DR350 Thread

[Lasherman]

Anybody ever have a problem with the main head bolts leaking oil? I have relaced almost all the top side gaskets, seals, and it still has a small leak comming out on the fin which goes into the sparkplug......?

[scharfg]

Are such a thing commercially available...?

Thanks

[Sparkdaddy]

Originally Posted by coaxial

I think I have to agree with you about the T63 front diving in corners! Also maybe washing out entirely & suddenly, plopping me on my face/arm and breaking my precious bones

Riding skills would probably help, I might try that next

I did that to my clavical on a BMX bike when I was a kid ..... and I almost ripped my foot off going down on rocks with a T63 last summer. The back isn't bad but that front blows ass. Went back to GP1's.

Heal fast dude but don't take your support off early. It will hurt you in the long run.

[coaxial]

Originally Posted by Lasherman

D606 in the back

MT21 in the front

Cant go wrong.

How is the MT21 front on pavement though? My DR is my city commuter too, and I often need to do a stretch of highway to get to good trails. Looking for a good balance for 50/50 I guess, maybe T63 or D606 rear, TKC80 on the front?

[clab04]

Originally Posted by Lasherman

Anybody ever have a problem with the main head bolts leaking oil? I have relaced almost all the top side gaskets, seals, and it still has a small leak comming out on the fin which goes into the sparkplug......?

I had the same problem. Try (blue) thredlock. Not quite as hard as red so it holds up to expansion. I have used it on my Jeep head bolts as well as my DR. It has been good to me.

[BikePilot]

Originally Posted by scharfg

Are such a thing commercially available...?

Thanks

No and they would be unnecessary. Crash bars are for huge heavy, fragile bikes. They'd serve no purpose on a DR and might increase chances that you'd be injured in a fall. Sturdy handlebars and aluminum handguards and the bike is essentially crash-proof.

[Country Doc]

Originally Posted by coaxial

How is the MT21 front on pavement though? My DR is my city commuter too, and I often need to do a stretch of highway to get to good trails. Looking for a good balance for 50/50 I guess, maybe T63 or D606 rear, TKC80 on the front?

D606 rear, TKC80 or MT21 front would be a good 50/50 combo. The TKC 80 is pricier but lasts longer than the MT21 front.

No problems at all with the MT21 on pavement, it's a great tire - but wears very fast. Such are the compromises.

I have a D606 front and MT43 trials rear on my DR350 now, that works well as a general all-purpose setup. I'm not generally a fan of either of those tires for extreme conditions but as a dual-sport setup it works surprisingly well. I can lean it waaaaaaay over on the street, and run some pretty gnarly off-road sections also.

I prefer the MT21 front but am hoping to get a bit more mileage out of the 606, and I have been pleasantly surprised with it's manners on the DR, after absolutely hating it on bigger bikes (like 950 ktm's).

dc

[jessepitt]

Originally Posted by coaxial

How is the MT21 front on pavement though? My DR is my city commuter too, and I often need to do a stretch of highway to get to good trails. Looking for a good balance for 50/50 I guess, maybe T63 or D606 rear, TKC80 on the front?

Actually both the perrelis I mentioned are surprisingly good on the street. When I first looked a the PRO I thought "no way will that be safe on the road", but after it broke in I was right back to chasing corners, it really surprised me. The back would let go well before the front. In the dirt it changed my bikes handling to feeling like its on rails. On gravel roads it sticks like you are on pavement.

[garythelegend]

Hi, I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions. I am 6'1'' 300lbs, all muscle right . I have a stock '98 DR 350 and was wondering if anyone is in a similar situation and has done anything to the suspension? I think I want to give it a little more to hold me up. What kind of drop should I be shooting forn when I sit on it and how can I get that, what would I adjust/change out?

[brianjonesphoto]

Originally Posted by garythelegend

Hi, I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions. I am 6'1'' 300lbs, all muscle right . I have a stock '98 DR 350 and was wondering if anyone is in a similar situation and has done anything to the suspension? I think I want to give it a little more to hold me up. What kind of drop should I be shooting forn when I sit on it and how can I get that, what would I adjust/change out?

I'm a bit bigger than you (6'6" 310lbs) and I'm half way through sorting out my suspension. I have John at Moto-Pro working with me on the setup. I had the front end done in January. He recommended some custom wond .52kg springs at the time. Unfortunately I chose the wrong time to do the forks as I've lost 20lbs in the last month and hope to keep going.

I'm currently riding the stock dirt shock with an aftermarket spring I pickup up used from an inmate. It is a little under rated for me but it's way closer than the stock spring was. John calculated I need a 6.8kg spring on the back before I started losing weight. Seated sag should be around 4" on the rear.

[scharfg]

I'm looking for some inexpensive but effective bark busters, suggestions?

Also do bar ends work in the DR or are the ends filled like I heard?

Thanks a bunch!

[Lasherman]

How the hell does oil get on the head support brackets from the frame!!!! Still chasing the oil leak.

Anybody know if the valve cover vent oil line from the valve cover back into the fram is under much pressure???? Cant think of any other way oil is gettig in the support brackets...

[Wylie]

Check your bolts that hold the head down. sometimes oil will come through the holes they go into. The little rubber washers on those bolts are important. I might be off in left field but it's worth a look.

[frdbronco8]

Anyone tried or heard of putting XR650R Forks on a DR350? I just had my rear dirt shock revalved at Duvol and when I mentioned forks the guy there started druling over XR650R forks. Said for off road they were some of the best. Anyone tried this? Looks like its the same 17mm alxe size as mine so im hoping the front wheel might be savable from the DR. We will see...

[dtp]

For good dual purpose tires look into the Pirelli MT43. They are going to be WAY better than any 50/50 tire off-road (better than full knobbies in some respects in fact) and will perform as good or better on-road as well.

Not everyone likes the front but the rears are pretty universally loved by many including myself.