the DR200 thread

[BigCanoe]

Today I received my 16T front sprocket in the mail. I went right to work installing it. My pictorial walk thru of the install follows. But first, my impressions!

The install was pretty easy, I had done this once before on another bike. It was simliar, but even easier on the DR200 I think. With the sprocket installed, the chain slack adjusted, and my gear on I headed out for a test drive. I rode about 20 miles on 35/45/55 mph 2 lane roads.

What a difference! For reference, I am a 280lb 5'11" guy, so I am a "bit" oversized for the DR. My bike is completely stock, tires, carb, exhaust, you name it, its only got 1200 miles on it.

Before the sprocket change, the sweet spot in 5th seemed to be about 45MPH. Today, it was 52/53 MPH (indicated). This was just what I was looking for. I was able to cruise at 55ish with no effort. The vibrations in the handlebars and foot pegs were diminished as well. Not once did I try and upshift into the non-existent 6th gear. I lost a little umph going up hill in 5th, but I still had power to roll on and accelerate.

The sprocket I used was:

Sunstar Powerdrive
Part# 32316 Suzuki
It says right on the label DR200SE as well as a bunch of other Suzuki dual sport models.

I ordered mine from Amazon.

According to the site GearingCommander.com I dropped about 350RPM at 55 in 5th gear. A 15/42 would give very similar results, but be a little harder to install and a little more expensive.

Now, for some pictures!

The sprocket package:


Start by removing the three bolts on the cover. They were 8mm if I recall:



This will expose the stock sprocket and chain:



To loosen the chain to allow you to remove the sprocket, first remove the cotter pin on the nut on the left side of the rear axle.

Then, losen the nut, it was 19mm:



At this point, I put the bike on my ATV lift to get the rear tire off the ground. This will make moving the tire easier when adjusting the chain.

Loosen the chain adjuster (snails) to allow the wheel to move. Do this by spinning them counter clockwise with your hand.

With the chain loose, remove the front sprocket bolt. I had to put the bike in gear and hold down the brake to get mine loose. Remove the bolt and washer (looks like an action shot because of the blur!):



With the stock front sprocket off, I was able to compare them (stock left, new right):





They were definitely built differently, the stock one has a rubber surface on one side, but they were (eyeball) the same thickness where it counts.

Next, place the new sprocket in the chain, and on the drive shaft. Make sure the sprocket is on correct, with the flat side against the engine and the flange on the outside:



Next I replaced the washer and bolt for the front sprocket. I dont have a torque wrench so I tightened it down tight, but not overly tight, thats how it felt coming off (scientific, I know). I also used blue locktite to ensure it would stay put.

Now it is time to adjust the chain. The chain seems much tighter with the new, larger sprocket, as expected. I measure the slack and adjust the snails. Then I tightened the rear axle bolt. I spun the wheel to make sure everything rolled smoothly in neutral, no binding. I lowered the bike and had a sit, and the chain felt too tight. I loosened the axle nut, jacked it back up, and loosened the adjusters one tick on each side, making sure they matched. I tightened the nut, lowered it back down and had another sit. I checked the slack, Ah, that feels right!



Since the chain is relatively new, and I am a big guy, I will check it often and adjust it tighter as it stretches.

I tightened the nut quite snugly, and then replaced the cotter pin.

Finally, I replaced the sprocket cover and tightened up the bolts. I plan to check all the bolts again tomorrow.

Not sure if I need to adjust the rear brake, it worked fine on my test ride.

Thanks!
BC

[JayGoldstein]

Originally Posted by BigCanoe

Before the sprocket change, the sweet spot in 5th seemed to be about 45MPH. Today, it was 52/53 MPH (indicated). This was just what I was looking for. I was able to cruise at 55ish with no effort. The vibrations in the handlebars and foot pegs were diminished as well. Not once did I try and upshift into the non-existent 6th gear. I lost a little umph going up hill in 5th, but I still had power to roll on and accelerate.

Very helpful posting. It prompted me to order a 16T sprocket. I don't have to contend with hills, but strong headwinds are a challenge for the DR. I hope the larger sprocket will work out as well for me as it has for you.

[tony the tiger]

Welp, I say "good timing" as well - just picked up my sprockets yesterday.
Going from a stock [14 tooth -I thought? looking at your pic, maybe I'm just doing a rear sprocket if the front looks okay] to a 15 tooth front, and replacing the rear with another 45 tooth sprocket.

Parts guy told me adding a tooth on the front was like taking three off the rear, so that'd be the same ration as a 14:42 I guess.

Picked them up at my local Yamahahahaha dealer. He wanted to sell me a 39 tooth rear sprocket, but I was thinkin' that'd be too tall. Using his formula though, (and if you're still runnin' a 45 rear) that would've come out the same as what you got.

I commute the LB up a big hill, and the Keihan carb mods helped improve operation quite a bit - interstate capable of 70+ MPH, at a cost of reduced MPG. I'm runnin' right about 175 pounds - probably another 10 pounds of gear and my lunch. Oughta' be interesting to see what the new front sprocket does...

[tony the tiger]

Originally Posted by SHO_GuN

My bike must be weaker than some .... I bought a 39T rear sprocket and even in the slightest of headwinds it couldn't maintain 55 MPH. My MPG suffered also, I don't remember specifics but it was substantial.

So then I bought a 14T front sprocket to use with it and I like this much better than the stock gearing. This is almost the same gearing as have a 16T front sprocket with the 45T rear sprocket. When I saw that the clearance between the chain and case is so tight that you can't remove the chain from the stock 15T sprocket without removing the sprocket from the shaft, it just seemed too risky to jam a 16T in there.

FYI - Some gearing data:

15/45 = 3.00 (Stock)
16/45 = 2.81
14/39 = 2.79
15/39 = 2.60

Yep ...looks like I am wrong. 15/45 will put me @ stock, an' that's okay by me... but I'll look around for a smaller rear sprocket next time - meanwhile, the rear on mine is gettin' toothy.
Miles of smiles!

[BigCanoe]

Anyone installed a switched power outlet? Which wire did you tie into?

[Gale B.T.]

DR 200 rider, question, wife needs the skid plate,2006 DR 200, how many pieces are needed and what /where is best prices for best plate?

Thanks ahead of time,
gale

[Highaltidude]

Originally Posted by Gale B.T.

DR 200 rider, question, wife needs the skid plate,2006 DR 200, how many pieces are needed and what /where is best prices for best plate?

Thanks ahead of time,
gale

One piece.

Ricochet.

eBay and Google are your friends.....

Got em on both mine and my wife's DR200s.

Chuck

[Gale B.T.]

Originally Posted by Highaltidude

One piece.

Ricochet.

eBay and Google are your friends.....

Got em on both mine and my wife's DR200s.

Chuck

thanks Chuck, looking right now, best so far is 92 plus shipping from Ricochet in Utah.

[joggenam treerot]

first i would like to say that i am new to this forum. i have been on dirtbikes for years but have just bought an enduro.....a 2005 dr 200 se and needless to say i love the little bike! it was owned by a old man and was well taken care of. it looks very close to new, with low miles as well i see that the bike has a small cult following and is quite a capable little bike.
i was also wondering if anyone has found a good set of hand guards that fit it well? i have looked but none seem quite right.....anyone have any that work well?

[FAW3]

Originally Posted by joggenam treerot

first i would like to say that i am new to this forum. i have been on dirtbikes for years but have just bought an enduro.....a 2005 dr 200 se and needless to say i love the little bike! it was owned by a old man and was well taken care of. it looks very close to new, with low miles as well i see that the bike has a small cult following and is quite a capable little bike.
i was also wondering if anyone has found a good set of hand guards that fit it well? i have looked but none seem quite right.....anyone have any that work well?

First...welcome and congrats on your "new" DR!

I just recently got our first DR200 and am waiting for my handguards to arrive for installation. Found some on ebay...nicely priced. I've noted that the bars on the DR are pretty clear of obstructions and hope for a easy installation. Reading this thread I saw that it is reported that the OEM bars ends are filled with metal - for vibration reduction. IF that is what I find...likely I'll just drill a nice sized pilot hole, tap the hole, and install the end sections via a hex head bolt and not use the typical "expander" bolt (which requires a much bigger pilot hole). I did this on my KLR and it has held up perfectly - even after field testing!!

[Highaltidude]

Originally Posted by joggenam treerot

first i would like to say that i am new to this forum. i have been on dirtbikes for years but have just bought an enduro.....a 2005 dr 200 se and needless to say i love the little bike! it was owned by a old man and was well taken care of. it looks very close to new, with low miles as well i see that the bike has a small cult following and is quite a capable little bike.
i was also wondering if anyone has found a good set of hand guards that fit it well? i have looked but none seem quite right.....anyone have any that work well?

While the prospect of almost 400 pages can be daunting, there is some great info contained in previous posts. Many thoughts on hand guards...... The search feature can help you sift......

Chuck

[BigCanoe]

I just attempted (barely) to put handguards on mine. I removed the throttle tube, and there is a slug welded in the end of the bars. You can either drill in or cut it out, its only welded at the edge. Good luck!

[tony the tiger]

Originally Posted by joggenam treerot

first i would like to say that i am new to this forum. i have been on dirtbikes for years but have just bought an enduro.....a 2005 dr 200 se and needless to say i love the little bike! it was owned by a old man and was well taken care of. it looks very close to new, with low miles as well i see that the bike has a small cult following and is quite a capable little bike.
i was also wondering if anyone has found a good set of hand guards that fit it well? i have looked but none seem quite right.....anyone have any that work well?

Gotta watch out for them old men ... just saying...

[BigCanoe]

Originally Posted by tony the tiger

Gotta watch out for them old men ... just saying...

Hey, I resemble that remark (and icon, except for the cane, and my beard is shorter)

[CoolNameGuy]

Hello fellow adventurers.

Thanks for having this wonderful site with all of the interesting and useful info. I hope I'm putting this question in the right location.

I have the 2009 Suzuki DR200SE that I bought new about 6 months ago to use as a commuter bike to replace my scooter. The very next day I got transferred closer to home and so I haven't used it much. Maybe 3 or 4 months ago I reached 600 miles on the odometer and so I parked it in the garage until I could get a chance to do the oil change. A couple of days ago I pulled it out and tried to start it. No luck. So I charged the battery and after several attempts, I was able to crank it by giving it plenty of throttle until it started to pop and then keeping it revved up. It ran like this for about 3 minutes and then made some sounds like there was water in the gas. So the next day, I drained the tank and refilled it with fresh gas and tried again. Again it started by using plenty of throttle and it ran like this for about 3 or 4 minutes. At some point, when I was trying to restart it, I remember hearing a pop which turns out was the oil inspection window flying off into eternity.

Does any know why the oil inspection window would have blown out? Is it a potentially serious problem or just a little clog somewhere? Should I break down and take it to the dealer and risk a big cash payout or just buy the part and try again?

Thanks