The First Mods: Suzuki DR650 (HUGE IMPROVEMENT) | Dual Sport Handlebar Swap

Do you ever feel a little out of place on your motorcycle? Or did you accidently put a "custom" bend in your stock bars recently? The right set of risers and the perfect aftermarket bar that has the right bend to fit YOUR needs is one of the most important things you can do to make a bike feel like it was made for you! Follow along as I try a few different bar/riser combinations on the 2018 Suzuki DR650 and finally get it juuuust right!
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Links to my gear & parts!
(If you click these and make a purchase on the sites I earn a small commission, which goes towards more videos like this!)
Parts
Tusk Chub Bars: www.rockymount...
Tusk 1 1/8" Risers: www.rockymount...
Rox Offset Risers: www.rockymount...
Tusk ADV Handguards: www.rockymount...
Grip Heaters: www.rockymount...
Seat Heater: www.rockymount...
Seat Concepts Seat: www.rockymount...
Tusk D-Sport Tires: www.rockymount...
Tools
Bike Lift (Add thread locker on all fasteners!): amzn.to/4aSm07h
T-Handle Sockets: www.rockymount...
T-Handle Allens: www.rockymount...
Riding Gear
ADV Helmet: www.rockymount...
Xplorer Coat: www.rockymount...
Xplorer Pants: www.rockymount...
Boots: www.rockymount...
Base Layer Shirt: www.rockymount...
Base Layer Pants: www.rockymount...
Camera Stuff
Helmet Camera: amzn.to/36BHqdM
Mic (requires adapter or media mod): amzn.to/3qEW4Ia
Hero9 Media Mod: amzn.to/3JLLF4O
Power Bank for GoPro: amzn.to/3iCxanZ
Power Cable: amzn.to/36rxlQT
Helmet Camera Mount: amzn.to/49ls34q
360 Camera: www.amazon.com...
360 Selfie Stick: amzn.to/3SOaQK4
Clamps For Holding Selfie Sticks: www.amazon.com...
Music: Cantina Blues - Take the Lead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. httpscreativecommons.orglicensesby4.0
Stay Swanky my Friends!

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Hey Dual Sport Fans, thanks for joining me for this test! If you're doing some shopping, please consider supporting my content though these affiliate links. It makes a huge difference for us! Rocky Mountain ATV: www.rockymountainatvmc.com/?ref=1042& Car Play Nav Unit: carpuride.com/products/carpuride-w702-wireless-portable-dual-bluetooth-waterproof-ip67-motorcycle-stereo?ref=pcoxoocl Amazon: amzn.to/3Jfbfkn MotoCampNerd: motocampnerd.com/?ref=rAQ-OX06xBU2aq 10% Off First MotoCamp Purchase Code: SwankyCat

[@tarjas]

Cogent front and back. TM40. Yenkro fairing. Pivot pegz. Front brake rotor/steel lines. Acerbis tank. Sergeant seat. Does everything.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Sounds perfect!!!

[@JacobAnawalt]

When the background music kicked in I had to double-check what I was watching. :)

[@spookychief]

Protaper CR high bend with the protaper big bar adapters fit perfectly with the stock cable length.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Nice!

[@EricKoch-s5b]

Your videos are excellent. Very informative. One of the things I did with my DR 650 when I took off the stock hand guards that are junk, was to put a cover protecting the clutch cable when you pull in the clutch, so the cable won't dry out or get dirt and bugs into it. I got a cover that is used on a DRZ 400 and it fits perfect. Even with hand gaurds, it will add a little more protection for the clutch cable. I really enjoy seeing your dad ride with you and his prospective. I am 65 years old and like to hear what he has to say on different bikes. I am really enjoying your XR- DR long term build.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Thank you very much! I'm really glad to hear you've been enjoying them and that you like hearing from my dad as well. Honestly one of the coolest parts about this whole deal is that I get to spend so much more time with him, doing what we both love no less! We're blessed beyond my own comprehension and I'm so glad we get to share our adventures with all of you!!!

[@MGWV0746]

Thanks for the comparison between bar heights and positions. Very helpful to know what fits and what slack is available in the cables. I’ve used Tusk bars on a couple of applications and been pleased with them. Look forward to more content on the XR and DR.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

I'm glad to hear that! It's definitely tough going into stuff like this without knowing. Since I've got the opportunity, I figured why not! Hopefully it'll help a lot of people!

[@davidl546]

This is the fun part of motorcycles....Upgrades! Pretty much the first thing I've done with any bike I ride is handle bars and lighting. The DR is really starting to look like a lowered XR...

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Definitely! That's usually the first two things I like to do on dual sports as well. Good bars just make a bike so much better! Haha yeah I'm pretty pleased with my matching set 🤣

[@kh-vz2el]

Great content, you have a lot of DR650 guys looking in and commenting on how they set up their bikes pretty much what I've to my DR and what a great bike it is.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Thank you!!! I'm definitely glad to be part of the DR family! These test rides were the most fun I've had road riding in a long time! The DR is a BEAST!

[@zrkn1]

It's nice to see you get your Swanky on, those pegs look like they need to be lowered for sure.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Yes, they definitely do!!!

[@fumbulz60]

On my DR650 I used the Warp 9 bar risers with a Fly Adventure bar. The Warp 9 riser is reversable to put the bar closer or further away. To make fitting easier I replaced the choke cable with a short kit to put it down by the carb, bypassed the clutch switch and flipped over the throttle housing so the cables went under the bar. My Crya hand guards look a lot like your Tusk.

[@DiveTrainerDan]

Looking good. Your production quality has gone up a ton.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Thank you!!! I've been trying!

[@DiveTrainerDan]

@@SwankyCatProductions You are succeeding.

[@bobkelly2447]

I want to see your reaction to the XR650L's lowering link that should be really interesting because my bike went from almost un rideable to super fun in one mod ! it's by far the most necessary yet over looked mod to the XR.... lets face it a 37" seat height is way too tall for 99.5% of the riders out there because if your not 6'6" tall the bike is too tall ! and when you lower the triple trees on the fork tubes the lowering is magnified and you should do that to keep the steering geometry the same ! handling is a great deal in a Duel sport motorcycles. if you lower the rear alone the steering is great on the highway but crummy on the dirt it doesn't react fast enough....you have to force it. so lowering the front as well is necessary.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

I can't wait to lower mine!!! You've got me pretty excited to see what it'll feel like!

[@jonwoodworker]

I put Protaper YZ High bend on the stock clamps and have been happy for the last 8 yrs. I'm 6'1". Once you add the Cogent suspension to the DR, you will never ride the XR again. Don't get the lowering brackets that sit lower than the frame, I worry about rut and obstacle clearance.

[@nseric1233]

I have similar bars, but kx high bend, they've been on a couple of my bikes, I think I bought them in 2012 lol. I hate all foot peg lowering options, the bike isnt tall enough for lower pegs. They put your feet too close to ground so you hit more stuff with your feet. If you ride in ruts or rocky areas, leave the foot pegs at stock height.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Nice! I'm pretty excited to see what just the front kit from them will do. I think that's my plan, no sense in wasting shock oil on the stock springs!

[@jonwoodworker]

@SwankyCatProductions When you call Cogent directly, they will give you a better deal as a package, front, and rear saving money. I'm sure if you tell them who you are, they will give you a better deal for an honest review.

[@nseric1233]

@@jonwoodworker I kinda wish I went with cogent. 5 years ago I bought a Ricor shock and imtiminators because it was on sale for a bunch cheaper than cogent stuff. I think I may have bought some of the last ones they sold lol. It works great, night and day better than stock but if I ever need to rebuild the shock it's going to suck.

[@gregshell9273]

I may be swimming against the current here, but, if you want to do singletrack and technical OHV, lowering the DR makes a huge difference. Takes a lot of the pig out of the bush pig at very low speeds; also makes for a much improved street bike. Unfortunately, while lowering the back is easy, it's kind of critical to do the full routine for the front -- fine in the dirt doing the front the easy way, but doesn't have neutral steering on the street.

[@EricKoch-s5b]

I dropped the forks an inch in the triple clamps and it works fine on the road and fire roads. It does not cost anything, and if you don't like it you can always change it back.

[@gregshell9273]

That's great to be able to preview lowering by simply swapping the bolt position in the rear, and raising the forks. About 3/4 of an inch is considered maximum safe amount you can do if your riding can bottom out the front. I did this for many years but got increasingly unhappy with the handling on the street. Much better now.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

I can definitely see there being some benefits to lowering it! I'll be dropping my XR soon, partially due to my inseam but also to bring the center of gravity down to a more reasonable level. Depending on how that goes, I may very well give it a try on the DR! Thanks for speaking up!!!

[@mutenroshi109]

yes, thenks :)

[@secondarymachine7521]

More 701 content pls. I put about 150 miles of gravel under mine in the last week or so.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Nice! What would you like to see?

[@wudntulike2no32]

I went with the tusk big moto bend and rox offset risers. I actually wanted the protaper adventure bend but they were out of stock so the big moto bend was the closest. For lowering pegs I went with xitomer. They don't hang below the frame.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Nice! I'll have to look those up. I usually work with JNS, but it's good to know the options!

[@VetJeeper]

Great video again! Love the DR stuff! Thanks Ben!

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Thank you!!!

[@billcotton1551]

I rode my friend's new 2024 DR ,fresh from the showroom. I'm not very tall ,but the pegs felt high, and the bars seems super low ,when standing.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Yeah I'd agree with that assessment. Bars are fixed, pegs soon to follow!

[@tylermears480]

Nice addition man made all the difference for me as well. Especially when standing i went with protaper 7/8 to 1 1/8 adapter with 3/4 rise then the woods high bend protaper fattys with tusk mx handgaurds. Also pillow grips and I'm in love compared to stock paired with grade 8 washers front and back to clamp the pegs solid much much better for the technical stuff. Super simular to your set up lol the b&b bash plate is a must as well. I'll post a video tonight of my dr and its wake from winter hibernation haha

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Nice!!! Yeah I'll definitely be converting my pegs to a solid mount one way or another. Seems like the rubber isolation almost makes them vibrate more anyhow 😂

[@warrenhorby]

I know Rocky Mountain is your sponsor but Pro Cycle or Bushpig Performance has a better selection of DR650 upgrades.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

I'll have to check out Bushpig Performance. I've not heard of them yet, but Procycle was awesome when I was ordering TW parts and I've been looking at them for suspension parts!

[@warrenhorby]

@@SwankyCatProductions Bushpig Performance actually Carrie's parts for all the bikes you have apart from the 701. They are straight up guys with exceptional service.

[@packracer515]

That XR650L looks massive under you compared to the DR650.

[@bradh74]

You got plenty of back roads to ride in Wisconsin! Plus cheese curds Yummy!

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Yes, we certainly do!

[@randywilliams4325]

If you ever need longer cables Motion Pro can make custom length cables.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

No way??? Thanks, That's really good to know!

[@ftf1987]

Is there an over/under on Swanky's final preference? As an XR guy I was sure the DR was gonna be his bike, but he's liking that pre-lowered XR way more than I thought. I think the lowered XR will keep the momentum until he starts ADV-LITEing them...then the DR will nudge out.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

I actually just lowered the front and rear on the XR yesterday and then test rode it today. I think the DR has A LOT of potential that'll easily come out with just a few mods. Honestly though, the XR now feels veeerrrry similar to the DR on pavement and gravel. It's gonna be a tough decision if I've gotta pick one!

[@ftf1987]

@@SwankyCatProductions cant wait for the review.

[@mkramsauer]

Man that was such a friggin awesome video. Way to get everything out there👊

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Thanks man!!! Glad to hear you enjoyed it!!!

[@nseric1233]

I'm cheap, I run protaper se 7/8 kx high bars on my dr650, they're a couple inches taller than stock. Fat bars are not any better than alum 7/8 bars, they just cost more lol.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Haha yeah I think I just like how they look mostly 🤣

[@ericcournoyer1595]

Enough to drive you crazy....

[@SwankyCatProductions]

🤣

[@MaxwellBenson80]

A great video as always! The dr is an awesome bike.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Thank you! Yes, it most definitely is!

[@d-3five161]

Nice Video Man! My personal opinion is that most folks make way too big a deal about Bar Risers. I'm 6'5" and have never felt the need to install Bar Risers on any Motorcycle I've ever owed. You don't want to be standing straight up and down, you want a slight lean forward. Just my two cents.

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Thank you!!! Haha yeah, as much as I like my bars up high for my bad back, off road your much better off leaning over the front more. I often find myself letting the front slip because I'm riding where I'm comfy, rather than where I should be - pressing the front tire into the dirt. I'm glad I decided to go with the KTM bend for that reason, seems like a happy medium!

[@robbieandbeckie]

Good job!

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Thank you!!!

[@ridenm7748]

I want a fairing for the DR like the one installed on the XR? Any available?

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Me too!!! No, not at that price point unfortunately... I'll see what I can work out though, stay tuned!

[@johnjenkins9202]

Don't forget to like a bunch of comments to help mess with the algorithm LOL

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Yeah man!!! Haha.

[@IanSmart-g6y]

Ok

[@SwankyCatProductions]

Sounds good!

[@SikandrShaikh-d4o]

🇮🇳👌❤👌❤👌❤👌