Hello everyone. I'm a newbie to both the bike world and to posting. I bought a 94 DR650 fall of 07. It is my first bike...actually I've only taken it on one ride. It just happened to be 3400 miles and the first time I'd ever driven one. I bought it in CA and had to get it back to MN. I am very proud of that fact.

Anyway, I guess I'm just trying to gain as much knowledge as I (maintenance, upgrades, equipment, literature, etc.) I am thinking my second ride is going to be MN to Venezuela. Not sure yet though. I am ambitious, maybe a little naive. I came here to find out.

Hi turn2travel

Welcome to the world of motorcycling, it’s an enjoyable pastime. I’ll try and give my input, some will agree, some will not.

Maintenance, upgrades, equipment and literature…..

1 Maintenance: I guess that depends on how competent you are, if you feel you’re up to the stuff like routine services then go for it. You’ll need this knowledge and a bit more if your planning bigger rides. It’s always pays to know your bike but, if your not sure about something, ask on the hubb, in the bike specific forums. If you don’t think you can do it, take it to the shop. Maybe pay a bit extra to watch, learn, and ask questions. You’ll probably find the smaller bike shops more willing to help; the main dealers round my way just don’t seem interested if they have loads on. I normally ask my mates.

2 Upgrades: I’m really not sure about that one; I have no knowledge on your bike. Research on this site, talk to other people who have that type.

3 Equipment: I think most people will agree with me, get the BEST you can afford. DON’T cut corners on a helmet, you only get one head.

4 Literature: if your getting into adventure motorcycling then get the “adventure motorcycling handbook” by Chris Scott, it’s a good read. With that book and this site you’ll have loads to go on. I’ve found the best stuff for going places is the Lonely Planet Books. Reasonably priced, good quality information.

Have Fun, Stay Safe.
Shaun

This is a (very) international forum. Most people around the world don't have a clue what you mean by "CA" and "MN". I don't have any site statistics available to me, but have hung around here for about 8 years I'm pretty sure that US citizens (note I don't use the term "American" as there are plenty of people from South America who claim the right to use that term too) would be a smallish minority.

Having said that, whenever I see a poster that doesn't use a country reference, I automatically assume they are from the USA. Experience tells me I am almost always right.

Good luck with your travels. You picked a great bike!

Regards

Nigel in NZ

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The mouth of a perfectly contented man is filled with . -- 2200 BC Egyptian inscription

The best way to get to know your bike is to strip it and rebuild it. This way you can replace any tatty bolts with stainless, check the wiring loom (maybe replace the all important rectifier to battery circuit) and clean up all the grounding points on the frame. also replace any bearings that don't feel smooth, putting you finger in the bearing and pushing hard to one side as you turn it will let you feel any irregularities that you mighht miss just by turning the wheel or headset. Check the compression on the engine and the a/c voltage coming out of the alternator -if these are both good then there iis no need to open the engine. Check fork stanchions for leaking oil and signs of pitting.

Make sure that you put copper slip on the bolts when they go back in, and lockwire all components to the frame. One useful upgrade is a voltmeter - early warning for electrical failure.

Enjoy your bike! In theory the DR should need very little prep

Henry (enjoying the rain in SY!)

Thanks for advice. What would you suggest for guides for this process (websites, books, manuals, etc)? I am under the impression that this particular bike (94 DR650) is a fairly easy one to work on. Although, it would be a new skill for me.

What is considered high mileage? Are there certain things to conscious of at incremental mileage?

Hi,
There have been a whole load of posts and threads about the DR650, often from the USA or Oz (that's Australia ) 'cos that is where you guys can still buy them, new or newish (they have not been imported to the UK for some years).

Try this area (it is over there on the left of your page, near the bottom):-
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tech/suzuki/dr650prep
& do a look back through the Suzuki tech forum.

Websites: this one, there are others of course.
Books/manuals: Clymer

Also, have a look at Mollydogs' pictures in HU

__________________
Dave

On you - as a rider
As a new rider I'd recomend you do a dirt riding course! over on advrider.com (IIRC) they talk of 'Doc Wong' rider training .. it should be a dirt riding course for adventure tourers .. not enduros, nor MX.

On the DR
By striping the bike I think henryuk is talk of removinmg the plastics .. not an engine rebuild. There is a long thread on the DR650 over on www.advrider in the thumper section..

There is a Yahoo group on DR650s too.

On travelling
Go to a HU meeting .. there will be one somewhere in the next year reasonably close to you. You'll get a lot off the site here too, but meeting others is good - take a look at their bikes and gear for ideas .. they'll be doing the same with yours.

__________________
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Regards Frank Warner
motorcycles BMW R80 G/S 1981, BMW K11LT 1993, BMW K75 G/S

"I am ambitious, maybe a little naive."

Personally, I think traveling like this has a lot going for it. You will end up seeing things and experiencing things that no one else will have, and without any expectations.

Are people like me? Sometimes I turn up at a multiplex cinema and go to a movie that is starting soon. You have no idea what you are getting yourself into and the experience can be all the more powerful and dramatic for that. Of course sometimes it's a shit movie and you have wasted your time and money too.....

BTW, turn2travel, I see you have posted the same message elsewhere on the HUBB. Cross-posting is frowned upon. It splits the information. You're a newbie so we won't get heavy on ya..

Regards

Nigel in NZ

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The mouth of a perfectly contented man is filled with . -- 2200 BC Egyptian inscription

After looking around a bit at the way things are organized here, I thought maybe I posted in the wrong category. I wanted to make sure I would get advice from as many people as possible; not just Suzuki people...sorry.

Hey , I think you are in the right place .

Check this out for Suzuki info :
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tech/suzuki/dr650prep

edit ----

Whoops , I see Walkabout has already given you that link !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But there's lots of Suzuki info here on this site , just keep digging .

__________________
Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. - Spike Milligan
"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."

Think I have been mis-interpreted. You will have to take the plastics off - but this won't teach you anything apart from how to take the plastics off.... I was meaning most/all things other than the engine (unless you have a compression problem...).....

If you can get your hands on one a workshop manual (Suzuki) will be better than the Book of Lies, but that is still a good starting point

Ummm .. removing the air box teaches nothing too.
By removing the outer plastics, fuel tank you get access to most things. And at a starting level this is what is required. Going on to strip the swing arm, front forks .. well yes it will teach something .. but as a beginer it also has a high risk of something going wrong. And that risk is not one I'd recomend someone taking unless I had physical contact .. over the net .. no way. I think henryuk you need to define your limits for the advice ....

If something does go wrong then that unit is already faulty .. so a repair is already required. Makeing a mistake and adding anothr rpice to thr repair is not as bad as making a repiar necessary on what was a good unit.

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turn2travel

Ware items to look for
brake pads
chain and sprokets
chain sliders - ther are two sliders - aroun=d teh swing arm and anotehr just before the bottom of the rear sproket.
Chain rollers - 2 of these too.
Spark plugs
Air filter - yes it does ware out.

Fork seals (errrr have you changed teh fork oil - often overlooked!)
Countershaft seal
Rear shock - get it serviced and see what they say .. Note Suzuki will say it is a seald unit .. take it to a shock rebuilder and have them look at it.
Bearings - Wheel, swing arm, steering head .. and those rear shock linage bearings ..

That should be a good start....

Give the bike a wash when you have the outer plastics off - shield the air box inlet/s, inginton box, coil the rest should be ok. Look for loose bolts, damaged stuff as you wash.

__________________
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Regards Frank Warner
motorcycles BMW R80 G/S 1981, BMW K11LT 1993, BMW K75 G/S