Suzuki DR650 Counter Shaft Seal Retainer

I thought it would be good insurance to install a counter shaft seal
retainer on the mighty DR.

[@JoseGarcia-ls6jj]

Thank you for helping the community of bikers with DR650. Very useful video.

[@MothershipVideos]

Jose thanks for the kind words. Ride safe.

[@kentuckyjustice1408]

September of 2019 and people are STILL using your video for assistance with this upgrade. Good job! "Thumbs up" from this Kentucky boy.

[@MothershipVideos]

Hey Kentucky Boy thanks for the kind words. Ride and stay safe.

[@thomasauger6777]

2020 and I'm using it lol

[@davidelizabeth4933]

Thank you very much for all your helpful DR650 videos. You are greatly appreciated!

[@MothershipVideos]

David & Elizabeth Hey thanks for the feed-back very much appreciated from this end.

[@mckennamerrifield6770]

I find myself using your videos alot. Great stuff!

[@MothershipVideos]

+Mac Merrifield That's great. Thanks for commenting.

[@swexplorer]

Excellent video! Extremely thorough and succinct! Thank you!

[@MothershipVideos]

Well thanks for the kind words. Ride safe.

[@TillDeathDualUsSport]

Just tackled this today. Great straight to the point video. Cheers!🍻

[@MothershipVideos]

Hope it helped. Thanks for commenting and ride safe.

[@bradh5613]

Great vid, great help. Thanks from the states!

[@MothershipVideos]

Thanks for the kind words...stay safe.

[@michaelkaylor6770]

Another great video and commentary, Thanks Mate.

[@MothershipVideos]

cheers Michael

[@e.s.l5861]

Good job another great tutorial. Be safe and keep the shiny side up and greasy side down :)

[@MothershipVideos]

Thanks for watching/commenting. I like your "keep the shiny side up and the greasy side down" very good indeed.

[@sharonsharon2604]

Thank you for this excellent guide!

[@MothershipVideos]

Thanks very much. Ride safe.

[@JanChacn]

Great video, straight to the job! thank you!

[@MothershipVideos]

Thanks for commenting and ride safe.

[@miguelatambucho748]

Great vid. Thanks

[@MothershipVideos]

Thanks for the kind words. Ride safe.

[@XrhstosGr]

Nice video , thanks a lot for sharing

[@MothershipVideos]

Thanks. I hope it helped in some way. Ride safe.

[@XrhstosGr]

yes i am buying a used dr *97 and will be doing this right away to be sure , you helped me a lot , thanks again and you ride safe too mate .

[@meandmydr6504]

Good video, nice clean bike as well :)

[@MothershipVideos]

Cheers mate. Did yours come with the seal retainer fitted?

[@meandmydr6504]

no my 2012 didn't come with the retainer one on order for me atm

[@pilotdane1]

Nice Job Mate ! - Straight forward, and to the point (unlike my videos LOL). Next on my agenda. "To the Queen" :-)

[@MothershipVideos]

Thanks for watching OBI-WAN. Ride safe.

[@210419590457]

Thank you for this vidéo. 👍👍👍👍

[@MothershipVideos]

J.P 69 thanks for the comments. Ride safe.

[@210419590457]

@@MothershipVideos +1

[@Lietuvis777]

Do the older models pre '96 also need this? Been crazy googling past days, no info at all!

[@Alexis32rus]

Super

[@MothershipVideos]

Cheers mate - ride safe.

[@phriesen]

Wish I had seen this sooner.

[@MothershipVideos]

Oh no!! Have you had a seal pop out?😬

[@phriesen]

@@MothershipVideos I did, indeed! I look forward to doing the fix though. Thanks for the vid.

[@hodge1970ify]

What brand of tire do you have?

[@janpow331]

I just had that seal come loose on one side and oil was pouring out. If it had gotten on the back tire it could have been very dangerous! I just ordered the retainer to make sure that didn't happen in the middle of nowhere!

[@MothershipVideos]

Good thinking janpow. Thanks for watching.

[@authentic4225]

Next thing I have to do to have the perfected bike!

[@MothershipVideos]

Good on ya mate. Ride and stay safe.

[@coryboyd7958]

You didn't torque anything?

[@aircooled2068]

Great video ! I just purchased a 91 Dr, do these early bikes suffer the same issue?

[@MothershipVideos]

No mate no worries with that model. Ride safe. Oh and thanks for watching/commenting.

[@davidguertin8200]

Sweet and simple. I have a 1998 DR650, is the Suzuki seal will fit on that model? Or it's made only for 2000 and up ? Thanks!

[@MothershipVideos]

It will your bike. In fact from 1996 onwards. Ride safe out there and thanks for watching.

[@mattevans5812]

I was concerned about this seal. According to Suzuki microfiches online which show every assembly the seal is included with every 2014 and newer DR650.

[@MothershipVideos]

That is probably correct. Thanks for watching and ride safe.

[@hobonickel840]

That's great to know .. this came on to my radar and I have 2016 DR I had done all the other critical mods but hadn't seen this issue yet thank for that info .. saved me time searching this .. because my "da" would not have just gone and just looked at it on the bike before spending all day trying to find out I didn't need to do this fix

[@steelmilkjug]

Be careful .... the 3 sprocket bolts only take 5ft-lb of torque. I EASILY snapped one off in my sprocket today and have to buy a new set of bolts and probably a sprocket too. You'd think these bolts could handle some torque but I broke one off in the sprocket without hardly trying.

[@MothershipVideos]

Some sage advice Jon. Thanks for watching/commenting and ride safe.

[@stevedixon7785]

Locktite please on those sprocket reatainer bolts.!!!

[@MothershipVideos]

I personally don't think it's necessary but no harm in putting a dab on. If you do, use the Blue stuff, not the Red. Thanks for watching and commenting - ride safe.

[@MaverickAus]

New to the DR650, I noticed today mine has this already fitted I assumed it was OEM. Does the seal have a habit of coming out without the retainer?

[@MothershipVideos]

Not that common but it does happen on the earlier models that don't have he retainer.

[@hobonickel840]

thanks for the awesome heads up/how-to vid ..Can someone gove me lil mire inference on this? How likely is this needed and is it on high mileage or can it happen randomly any time? thanks

[@MothershipVideos]

It would seem to be random from memory. Unfortunately traded the DR a few years ago now and with time/age have forgotten a fair bit. Ride safe mate.

[@hobonickel840]

@@MothershipVideos I totally understand ... thinking about trading mine for tw200 if I can find one lol

[@en2llantasymas60]

Hello mate, good video, I have a question, what year your DR is?? Greetings from Mexico.

[@MothershipVideos]

+en2llantas y mas Greetings from new Zealand. The DR was a 2008 model but not brought until 2010. Not many differences from 1996 until now. Take care.

[@en2llantasymas60]

+Mothership hello my friend, last Friday finally received the retainer, it take long time to arrive from Japan, since Suzuki introduce the DR 650 in Mexico in 2013, every brand new DR have the retainer already, not the case for older DR brought from USA, but doesn't matter, the seal it is still on since the second and happily last time it popped out.... I paid $103 Mexican pesos (less than $6USD), is very cheap, and it will save me a lot of problems and money. Keep on going with the DR videos!!!! Greetings

[@MothershipVideos]

+en2llantas y mas Thanks for the update. US$6 sounds way cheaper than what I paid. Unfortunately I traded the mighty DR for the GSX [Mothership] so until I get another one there won't be any more DR Videos. Ride safe my Mexican friend.

[@en2llantasymas60]

Well, that's a good deal, the GSX is a great bike, you will enjoy it, in know. Ride safe, I will to!!!

[@ronenfe]

You don't have to loosen the rear wheel.

[@MothershipVideos]

Ok thanks. Ride safe.

[@offroadtales]

Does the seal have a tendency to come out?

[@MothershipVideos]

It does. I cannot remember the year but Suzuki put them on as standard because there was a problem. If you have a later model it will probably have one fitted. Ride safe mate.

[@coryboyd7958]

Should have used lock tite on everything

[@adiemlamg]

Where do I buy this piao lock?

[@MothershipVideos]

Suzuki Dealer my friend. Ride safe.

[@adiemlamg]

Thank you .. I live in a small town: "brooms", rio de janeiro, Brazil, not here in the store. I would like to buy on the internet, ... on eBay it does not have ... I do not know stores outside Brazil that I send to my house.

[@TheModBroz]

That's a simple fix. Everyone should do it. What tires are you using?

[@MothershipVideos]

Both are Bridgestone Battlax. Front is 90/90-21 m/c and the rear is BT45 130/80-17 m/c

[@muxbolivianski7243]

Hoi, can you send part number??? Thanks for video

[@MothershipVideos]

No sorry. I've sold the mighty DR and the packaging is long gone. It's standard on later model DR's so your local dealer should have it or you could google it. Ride safe.

[@muxbolivianski7243]

Thanks, i saw it on your video anyway.

[@jaytubin5444]

Why is everyone installing these stupid retainers and not replacing the seal itself?

[@Finke.]

Hardly stupid if Suzuki included this inherent design to prevent the seal from dislodging ... hence the name "retainer" ... replacing the seal is not going to help unless it has already blown out & the retainer is still needed as an insurance against it happening again ... it can be caused by using an incorrect oil viscosity & or the transmission creating internal pressure caused by blocked passage way ...

[@jaytubin5444]

@@Finke.mine had a retainer when I bought it the seal still started leaking

[@Finke.]

@@jaytubin5444 The retainer is to stop the entire seal blowing out & dumping all your oil ... not to stop it leaking ... if it's leaking then you have issues as I've explained ... incorrect seal fitment etc ...

[@jaytubin5444]

@@Finke. replaced the oem seal 2 years ago and installed a new retainer still leaking I’m just trying to find the solution to this

[@Finke.]

@@jaytubin5444 It could be the surface to which the seal face seats to the metal ... leaving scratch marks in the metal face from removing the initial seal if done incorrectly ... some use a sealant which is not recommended as the both surfaces need to be bone dry & free of oil & grit etc & fitted dry ... therein lies the potential to damage the metal face while removing ... build up of dirt over time can eat the seal away ... using pressure cleaners cause more problems by forcing grit into areas where you don't want it ... oil can pressurise in the transmission & the seal becomes the weakest point to release if unable to vent ... enter the need for a retainer ... but the retainer in this instance becomes a band aid & not a cure ...