I'm sure this has been asked before, but searching through 4625 pages has yielded me no specifics so here goes. I want a DR650. MrsDonkeys wants a dual-sport that we can both ride. Not 2 up, but both pilot. The problem is that she is 5'1" tall. I'm seeing lowering links online for up to 4". For her to ride, we would need a target seat height of no more than 31". So for your experienced DR guys, how do the lowering links equate to seat height? Does a 4" drop get the seat height down below 31"?
Stock (low) seat height is 33.0" per the Suzuki website, if you aren't already aware. The factory low height doesn't include lowering links, but a change in the front spring set up and there is a low setting change to the rear shock assembly. There is also a factory low seat, which is approximately 1" lower than the stock seat. So, with the factory low suspension setting and the low seat you're at approximately 32". It's my understanding the factory low seat is also contoured a little different so it's easier to reach the ground. I don't know about lowering links, but 4" lowering links seems excessive considering you can get the bike to ~32" with factory parts.
i would think you could get there, or wery close. my dr650 doesn't have lowering links, but is is lowered due to being 'tarded. its seat height w/o passenger is ~32.5". (corbin seat.) so, lowering links, even w/o new wheels should get you in the ball park. especially since the "stock" seat height is listed at 34.8". or perhaps switch to 19" front wheel, along w/the lowering links, if you don't want that much height reduction to come strictly from the rear of the bike? my only concern would be that, if you are also not on the shorter side, what mrsdonkeys likes might not be what mrdonkeys likes... of course, you could compromise, and set the bike up in-between, so neither of you likes it! i think you need to try before you buy... doug s.
Almost done with the rebuild only need to paint the exhaust. As long as I am here I decided to grind the blob of weld that everyone talks about. So after I finished the job I noticed that the whole area is smaller than the rest of the pipe's diameter. Isn't that a bottleneck for the whole exhaust? Should I grind it all around or is it ok like this?
It is entirely possible that we set one up for her, and I will end up having to get my own. This is why we have two hacks, and two Triumphs, etc. I may or may not be pushing that direction again. Sent from the voices in my head, and transcribed by their drinking buddy.
Below 31? You might want to look at customizing the seat to get most of that. Lowering the suspension means putting the frame closer to the ground, so you'll need to modify the sidestand, or use the Suzuki sidestand designed for the lowered setup. A bashplate and case armor is even more important with things closer to the ground. Radically lowering the frame could mean having the rear tire rubbing, too.
You wont be doing too much DS riding with only 5" of ground clearance after such a drastic lowering. Even street cornering clearance could be scary. Stock, I think there is only ~9" ground clearance with rider weight etc. I certainly wouldn't go any lower than the factory low position. Then get what you can out of a low seat. Maybe look in to an XT225/250 if you need a low seat height? They are down around 31" I think. Much lower than the DR at any rate. The lighter weight will make it noticeably easier to handle for a shorty as well.
I have this persistent oil leak. It never is enough to bug me, and never drops the oil level. Where do you guys think this is from? I've been thinking a bad spark plug gasket... Would there be that much oil in that area?
Ok well I bought some stuff from ProCycle and well it's Sunday and they are not open. I ordered a chain and sprockets and well did not realize that my rear wheel was not 100%....well I knew it was not factory but forgot that. Anyway it is an Excel rear rim with a 130-90-18. Procycle sent me a JTR822.42 rear sprocket, however my bike has a Sunsstar 46T rear sprocket and the only part number I can find on the sprocket is 3577. The mounting holes on the new sprocket are completely off with the hub. I will post a pic in a bit. Can someone decipher the Sunsstar sprocket, I tried but obviously failed. Just don't know what sprocket I am needing to get and what it fits. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I got the Procycle Jet Kit yesterday and installed it last night. I read the instructions and went by them 100%. I installed the 145 main,new needle (4th groove),air fuel mixture screw and did the air box mod. What I noticed was with the air box mod is I had to go up to the 150 main and the needle had to be lowered to the 5th slot. The bike runs great with NO SURGING finally and idles perfectly. When I had the carb apart I checked the float height and it was good.
The XT is on the shopping list as well, however, at 31.9", it isn't much shorter than the 33" of the DR650. The DR adds the advantage of highway speeds and long distance comfort. I truly don't know the importance of ground clearance because I've never owned anything with any sort of ground clearance. I (we) have a tendency to just bash the hell out of whatever we have. The rails of my Bonnie have seen more action than my Jeep. Hence the dive into a possible dual-sport. We don't off-road hardcore, but once we turn down a road, we're riding it until complete, no matter what it looks like.
Picked up my new (to me) DR650 at the weekend. 2008 with 3,500kms. Had a bit of a detour through the woods on the way home and I love it. I had such plans for spending a fortune with Procycle to farkle it up a bit (pipe + carb etc) but having ridden it a bit, it seems to be pretty much there already. It's got Dunlop 606's on and barkbusters and a sump guard and the gearing is 14/41 which I believe is lower than std? Seems to go ok on the road and 1st gear is low enough for the sort of off-road ambling that I like to do.
If there was that much oil leaking out from a bad spark plug washer ..... it wouldn't run at all. To get oil to leak out around the plug on a DR you would need to fill the cylinder. I expect that you are thinking that it is like some cars whose plugs are in a 'well' in the valve cover where oil can leak from the cover gasket and pool around the plug. Hard to say where around the valve/rocker cover it is coming from, it could be a leak on the other side that runs around the head (plugs are on the low side when the bike is at rest), air currents can move oil in odd directions when on the road at speed. To find it you might have to get everything REALLY clean to look for the leak. I have heard that fine powder can help as a 'leak detector' but haven't tried it. Good luck! Bruce
You did not show the back side of the cylinder but that looks a lot like mine when the cam chain tensioner gasket was leaking.
Hey! So I just got my first ever dual sport over the weekend. Actually my first street legal bike of any type. Its a 1995 DR650se. Now I'm sure its been covered somewhere in this thread, but after reading the first hundred pages or so and realizing there a 4,600 something pages I decided it would be much quicker to just ask. Im wondering if anyone has a good source for engine parts for the 95' other than a local shop. This bike has evidently been ridden when it was super low on oil and I made the mistake of taking the previous owners word for it that there was plenty of oil in it so when I got back to my buddies house we putted around the yard for about 30 mins then there bike let out a squeal and cut off. The motor will still turn over so we know its not completely locked but we haven't had the time to dig in yet to see what all I killed. So any advice on parts or pretty much anything else about this bike would be Greatly appreciated!!
Speaking from experience with a wife that's 5'4" (29" inseam) and owns an XT225 and I have a DR650, your misses will probably much happier on the XT. My wife can ride my DR650, but she's much happier and a better rider on the XT. Lowering the DR that much I don't think is going to make it much fun for you at all and as someone else pointed out, could be down right scary or even dangerous. I also think at 5'1", she's still going to be struggling with it. The XT might not show to be much shorter than the DR, but it certainly is lower and will be easier for her to handle and enjoy more. The XT isn't an interstate bike (although short jaunts are okay), but going up to a 16t front sprocket, it certainly is happy at 55-60mph and will do that all day long.
This looks like the normal left front cyl head bolt oil leak. As i understand it, there is a copper washer that is suppose to seal things up under the bolt (or nut, might be a stud and nut, can't remember). Anyway, the cyl head casting has a seam going right through the area, and the copper washer doesn't seal well against the seam. Someone around here or thumpertalk mentioned removing the bolt and washer and stoning down the casting seam then reinstalling the bolt/washer. Mine does the same thing to a lesser extent and I haven't felt the need to address it yet.
ProCycle is an excellent place for GOOD parts . you could try EBay also . the search forum is a easy function but as you say after 4000 Pages it gets difficult. drain the oil and see if there are big flakes of metal. If there are none you can try changing the filter and oil (be ready to do it again after a 100 mile or so to check again) and running it. You may be lucky, and will of learned the first rule of buying a used vehicle off the street Buyer beware. at least you get to keep yours. I purchased a DR 350 and it turns out it was stolen over 12 yrs previous. well I didn't know so I tried to insure it and turned all of my paperwork in . 3 days later the RCMP showed up at my door to seize it. AFTER i had just put a light kit , tires and hours into it. well crap . The constable was a good soul let me pull the tires, and lights. I got to keep the rims . Sold them to take some of the sting out of all of it, but I was still way out of pocket.