Nope Toad, you're not alone on DR's ! And luckily so. Here's two more, and let's hope some more DR-riders find the way to this forum.

To start: here're a few links which are extremely interesting (second one is in German). http://www.thumperpage.com/articles/dr650set.html and http://www.dr-650.de
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Ok, now the reliability bit.
First, we're talking DR 650 SE here i.e. last-generation, low-weight DR's.
Never imported in the UK; imported in Germany from 1996 till last year (4.000 bikes); don't know about other countries, but it seems not too many were sold the world over.
In Belgium they imported the 650 SE's for 2 years only (96-97). They sold 34 (yes, you read it right!). No-one wanted them. I think the colour scheme was not fancied by many ;-)
No, seriously, in Belgium enduro's are not popular. Well, there's no land to ride on in the first place. All is paved and you're hardly allowed to go near the unpaved bits.

Our bikes:
* Iris has had one for 3 years now; mine is 1,5 years.
* Both bought almost new: 1.800 kms and 900 kms, both lowered by the previous owners.
* Iris's bike has done some 27.000 kms, mine has some 13 or 14.000 (can't check, I'm not at home right now).
* Iris' bike rode overland Belgium to Finland and back in 2000. Some 8.000 kms. We chose gravel roads wherever we could, had terrible rain for most of the month, were rather lightly loaded with Ortlieb bags and tankbags with sidebags. Last summer, both our DR's (with us ont top :-) went to Gibraltar (Southern Spain) and back for a month, another 6.500 kms, some off-road but not as much as we wanted.
At the very beginning of April (2002), we will travel overland from Belgium to India (if the events permit). 6 or 7 months in total. So we have modified quite a bit : fuel capacity, lower saddles, rear luggage rack, Scott-Oilers, Acerbis hand guards, other bits left and right, and will change the luggage system and the suspension (front and rear) soon too.

So far, we haven't had a single problem with the bikes. We kept oilchanges as it should, on neither of the bikes I have checked the valves yet (I should, very soon now), they started well all the time, they're powerful, they handle well on and off-road but too heavy for us in tough off-road (deep mud and sand), in short, we like them. One thing I do not like from the very start is the sound: a sewing machine. Riding also on a R 80 G/S and an XT 500, this is a major adjustment.
Two remarks: 1. the lower gears are too close to each other for my feeling, but we'll change sprockets sizes. Now it's 15-41, I'm considering 15-42 as a standard setup and 14-42 for the off-road bits. 2. I can really tell the difference in quality of the parts, even compared to the XT 500. Bolts too soft, clumsy welding, rust and oxidation (they are in a heated garage so no excuse), fragile wiring on many places (I have "double-taped" a few prone areas just in case).
That's it on our experiences. We'll know much more in October, obviously.
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Then, I have direct information from a German couple who travelled on two 650 SE's from Germany to SE-Asia for 1,5 years (1999-2000), and just read an article on two German women who crossed Central America on them (Motorrad, last summer).
The first ones had one problem that seems to be reoccuring on several 650 SE's: oilleaks at the valve lids and cylinder head. They sealed it with external sealant - the black silicone, can't remember the name right now. The second ones said adapting the suspension for travelling is a must. They travelled with a modified and a stock bike, and rode off-road most of the time.
On the German website, I also read that one person had a potentially dangerous problem: the oilseal on the shift lever came out while riding - oil seeping out almost on the back tyre. The guy had a metal plate fixed over it to the engine case, but had to redo this as it came out again. Now it's fine and safe.
Many tune the 650 SE's, either to turn into 'supermotards' and compete with the Husqvarna's and the like, or to make them better offroaders - airbox changes, carburettor, exhaust, suspension, the lot.

If you're talking older DR 650's (R and RSE), there's also lots of info on the German site, and if you're interested in Suzuki travellers on DR 600's: look at http://www.geocities.com/bikebrothers

Happy riding Dino, Toad and other DRiders !
Trui

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Iris and Trui
2 belgian women, usually travelling on bikes (now on DR650SE's)


[This message has been edited by iris_trui (edited 08 May 2003).]

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Iris and Trui
2 belgian women, often travelling on motorbikes (now on DR650SE\'s)
2nd overland from home to Northern India and back, April-October 2002