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DR 650???

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unigobill

unigobill

Joined
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Denison, TX
DR 650??

Well as a old guy I'm considering selling the RT and moving on to something lighter? Something I can still travel on at a reduced pace. Wife has not been able to get on the RT the past couple of years, so we got a Spyder.

I'm considering maybe a dual sport something?? And this time I'm thinking DR 650. Any suggestions on the best way to get to ride one ?
 
I loved my DR650 and modified it a good bit, but it is an old school, utilitarian dual sport. This makes it very appealing to a large portion of us because it is so simple and does everything from 75mph highway to single track, but it does not do anything great. Maybe that is what you are looking for, but hours in pavement on a DR takes a certain type of rider. That is the sacrifice of what may be considered the most 50% dirt / 50% street bike out there. It is lighter than most ADV bikes, but really isn't "light".

There are lower CC and fuel injected alternatives of course, but it depends on your intended use. Being and "old guy" (I am getting there myself), I assume you would not want to pound it out on single track these days but want something that can still take on forest and ranch roads. I am moving this direction so I sold the DR650 and picked up two bikes: a Honda Transalp and Honda XR150L. The Transalp is a great 70% road / 30% dirt bike that can probably handle more serious dual sport work given a skillful rider. The XR is my plated dirt bike for puttering around and single track because it is smaller, lighter and very easy to ride.

Off hand, I suggest:
Honda Transalp or CB500X
KTM 390 Adventure
Maybe a Honda CRF300L or Kaw KLX 300
 
One of my favorite bikes . Hit a dear in Virginia , and still rode it home to Texas . Its a cold bike in the cool weather as no protection , easy service , reliable . Stock seat sucks but its a dirt bike seat not a tour bike seat . Did my first Iron butt attempt on this one . 985 miles in one day . To many fuel stops with tiny tank and missed a receipt so threw in the towel on a ss1000 . Photos are from early 2008

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I'd vote for the CB500x. Read up on them after one popped up here. It would be more comfy than a dr on any distance ride I'd imagine being a twin. Slightly better longevity is my guess, but DR's go 60K routinely. You don't see that from Xr650l's, but they are certainly a nice bike as well. I just could not consider touring at any speed on a single anymore. Versys 650's are dirt cheap as well.
 
Last time I went to Home Depot, dirt was not cheap. Just sayin'.
 
Boulder Ed said:
I'd vote for the CB500x. Read up on them after one popped up here. It would be more comfy than a dr on any distance ride I'd imagine being a twin. ... Versys 650's are dirt cheap as well.
Click to expand...

I agree those are good suggestions, but it doesn't satisfy the OP's original desire to get something lighter. A DR650 is only 366 lb, like 70 lb lighter than a CB500X and nearly 120 lb lighter than a versys 650.

to the OP: I think that DR650 is probably a good choice (on paper) if you want a sub-400 lb motorcycle, provided you are tall and don't mind a tall seat and dirt bike ergonomics and road manners. If you want a sub-400 lb bike that's more of a conventional street bike and has >40 hp, the choices get a bit more tricky. A Ducati Scrambler 800 just barely gets under 400 lb, or a 2008 or older SV650. A Ducati Monster 695 or 696 would be good too, or even an older M620 if you can tolerate carbs and old Italian motorcycle reliability and maintenance. Building lightweight motorcycles is a dying art.

If you really want light weight, are vertically challenged, only ride solo and avoid long highway stretches, a TU250X is only 326 lb and I can tell you it feels light as a feather compared with these traditionally 400+ lb street bikes. But it doesn't like to go much more than 60mph especially if there are hills.
 
Don't forget the DRZ400 at 280-300ish lbs. Although now you are dealing with carb AND radiators AND a 2x4 for a seat.
Also, it only has a 5 speed, although I commuted on one for 11 years with minimal issues.
 
Mine was a tiny bit buzzy at highway speeds. (I trailered it to most "away" stuff) And I didn't have added wind protection. Was great for just running around and on graded dirt.
Needed suspension work when I started taking to bigger stuff off road. The WR's and KTM 690's left my behnd when the road got rougher and the altitude got higher. Stay under 8 to 10,000 and it breathed/worked ok. For Texas stuff it was a great rider.
I've lost a lot of weight and have been thinking of another or maybe a Honda XR650 or the new Himilayan when it comes out.

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I've had a DR650 for dual sport touring. In a nutshell, you are looking at 30 yr old technology so the moto needs suspension and brake upgrades, maybe lowered seat, lowered foot peg mounts, Mikuni TM40 pumper carb, and oversized gas tank. About 2500 USD. For day rides you can skip most of these mods except for the suspension and brakes. Cogent DDC fork cartridges with stiffer springs is the minimum to upgrade the suspension. The rear shock has like zero damping so that should be upgraded also, but a Cogent shock ain't cheap. And yep carry a stator pick up coil in your tool kit. And fix the neutral switch before it fails. Don't forget bar risers, CR-Hi bars, and a headlight that works. Add another 500.

Taking all that into consideration, I've put about 40,000 miles each on two KLX400R (DRZ400E) modded dual sports, 25,000 miles on a modded XR650R dual sport, 40,000 miles on the Versys 650 modded with 19/17 wheel set, 10,000 miles on an XT250, and currently on a CRF250F dual sport plated.

If I lived in Texas, I would go with the DR650 for paved and mild dirt. Second choice would be the used DRZ400E because luggage is a problem. Forget riding two up on a DRZ for distance. Never been a fan of the DRZ S model with the CV carb. The Versys with a 17 wheel set is good if you stay on pavement, but off road it is a no go. Even with a 19/17 wheel set the handling is mediocre off road. The Versys was designed as a sport bike not a dual sport. The XT250 is good most roads for short tours but not so good two up. The issues with the 650R is again luggage for touring and forget two up, and no elec start for who did not get the kick start gene. If you crave adrenaline, then there is no substitute for the XR650R as it jumps to 100 mph.

Clean modded DR650s frequently come up for sale here and also on Advrider or DRRiders websites. Best of luck to you.
 
go with the dr650...unless you can find a dr350. both can be lowered and aftermarket seats are available.
I camp with my 650, ride gravel and dirt and take it with me most everywhere I go. with a corbin seat, it can be ridden all day and be ok.
 
18 months ago I was looking for that "unicorn" bike;
My requirements, as I ride solo in remote areas:
Light weight
Reliability
Light weight
Good parts availability
Light weight
Good off-road and on-road
Good range.
Ability to ride 2UP.
Did I mention light weight?

I narrowed it down to:
CBx500 - definately not light weight and too much like an Africa Twin which I owned
CRF300 ADV - which I bought and sold quickly - too under-powered
DR650 - too old school, it just felt really vintage
390 ADV - perfect...... just rode 4,000 miles in SD/WY/CO and fitted all my requirements.

One bike which was not on my list (and should have been) was the Versys 300, I'm intrigued
by this bike and may give it a shot.

To Unigobill - take a look at the 390 and Versys, either may work for you
 
390 ADV is a good one, I left it off my list. I forgot to put it back. That's a good pick. KTM seems to still know how to make a lightweight motorcycle. I guess when your back yard has mountains in it, weight makes a difference during development.

Versys 300 is still overweight for what it is, but a twin could make it worth it.

Myself I really appreciate my 31 year old ADV converted GS500, which other than feeling old-school and vintage, ticks all of those boxes. But it is actually sort of vintage, which means you have to work on it, easy as it might be.
 
"DR 650??

Well as a old guy I'm considering selling the RT and moving on to something lighter? Something I can still travel on at a reduced pace. Wife has not been able to get on the RT the past couple of years, so we got a Spyder.

I'm considering maybe a dual sport something?? And this time I'm thinking DR 650. Any suggestions on the best way to get to ride one ?"




Does anyone have a DR650 that Bill can test ride?
 
I have a versys 300 that I have swapped klr forks with progressive springs and racetech things and wheel onto and a 25mm longer hyperpro rear shock, it's honestly an amazing bike, does 90 pretty well and still keeps up with the ktm 690's just fine offroad now.
 
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