I'm on my second DR650. People tell me I should get a better bike. I might if anyone made a better bike. Thing is it will never not start from a bad relay or failed fuel pump because it doesn't even have those electrical components to fail. Street legal bikes don't get any simpler. Because it's simple I do all the maintenance myself and the bike pays me well to do all that maintenance because 200 bucks I'm not giving a shop is 200 bucks in my pocket and that really adds up. I bet the money I saved on shop fees over the years on my first DR bought my second DR. There are very few old school bikes left that let you adjust the valves with a deck screw and a feeler gauge and adjust the chain with simple snail type adjuster. The DR got me confident doing it all from changing oil, filters, to tires, chains and sprockets, brake pads and fluid and adjusting valves. Easy bike to work on so I never have to take it to a shop and it does everything I want while being fun to ride.
Sucks how you cant buy a 90s corolla or accord or civic but thats okay because deep down im a motorcyclist and the dr650 is like a 90s civic except brand new
Go down to a 14 tooth front sprocket makes a world of difference and the bike still works good for the hwy. Junk those tires before you go off road. I am running Kenda K270s front 3.25 X 21 and RR 5.10 X 17, they are a good 50/50 tire and I have got about 7 K miles from the first pair and Kenda's won't break the bank. Skid plate goes on all my off road bikes, just piece of mind. You may buy other bikes, but the DR is a keeper. I love mine. Ride safe and have fun.
I bought the same 2024 DR. new. The low speed jerking is probably the air fuel mixture factory setting. Mine was set at only 1/4th turn out and it bucked and jerked like crazy. I drilled out the brass plug and turned it out 2 1/2 turns and its smooth "man" no jerking and it screams like a racing bike now ! Buy the brass adjustable air fuel mixture screw as you will probably want to do some initial adjusting till you get it right. I didn,t have to do all the expensive jetting / air box / mufler changes everyone talks about. This is the perfect motorcycle ! I,m 71 and like you I never plan to sell this bike. I like it better than my Harley.
I did this and it is just plain surprisingly good afterwards. Don’t hesitate to do this, very simple no jets needed just fuel screw opened and needle raised. All my screws were removed with tool kit that came with bike. I also say pair valve delete is a must, but you can just plug the vent line in the short run.
Great video 👍🏻 my dr is a 2013 and love it. Ya carburetors can sometimes cause a little grief. Pulled the old carb out a couple years ago and put in a lectron carb and it’s been absolutely amazing. Best upgrade ever!
I should have mentioned, you don,t have to remove the carb, remove the fuel tank , loosen and remove the two clamps front/back of the carb which allows you to turn it sideways to get to the air/fuel screw. and drill out the little plug. Its easy ! Also after installing the adjustable brass screw , 1/8 th of a turn makes a big difference. I started with 2 turns out and adjusted from there.
Just got mine and reviewed all the internet stuff. And to my surprise the bike was way better than I expected. But delete pair valve and that helps a lot. Second thing is remove fuel screw plug with a half turn extra and holy crap that fixed it completely, jetting seems perfect. I liked the seat, handlebars, mirrors, gearing, pegs, and tires. So much for internet opinions. Enjoy
Yeah internet opinions are overrated! That’s great glad you like it, fuel screw id like to remove myself between idle/fuel mixture, however I live in wonderful California so if I tamper with it it may be a ticket, I have to find out the emissions laws lol, jetting from the factory is standard and I believe you can climb above 10,000, from the factory though I’ve heard it runs to lean
I could not deal with the factory seat. So much chafing! That was the first of many upgrades on my 2022. As for elevation changes I have ridden mine from below sea level out by Salton Sea to the top of Imogene Pass. I recommend simply changing what octane gas you buy according to elevation. It made a significant difference on my trip.
Dont be afraid to take the dr on the highway. It’s really at home there and isn’t as scary as it seems. I had the same reservations until i just did it and it was chill
Bro i have 22 dr650 modded a bit definitely need to do procycle breath easy kit in carb and exhaust makes huge difference totally different bike i need to get vids up of mine. Nice riding man
Just came across the channel. Nice to see actual ride videos vs mechanical or " aftermarket upgrade" videos. Hopefully you can continue the trend of actually moto vlogging during and after the upgrade and maintenance processes but it's good so far, liked and subbed
Appreciate that! Yeah I’d like to bring content to break away from the typical, I’ll be talking more into why I think mods are not always the best and why upgrading your bike is not always a good thing
also these bikes are notorious for having death wobble over 80 km/h, this is because of the forks adjusting at different rates/distances, to completely fix this issue get a rally front fender with less size for the wind to catch and a good quality fork brace to lock in both forks so they adjust together instead of independently
Its not the forks bro in my expriience the wobble is almost always because of worn tires, and steering head bearings. But it could be the shocks bht its actually the tires more likely
80km? That's only 50mph right? I have had rain groove issues with certain aggressive tires at that speed but no wobbles on the interstate out to the speed limit of 80mph or almost 130 km/h.
the bike is great in the lower gears, maybe its my sprocket but i find the higher gears dont have as much of an impact on speed, thats why i put a TM40 in mine and it was awesome, got a high flow exhaust and it sounds so cool now too. duno if my fuel economy is doing so hot with the carb squirting in streams of fuel but i have a lot more acceleration! if you get a pumper definitely get a bigger fuel tank too
I recently bought a Hawk X 250 (chonda), for my first bike as an old fart, which I love. But when I saw that the tail light on a 2024 DR looks like it could be off of a mid 80's Cressida or something I will be getting one .
I'm getting a new 2025 DR650 tomorrow. I was wondering what you think about the bike now since it's 2 months since you made this first impressions ride video?
Bike is great overall! I actually sold it recently (yeah I know why?!) personally the bike is way to heavy for off road and wanted something lighter but if you plan on doing more touring style riding or cross country this bike is for you! I loved this bike though, pretty powerful and torque is definitely there
@@fergustheproclaimer689 Thank you for the quick reply. I'm trading in my 2017 Harley Road Glide Ultra for the DR650. I know they're night and day difference. I am experienced in motocross and off road from when I was younger. I just want something dependable and fun that will "go anywhere under any circumstances". I believe SHTF is closer than many think, so there's that. I'm hoping I made the right decision going with the DR650.
@@tonygantt4830 you did! Especially if you drive Harley’s, obviously they’ll be a power difference but trust me off road power does not mean anything if you’re getting technical, you need light weight, and reliability, the DR is just that, however, for me a 370 pound bike off road I just couldn’t do long term for off road, I also wanted fuel injection as I don’t have time to tinker with the carb, I recently got a CRF 250l and will be doing a video on that, if you haven’t purchased the DR yet however, I’d strongly recommend going and checking out the KLX 300, that is a dirt machine!
@@fergustheproclaimer689 The DR is a done deal. They said it will be ready to pick up today or tomorrow morning. I'm committed and I'll make the best of it. Judging from your vids, new tires are the first upgrade!
Haha it is a little firm not going to lie, but it seemed fine with me and I drove around 40 miles the other day (close to 60 KPH) and it seemed fine, but I did feel it slightly a little, you got me there haha 😆
@@fergustheproclaimer689 she will start to wear you out after about 100 miles..I lowered the pegs, raised the handlebars and put a seat concepts semi gripper top seat on mine and can ride all day now.
@@DJ-hy8wf I’ll definitely get bar risers at some point, maybe change out the seat but I’m ok with the bike in stock form, I will say that I agree that the pegs could be better when standing up, not as much room like my 300l had
I still miss my tricked out 08 DR650, now you can invest a minimum of $5k into upgrades no problem ProCycle will set you up, I personally would not drive it 1 block without fork upgrades right away....then flat side carb etc etc
@@fergustheproclaimer689 efi has a way lower failure rate so you don’t even have to work on it. But there’s nothing like pulling the choke and waiting for the warm up in the morning 💜. Hearing it rev super high and knowing you’re ready to rock
@@CollinMac96 that’s true that’s at least what I’ve heard but if it gets clogged or fails you almost always have to go to a dealer, the fuel injectors on cars are failing so I suspect bikes in the future will start failing as they want to do this so it forces you to go to a dealer to fix, it’s only a matter of time, personally I didn’t like how twitchy the throttle is on EFI but I did like the gas mileage haha 😆
I'm on my second DR650. People tell me I should get a better bike. I might if anyone made a better bike. Thing is it will never not start from a bad relay or failed fuel pump because it doesn't even have those electrical components to fail. Street legal bikes don't get any simpler. Because it's simple I do all the maintenance myself and the bike pays me well to do all that maintenance because 200 bucks I'm not giving a shop is 200 bucks in my pocket and that really adds up. I bet the money I saved on shop fees over the years on my first DR bought my second DR. There are very few old school bikes left that let you adjust the valves with a deck screw and a feeler gauge and adjust the chain with simple snail type adjuster. The DR got me confident doing it all from changing oil, filters, to tires, chains and sprockets, brake pads and fluid and adjusting valves. Easy bike to work on so I never have to take it to a shop and it does everything I want while being fun to ride.
Having a brand new old school bike like this is a dream come true
Sucks how you cant buy a 90s corolla or accord or civic but thats okay because deep down im a motorcyclist and the dr650 is like a 90s civic except brand new
Go down to a 14 tooth front sprocket makes a world of difference and the bike still works good for the hwy. Junk those tires before you go off road. I am running Kenda K270s front 3.25 X 21 and RR 5.10 X 17, they are a good 50/50 tire and I have got about 7 K miles from the first pair and Kenda's won't break the bank. Skid plate goes on all my off road bikes, just piece of mind. You may buy other bikes, but the DR is a keeper. I love mine. Ride safe and have fun.
But seriously, the DR650, XR650, and KLR650 are sweet bikes. You can’t go wrong with any of them.
I bought the same 2024 DR. new. The low speed jerking is probably the air fuel mixture factory setting. Mine was set at only 1/4th turn out and it bucked and jerked like crazy.
I drilled out the brass plug and turned it out 2 1/2 turns and its smooth "man" no jerking and it screams like a racing bike now !
Buy the brass adjustable air fuel mixture screw as you will probably want to do some initial adjusting till you get it right. I didn,t have to do all the expensive jetting / air box / mufler changes everyone talks about. This is the perfect motorcycle !
I,m 71 and like you I never plan to sell this bike. I like it better than my Harley.
@@keglover-x4i
I added a small washer under the stock needle but above plastic washer and that just worked perfectly
Raise the carburetor needle one notch and remove the snorkel. You'll be surprised how much difference it makes for very little cost.
I did this and it is just plain surprisingly good afterwards. Don’t hesitate to do this, very simple no jets needed just fuel screw opened and needle raised. All my screws were removed with tool kit that came with bike. I also say pair valve delete is a must, but you can just plug the vent line in the short run.
Great video 👍🏻 my dr is a 2013 and love it. Ya carburetors can sometimes cause a little grief. Pulled the old carb out a couple years ago and put in a lectron carb and it’s been absolutely amazing. Best upgrade ever!
I should have mentioned, you don,t have to remove the carb, remove the fuel tank , loosen and remove the two clamps front/back of the carb which allows you to turn it sideways to get to the air/fuel screw. and drill out the little plug. Its easy !
Also after installing the adjustable brass screw , 1/8 th of a turn makes a big difference. I started with 2 turns out and adjusted from there.
Just got mine and reviewed all the internet stuff. And to my surprise the bike was way better than I expected. But delete pair valve and that helps a lot. Second thing is remove fuel screw plug with a half turn extra and holy crap that fixed it completely, jetting seems perfect. I liked the seat, handlebars, mirrors, gearing, pegs, and tires. So much for internet opinions. Enjoy
Yeah internet opinions are overrated! That’s great glad you like it, fuel screw id like to remove myself between idle/fuel mixture, however I live in wonderful California so if I tamper with it it may be a ticket, I have to find out the emissions laws lol, jetting from the factory is standard and I believe you can climb above 10,000, from the factory though I’ve heard it runs to lean
I could not deal with the factory seat. So much chafing! That was the first of many upgrades on my 2022.
As for elevation changes I have ridden mine from below sea level out by Salton Sea to the top of Imogene Pass. I recommend simply changing what octane gas you buy according to elevation. It made a significant difference on my trip.
Dont be afraid to take the dr on the highway. It’s really at home there and isn’t as scary as it seems. I had the same reservations until i just did it and it was chill
3:02
You're out of your mind, the seat is a 2x4 with a cover on it😆
If you haven't already, adjust your clutch cable. From the factory, mine was mad tight. It helped a lot with shifting more smoothly.
Mine seems ok actually but there could always be slightly more free play, biggest thing for me is swapping these tires out!
Bro i have 22 dr650 modded a bit definitely need to do procycle breath easy kit in carb and exhaust makes huge difference totally different bike i need to get vids up of mine. Nice riding man
I really like your perspective going up to this from a 150/350.
@@alexmaccity currently I’m going to be getting the Klx 300 so stay tuned! Appreciate you!
For sure!
Just came across the channel. Nice to see actual ride videos vs mechanical or " aftermarket upgrade" videos. Hopefully you can continue the trend of actually moto vlogging during and after the upgrade and maintenance processes but it's good so far, liked and subbed
Appreciate that! Yeah I’d like to bring content to break away from the typical, I’ll be talking more into why I think mods are not always the best and why upgrading your bike is not always a good thing
Proper tuning will get rid of the jerkiness. Most could think my 2018 was injected if they didn't know :)
also these bikes are notorious for having death wobble over 80 km/h, this is because of the forks adjusting at different rates/distances, to completely fix this issue get a rally front fender with less size for the wind to catch and a good quality fork brace to lock in both forks so they adjust together instead of independently
Homie, ive been riding mine for years and you're the first person i heard say that
Its not the forks bro in my expriience the wobble is almost always because of worn tires, and steering head bearings. But it could be the shocks bht its actually the tires more likely
80km? That's only 50mph right? I have had rain groove issues with certain aggressive tires at that speed but no wobbles on the interstate out to the speed limit of 80mph or almost 130 km/h.
Tighten up the throttle cable slack mate will help with it being jerky, but also look into a throttle tamer.
Thanks mate good point!
@@fergustheproclaimer689 fuel injection caused that issue on nearly all bikes mate, some have better mapping but lots have that issue.
@@seanmack4552 this bike is carbureted actually
@@fergustheproclaimer689 didn’t realise that mate, try cable then that should sort it but leave a small amount of play remember.
@@seanmack4552 yup!
the bike is great in the lower gears, maybe its my sprocket but i find the higher gears dont have as much of an impact on speed, thats why i put a TM40 in mine and it was awesome, got a high flow exhaust and it sounds so cool now too. duno if my fuel economy is doing so hot with the carb squirting in streams of fuel but i have a lot more acceleration! if you get a pumper definitely get a bigger fuel tank too
How is the vibration through the handlebars at highway speeds?
At 60 you start feeling it, it’s pretty bad, Honda or Klx are better when it comes to that
I recently bought a Hawk X 250 (chonda), for my first bike as an old fart, which I love. But when I saw that the tail light on a 2024 DR looks like it could be off of a mid 80's Cressida or something I will be getting one .
It’s a great bike but be warned it’s heavy for off roading
@@fergustheproclaimer689would you still buy it again?
@@barabas688 absolutely 👍
@@fergustheproclaimer68910-4
I'm getting a new 2025 DR650 tomorrow. I was wondering what you think about the bike now since it's 2 months since you made this first impressions ride video?
Bike is great overall! I actually sold it recently (yeah I know why?!) personally the bike is way to heavy for off road and wanted something lighter but if you plan on doing more touring style riding or cross country this bike is for you! I loved this bike though, pretty powerful and torque is definitely there
@@fergustheproclaimer689 Thank you for the quick reply. I'm trading in my 2017 Harley Road Glide Ultra for the DR650. I know they're night and day difference. I am experienced in motocross and off road from when I was younger. I just want something dependable and fun that will "go anywhere under any circumstances". I believe SHTF is closer than many think, so there's that. I'm hoping I made the right decision going with the DR650.
@@tonygantt4830 you did! Especially if you drive Harley’s, obviously they’ll be a power difference but trust me off road power does not mean anything if you’re getting technical, you need light weight, and reliability, the DR is just that, however, for me a 370 pound bike off road I just couldn’t do long term for off road, I also wanted fuel injection as I don’t have time to tinker with the carb, I recently got a CRF 250l and will be doing a video on that, if you haven’t purchased the DR yet however, I’d strongly recommend going and checking out the KLX 300, that is a dirt machine!
@@fergustheproclaimer689 The DR is a done deal. They said it will be ready to pick up today or tomorrow morning. I'm committed and I'll make the best of it. Judging from your vids, new tires are the first upgrade!
@@tonygantt4830 yes, tires are worse on that bike than my 250l I have, either get a 50/50 or something, the Tusk D sports are a popular one
DR Gang 🙌 Got me a DRZ400SM
Gotta ask since the area looks nice where u riding at?
Holy Jim in south OC
The mirrors are the best, the front suspension is not, that's why I have them on my xr650l
This is a great bike and I want one. But honestly, the best bike is the one a person already has. There's something fun about all of em!
Why of course
I agree with this. Every time I say "That's one of my favorite bikes!" It's because I've owned one and enjoyed them all!
The bike is a great looking bike, congratulations my guy 🔥
She runs great!
I want that exact bike color too.
The white is dope to but yeah this kinda stands out haha!
I really one one of these. Great video!
Shifting will be like butter once you get used to it.
The DR is a great bike very capable ride hard. Liked and subscribed.
You'll change your mind on the seat quickly
I wish I had a dollar for every time I've heard "I'll never sell it!"
lol 😂 I think that’s the official DR motto
I said it back in 1995 and lo and behold, still have it.
They regret it too. Like selling golf clubs or old guns its not worth it you wont get them back
1990 was the first known DR 650.
Parts were slightly different to and the fastners
You misspelled KLR650.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣no girlfriend will ever tell me what I can have or not have.
I love my DR just like it is except for the tires Im putting Shinko 705 on it because I’m mostly riding the street
Dunlops are good to! But I hear you, the DR is the bike for life!
Your gonna eat your words about that seat bud. Lol once you put in a day of riding where you do more than 100km you'll see.
Haha it is a little firm not going to lie, but it seemed fine with me and I drove around 40 miles the other day (close to 60 KPH) and it seemed fine, but I did feel it slightly a little, you got me there haha 😆
@@fergustheproclaimer689 she will start to wear you out after about 100 miles..I lowered the pegs, raised the handlebars and put a seat concepts semi gripper top seat on mine and can ride all day now.
@@DJ-hy8wf I’ll definitely get bar risers at some point, maybe change out the seat but I’m ok with the bike in stock form, I will say that I agree that the pegs could be better when standing up, not as much room like my 300l had
I never minded mine till I went 240mi in one day. Never again
@@coleneville3073 yeah after about an hour or so your butt is roaring, I’ll prolly get a seat concepts seat soon
I put more miles on one of those than any other bike in my life
The boat or the bike, Hummmm sell the girlfriend.
I still miss my tricked out 08 DR650, now you can invest a minimum of $5k into upgrades no problem ProCycle will set you up, I personally would not drive it 1 block without fork upgrades right away....then flat side carb etc etc
One thing is Forsure the suspension is way better than the crf 300l lol
you spelled klr650 wrong.....
Ummm haha you’re the second person to say that, but where is this misspelling ? The video is about the Suzuki not the klr 650
Wr250 is my goat
Pshhh - Sell the girlfriend - keep the bike.
The dr being carbonated wouldn’t prevent me from buying it although that is a huge negative. Efi is objectively better in every aspect .
Yeah but honestly it’s not that bad and easier system to work on compared to EFI
@@fergustheproclaimer689 efi has a way lower failure rate so you don’t even have to work on it. But there’s nothing like pulling the choke and waiting for the warm up in the morning 💜. Hearing it rev super high and knowing you’re ready to rock
@@CollinMac96 that’s true that’s at least what I’ve heard but if it gets clogged or fails you almost always have to go to a dealer, the fuel injectors on cars are failing so I suspect bikes in the future will start failing as they want to do this so it forces you to go to a dealer to fix, it’s only a matter of time, personally I didn’t like how twitchy the throttle is on EFI but I did like the gas mileage haha 😆
Except when it comes time to repair.
@@michaelhefford6420 efi rarely fails. Carburetors are not as reliable. I question if some of the carb lovers have actually had owned one
XR owners laughing at this
XR is good for off road but to tall
I’ve always loved Honda bikes, but the dual purpose are soooo tall, it’s rediculous.