DR650 likes and dislikes

[@EricKoch-s5b]

My DR is a 2019 and did not have a charcoal canister, I live in Casper WY and emissions are more lax, so I don't know if it is the year of my bike or the part of the country. Jetting is fine stock and I am at almost 5,000 ft. My first mods were the tires and seat. I went with Seat Concepts and really like it. My tires are a 50/50 Kenda K270 front is a 3.25 X 21 ( I like a bit wider front tire ) and a 5.10 X 17 rear tire. I also got a 4.9 IMS tank for it for more range and dropped the countershaft sprocket to a 1 tooth which works much better and still has good top speed for hwy. I really like the bike.

[@stubabyfuora5280]

I like your setup, my bike once pair valve removed and fuel screw opened was fine also, stock exhaust is actually very good for most riding.

[@jonwoodworker]

I've been riding my DR650 for 10 years, and it has NEVER dropped out of gear.

[@stubabyfuora5280]

I can’t believe how many riders in the reviews don’t know to remove the PAIR valve. It is a major power robber and the biggest reason for poor jetting.

[@michaelhefford6420]

You nailed the pros and cons honestly. Except for the stock tank which is a huge con if you ride more than an hour or two at a time.

[@MaxwellBenson80]

Procycle comfort seat. It is awesome. Cogent ddc and springs helped make the front suspension more better.

[@BikeEnvy]

@MaxwellBenson80 I've looked at that seat and strongly considering buying it. I'm also planning to re-spring the front fork and swap the stock spacers with larger PVC ones for more preload and less weight

[@starseeddeluxe]

I thought you were never supposed to do "clutchless" shifting on a motorcycle? I've never heard of that being a thing when you're doing power shifting under load on a high torque engine like a big single?

[@BikeEnvy]

@starseeddeluxe you can do it, on any bike really. The biggest issues with doing it on the DR is more so with how wide the gear ratios are, it makes it more difficult but more rewarding to get it done smoothly 🤙

[@Roberta_Esposito]

ikr?!

[@605pilot]

Being that it’s carbureted I would use premium gasoline because it has added detergent to the fuel and it will keep your carburetor clean.

[@bigtrev761]

🇦🇺😎👍I’ve ridding DRs for 8 years and the clutch is a must

[@TommyWasHere]

Great video… I agree with your likes and dislikes. You have a great channel and I believe it will do well. Keep up the great content. Slick Adventures

[@BikeEnvy]

@TommyWasHere thank you very much for that! I really appreciate it and it's very encouraging. Same to you, your channel looks like it's doing well and I hope it keeps doing even better 🤙

[@andrewcammer2535]

I'll be honest - I just put 600+ miles on my new-to-me 2013 DR650 over the weekend. It rolled over 17k miles. I agreed with a lot of what you said - but the jumping out of gear I couldn't disagree more. I actually complimented to my riding buddies that the DR has one of the sweetest shifting transmissions of the many bikes I've owned over the years. I think on one very lazy/poor shift I found a false neutral between 4 and 5, but that was definitely 100% my fault. I don't think there is anything wrong with clutchless shifting when done right. On this bike, with the wide ratios, I try to avoid it in the lower gears because it's hard on the driveline, but the 3-4 and 4-5 upshifts I pretty much never clutch for and those are super smooth. All that to say, I'm not sure about that issue you've had - maybe a low miles trans is a big notchy still and easier to miss with.

[@liberals_destroy_everythin2497]

Yep, that's what I've heard too---DR650 has a sweet transmission.

[@tylermears480]

Jetting and exhaust also 14 tooth front does wonders for the dr

[@DustySteel]

Do they make a big bore kit for this bike? I just put one on my XR150L and it made it so much funner!!

[@BikeEnvy]

Yes they do, I know they make a 660 and a 790 for sure. Maybe one day 😂

[@DustySteel]

@@BikeEnvy that would be so cool!! I want to make mine into a street machine, I made cheap custom undertail exhaust for it.

[@BikeEnvy]

That's pretty sweet! You fabricated it yourself?

[@DustySteel]

@@BikeEnvy yeah, I have a short that shows it. I should’ve rev’d it a little higher though to be able to hear the decel pops lol.

[@DustySteel]

@@BikeEnvy no welding required. I just bought stuff that was the right size to adapt to the header.

[@leighhill9185]

Great vid mate, I have a WR250R and love it but I'd be awesome to have one of these in the stable one day :) I'm in Aus too, gutted they stopped selling them. A true icon along with the DRZ400

[@craigduffield3963]

You are right about being a 50/50 bike,they are too heavy to ride any serious off road and too light for the highway get bounced on every little bump,no fuel range ,rock hard seat.KLR 650 is better choice for all the low tech reasons,but comes standard with long range fuel tank,soft seat and wind protection and can do big miles at highway speeds and still go off road.

[@rustytanks]

Best answer 👍

[@indigo196799]

And still, people like them a lot! 🤔

[@elitetileandstone]

I've got a friend that is selling her 2016, with 8k miles. The bike is nicely set up as a lightweight adv bike. There is $1500- $2000of accessories, but I think the carb, exhaust and suspension are still stock. I took it for a 100 mile test ride on Sunday. Compared to my V Strom 1000xt Adventure, this was lightweight and playful. On tight backroads, the bike felt like a supermoto. Overall I was impressed with the comfort and how smooth it was , for a big old thumper. I think I need to make some room for it, in my garage

[@bigtrev761]

🇦🇺😎👍Change the suspension, tune or change the carburettor plus a big header pipe and rear muffler and you won’t be able to keep the front wheel on the ground. Only then you’ll end up with a fire breathing dragon 🐉… 21 kms / litre using 98 octane . The big DRasaurass will be un recognisable

[@bigtrev761]

🇦🇺😎👍Get yourself a bar raiser kit and a set of pivot pegs. You’ll ride like a king 👑

[@ericcournoyer1595]

The stock weight is 366 pounds. I removed the charcoal canister, the pair valve and the pilion footpegs. I did add handguards. I believe the weight of my bike is probably in between 350-355. I also have the 20liter acerbis tank wich weighs a little less that the stock one.. When empty. Also an Acerbis skid plate. I do like the tall gearing. I started out on a cb500x and the 1st gear was so short it was practically useless. Anyway enjoy the bike. I agree with most of what you say. I am looking at the klx300 though. The dr is relatively light but still in the trails you dont have that much of an error margin.

[@BikeEnvy]

I knew someone would know the stats right of their head! Do you like your acerbis tank and what is your range WITH it? I'm having to switch to reserve at about 177km with the stock one. I've had limited offroad experience with it at the moment, just fire roads and OHV trails. Appreciate the comment brother 🤙

[@ericcournoyer1595]

@@BikeEnvy 180 km is about right with stock. The Acerbis will hit reserve at 330 at a minimum. I think it is a great addition but it does make the bike quite wider at the knees. I do like it though.

[@BikeEnvy]

Thanks for the info, I will definitely need a seat that's not a plank of wood before I think about upgrading my range 😂

[@starseeddeluxe]

The charcoal canister should close down when the bike is shut off. On cars, there is a small solenoid valve connected to the charcoal canister is critically important, and you never want to simply remove it. That valve only opens up when the engine is running. Make sure you don't remove this off your bike (if it has one). When you remove that valve, you allow the gasoline to evaporate very quickly during a hot day. And what happens is that gasoline loses the octane first. The octane rating of the gasoline goes down, and you risk getting bad fuel that detonates and (pinging/detonation) from stale fuel... Well it's not a good thing. Don't remove any valves, especially PCV valves or charcoal canister valves, until you actually know what you're doing. Because the PCV valve keeps vacuum in the crankcase, keeping oil inside the engine, instead of weaping out of the engine. A PCV valve keeps vacuum in the crankcase, the oil ring on the piston can function properly and not consume engine oil, and it also prevents oil seeping into the valve stem seals on the valves, in the cylinder head. The charcoal canister valve keeps the gas tank sealed when the bike is parked, which preserves the integrity of your gasoline, preventing rapid evaporation of the fuel.

[@BikeEnvy]

@starseeddeluxe from my understanding a charcoal canister in motorycle applications only diffuse the gasoline vapor that comes from the gas tank in an effort to "be more green"

[@stephengloster8137]

Mud is the worst with the stock tires, I ended up in the woods on the side of the trail ending in a bike drop, denting my gas tank. :(

[@BikeEnvy]

@stephengloster8137 that's a shame :( have you swapped over to new one yet and if so what did you get?

[@stephengloster8137]

​@BikeEnvy No, it's a small dent, the bike has less than 500miles still, so I'll be keeping this for a while. So just a little character for now.

[@BikeEnvy]

@@stephengloster8137" adventure bike patina" 😂

[@bigtrev761]

🇦🇺😎👍Interesting 🏁

[@jeffringer7527]

The trail wings aka Death Wings are as bad as they sound. I installed Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross AX41 and the difference on both pavement and in the mud was MUCH larger than I expected. With the AX41, I was able to go down a trail I would have never attempted with the Trail wings. This opened up even over roads to trail ride. Ditch them as soon as you can.

[@SikandrShaikh-d4o]

🇮🇳🇮🇳❤👍❤👍❤

[@LiviuXSA]

all these new bikes like the klr, the dr, whatever, they're like traps. you buy em super cheap and are excited to save 1k or 2k off the purchase price but then you have to put in 2-3k in mods to make em right. at that point it seems to be worth it to just get a 10k bike from the get go made right

[@easternyellowjacket276]

But what happens if that 10k bike ain't right and you have to dump money into that customizing it?

[@liberals_destroy_everythin2497]

I never gave it a thought for years---because I had newer fuel-injected bikes that threw a code if I disconnected stuff--but the advantage of a charcoal canister is that your garage (or living room) doesn't smell like gas when you keep your bike there. I now have a Gen 1 KLR with no canister and I have to crack open my garage door to keep it from smelling like gas.

[@Merc399]

if you want the same kind of experience but its like your bike took a hit of meth id recommend the Husqvarna 701sm. Got the 2018 and love it

[@BikeEnvy]

@@Merc399 those are crazy, I've ridden one already! Great bike

[@gabrielkopp2036]

NEVER run ethanol gas in any motorcycle

[@stephengloster8137]

I currently run Sunoco 94, non ethanol, would rather put in 87, but can't find a non-ethanol lower grade in my region. Southern MA.

[@gabrielkopp2036]

@@stephengloster8137 well the ethanol will plug up your fuel system especially if you live in a state with actual winter. Plus non ethanol gets better mileage. Up here in pacific northwest it's only 91 octane that's just my experience and opinion

[@stevencote7951]

@@gabrielkopp2036 That's all we have here in the North East been using it for decades no issue's , just put some Stabil in the fall and drain the carbs. I have 4 bikes and they all start in the spring.

[@gabrielkopp2036]

@@stevencote7951 that's all fine and dandy only if you get the stabil for ethanol gas otherwise it clogs everything up with green gunk

[@56cote]

I just used the regular. Had in a boat that didn’t run for two years till I sold it, started right up. UMV.

[@martyn_g]

Suspension, and big tank. Then you’re done.

[@je7647]

These are banned in aus because of emissions but cops can use them and do use them I saw a gang of them in shiny new yellow drz 650s while the public cannot access them that’s so lame

[@je7647]

I mean banned as in you can’t buy it new there are used ones

[@BikeEnvy]

I know they were super popular in Australia prior to the ban. One of the youtube channels based there is actually a large reason why I decided to buy one. It is a shame though, it seems like that's its natural habitat. R.I.P bush pig 🥲

[@thefathippy]

Cops here use DRZ400s, don't they? DRZs are still available to the general public here. DR650s no longer meet Oz standards (emissions - and ABS?), and sadly Suzuki showed little interest in updating.

[@chrispekel5709]

@@thefathippy You can still sell a model that doesn't have ABS, but it has to be something that was put through the ADRs before it was mandatory. The reason they stopped selling it is just sales numbers - I BELIEVE. If I am wrong please correct me. It's possibly true they just cut all non-compliant models when the laws came in, which is total BS if true.

[@bfields1448]

Communism

[@active6302]

If you are 5'8" tall, this bike is waaay to tall for you.

[@jeffringer7527]

I’m 5’9” and I was flat footed. My inseam is under 30”. Here’s how: (1) I had the dealer lower the shocks to just about the point a new kick stand would have been required (but still wasn’t). (2) bought a seat concepts lower seat to replace the infamous bad stock seat. So, with the optional lower kick stand I could have gone lower but didn’t. I chose to use the lower seat to save some clearance space.

[@Aaron-hr5bb]

My wife is 5'6". She rode a DR650 for 2000 miles through the Andes and Amazon 12 years ago. I had a KLR. The Suzuki is lighter and handles better than the KLR. She had no problems handling it from rocky llama trails to paved high speed highways.

[@michaelhefford6420]

Not true at all. 29” inseam here and rode it at the full stock height for a week, but lowered it and now no issues at all. You really aren’t supposed to touch flat foot with both feet on a dirt bike or dual sport. It’s not a cruiser.

[@active6302]

@@jeffringer7527 good ideas here

[@cliffordjordan9577]

What the fuck are you talking about 😂 I’m 5’9 and ride a DRZ400s model and it’s fine

[@LowIQPigeon]

Fix your fov

[@dereknowry1563]

Wtf as if you hit the kill switch. Those things stick so fast. Learn to use your ignition noob!

[@stubabyfuora5280]

All those comments and you are still running pair valve, very amateur