Freeway/Highway on smaller bikes

I noticed recently my desire to ride has decreased because for me to get anywhere i need to hope on a highway/freeway. I rode a kz440 and then a gpz900 now I ride a dr350. Compared to the others I just cant relax on highways. I can cruise comfortably up til 63(max out around 85) miles an hour then it feels like I am pushing the bike and it begins to feel unstable. I have replaced all the bearings on the bike and I have it set up for my weight but it just doesn't feel like i am in 100% control. The knobbies don't help I am sure. Is it just the geometry of dirt bikes that they don't handle highways as well? What does everyone do to cope?

Average speed is about 65 to 75 on these roads so getting passed happens often.

On my other bikes I felt that if an object ahead appeared out of nowhere i would be able to dodge it but since I am much more tense of the dr350 i would just white knuckle and squeeze. I have been adding to my gear collection and it seems the more I add the more restricted I feel and the more stressed i get. I guess i just need to get used to my gear.

Not sure if any of this makes sense.

1.) Balance the wheels
2.) DOT Knobbies
3.) Air Up

My WR250R is a dream on the highway when i did the above 3

I also ride a DR350 and commute to work on it about half the time. My daily commute is almost 80 miles round trip, with most of that on the freeway. It's not the ideal environment for a DR350 but it does handle it OK. Most of the pavement is that terrible grooved stuff, and there are loads of trucks at all times.

The DR was/is my first dual sport bike, but I'd been riding for about 9 years on street bikes before I got the DR. There's definitely a difference in how the DR handles freeway speeds compared to a lower, heavier, more aerodynamic street bike with smooth street tires.

But I never feel unsafe on the DR, either. It moves around a lot, the knobbier DS tires follow grooves a little more readily, but it still gets down the road fine. My advice is to loosen up and try to get used to the feel of the DR on the freeway. It's going to move around, that's normal.

Another tip is if you have the stock front fender mounted and you want to do a lot of freeway riding, get rid of it. It's a huge, floppy, banana-shaped sail that catches wind and pushes the forks around. I swapped to a sleeker Acerbis supermoto-style fender on my DR and the difference is like night and day at high speeds and in crosswinds.

stay to the far right, maintain at least 55 on the interstates.
Here in California there are signs at on ramps that state 'no motor driven cycles beyond this point' which means if your under 150cc keep off (at 150cc myself, I absolutely max out at just under 55)...

check out www.dmv.org for your states cycle rules.

I do have the stock fender on it and I also have a spare strapped to it which is probably exacerbating the problem.

I also should balance the tires.

55 is nys speed limit.

Average speed on Florida highways is 75 to 85 MPH, and there's 60 honest miles of super-slab to get to the cloasest area I prefer to ride the DR650, so it's even more of a pain.

Just got back home from a vacation, and am considering moving in some direction more pertinent to my interests... should probably move out to the western USA though.

well many here have way more riding experience then me and will not think twice about riding a smaller cc bike on the freeway but given a choice, which many have, i wonder why a rider would?

concerning OP i would just say get another bike in the stable. something that can get to 100mph without breathing hard. and sonething with regular tires

that is just my POV from limited expereince. i want POWAH on the freeway not a slow bike with knobbies!

I still have the gpz900 but i have some work to do on it.

I didnt mention only have about 800 miles on the dr350 since i have owned it so maybe i just need more time.

^ could be just a matter of time. i know it can take some miles to get used to a bike

on the subject of slower bikes on the freeway, however. i suppose it can be done well. just a matter of riding safe and style

i say this because i recall when i rode scooters 100% reading some posts from riders that said "i would NOT ride the streets of L.A. on anything less then a 500cc bike!. you'll get run over!!"

which always made me laugh and is complete nonsense. but i wouldn't know that if i had no experience with the 150cc scoots

they were fine. sure your bike is, too

My buddy didn't like taking my DR650 above 45 on a breezy day. I have no qualms about blasting along at 80MPH+. It takes a few miles to get used to some bikes, but a 300lb dualsport on knobs still isn't likely to be as stable as a 400lb+ roadbike.

Ride a crapload of soft sand. Get used to it at higher speeds and then bombing down the slab will likely seem a cakewalk.

Commuted for 3 years on a Vespa 250GTS, not a problem.

Remember, in many places you can use the commuter lane too =)

Maybe you can change to a more street orientated tire till you get the GPZ900 fixed.

In my experience neither low power (15hp bike, 34hp car, 40hp ATV) nor off-road tires are a problem on highways. As long as it does 60mph, even if it's redlining all the time, you're good to go.
The one thing that really helps on the highway is mass. The heavier the vehicle, the better the feeling.

Definitely change to a sm front fender or put a fender brace on it. My 350 and 650 DRs both acted the same way at highway speeds. The fender helped some. Knobbies add vibration also.

I used to have a DR250. It was fine running down the highway at 65. It was perfectly stable even up to top speed of around 80 but I didn't feel like pushing the engine that hard. I had Kenda 270s on it and the tires were balanced. The idea that a bike has to be heavy to be stable at speed is pure crap. MotoGP bikes don't weigh a ton. My XT350 with knobbies is also stable at highway speeds but I rarely ride it there.

452 kit.

Most people just do not relax, most small bikes are fine at top speed.
I never had a bike that was unstable on the interstate.

My TU250 is a hoot on the interstate, but its a street bike, with street tires.
My xt200 feels great at a top speed of 65, with a non dot knobby on the front...

If i dont pinch the tank with my legs and loosen my grip i get a bit of instability. Theres got to be something wrong.

Maybe that's one of the reasons you don't see them on highways. They really aren't build for extended highway use.