Yamaha WR250R vs Honda XR650L vs Suzuki DR650

[b.ringrose]

Funny you should be talking about this but as you prep for your your round the world trip me and a friend are prepping for the Canol Heritage Trail (although not much of a trail).

Point being though, we have spent alot of time looking into what riding gear to take, and Klim seems to come out on top everytime. Seems to be the most durable and weather proof of everything we've seen, and the D3O armor is truly amazing stuff.

[eakins]

the IMS tank is giving me 250 mi range. there are really only a few places in the world where gas is farther apart than that. in mex, as you know, gas is no more 25 mi apart. i use the suplied ims petcock and it w2orks very well. i added an inline fuel filter and removed the one in the inlet pipe of the carb.

i use a small wolfman enduro tankbag on my ims

i have a sargent seat and love it. had a corbin before the sargent.

wolfman now makes an unreal strong 4 point dr side rack and you can bolt pelicans to it. i'd add a rear rack and bolt a pelican back there too.

i'd add a b king laminar lip screen from procycle as a windshield.

i have upgraded f &r suspenison

i,m getting a tool tube to replace the stock one

i'd go with this rear tire
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...Rear-Tire.aspx

i use proptaer atv mid bars. strong upright and very comfortable to a long period of time.

i would add procycle drop foot pegs or lowering brackets for knee comfort

Originally Posted by puntoMX

I never traveled that far like you are planning, but here is my list on that.
You are young people compared to most that travel that far thus you could
do with different setups, like change your seat yourself and NOT buying an
overpriced seat. So, here is my list:

1. Both IMS or Safari are good, personally I like the Safari better (larger)
but it's also more expensive.

2. Build your own seat, make it higher and wider where you like, there is lots
of info on the internet and you could save some cash with it that you
could invest in other equipment.

3. Ricochet are nice.

4. For hand protection buy something that protects your hands from the cold
and wet winds, Acerbis rally Pro PRO X-strong is what I like.

5. Rear rack self made or some one that knows how to weld, make it custom
to your needs.

6. Rear case and side cases: Pelican! This in combination with the custom
made rack. Everything will stay dry and dust free whats inside, they are
also hard to destroy AND the protect your bike. other option could be
custom made Alu boxes. (yes you get it, I don't like fancy aftermaket stuff).

7. Depends indeed how you like it, but start with the seat first before you
measure the rest.

8. Fenderbag is extra weight in front that is not needed, just build tooltubes
that can be locked with a key, by the way, tire-spoons; KTM curved ones
for 11.00USD each . Hand pump: Blackburn Mammoth 2 Stage Pump,
yes, small, but works great, I have the Blackburn Mammoth 3 Pump but the
2 Stage Pump is better. No need for large pumps.

9. tankbag, no idea there.

10. Stock shocks suck on the DR650, they are not enough adjustable and NOT
made for heavy loads, rear shock rebuild the original by Cogent,
front shocks are good to start with although the springs are a bit too soft;
re-valve and rebuild of the front shock would be best if you did it yourself
so you have the tools when it starts leaking, so, I would take some extra
seals as well with you (light and cheap). Oil can be bought everywhere.

11. keep the bike stock, this way it doesn't matter where you are, at what
sea-level, fuel, and what not more. If the carburetor has the brass plug
over the fuel mixture screw, drill that out, also, while you at it, get some
stainless steel Allen bolts for it. Extende fuel mixture screw would be nice
(don't recall if there is one for that model, but it must be). "shoke" cable
I would get writ off and buy a handshoke mounted directly onto the carb.
I use a Twin-Air filter as they are better than the stock, but it's not needed.

12. Lights, keep them color 4500-5000k, so it doesn't look that "blue", HID is
nice indeed but it's hard to find a good dual HID (Hi AND low) H4 bulb, note
that HID isn't legal in a lot of countries when it didn't came stock with the
bike. 80/100W Halogen bulbs are also a nice option, plus there is the "new"
HOD that seems to be a better halogen bulb... They are cheap to test, no
idea how good they are but I'm going to test one soon for myself.

13. Tires are personal I would say, I like my Metzeler Tourance but they suck in
mud/clay/grass, sure they are great on rocks and street! To bad they use
tubes, tubeless would be easier to fix with the right kit.

14. Fieldsheer clothing (doesn't break the bank) and Gearne boots is what I use,
gloves just plain and simple Fox Dirtpaw.

15. What AKoffroader said .

Well, thats the list for me, keep it simple, build what you can build yourself.

[eakins]

Originally Posted by b.ringrose

Funny you should be talking about this but as you prep for your your round the world trip me and a friend are prepping for the Canol Heritage Trail (although not much of a trail).

Point being though, we have spent alot of time looking into what riding gear to take, and Klim seems to come out on top everytime. Seems to be the most durable and weather proof of everything we've seen, and the D3O armor is truly amazing stuff.

i have klim traverse pants w/ added armor. best pants ever.
i'm adding a klim lattitude jacket as soon as i can.

i use tcx infinity boots. comfortable and bomber water proof. i'd take these around the world!
http://www.revzilla.com/product/tcx-...tm_medium=base

[overlandr]

Here's a link to people who've done the RTW (or similar) deed! Lots of DR650s. The overriding lesson seems to be travel light.

http://www.adventure-motorcycling.com/trip/

[quillbro]

any update on this trip?

Good idea to go with the DR. I have a DR650 and Wr250r.... the wr is awesome off road through the woods. But if i was going around the world I wouldnt think twice to pick the DR.

Valve adjustments can be done in about 20 minutes on the DR and are simple. The things run forever. Best rugged bike in the world.

[GSF1200S]

Originally Posted by quillbro

any update on this trip?

Good idea to go with the DR. I have a DR650 and Wr250r.... the wr is awesome off road through the woods. But if i was going around the world I wouldnt think twice to pick the DR.

Valve adjustments can be done in about 20 minutes on the DR and are simple. The things run forever. Best rugged bike in the world.

I too wonder of whether or not this trip is still going to happen. This may be a thread revival, but I cannot believe that in all the advice for the DR650, noone mentioned the NSU mod fix (after he purchased the two DR's)! I wont even ride my DR for more than 5 minutes yet because im paranoid about one of the screws backing out- that is one thing that MUST be done before a trip like this.

Its pretty simple- pull the clutch cover, pull the clutch, pull the screws to the neutral sending unit, clean the screws, apply loctite (non-permanent) to the screws, put them back in being sure not to break the NSU unit with tightness here, and reassemble.

[snatchy]

I believe the trip did happen, and it is a good read;
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=673764

Additional bit;
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=714107

[bigalsmith101]

It was great ride, but did not consist of an Around the World adventure. My riding partner in crime Tom, and myself left for what turned out to be nearly exactly 8 months. I finished in Buenos Aires, Argentina while Tom finished in Santiago, Chile. I sold my bike. Tom shipped his home.

NEITHER of us did anything to our NSU screws. Left them where they were, and rode the hell out of the bikes. Must be done? I think not. Should have been done. Most likely.

quillbro: We did indeed take our DR650's and we loved them. Very utilitarian bikes that never let us down for more than a day.

--Alex

[GSF1200S]

Originally Posted by bigalsmith101

It was great ride, but did not consist of an Around the World adventure. My riding partner in crime Tom, and myself left for what turned out to be nearly exactly 8 months. I finished in Buenos Aires, Argentina while Tom finished in Santiago, Chile. I sold my bike. Tom shipped his home.

NEITHER of us did anything to our NSU screws. Left them where they were, and rode the hell out of the bikes. Must be done? I think not. Should have been done. Most likely.

quillbro: We did indeed take our DR650's and we loved them. Very utilitarian bikes that never let us down for more than a day.

--Alex

Thats cool- some people have no issues, and others have had those screws grenade the motor with low mileage

Any reason you sold the bike? I think id become too attached to it to just walk away .. may not be worth the shipping cost though. Reading the RR now

[Adv Grifter]

Originally Posted by GSF1200S

Thats cool- some people have no issues, and others have had those screws grenade the motor with low mileage

Any reason you sold the bike? I think id become too attached to it to just walk away .. may not be worth the shipping cost though. Reading the RR now

Some riders (like Big Al) are lucky, no issues. How lucky is Al? Well, after 2 or 3 pretty nasty crashes he (more or less) survived and managed to get his DR650 back on the road. This, IMO, says a lot about Al and the sturdiness of the machine.

The NSU thing is still a rarity. But given what an easy fix it is ... it is a no brainer to go ahead and Loctite those bolts in. Most failures have happened up over 20K miles.

The DR650 can also have a 3rd gear failure issue. Also, not wide spread except in Australia and New Zealand. No idea why they have so many 3rd gear problems. In any case, both issues can grenade the motor. Both represent probably less than 1% of DR650's world wide. Less in USA. No way to prevent the 3rd gear issue that I know of.
My DR is approaching 50,000 miles ... 3rd gear has been whining like a Banshee for 40,000 miles ... no problems.

Big Al's report is a good one ... well worth reading!

[bigalsmith101]

Originally Posted by GSF1200S

]Any reason you sold the bike? I think id become too attached to it to just walk away .. may not be worth the shipping cost though. Reading the RR now

I sold my bike for $3500. So luckily I didn't just walk away from it. Shipping his bike home cost Tom (riding partner) just about $2250. Not worth it in my opinion! Enjoy the read!

[bigalsmith101]

Originally Posted by Adv Grifter

No way to prevent the 3rd gear issue that I know of.
My DR is approaching 50,000 miles ... 3rd gear has been whining like a Banshee for 40,000 miles ... no problems.

Big Al's report is a good one ... well worth reading!

ProCycle.us is now selling a 3rd gear replacement set made by Nova for $599.95. Not my cup of tea, but they will most definitely sell a few sets of gears to some.

Thanks for the compliment on my Ride Report. It was a fun to write! As for being lucky. I've toned down the last 12 months in preparation for a 12 months stint in Australia coming this January!

--Alex

[fujian]

Originally Posted by MotoChris521

Sooo.. a DRZ is smaller than a WR250R

Another vote for the DR650

I second this, I don't understand how you would say " and the damn thing is just too little for Tom or I. " Referencing the DRZ...So confused. The DRZ would be the choice for me hands down.

[bigalsmith101]

Having met another rider, Patrick, on his DRZ-400S, at 6'4" 220lbs, happily scooting along at 60+mph, I realize any statement of the bike being too small was inaccurate.

However, I would not choose to ride a DRZ-400S over a DR650 given the choice. However, my next planned trip will be different, with Kristi riding alongside me, and we may very well end up on the lower displacement bike. Not sure yet!

Originally Posted by fujian

I second this, I don't understand how you would say " and the damn thing is just too little for Tom or I. " Referencing the DRZ...So confused. The DRZ would be the choice for me hands down.

[GSF1200S]

Originally Posted by bigalsmith101

Having met another rider, Patrick, on his DRZ-400S, at 6'4" 220lbs, happily scooting along at 60+mph, I realize any statement of the bike being too small was inaccurate.

However, I would not choose to ride a DRZ-400S over a DR650 given the choice. However, my next planned trip will be different, with Kristi riding alongside me, and we may very well end up on the lower displacement bike. Not sure yet!

Biggest problem with the DRz is the tight gear ratios. Gear for the street and first is too tall in the dirt. Gear for the dirt, and the bike wants to scream on the street. Nova racing sells a replacement wide-ratio gear set that will fix that problem, but it will cost ya. I ran with a guy the other day- him on his DRz and me on my DR. This guy has decades of experience, and can leave me in the dust without trying. That said, we got lost and into some no track- his bike was geared for freeway and first was fairly tall. He got through, but stalled it once or twice and had to watch it. I didnt have issues, but my bike is geared lower and has a wide ratio spread. Gearing is huge..

The DRz isnt as wide, so even with an aftermarket seat it wont be as comfortable on the long haul. That said, that has its advantages too. You can get a DRz down to about 300-310 lbs, where a DR stripped will be down to about 340 at best. Its also a narrower bike in the woods, and it has more ground clearance. I have gotten my DR through some nasty shit, but the DRz would no doubt do it even nastier.

I think if you end up considering a WR, XRL, DR, or DRz, you really cant go wrong. Each will have its advantages, all are pretty reliable, and all can be pretty well farkled. Money is no object? Nova gearset in a DRz with all the farkles you can throw at it. Runs cheap gas, reliable, enough power, can carry some weight (with some subframe enhancements), good on the street, great in the dirt, light (ish), and needs little maintenance.