the DR650 thread

[MikkSteel]

Originally Posted by Klay

You have to properly condition a new battery when you first activate it. It needs to be on a trickle charger or a Battery Tender until it's fully charged after you add the acid. I suspect that the new battery died on the way to Hawaii.

You can't trust voltage readings when a bad battery is in line. I don't know why they behave that way, but that's exactly how mine behaved when the battery died...it showed a drop in voltage with the engine running.

Hmmm... It's a sealed battery, no acid to add. It's new, I guess I could go try to get a new one under warranty.

[Klay]

Originally Posted by MikkSteel

Hmmm... It's a sealed battery, no acid to add. It's new, I guess I could go try to get a new one under warranty.

Who did you buy it from? The seller receives the battery from the manufacturer in an unactivated state. They should have added the acid, sealed the battery permanently, and done the initial charge correctly.

[MikkSteel]

Originally Posted by Klay

Who did you buy it from? The seller receives the battery from the manufacturer in an unactivated state. They should have added the acid, sealed the battery permanently, and done the initial charge correctly.

It's a Deka battery, ordered through Ebay from a company called Pasco in Virginia. There's a Deka dealer here on Oahu. If I continue to have problems I'm going to bring it to them.

[955616846]

Originally Posted by zdiver1

Did my first night ride with the HID light kit, mine has hi and lo what a big difference .
I think I was flashed a few time from oncoming cars or they hit a bump in the road, did you guys adj your lights ? I don’t ride at night much so I will probably leave it alone.

There is no consistency in the H4 HIDs that I have seen and there is a good chance you'll need to adjust it... beats me why you didn't check that to begin with instead of asking.
Something else is that your light may have a really bad low beam cut-off that is irritating people.

[955616846]

Originally Posted by tobster9

Does anyone know a good source for a cam chain, new valves, and full set of gaskets for the engine? By a good source I mean a cheap one really!

My cam chain broke on friday on a ride, Ive just pullled the engine out and its not pretty, this will take hours and hours to put right and no doubt cost $500 grrrrr

thanks in advance

You might compare prices with online parts suppliers such as Ronayers and Bikebandit.

[Bronco638]

Originally Posted by Bronco638

I have my carb apart for a (needed) cleaning. I see two o-rings of different sizes on the orange plastic float assembly (one above the float valve and one near the pilot jet tube). Would anyone happen to know the sizes of those two o-rings? I have a local hardware store with a great selection of metric o-rings and, hopefully, can source them there.

TIA, Dave.

Anyone?

[TaZ9]

Originally Posted by tobster9

Does anyone know a good source for a cam chain, new valves, and full set of gaskets for the engine? By a good source I mean a cheap one really!

My cam chain broke on friday on a ride, Ive just pullled the engine out and its not pretty, this will take hours and hours to put right and no doubt cost $500 grrrrr

thanks in advance

Just curious what your milage was when it broke? Any symptoms (noises, hard starting) that it was going bad before it broke?

Hope you get it fixed.

Thanks,

Taz9

R.A.D.D. Riders Against Distracted Drivers

[sagedrifter]

Originally Posted by MikkSteel

It's a Deka battery, ordered through Ebay from a company called Pasco in Virginia. There's a Deka dealer here on Oahu. If I continue to have problems I'm going to bring it to them.

My DEKA still needed about 4 hours on the charger when it was new. They come ready to go though.

Batteries suffer greatly when they draw down to nothing. But, my DEKA self discharges very slowly. After sitting 3 months mine was still charged up and would not prompt the smart charger to do anything beyond maintain. But I do trickle charge my batteries before storage.

Sent from my GT-S5690L using Tapatalk

[zdiver1]

Originally Posted by 955616846

There is no consistency in the H4 HIDs that I have seen and there is a good chance you'll need to adjust it... beats me why you didn't check that to begin with instead of asking.
Something else is that your light may have a really bad low beam cut-off that is irritating people.

I did the normal mark the beam on the wall and the hid hit the same spot,I guess I will adj down some but the box did say for offroad use only.

[trailrider383]

Originally Posted by Bronco638

Anyone?

Ask this guy: Motolab http://www.advrider.com/forums/member.php?u=23775

[DirtySumo]

Originally Posted by Adv Grifter

Yep ... pants, socks ... and most important: Knee pads. Your knee pads should extend down INTO the top of the boot. This will prevent a broken Tibia. Most good boots are made in Italy .... and they must use tiny Pencil Necks for models. Even my skinny calfs have trouble ... but my Sidi Crossfires are pretty adjustable. (should be for $600)

+1
JUST happened on Easter. . ."Just when you think it's safe to get in the 'water" . ---> Zipping along a county canyon that has "rock slides" once in a while, a pick-up truck coming the opposite way sqeeeeeezed/shot a softball sized rock out sideways and it connected with my left knee cap. Knocked my foot off the peg. LUCKY FOR ME . .I was wearing a pair of those hard plastic knee-cap-shin armors under my jeans. Hurt like hell. No damage to me tho. That would have busted a knee. My road Sidi's doesn't do much for the upper shins and knee.
A good $15 spent long ago.

[Nibis]

Originally Posted by DirtySumo

+1
JUST happened on Easter. . ."Just when you think it's safe to get in the 'water" . ---> Zipping along a county canyon that has "rock slides" once in a while, a pick-up truck coming the opposite way sqeeeeeezed/shot a softball sized rock out sideways and it connected with my left knee cap. Knocked my foot off the peg. LUCKY FOR ME . .I was wearing a pair of those hard plastic knee-cap-shin armors under my jeans. Hurt like hell. No damage to me tho. That would have busted a knee. My road Sidi's doesn't do much for the upper shins and knee.
A good $15 spent long ago.

That would have been bad, I have those protectors too, love them !

[Adv Grifter]

Originally Posted by tobster9

Does anyone know a good source for a cam chain, new valves, and full set of gaskets for the engine? By a good source I mean a cheap one really!

My cam chain broke on friday on a ride, Ive just pullled the engine out and its not pretty, this will take hours and hours to put right and no doubt cost $500 grrrrr

thanks in advance

Wow! Bad luck! Yours is the first broken Cam chain I've heard of. Are you certain the Cam chain was the beginning of the problem? Or could something else have failed which resulted in Cam chain snapping?

The best source for you is finding a used motor or one with a messed up bottom end that you can salvage the top end from. For new parts, it's going to be Suzuki, as far as I know, no Chinese sources for DR650 motor parts have turned up yet.

I know Suzuki parts are pricey in Canada. I would find a friend in Bellingham or Seattle, have them order parts from a Suzuki dealer, then ride them across the border and home. Might save a few bucks.

Ron Ayers, Babbit's and one or two others have decent prices for OEM Suzuki parts.

But my energy would go into finding a nice, crashed DR650. Buy the whole thing, use what you need, part out the rest. OR ... part out your bike and start over. I did this and came out ahead financially ... and I still have a set of forks, wheels and a spare swing arm left over! (among other things!) ... but sorry, the motor is sold off long ago. It's lots of work and lots of shipping ... but in the end, can work out. I even sent stuff to Canada, Australia and the Phillipines. PITA.

This will probably mean a trip to the USA. But far more DR activity in the evil South. Best of luck, any specifics on failure would be much appreciated by all!

[Adv Grifter]

Originally Posted by Bronco638

I have my carb apart for a (needed) cleaning. I see two o-rings of different sizes on the orange plastic float assembly (one above the float valve and one near the pilot jet tube). Would anyone happen to know the sizes of those two o-rings? I have a local hardware store with a great selection of metric o-rings and, hopefully, can source them there.

TIA, Dave.

There is a small Japanese company in Hamamatsu, Japan that goes to a lot of trouble to make parts that actually fit your Carb. If your eye is really good, perhaps you can pick out an O ring that is a perfect match. I'd order from Suzuki and get the real thing. Also ... are the O rings at Ace hardware fuel and Ethanol resistant like Japanese ones? I'm still on my original O rings at 45K miles.

[metalmanipulator]

hellow fellow inmates new guy here just wanted to say hi i just bought a 2012 dr650 and have a question on lowering ( i know another lowering question) the factory way. im looking at the manual and although i have not taken apart forks before the instructions look streight foward my question is why do i need to take the forks off ,other than loosing the oil, dont you pull the top cap off stick in your special tool and unbolt the bottom bolt and fish every thing out the top? ( rember i am just swaping the spacer)or am i missing something ? im a diesel mech. work on hyds. and fabractor so i have the tools and the abilty just need your expert advice from someone thats worked on forks befor ,thanx for the great site, Shawn