the DR650 thread

[Mercenary]

Originally Posted by johnkol

That's precisely what I'm concluding -- and what I would like to avoid. I never had any delusions of the DR matching my 2T KTM; I was merely expecting to be able to cruise along fire roads at reduced speeds, but in relative comfort and tranquility. If I cannot relax in navigating these roads then there is no reason for me to carry on down this path: I might as well go back to trucking the KTM, or start shopping for a more dirt-oriented bike.

Man...my experience differs wildly from yours as well as opinion. I truck around just fine on my DR on any gravel or dirt road that I can find. Just yesterday I had my DR up to 110 kph indicated on one of our local gravel roads with the stock Trailwings. I usually plonk along in 3rd between 60 and 70 kph....

Sounds to me like the DR you`re riding has some major issues with it...

[jessepitt]

Originally Posted by Mercenary

Man...my experience differs wildly from yours as well as opinion. I truck around just fine on my DR on any gravel or dirt road that I can find. Just yesterday I had my DR up to 110 kph indicated on one of our local gravel roads with the stock Trailwings. I usually plonk along in 3rd between 60 and 70 kph....

Sounds to me like the DR you`re riding has some major issues with it...

I have been following his story and feel the same way. I was tearing up dirt and gravel roads all weekend and even with 50k or so DR miles under my belt I am still suprised at how well it handles. It is a lot heavier than my race built DR350 but even given that it still handles well. I wonder if weighing 130 makes the difference. I weigh 180+ and I think I fit the stock spring rate ok.

[jessepitt]

Originally Posted by Minsk99

Just to update, I just got a new 2012 last night (although still at dealer). Can't freaking wait to get on the saddle!!! Anyways, I am having the dealer truck the bike to a dyno end of this week without ever having been fired up and am going to do the "hard break in" there on the dyno. As of now, I am going to do the motoman method as he describes it on his web site, which is as follows:

On a Dyno: Warm the engine up
completely !!

Then, using 4th gear:

Do Three 1/2 Throttle dyno runs from
40% - 60% of your engine's max rpm
Let it Cool Down For About 15 Minutes

Do Three 3/4 Throttle dyno runs from
40% - 80% of your engine's max rpm
Let it Cool Down For About 15 Minutes

Do Three Full Throttle dyno runs from
30% - 100% of your engine's max rpm
Let it Cool Down For About 15 Minutes
Go For It !!

Interested in what folks think of this exact process or if it should perhaps be modified for the DR. I'll let ya know how it goes. Also, not to start a riot, but what are the feelings about auto vs. motorcycle oil for this type of break in procedure? I anticipate changing the oil immediately after the dyno break in. Thanks.

So I broke in my new 2011 using this technique and I am happy with the result. I "feel" like my new bike has more power than my previous DR that was broken in according to the manual (I think). It feels much snappier like it has more compression. I put a hi-comp piston in my last bike and my new one feels somewhere in between. I changed the oil after my forty some mile break-in and found a lot of crud in the filter. Today I changed it again with about seven hundred miles on it and it was CLEAN! No metal, no crud, CLEAN. I think the Motoman break in works.

[johnkol]

Originally Posted by Albie

The EXC rails on the street. I can easily keep up with average sport bike riders in the twisties on my 450. Just needs a better seat to make it an all day rider. Most people that claim real dual sports aren't very good on the street must not know what they're doing.

Music to my ears!!

How does the EXC fare with highway droning? Is it that much more objectionable than the DR?

I believe all EXC models share the same seat? I love the seat on my 2T EXC, much better than the wider one on the DR.

[Leon]

My gasket is done, spattering oil on my Givi luggage. Looks like I have to disconnect the oil lines near by, and re-tension the CCT before reinstalling it. Will I have to take off the exhaust off? Do I really have to put the motor in TDC?

[ADV8]

Originally Posted by Bronco638

ADV8: Just curious; do you have any issues with the GSXR can heating up the right rear turn signal stalk or lens? I just put my turn signals back to stock and noticed the distance, or lack thereof, between the two. TIA.

I was doing some errands so stopped off and had a look,I knew something used to darken the indicator lens but it must have been on the TL with high mount Yoshi system.
The DR indicator is clean as a whistle and no heat damage either.
I am fairly sure I mounted it close to the stock position,the mid pipe hasn't been changed but the indicator looks to be in different locations in these pics.






Languishing in the lock up.

[Thumper Dan]

I got the valve set from Jess's and set my the valves and all seems OK. But the instructions said to check when cold but I remember seeing other posts that say warm engine up and wait one hour, then check valve settings??

I'm gathering Jess's instructions would be accurate but just making sure??

any feedback - thanks

[ADV8]

Do you have a work shop manual (pdf) ?

[Snowy]

Originally Posted by johnkol

That's precisely what I'm concluding -- and what I would like to avoid. I never had any delusions of the DR matching my 2T KTM; I was merely expecting to be able to cruise along fire roads at reduced speeds, but in relative comfort and tranquility. If I cannot relax in navigating these roads then there is no reason for me to carry on down this path: I might as well go back to trucking the KTM, or start shopping for a more dirt-oriented bike.

I'll see if this works.

Video from about 3 hours into a Sunday morning relaxed trail ride. Running along a ridge top fire trail. Rocky, although dropping video quality makes it look like the wheel ruts are smooth when they aren't. Trail undulates a little.

Using D952 front and a Mitas E07 rear. I had just stopped for a Snickers bar, water and a wizz.

What I would call my relaxed trail pace on these tyres. You can hear how the engine isn't working at all. The limiting factor on these trails is entirely suspension.



See if this works. I'm a Youtube numptie.

[Snowy]

Seemed to work.

The difference between my DR standard on these trails, and then standard with new springs and gold valves was significant. Much better ride.

Going to the RMZ suspension made more improvement on top of that.

Standard was slow going and very skittish. I can ride a lot quicker, a lot more relaxed on the better set up. It stops when I want it to, I can line up an erosion hump and just hit it without worrying about bottoming out.

It doesn't look it, but some of the humps I hit during that video I'm actually getting around 25 feet horizontally off them (easy off some). Not even trying. I did that once on standard suspension at these sorts of speeds and it bounced so hard I turned it 180 degrees and hit the deck travelling backwards at 70kph.

Much hilarity.

I can ride it with dual sport tyres or full knobbies without significant change in pace, but a knobbie front is preferable simply because it gives the hook up for braking on the steep bits. I've found a few dual sport tyres on the steep stuff start locking well before any reduction in speed occurs. There are no steep bits in the video. But they are steep enough that an MTB rider would swallow his pride and walk his bike up some of them.

I find that the loose rocky trails are where the RMZ suspension really shines. You get so much better traction.

But when the traction does suddenly run out, shit gets real....fast.

You're off into the scenery and they call it "HARD wood" for a reason..

[Snowy]

Here's 5 mins of a climb out from one of the old cattlemans huts in the mountains.

I had to cut it short. I think I was bored, I was doing the running commentary, singing elevator muzac, giving trail riding tips, and generally being a bit weird.

You should feel sorry for my wife on the back of the BMW, she has to sit and listen for hours on end. I take her up and down the same tracks. Albeit, a little more carefully.

These climbs aren't super steep, in my experience, but they have a slippery dusty surface on a concrete like base. You'll see me picking weird lines looking for lose rock, because the E07 drives better in that than it does on the powdery crap.
I cut it at 5 mins because they are big files to start with, and the 4x4 I catch up to wont let me pass and I kind of lose it in an axe murderer way with him and roost the shit out of him. So I left that bit off. That way he can't find me. hehehehehehe

[Mutiny!]

Originally Posted by ADV8

Do you have a work shop manual (pdf) ?

Are you asking for one, or offering one?

I have the '96-'08 manual in .pdf

It's 86mb though, you figure out a way to transfer a large file and I'll send it through.

I am currently attempting to remove my starter motor. I have a decent idea of how this is done:
- Remove exhaust
- Rotate flywheel to Top Dead Centre
- Remove cam-chain tensioner
- Remove starter motor

I can search up enough step-by-step guides to get me through.

All I want to know is are there any DANGER ZONE elements involved? ie: do I need to be particular about the way I remove or re-install the cam chain tensioner? Is there some particular way the starter needs to be disconnected? Some dinky gasket I am bound to destroy, a needle I will snap off?

I'm no mechanical genius, I just don't want to break anything. Imagine me as a drunk nine year old child with a ball peen hammer and advise me accordingly.

[Snowy]

Originally Posted by Mutiny!

Are you asking for one, or offering one?

I have the '96-'08 manual in .pdf

It's 86mb though, you figure out a way to transfer a large file and I'll send it through.

I am currently attempting to remove my starter motor. I have a decent idea of how this is done:
- Remove exhaust
- Rotate flywheel to Top Dead Centre
- Remove cam-chain tensioner
- Remove starter motor

I can search up enough step-by-step guides to get me through.

All I want to know is are there any DANGER ZONE elements involved? ie: do I need to be particular about the way I remove or re-install the cam chain tensioner? Is there some particular way the starter needs to be disconnected? Some dinky gasket I am bound to destroy, a needle I will snap off?

I'm no mechanical genius, I just don't want to break anything. Imagine me as a drunk nine year old child with a ball peen hammer and advise me accordingly.

I had a cam chain tensioner off the other day. I just removed the small bolt on the end, then removed the tensioner complete. When you reassemble I just screwed the tensioner screw thats under the end bolt until it fully retracted, it held itself inplace, so I put it back in with a new gasket, and once bolted down I reversed the screw a touch and it took up the tension.

When you remove the stator cover and starter motor drive don't lose the thrust washers from either side of it. One of mine fell and got caught in the magnet on the flywheel, and when I reassembled without it and started there was a god almighty scraping grinding metal on metal noise. No real damage, just a few flushes and wash outs to remove metal. Hasn't hurt it.

It's a DR. You can't kill them with big rocks and mere shards of metal.

[Albie]

Originally Posted by johnkol

Music to my ears!!

How does the EXC fare with highway droning? Is it that much more objectionable than the DR?

I believe all EXC models share the same seat? I love the seat on my 2T EXC, much better than the wider one on the DR.

I wouldn't know about hiway droning. I don't do that on my street bikes much less my dual sports. The only hiways I ride on are the ones with lots of curves.

I've got Renazco's on both my EXC and my 690. The DR is going to get one shortly.

[Bronco638]

Originally Posted by ADV8

I was doing some errands so stopped off and had a look,I knew something used to darken the indicator lens but it must have been on the TL with high mount Yoshi system.
The DR indicator is clean as a whistle and no heat damage either.
I am fairly sure I mounted it close to the stock position,the mid pipe hasn't been changed but the indicator looks to be in different locations in these pics.

Thanks for the reply. It does appear that the support tabs, for the turn signals, are different than mine. Mine are smaller and the turn signal mounts much closer to the tubing. However, the distance, between turn signal and muffler shell, appears to be about the same.

I'm referring to parts #1 & #2 in this image: