hand saw on Amazon for $9.00. It will arrive sometime tomorrow.

 

[Fred W]

Redfish - The Stroms have a similar problem with the sprocket carrier (the cast piece that is outboard of the Cush drive) where they are only supported by a single bearing and the rubber cushions in the Cush drive. This results in the sprocket cocking sideways during heavy acceleration and giving driveline vibration as the chain rubs the side of the sprocket teeth.

Since they are both Suzukis and likely designed by the same injuneers, it may be the same solution. The fix on the Stroms is to shave the inner spacer so the carrier sits closer to the hub. When it starts to **** it is limited in lateral motion by the inner surface of the wheel hub.

There is a guy in the Strom world named Richland Rick that produces these shaved spacers along with a 2mm washer to make up for the shaved portion. I put one of those on my old Strom, and its still on there though my son has it now, and that mod worked like a champ. PM or email me if you want to compare notes.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Thanks Fred. The DR650 cush drive is also supported by only one bearing. There is a guy, on ADVRider that will machine the cush hub and install a second bearing. His name is Derek and he runs a business called Motolab. He also provided my carburetor parts and some invaluable advice.

Y'all can laugh but I did carb mods to make the bike run, not to improve power. I rarely give it full throttle and actually ride it pretty slowly and easily. There is no doubt that the cush failure is not from me being too hard on it. I must be getting old, I have a 650 dual sport and I have never even wheelied it.