FEATURE:
SUZUKI DR650
T
here has been much written
about the DR650 over the
years. Not because it’s
fl ashy, because it’s fast
or because it carves ruts. It’s not
even all that attractive. It’s got an
understated exhaust note, a crappy
seat and twig-sized footpegs. So why
does this damn bike keep selling?
For years it’s been pushing the top of
the pile in its category and there’s no
sign of it slowing down.
The DR650 fi rst appeared in 1990,
replacing the DR600 and taking on
Honda’s Dominator 650. The DR650
had the same engine as the 600 only
bigger, but the rest of the bike was
new and in fact came in two separate
designs with the DR650 Dakar
and DR650 RS. The Dakar isn’t far
removed from what we see today, but
the RS ran a fairing and adventure-
style front guard. Both bikes had
21-litre tanks and were well suited to
long-distance exploration.
As early as 1991, a new model with
electric start made its debut as the
DR650RSE. Suzuki made changes
again in 1992, with the 21-litre tank
being swapped for a 17-litre unit —
partly as a weight-loss program —
and a new exhaust system bolstered
low-end torque. The word Dakar wasdropped from the model name and
the DR650R and RSE would take the
model line through to 1996.
In 1996 the bike we know today
really took shape with a huge weight
loss through a new engine and
chassis changes. Interestingly, the
price of a new DR650SE then was
$7999 — pretty much the same as
it is now.
And this is where development
stops. In 1997 Suzuki did release the
Freewind, which was based on the
DR650. It was an ugly bike with a
name that sounds like a remedy for
fl atulence — so we’ll move on. The
DR650 we know and love arrived in
1996 and aside from colour schemes,
nothing has changed of note in the
past 10 years. So after 26 years of
service the DR650 is still kicking arse
and selling well in Oz and NZ. But
what’s it really like to ride? We always
talk about what you can do with a DR
with the myriad aftermarket parts
available, but in this feature we’ll
concentrate on what it’s like to ride
stock and for something different
we’ll include readers’ DR650s and
their recommendations for mods as
well. Thanks to all the readers who
posted their DRs on our Facebook
page — there are some crackers!