Thank you for sharing this. Inspiring. Trying to get back in shape for woods riding after 30+ years. Post children & their hobbies. Grown & on their own. Running days are over. Occasional mountain biking. Finished with boating. Finished with RV's & travel trailers. Retired now. My KLR 650 is my daily street beater. Picked up a slightly used Kawasaki KLX 250 a few years back collecting dust. This video shows up in my suggested feeds. It's fate I tell you. :)
It's the perfect, imperfect bike for me. I needed something that could go up narrow, tight washes, single track, cross country through the sagebrush, across sandy dunes hell areas, and never ending miles of double track across the Great Basin. I had to dink around with the suspension, but as long as I'm not trying to fly on it, it does great. I wanted a TW200, but picked up a 2004 DR200 with very few miles for less than $1700 and decided to give it a go. I did reduced the front sprocket from the 15 to a 13 as I need torque and not speed. The 13 turned it into a trail king. Plus, I get to carry a crap load of stuff on the rear rack if I want to, and get 70 mpg off road with a 3 gallon or so tank. And it's fun as heck to ride.
Just now seeing this vid. Well done! Even though I am a "Honda fan", since Honda discontinued my sweetheart little CRF230L, the DR200 really is the closest thing to it currently available. Great vid!
I've got a 2018 dr200 and it's identical to this. I love it. Obviously not as fast as my race bike but by far the most fun. I ride it to work and take it to trails and its a blast.
Tractable horsepower! The 4-stroke takeover in the mid 2000's happened because 4-strokes became superior bikes. You dont need a ton of horsepower, but you do need a good tractable power range with good suspension. The weight of a bike is really important to me.. not because it makes me faster but because it is less fun for me to ride a heavy bike.
I still love dualsports! Secretly I have really been going back an forth on trading the ktm300 on a crf450L or husky 501.. I weigh about 185 right now. Gained about 10 this winter 😕
That or break more stuff in a hare scramble hahaha. I need to find a few dealers that will lend me a few different makes an models for " testing purposes". Figure out what direction I wana go in.
Ive got a 97 dr200se and I ride some very intense trails(my race bike is a Husky te150 and previously a ktm 200xcw) and I have no problem keeping up with the most of the guys in the group on their ktms and yz/wrs. Only mods I have at the moment are tires, retrofitted kickstart from 80's model dr200(I have a write up about how to do it), race tech fork emulators and BBR crf150f fork spings, drilled airbox, rejetted carb, and fmf q4 exhaust. With those few mods it really is an incredible machine, especially for a smaller rider. The exhaust a rejet really wake the bike up and the fork work really lets you charge without fear of bottoming or getting that mushy unsteady feel.
I have been considering buying a DR200 to add as a street legal woods bike. Right now my woods bike is a DRZ125L with a 24mm Mikuni carb added to replace the puny stock carb. Huge difference in power. Re-geared a little higher (51T rear sprocket) to take advantage of the extra power. The little bike rips through the woods incredibly well, it is super light and nimble. Suspension is surprisingly good. I'm not sure if the DR200 could do as well, but I would like to try one, especially since it's street legal.
In Europe Beta tooks this motor in a near trials like dual sport with less suspension travel and less weight (108 kg) called the ALP 200.There is a small group of fans in Germamy and italy love this small thumper for the lightweight and have more horse power legal on the street than KTM EXC or Freeride (7 PS) versus 15 PS for the Alp. With two teeth less on the front sprocket the ALP climbs like a goat way easyer than any other Dual Sport on Trials terrain with Trials tires and if you struggle no problem with the less weight even in near impossibel spots to ride.
Hahaha I had the dr200 trojan as a daily as a farmhand. Better than the ag200 and ctx200 hands down. Never rode a 250 stockman. Best farm 200 I ever rode.
I also had an ag200 on the farm and went to a trojan.... Mustering cattle in scrub and whatnot. AG was a tractor with a low centre of gravity and torquier gearing great for bashing over logs but I prefered the trojan with the taller gearing.
I had an XR200 with a similar rear drum brake and I never could get it adjusted right. When I thought I finally had it, it would start locking up on me every time I hit it. I basically just didn't use it unless I absolutely couldn't stop with only the front brake. I guess you could lock up the rear and slide around corners if you got the feel for it. That would be fun. But yeah cable-adjusted drum brakes are pretty touchy sometimes.
I had an 87' SP200 basically the same bike as the DR and was on a wooded scramble course and could stay right up with kx 125's rm 250's and the like because I could throw the bike around so easy plus I've been doing this stuff since the mid 70's starting with the new 73 TM 125.
I'm 200 + or - a few pounds. I'm 5'10", too big for the bike, and love the little thing. It's suspension is borderline at best, but honestly, for trail riding at low to mid speeds its fine. You're not going to follow a fully dedicated dirt machine up everything without some difficulty though. I had to adjust the rear spring which prevents bottoming out, but it is a little too springy now. Front suspension can be improved by dropping in a home made spacer (made from 3/4" PVC pipe) that replaces the existing one. Just increase the length a wee bit and it'll make the front end less spongy.
Thanks. I think lots of DR200 get bought and for whatever reason just sit and get bad gas and gunked carb. I just picked up a clean OEM 2005 DR200 for my kids has 2000 miles on it. Was $900. Should last a long time. Looking for mod tips on yt.
Rather confusing. Video is about DR 200 S performing off road right ? But do you have a small window on the bottom corner showing DR Z 400 ? Are you riding a DR 200s ? Or nor ?
Sup! Did you have a chance to race the DR200 yet? I owned a Suzuki SP200 (where the DR200 came from) and loved it. The low seat height and soft suspension was perfect for trail riding. I bet I'd have similar if not faster lap times on a DR200 than my KTM 500 EXC!
Gladius Jon Just from watching your videos I’d say that you are a better rider now by far. Even just by riding the same trail over and over again you get the course memorized to where you can minimize unnecessary braking.
Ill be at sxcs rd 2, its alot closer that rd 1 vchss, (2 hour drive 1 way VS 3.5 hour drive 1 way) and i want to give that series a few more races before i make my mind up on them lol
Did you always have issues with the carb or is that after running it for a few years? I've been considering one of these DR200's...what carb kit and pipe were you considering? Thanks
Scott Eger That carb was fine ontell it sat for over a year. The methanol in the gas clogged all the jets. Otherwise it’s been fine. I was looking at an fmf pipe and jd jet kit.
@@GladiusJon thanks for the info...if I get one there's a gas station where I can get ethanol free gas...I'd probably try to use that in it...I'll look into those upgrades if I do end up with one
Jon, how would it perform for an old fart at 228 pounds? Would it cart my butt around, or barely putt? It looks like it goes pretty well for just 200cc. Well, when you weren't running it flat out at 1650 rpm. (Lug it much?) LOL
Nice video 📹.. Check out the video of my Dual sport Suzuki Dr200se.. This bike is fun to ride without killing yourself, and it's very light and easy to handle 👍
Who cares what bike goes whatever. Did you have fun? That's the main thing. I think people get too caught up in shit and forget the main reason they got a bike in the first place. To have fun right.
I've been watching a lot of amateur GNCC type racers here on UA-cam, and I've notice that most of them are just putting around in race course with their $10,000+ KTMs in first and second gear throughout the entire race. IMO, these aforementioned people would be better off riding a cheaper, smaller bike until their riding skills and speeds drastically improves.
@@bradl8210 There's two types of motorcycle racers, winners and lappers. If you're a lapper, you should stay home and practice on being a winner before racing, IMO. And as for your statistical 99.9%, once someone is above a C class, I wouldn't call them a amateur rider anymore.
I 100% disagree. First. I have found the guys in C class, Are Light years ahead of your normal rider. Dont believe me? Try a race, guarantee you will get wooped like a dog. I did, I thought I was a Very Fast rider. On tell I placed 2nd to last.. I have Friends who are Racing A class Pro GNCC and they all say the same. You think you can box, ontell you step in the ring and get KO.
Thank you for sharing this. Inspiring. Trying to get back in shape for woods riding after 30+ years. Post children & their hobbies. Grown & on their own. Running days are over. Occasional mountain biking. Finished with boating. Finished with RV's & travel trailers. Retired now. My KLR 650 is my daily street beater. Picked up a slightly used Kawasaki KLX 250 a few years back collecting dust. This video shows up in my suggested feeds. It's fate I tell you. :)
I hear you, man. Selling my boat this spring, put down payment on a KLX230. Ride on!
I bet that thing is a ton of fun. I have yet to ride any Suzuki that doesn't put a smile on my face
It's the perfect, imperfect bike for me. I needed something that could go up narrow, tight washes, single track, cross country through the sagebrush, across sandy dunes hell areas, and never ending miles of double track across the Great Basin. I had to dink around with the suspension, but as long as I'm not trying to fly on it, it does great. I wanted a TW200, but picked up a 2004 DR200 with very few miles for less than $1700 and decided to give it a go. I did reduced the front sprocket from the 15 to a 13 as I need torque and not speed. The 13 turned it into a trail king. Plus, I get to carry a crap load of stuff on the rear rack if I want to, and get 70 mpg off road with a 3 gallon or so tank. And it's fun as heck to ride.
Nice! For a 1st dirtbike maybe a 250 but 200 will see!
Just shows you can not only have just as much fun on a smaller / cheaper bike, but you can also perform pretty well!
Just now seeing this vid. Well done! Even though I am a "Honda fan", since Honda discontinued my sweetheart little CRF230L, the DR200 really is the closest thing to it currently available.
Great vid!
Such a fun bike! My first bike was a 1986 SP 125, basically this bike with a smaller motor. At 51 now, I'm looking to get one again.
I have a 91 DR250 with a 6speed trans and absolutely rips also has a disk brake in the rear and I just picked up a 2018 DRZ 400S both are great bikes
I've got a 2018 dr200 and it's identical to this. I love it. Obviously not as fast as my race bike but by far the most fun. I ride it to work and take it to trails and its a blast.
Tractable horsepower! The 4-stroke takeover in the mid 2000's happened because 4-strokes became superior bikes. You dont need a ton of horsepower, but you do need a good tractable power range with good suspension. The weight of a bike is really important to me.. not because it makes me faster but because it is less fun for me to ride a heavy bike.
Rev it out man. Those little motors love to be revved to the moon. They are tough as a boot.
7000rpm isn't exactly the moon 😂
The DR200 was not meant for hare scrambles? Oops
Who needs accessories like a seat? If you're sitting down ya ain't riding anyways.
It did fine for me when I raced it 🤷🏼♂️
Nothing can beat a DRZ400 at anything, ever. Dont believe me? Just ask any other DRZ owner. Lol 👀
True story !!🤣🤣
Take a ride on literally any KTM made in the last 20 years
I owned a new 1986 sp125 many moons ago, these are great little bikes.
This is my favorite of your videos in recent memory of course I'm a dual sport guy
I still love dualsports! Secretly I have really been going back an forth on trading the ktm300 on a crf450L or husky 501.. I weigh about 185 right now. Gained about 10 this winter 😕
@@GladiusJon decide before you drop the money on the rekeluse
That or break more stuff in a hare scramble hahaha. I need to find a few dealers that will lend me a few different makes an models for " testing purposes". Figure out what direction I wana go in.
My mate had a dr350 it was great fun in the trails love engine braking down hills
Love your videos and the smooth quality! Been binge watching all day! Keep it up
Ive got a 97 dr200se and I ride some very intense trails(my race bike is a Husky te150 and previously a ktm 200xcw) and I have no problem keeping up with the most of the guys in the group on their ktms and yz/wrs. Only mods I have at the moment are tires, retrofitted kickstart from 80's model dr200(I have a write up about how to do it), race tech fork emulators and BBR crf150f fork spings, drilled airbox, rejetted carb, and fmf q4 exhaust. With those few mods it really is an incredible machine, especially for a smaller rider. The exhaust a rejet really wake the bike up and the fork work really lets you charge without fear of bottoming or getting that mushy unsteady feel.
Great starter bike I use it for school... gets u by even on trails...
I have been considering buying a DR200 to add as a street legal woods bike. Right now my woods bike is a DRZ125L with a 24mm Mikuni carb added to replace the puny stock carb. Huge difference in power. Re-geared a little higher (51T rear sprocket) to take advantage of the extra power. The little bike rips through the woods incredibly well, it is super light and nimble. Suspension is surprisingly good. I'm not sure if the DR200 could do as well, but I would like to try one, especially since it's street legal.
In Europe Beta tooks this motor in a near trials like dual sport with less suspension travel and less weight (108 kg) called the ALP 200.There is a small group of fans in Germamy and italy love this small thumper for the lightweight and have more horse power legal on the street than KTM EXC or Freeride (7 PS) versus 15 PS for the Alp. With two teeth less on the front sprocket the ALP climbs like a goat way easyer than any other Dual Sport on Trials terrain with Trials tires and if you struggle no problem with the less weight even in near impossibel spots to ride.
That's the bike I rode on passing my Motorcycle Safety test to get my Motorcycle license in Hawaii.
You should seriously consider a KTM250F. Been watching your videos and really enjoy them.
Your right, it definitely isn’t made for hare scrambles, I raced mine in a hare scramble yesterday lol it was rough
Be sure to leave the horn and signals on it for the HS race. Should be great fun.
Get it lil dr
I would get a Header and silencer, opens the air box up, JD jetting kit and
The worlds best slow bike!
Hahaha I had the dr200 trojan as a daily as a farmhand. Better than the ag200 and ctx200 hands down. Never rode a 250 stockman. Best farm 200 I ever rode.
I also had an ag200 on the farm and went to a trojan.... Mustering cattle in scrub and whatnot. AG was a tractor with a low centre of gravity and torquier gearing great for bashing over logs but I prefered the trojan with the taller gearing.
I had an XR200 with a similar rear drum brake and I never could get it adjusted right. When I thought I finally had it, it would start locking up on me every time I hit it. I basically just didn't use it unless I absolutely couldn't stop with only the front brake. I guess you could lock up the rear and slide around corners if you got the feel for it. That would be fun. But yeah cable-adjusted drum brakes are pretty touchy sometimes.
first time on your channall and i like it a lottt
Welcome to the madness!!
She tried to tell you that th rear brake wasn't right!! Honestly, I've found that anything on two wheels is fun!
She did, I'm glad you picked up on that. I need to listen a little more.. lol
That's what i rode in my motorcycle safety class. Kind of peppy for an abused, near clutchless bike.
I had an 87' SP200 basically the same bike as the DR and was on a wooded scramble course and could stay right up with kx 125's rm 250's and the like because I could throw the bike around so easy plus I've been doing this stuff since the mid 70's starting with the new 73 TM 125.
This was a good video to show its capabilities. It is a 200 but if you give it the gas it’s going to go.
She's got her a good little bike basically Bulletproof. One more question how much do you weigh so I'll know more about the suspension
I'm 200 + or - a few pounds. I'm 5'10", too big for the bike, and love the little thing. It's suspension is borderline at best, but honestly, for trail riding at low to mid speeds its fine. You're not going to follow a fully dedicated dirt machine up everything without some difficulty though. I had to adjust the rear spring which prevents bottoming out, but it is a little too springy now. Front suspension can be improved by dropping in a home made spacer (made from 3/4" PVC pipe) that replaces the existing one. Just increase the length a wee bit and it'll make the front end less spongy.
Thanks. I think lots of DR200 get bought and for whatever reason just sit and get bad gas and gunked carb. I just picked up a clean OEM 2005 DR200 for my kids has 2000 miles on it. Was $900. Should last a long time. Looking for mod tips on yt.
Rather confusing. Video is about DR 200 S performing off road right ? But do you have a small window on the bottom corner showing DR Z 400 ? Are you riding a DR 200s ? Or nor ?
Sup! Did you have a chance to race the DR200 yet? I owned a Suzuki SP200 (where the DR200 came from) and loved it. The low seat height and soft suspension was perfect for trail riding. I bet I'd have similar if not faster lap times on a DR200 than my KTM 500 EXC!
One thing to consider is how much better of a rider you are now vs when you did the trial on the 400.
Its hard to say, because the guys I ride with are truly fast. And I feel like they are getting faster and I'm standing still.
Gladius Jon Just from watching your videos I’d say that you are a better rider now by far. Even just by riding the same trail over and over again you get the course memorized to where you can minimize unnecessary braking.
Cool, what tire's did you put on it !
Good stuff !
Two words: tractor factor.
Dual-Sport + Harescramble = Hair on Your Eyeballs?
Now do it again on the new efi KLX
Bring that thing out tomorrow and race the vxcs with us lol
I wish! Got family stuff this weekend. I'm racing the 17th tho, still undecided on vchss round 1, or sxcs round 2.
Ill be at sxcs rd 2, its alot closer that rd 1 vchss, (2 hour drive 1 way VS 3.5 hour drive 1 way) and i want to give that series a few more races before i make my mind up on them lol
how tall are you and how much do you weigh ? is it gonna bog down and lower too much ? I'm 5'11 + 220 pounds..
Did you always have issues with the carb or is that after running it for a few years? I've been considering one of these DR200's...what carb kit and pipe were you considering? Thanks
Scott Eger That carb was fine ontell it sat for over a year. The methanol in the gas clogged all the jets. Otherwise it’s been fine. I was looking at an fmf pipe and jd jet kit.
@@GladiusJon thanks for the info...if I get one there's a gas station where I can get ethanol free gas...I'd probably try to use that in it...I'll look into those upgrades if I do end up with one
Is the first gear low enough for slower off road use? The dr 650 has a first gear that is way too high.
I just sold my 200 is it 07 is a fun bike I put a DG exhaust on it it's a lot quicker with exhaust on it fun bikes
Suzuki all the way!!!
What tires and size are you running.
Jon, how would it perform for an old fart at 228 pounds? Would it cart my butt around, or barely putt? It looks like it goes pretty well for just 200cc. Well, when you weren't running it flat out at 1650 rpm. (Lug it much?) LOL
Nice video 📹.. Check out the video of my Dual sport Suzuki Dr200se.. This bike is fun to ride without killing yourself, and it's very light and easy to handle 👍
Try the Dunlop mx11 on your ktm
which tires do you reccemend for both off and on road
Michelin Anakee wild, continental tkc 80, Dunlop d606.
Torture Test Mag (TTM) you keep posting you are a funny dude. Put a link to your video show how real men ride a DR200SE and smoke those KTMs.
How much do you weigh?
Who cares what bike goes whatever. Did you have fun? That's the main thing. I think people get too caught up in shit and forget the main reason they got a bike in the first place. To have fun right.
You could have taken 15sec off that lap.lol then again ,I guess you weren't on a hot lap with the 400 either.
Didn't see one rock on your loop
Bring it to a New England harescramble it won't make it
I've been watching a lot of amateur GNCC type racers here on UA-cam, and I've notice that most of them are just putting around in race course with their $10,000+ KTMs in first and second gear throughout the entire race. IMO, these aforementioned people would be better off riding a cheaper, smaller bike until their riding skills and speeds drastically improves.
@@bradl8210 There's two types of motorcycle racers, winners and lappers. If you're a lapper, you should stay home and practice on being a winner before racing, IMO. And as for your statistical 99.9%, once someone is above a C class, I wouldn't call them a amateur rider anymore.
I 100% disagree. First. I have found the guys in C class, Are Light years ahead of your normal rider. Dont believe me? Try a race, guarantee you will get wooped like a dog. I did, I thought I was a Very Fast rider. On tell I placed 2nd to last.. I have Friends who are Racing A class Pro GNCC and they all say the same. You think you can box, ontell you step in the ring and get KO.
@@bradl8210 I practice almost every weekend in the summer months for the GNCC and for motocross.
Dude you gotta get a better camera or something. I like your videos but your camera ain't so good my guy. Thanks for the video by the way!
Try changing the setting to 4k.
Camera quality is pretty darn good.