Putting My LOWERED XR650L to the Ultimate Off Road Test + DR650 Comparisons!

[@SwankyCatProductions]

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[@airadaimagery692]

Great comparison here. I definitely got something from listening to you two talk about your thoughts between these to bikes in their current state. I ride with my high beams on all day, when I’m on the road. When I go off road I’ll turn the highs off if I remember to. Additionally, I added two one inch pods that I leave on during the day. I actually added the pods specifically for better daytime visibility. As long as people aren’t flashing their lights at me, I think I’m fine. Plus I think most people know that we just want to be seen.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Thanks! I'm glad to hear that!!! I need to get some aux lights on mine soon! They definitely help grab a bit more attention and they look awesome!!! Ride safe and enjoy!

[@johnmignano7872]

Yeah lowered 2 inches or 45 mm handles and feels awesome, thanks for sharing

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Glad to hear that! Thanks!!!

[@billcotton1551]

Great ride video, Ben! I swear my shoulder started hurting ,after watching the DR crash.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Thanks Bill! Haha yeah I did NOT realize how hard he went down until I watched this!

[@ArcticJeff]

Nice looking trails! Looks like a lot of fun! Jason should check out the Mantt/Xitomer foot pegs for the DR. They are nice and wide and the quality is very good. I put them on my KLR and love them. I got mine on Amzn.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Thanks Jeff! They most certainly are! Definitely my favorite spot! I'm not sure I've seen those, we'll have to check them out!

[@josephthornton8560]

Only one suggestion here, I would have thought naturally you would compare your buddy's stock DR vs your heavily modded DR. The only other nitpic would have been, noticed your buddy's severe lack of protection gear for himself. Great vid. I don't ride either bike but the content you made was great for me (klx 300 rider).

[@SwankyCatProductions]

We will definitely do some DR to DR comparisons in the future! After this ride and the next I think he moved protective gear way up on his to do list haha.

[@RicCross]

Enjoyed the ride along

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Glad to hear it!

[@2007srv]

I'll tell ya what take that smog off that xr650l and you'll see what your missing :) I just noticed U still have pump on it . I bought mine it was uncorked already it rips crazy . I found a Kouba link on a sight called unclaimed baggage , I guess its airline stuff unclaimed . I lucked out on that 69$ , way better for me now. Like I said bought the xr dec 2023 . I had to take off carb and put new float needle , all my gas leaked out one night .I'm pretty sure its not dave modded , they did the air box mod , not sure if needles are stock , but it rips no hesitation at all . Food for thought lol. looks like nice ride :)

[@pedrovazquez9146]

Great video…still trying to convince significant other to let buy a DR! My V-Strom 1000XT is too much…awesome bike though!

[@SwankyCatProductions]

A DR is pretty darn hard to beat!

[@robbieandbeckie]

Nice comparison, I hope you start modding the DR soon.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Thanks! I'm going to get some parts ordered to fix the fork seals next week and then the mods will begin!

[@EricKoch-s5b]

Great video as always, love the scenery. Your friend may want to try the Kenda K270 tire, a good 50/50 tire. I run a 3.25 ft and a 5.10 rr on my DR they work well and last a long time. The tires and the seat were my first mods to the bike. Seat Concepts makes a great seat. I also dropped the forks about an inch in the triple clamps and lowered the rear by the pin location in the linkage and it works great. I would not mind lowering it a bit more, but that will cost some money. I am very happy with the DR.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Thank you! This is by far my favorite place to ride, such an amazing place! I've used K270s as well, back on my DRZ and Gen2 KLR. They are definitely a great tire for midweight dual sports and I'll bet they're awesome on the DR! I'm glad to hear you like your lowered DR, I think I'll have to try doing that to mine soon as well! It'll be interesting to see how it compares to the changes I noticed on the XR.

[@michaellicht6126]

DR650 benefits immensely with suspension upgrade. Better tires and skid plate and good bars with good handguards and he might be leading those rides

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Haha yeah I doubt it'll take long! He's always ahead of me when we ride sleds!

[@BarnOwlProject]

Nice. Long format vidjas and such!

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Haha, yah bud! Glad ya liked it!

[@seawench555]

Excellent vlog, great communication, thanks for sharing 🇦🇺 but ur mate needs some boots and knee guards yeh!!! Really like ur riding colours too.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Thank you!!! Haha, yes. He most definitely does!

[@retiredwaterdoctor]

Great comparison and track....Garth

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Thanks Garth!

[@kweholt]

Tell your buddy to get some MX boots and knee guards! That get off could have been much worse.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Definitely! We took another ride yesterday and now I'm pretty certain he's getting some very soon!

[@dreamwhileyousleep]

If you really start jumpin' that thing, try landing on throttle... it helps the suspension soak up low-speed compressions with the wheel driving you forward. and use the front brake! just practice when and how to do it correctly. Great ride along, tho.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

I've experimented with that a bit in the past but was always concerned about the shock load. Seems like especially without a cush drive it'd be hard on the drive components and transmission. No?

[@dreamwhileyousleep]

@@SwankyCatProductions no.

[@BlazinBlades]

The most unbelievable part of this video is the fact that I’m pretty sure your buddy’s DR still has those stock “Death-Wings” on…😮😮 Am I wrong or am I wrong?😝😝

[@TyB_23]

How tall are you/ inseam measurement for lowering reference. Nice ride along btw, cheers

[@SwankyCatProductions]

5'10" with a 31" inseam and about 155lbs. Thanks!!! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@DarrellMayhem74]

I just bought a KAYO125 not bad for a cheap pit bike just under 2000$

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Nice!

[@wvadv]

on the klr, i ride with the high beam on because i keep getting told i have a headlight out. but really its to add a little more safety. that large riprap stream crossing is the worst.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Haha yeah, I'd do that too! I'm always a little concerned one of those rocks will be slightly angled wrong and send me sideways into the drink 🤣

[@ericcournoyer1595]

Dont you find that using the front brake, specially on the road, is hard on those knobbies? I did it a lot less on my MT21 than I did on my D606 and the tire looks a lot better after 6k. I have a dr650 btw.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

I actually tried to take it easy on the front D-Sport that I put on my last KLR, but it still seemed to cup pretty quickly. I actually felt like I could see that tire melting more any more every time I'd take the bike on hwy. I'd have to assume that it would make a difference on a lighter bike though.

[@Gen-X.Adventures]

Great video, as always. I think your buddy needs some tires. 😅

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Thanks! Haha yeah I think this ride re-ordered his to-do list a bit!

[@TweetFPV]

How are you capturing the 2 way communications?

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Nothing too fancy. More of an editing trick really. We're using Bluetooth communicators to talk, but the audio you hear is all just from our individual, external camera microphones. I just blend it all together and mute anything I don't want.

[@TweetFPV]

Ah nice, sounds very clear and natural. I've been looking for a solution to record my conversations while riding with my daughter over our sena comms.

[@TexanADV]

Check out Flatland racing skid plates

[@darkiee69]

Time to do the 2-5 modification so you don't have to run it in 1st all the time?

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Haha that would help!

[@nseric1233]

Your buddy just found out why the stock dr tires are nick named death wings. They feel like they have grip, then you hit the ground lol.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Yep! I've been there on my TW200 too. One minute you're feeling great, then, ground. Haha.

[@microlling3582]

who makes you GPS tower/ fairing?

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Carpruide makes the car play/nav unit and Hemisphere Off Road makes the faring.

[@josephparker2674]

I too have had a lowered xr650 and couldn't find a downside to it.

[@Itsjake908]

Is it harder to wheelie tho?

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Nice! Glad to hear that!!!

[@markcomisky7106]

When you play with suspension could get into trouble

[@SwankyCatProductions]

If you don't know how it works, then you certainly could, yes!

[@bobkelly2447]

you guys hit on something that most dirt riders have to learn the hard way on.... don't use the front brake EVER ! seriously on the dirt you never use the front brake ! only the back brake and the guys trying to learn how to ride dirt don't know that but it's one of those if you do you will regret it ! on the street it is a different story you USE the front brake !!! and I rode so much dirt in my younger years that I found it hard to use the front brake on the street ! now I even cover the front brake..... it's stopping power on the pavement is unmatched..... but don't use it on the dirt ! the front will slide out and you'll be picking your self up off the dirt road ! ..... yet you mention it in passing like we all know that.... no they don't !!! they are street riders and don't know you don't use the front brake on the dirt ! ....! .... a lower bike is a good bike and to be afraid of lowering your bike is silly.....if you can't flat foot it while sitting on the seat it needs lowered for you ! seriously ! not doing that makes the bike a danger to you and bystanders ! lower that bike I don't care if it's used only on the street the rule is the same if you can't flat foot it LOWER IT ! ..... this comes from a short person who has tried to ride tall bikes...it is not worth it ! lower it !!!!!!!

[@CollinMac96]

That’s why I chose a dr650 over the drz or xr. Lower without me having to use a lowering kit

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Very true! There are a lot of things like that, which I now take for granted but also had to learn the hard way. That's why I like riding with Jason so much though. He catches on really quick to anything mechanical or physics related so I just need to provide a few tips here and there and he's pretty much good to go! I agree, it is very silly how against people are to lowering bikes. I think a lot of people just assume that manufacturers have some super secret special recipe for a motorcycle and any deviation in the slightest is some sort of huge offense. Sure some things you can do to a bike are non value added, but if a mod adds more value than it subtracts... it's really not all that difficult to cipher!

[@ahsnap9103]

Learn how to ride. Learn how to use front brake. Skip those two things and you are a danger to yourself and others. A motorcycle cannot be ridden safely without the use of the front brake when needed.

[@bobkelly2447]

@@ahsnap9103 you think you have all the answers I see I know how to use the front brake but you best not use it on a dirt or gravel road if you know what's good for you I know how to ride so don't assume you know better than me i've been riding motorcycles sense I was 12 years old and I'm 71 now and you are a danger to yourself and others if you can't flat foot the bike show anyone a advantage of having a tall bike other than ground clearance there is none ! but there are many disadvantages... it's not a matter of learning how to ride a tall bike as you would make others believe it's about personal safety .... catch yourself falling over on your tall bike one too many times and you'll wind up in the hospital. years ago I could feather the front brake while sliding the rear in a emergency stop.... i doubt I could do that now but yes knowing how to use the front brake is very important ON THE STREET.... don't use it on the dirt though !!! go ahead and take a ninja on a gravel road and use your front brake like you would on the street ..... you already know what would happen ! so don't tell others Learn how to ride you jerk !

[@charliestoybox2099]

Boy a lot of bad information in this post lol. Y’all better learn how to use the front brake in the dirt. It’s no problem lifting the back wheel up in the dirt. Once again rookies giving bad info.