the DR650 thread

[NJ-Brett]

The picture makes them look on the dark side....

Originally Posted by Squiggles

How white should the plugs be?

Having a second go at jetting my DR, it only has the snorkel out and a twin air filter.

When i did it 20,000km ago i raised the needle by 1mm (0.04") and ended up with the mixture screw 2.25turns out. Was never entirely happy with it, seemed to surge a tad.

In those 20,000k's the plastic spacer had a groove worn into it (~0.5mm (0.02")). Have flipped the spacer over and shaved a bit of material off the washers so it should now be raised by 0.76mm (0.03") which I believe is the ideal?

Mixture screw is about 2 turns out (I did it for a smooth idle and then a quarter turn further)


Plugs are a bit grey/white, they're up for replacement in another 2k, what do you guys think of the colouring? All good?

[procycle]

Originally Posted by Squiggles

How white should the plugs be?

The plugs will only show what was happening in the last several seconds the engine was running before they were removed. If the last thing you did was idle up your driveway the spark plugs are a snapshot of that operation. You can't really determine anything about jetting by looking at the spark plugs unless you put in brand new plugs in an already warmed up motor and then take it out immediately and to a "plug chop" (google it). Then, if you are experienced at reading spark plugs you might make some determination about the size of the main jet.

A better indication of jetting setup is whether is runs great and gets good fuel economy.

[Pablo83]

I was ordering parts for the DR350 and somehow ended up with DR650 parts. Probably my fault.

Anyway, I have a brand new, OEM, in sealed bag, clutch and throttle cable for a 90-91 DR650S. Anyone need these? The clutch cable (58200-14A00) cost me 13.75. I'd like $10 for it. The throttle (58300-12D00) cost me $18.22. I'd like to get $15. If you buy both I'll pay shipping in the US.

PM me if you're interested.

[Adv Grifter]

Originally Posted by shu

Yes, that's true. I wouldn't be afraid of this bike though. Mine is an '08 and I now have 32,000 miles on it. It's dirty and looks used but I've taken good care of it and it's a very trustworthy motorcycle. One thing about high mileage in a short period of time: it probably means that the bike has spent a significant amount of time loping along on the highway - easy miles. I've ridden a lot of dirt on mine but I've spent a lot of time getting there too, not being a 'trailer' kind of guy.

Even so, if I tried to sell mine- I doubt that I could get more than $1500 for it- seeing that late model DRs with 500 miles go for $3500-4000.

What I would do is look at the guy's service records. They should tell you how he's treated his bike. I know that a lot of people don't keep detailed records and they still take good care of their bikes, but I wouldn't buy from them. Some people lie. Shocking.

.............shu

Yea, hard to know miles on a DR anyway. Pretty easy to unplug that Speedo! Modern bikes with computer speedos make that harder ... a good thing for buyers, IMHO.

But so true about the kind of miles a bike has done. Constant riding in City traffic in hot weather would be "bad" miles, as would very rugged single track at slow speeds or desert riding through lots of deep sand. Deep sand and mud are very hard on engines.

Highway cruising is a breeze for the DR ... and I'd guess very little wear takes place. Some riders are abusive and bang a bike off the rev limiter on every shift.

Hard to tell who does what ... but reading this thread you can get a pretty good idea .... Anyone remember that "hot shot" from L.A. , handle was "Goodcat8" ? He crashed his DR ... and no one even wanted to buy the leftover carcass.

Service records are good. I keep 'em on ALL my bikes. Every service gets noted, and all receipts saved. Nice to know the history when you buy a used bike.

[basketcase]

Originally Posted by Motocraz

Hi people,
I am looking at a DR650SE 2008 model with about 41,000km (25,500 miles).

Any good advice on what to look out for when checking the bike. I have been riding street bike most of the time and this will be my first dual sport bike. So will appreciate if anyone can tell me any potential problem with a DR650SE with this amount of milage.

Thanks in advance.

Buying a pre-owned bike is unavoidably hazardous. I recall vividly that when I was DR shopping I took a day off from work and drove 7 hours to another state (cash in pocket) to look at an '09 DR that the owner presented as "excellent condition" with a clear title.

Well, I got there to find the bike had been dropped and had a dent in the tank the size of a small potato (photos didn't show that), the can had been drilled (poorly), the fins on the oil cooler were flattened from having been sprayed too hard with a high pressure washer, and the engine (at 3.5K miles) sounded like it had bb's rattling around in it. On top of all that, he indeed had the title (no lien) but the bike was still in the original owner's name. So the original owner was not available to sign a bill of sale and "no, he has changed jobs and I don't have his new cell number."

I didn't dog cuss the guy but I did let him know that the bike was not accurately represented. And I left with my money still in my pocket.

End of rant...

Back to your question: I recall that NADA or some other accepted vehicle watchdog group considers 5,000 miles a year to be average for a motorcycle. Granted, sterling maintenance would take away some of the risk, but it remains that the mileage is nearly double the allocation.

Assuming the oil was changed and the air-filter kept clean, there is still to be considered the matters of chain wear, brake wear, and the wear on other moving parts. "How soon will I have to replace __________? (fill in the blank).

Even so, if the owner has good records, can answer your questions, and you can tell he is legit then it might work into a good deal in spite of the high mileage.

Beyond that, was the bike stored in a garage or shed or left out in the elements? What his riding off road or on-road? Off road would call into play a higher degree of wear on the bike in general. And if on road, what type of commute was it? As someone noted, stop and go big city traffic is much harder on the bike than straight up highway miles.

With all that said, there is a thread here someplace on the site about high mileage DR's. I read that last year and there are plenty of DR's out there with 50K on them. High mileage alone is not a deal breaker, but low mileage is no guarantee the bike has been adequately cared for. As someone noted on the Gold Wing board years ago, "As much as anything we buy the owner when we buy the bike."

All other things being equal in terms of a credible owner and solid maintenance, I do think you could leverage the mileage for a great price.

Your call, dat.

Just MHO

[TeeVee]

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=661445

[matts1050]

Originally Posted by Motocraz

Hi people,
I am looking at a DR650SE 2008 model with about 41,000km (25,500 miles).

Any good advice on what to look out for when checking the bike. I have been riding street bike most of the time and this will be my first dual sport bike. So will appreciate if anyone can tell me any potential problem with a DR650SE with this amount of milage.

Thanks in advance.

I bought my '09 from this dealer in NJ. They delivered the bike cheap. Keep looking on ebay as they usually have one listed.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-2...item43a53c6f5d

[Trbig67]

Turn signal problem.... I rode to work one day and they both worked fine. All highway, so no rough stuff to wiggle things loose. Next day, the right side doesn't work, but left side is still fine. Does this indicate the switch on the left control needs to be taken apart and maybe cleaned up, or is there something else I should look at? I'm pretty mechanical, but electrical stuff isn't my forte'.

[ram1000]

Originally Posted by Trbig67

Turn signal problem.... I rode to work one day and they both worked fine. All highway, so no rough stuff to wiggle things loose. Next day, the right side doesn't work, but left side is still fine. Does this indicate the switch on the left control needs to be taken apart and maybe cleaned up, or is there something else I should look at? I'm pretty mechanical, but electrical stuff isn't my forte'.

I would check the air in the rear tire first. If that isn't it maybe the bulb in the turn signal.

[Willy G]

Not mine but a nice bike.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2009-...e#ht_500wt_973

[newride]

Originally Posted by NordieBoy

Snip the wires a couple of cm inside the cases, fold it back on itself a couple of times and zip tie it.
You can always solder on a new one later if you want.

cool, if it is that easy, I will do it today. When I have a chance down the road, I will get a new oil pump gear, new gasket and new NSU.
Just wanted to make sure if I just cut it, it wont short out any thing that way.
Thanks man!

[trailrider383]

Originally Posted by Willy G

Not mine but a nice bike.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2009-...e#ht_500wt_973

I guess the guy doesn't understand that adding $2000 worth of farkles doesn't actually make your bike worth $2000 more when you resell it.

[RamMan4x4]

Originally Posted by Trbig67

Turn signal problem.... I rode to work one day and they both worked fine. All highway, so no rough stuff to wiggle things loose. Next day, the right side doesn't work, but left side is still fine. Does this indicate the switch on the left control needs to be taken apart and maybe cleaned up, or is there something else I should look at? I'm pretty mechanical, but electrical stuff isn't my forte'.

+1 for the bulb unless both front and rear on the right side are out. Even in that case, I would check bulbs first.

[Paloma Paul]

for the bulb unless both front and rear on the right side are out. Even in that case, I would check bulbs first.

Sounds like bulbs to me...........my left rear is often not working so I have an extra wrapped in a piece of sock..I can't say it goes out. I replace it almost every year or two. never had any problems with the other ones/

[Paloma Paul]

After a long ride (100+ miles) my back muscles around my shoulders always are sore and burning....I read on here some time ago about a certain handle bar that eliminates this problem (ATV bar) somebody help me out and post what it is.........seems like it was some bar for an ATV is all I remember.