Why a DR650?
Replacing my F650 was an opportunity to take a slightly different approach and incorporate much of what I’ve learnt over the last 4 years. What have I learnt? Well, if you want to travel off the beaten track then weight is the key. My F650 took me to places I would never have believed possible prior to leaving home but at great expense to the chassis. A lighter bike and kit mean its gentler on its suspension so requires lighter springing which in turn puts less strain on surrounding components – at least that’s my theory. Lady P weighed 300kg + food & water. I’m hoping the DR will weigh in around 220kg. I’m hoping too that it won’t just mean it’s more reliable on the kind of terrain I’ve traversed so far, but that I’ll be able to tackle routes that I would have considered ‘off-limits’ on my F650.
My 2006 DR650 was far from stock when purchased...
Another thing I want to ensure is that all tools and spares are carried on the bike and not in my luggage. On many occasions I’ve had the opportunity to ride without luggage but I’ve always been concerned about not having all I needed to repair a flat tyre etc.
A smaller, lighter package will also reduce the cost of airfreight and may make it a feasible option again.
My first choice was a Suzuki DRZ400. Contrary to popular belief you don’t need a big engine to travel the world. Once out of
Western Europe and off the tarmac of Australia the majority of time is spent below 90km/h. Unfortunately it was my short legs that finally made my decision for me as at 935mm the 400 seat is 50mm higher than the 650. It doesn’t sound much but believe me it is when you’re 5’4”!
The DR650 had other benefits too. Air-cooling, adjustable tappets and a three bolt front sprocket all bode well for overland travel. Being Japanese it uses a very small range of fixings (bolts etc) which in turn reduces the number of tools required and will add to the weight saving. Unlike the F650, it needs no special tool for the steering head bearings and a trial run proved I can break the bead of the rear tyre using just my feet and two tyre levers. That was something I couldn’t do on the F650 so I had to carry a heavy cramp to do the job. My toolkit for the BMW weighed a staggering 5.75kg and whilst I haven’t yet been able to weight it I think the DR toolkit will weigh in around 1-1.5kg.
Why didn’t I leave home on a DR650?
That’s a good question. Looking back it seems that most of our bike research was based around Chris Scott’s Adventure Motorcycling Handbook an excellent source of information but upon looking through it again when visiting Maarten & Ilse I noticed it to be fairly dismissive of the pre-’96 DR and barely mentions the post-’97 model (probably because it wasn’t officially imported into the UK).
Of all the other Overland motorcyclists I’ve met, the DR650 has been the equal most popular along with Kawasaki’s KLR650 (8 of each) followed by the BMW F650 and Honda Africa Twin (6 each). This is contrary to the impression given by the book. Every DR650 owner I’ve met has had the same thing to say about them. “They’re bomb proof!”.
Preparation
My DR was far from stock when I bought it. The list of mods (front to rear) were as follows:
Progressive fork springs
Trailtech ‘Vapour’ dash
ProTaper ‘evo’ handlebars
Barkbusters
IMS 18ltr fuel tank
39mm Kehin Flatslide carb
Utah Sport bashplate
Lockwired neutral screws
Large footrests
Footrest lowering kit
2” Taller seat
8.1kg rear spring
GSXR1000 silencer
DRZ250 Tail light
Some of the above mods I’ll keep, others I won’t. Other additions will include:
Intiminator fork valves
Braided steel brake hose
Screen
Heated grips
GPS Mount (Garmin 276C)
30ltr Safari tank & Steel mount
B&B Bashplate
Renazco 1” lower rally seat
Scotoiler
Rack with detachable hoop
1400 Pelicase mounted to a lockable Q/R
Moto-Sport pannier frames
Andy Strapz (soft) panniers
Re-worked (stock) rear suspension to suit
Some way to carry 2x 5l water containers
Autocom (from my BMW)
Additional wiring for Laptop & iPod
charging (with isolators), GPS, Heated vest
Larger foot for sidestand
Some way to carry 2 x Inner Tubes
Stove tap
Once the bike is ready I’ll post photos and add some details.
PHOTO GALLERY -click the Smugmug logo
