Speaking of DR650s

[Aaron D.]

One in my town, looks like a '90? Orange tank, so painted or replaced. $1200.00
Good deal?

[webmost]

Are you going to ride it? If so, the worst that can happen is you blow it up and walk away saying "well, that was fun." The almost certain outcome for a $1200 bike is you ride it a couple years and sell it for $1200. The better that can happen is you ride it, love it, keep it, cheap farkle hell out of it, and get to brag on how you only paid $1200. By cheap farkle I mean things like WalMart side bags and milk crate trunk. The very best outcome is you ride it a bit and give it to your grandson. If you chart it out that way, what the hell. Why not?

Only why not I can think of is the 1990. Trying to source parts for a geriatric rice burner can be a real chore. I bet you can find a 15 years younger KLR for that price if you look around. KLRs are so ubiquitous and have been basically unchanged for so long that there are parts and deals everywhere.

[fotoguzzi]

Generation one, avoid it.. get something 96 or newer.

[Aaron D.]

Thanks, I'll give it a pass.

[Sasquatch Jim]

  The first generation DR 650s had a longer stroke engine.  You can (with a little the enlarging of the cylinder hole in the cases) fit it with the later piston and have about 700cc.  You can bore that cylinder out for an even bigger piston and have a DR 750.  Suzuki actually did this and marketed it as the DR750 Big.  Alas, they sold them in Europe and not America.

 Click on this to see the DR Big
 http://www.suzukicycles.org/DR-series/DR750-800S-Big.shtml

[Perazzimx14]

One of the biggest issues with the pre 1996 DR's is the cam chain tensioner was to be checked/adjusted at the valve check intervals. This meant the one case had to be removed to get access to the tensioner. Most people though this to be too much work and rarely performed this task. As the chain loosened it would "slap" interior walls of the motor and shave off pieces of aluminium. The motor also has small internal oil passages so as you can imagine grind off some aluminium shaving and push them through narrow passages what happens next. I would bet a large stack of $20's that if you drained the oil there would be lots of shiny flecks of aluminium floating around. 

The second generation DR's have automatic cam chain tensioners, external oil lines and are just a better overall design which is why it has been essentially unchanged for the last 21 years.

The only parts that interchange from gen 1 to gen 2 is the rear wheel and grips. Most everything else is different and no electric start is a deal breaker for me.

IMHO if the bike was really clean and service documented $1,200 is about $300 overpriced.  If its less than pristine and no service documentation I'd be hard pressed to invest the cost to register it my name.

[canuck750]

This is a pretty special DR650. lots of work went into it, been up for sale for a long time.

https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/mcy/6136001539.html

[Perazzimx14]

This is a pretty special DR650. lots of work went into it, been up for sale for a long time.

https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/mcy/6136001539.html

Some things you just can't un-see no matter howl badly you want too.

[Sasquatch Jim]

 It's a homade thumpadingus.  Fun to play with but not comfortable on a long mission or to carry anything but the rider.
 Oh, and it is ugly.  I never cared for the MFFB riding position.

[Motomoto]

My first Goose post. Hello all. I'm a refugee from the BMW airhead universe.  Just now selling this 94 DR to make room for a 97 Cali.  Have owned several early DRs with high miles. Just 8300 miles on this one. These never need parts sourced because with a little maintenance nothing breaks. Fantastic bikes. I prefer these earlys for dual sport duties over the DR in showrooms now, just feels wider and beefier - overall more comfortable for my 36in inseam.



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