The Suzuki DR thread.

[Tonibe63]

I've had 3 CCM644's over the years and having been without one since 2008 I feel the need to find a good one as a keeper. Interestingly the bike I replaced it with is still here despite being pushed to the back of the garage on many occasions ............ a 1200gs which better suited my plans for 2up travel over the last 15 years.

[boboneleg]

Told you before Bob,that bike is cool ,so I can well believe it's a keeper. What I can't believe is that you eat that many Weetabix ?

[Brenhden]

Morning all,

My last (for now) DR up for sale.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305105898076

Sad times.

Did you sell it Brenhden and if so what's next ?

Oh yes, the market is very buoyant for TET suitable bikes.

Next bike for me will be something I can commute with. That new Triumph 400 looks lovely as does the RE450.

[boboneleg]

Resurrecting this thread with a photo of my DR650 out for a ride in the Cotswolds a couple of months ago .

IMG_1887.JPEG (124.16 KiB) Viewed 2317 times

[garyboy]

It's weird .. I remember when the 600 and 650 were considered a bit too heavy for easy trails riding. But are now considered to be lightweight air cooled retro adventure bikes.

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

That will be because we are all so much younger and fitter these days.

I remember my then new DR350S being regarded as very OTT by the Cambridge group of the TRF. They all rode Kawasaki 200 two-strokes.

[garyboy]

That will be because we are all so much younger and fitter these days.

I remember my then new DR350S being regarded as very OTT by the Cambridge group of the TRF. They all rode Kawasaki 200 two-strokes.

Younger and fitter ... yup.. that certainly applies to me.

Before I answered my previous reply, I had to check the dates of the dr350, dr650 .. I had forgotten there was a dr600, I remember getting my used dr350 as an old almost classic example,
.. but actually, apparently, it only came out in 1984. I had a 1999 model and it was old used and battered. But looking back, it was comparatively new.
It seems now to be way in the past, especially compared with the number and upgrades of bikes... and yet strangely recent.

1 confused pensioner still trying to live like a youngster, lol.

[Brenhden]

That will be because we are all so much younger and fitter these days.

I remember my then new DR350S being regarded as very OTT by the Cambridge group of the TRF. They all rode Kawasaki 200 two-strokes.

Younger and fitter ... yup.. that certainly applies to me.

Before I answered my previous reply, I had to check the dates of the dr350, dr650 .. I had forgotten there was a dr600, I remember getting my used dr350 as an old almost classic example,
.. but actually, apparently, it only came out in 1984. I had a 1999 model and it was old used and battered. But looking back, it was comparatively new.
It seems now to be way in the past, especially compared with the number and upgrades of bikes... and yet strangely recent.

1 confused pensioner still trying to live like a youngster, lol.

Having ridden lots of old and new bikes I still believe dual sport bikes peaked with the DR350SE. Nothing newer hits the sweet spot of fun/reliable/handsome/onroad/offroad

I think the market still agrees too. I remember back in 2013 I went on an offroad training day with that awesome elderly offroad lady (anyone remember her name?) in Wales and back then she was telling me not to buy a 350 as they were old fashioned and agricultural. I still respectfully disagree.

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

Marianne Walford?
She was Honda through and through.
My own personal view. I recall a review in an American magazine which said of the then new DR350S

'Hands down, this is the best four-stroke trail bike to ever come out of Japan"

That was in 1992, but it's probably still true now!

There was a tuner in America called Al Baker who ran a business called XRs Only...selling hop-up parts for the Honda XR range. Suzuki actually hired him as a development engineer/consultant on the DR350 project.

My DR350 and my Aprilia Pegaso are probably the only two bikes I've ever owned that I would give garage space to again.

[garyboy]

Brenhden.. I wonder if you mean Marianne from Aberystwyth way. If so, she's still doing it, riding etc, .. and was or is, trf management.?

I often think about the DR350. And I agree that it was the best trail bike of all time. Shame it was too tall for me, though I could probably do a reasonable job, nowadays, of lowering it.

Mine was well abused when I bought it used, and needed major works to the suspension. That is why, I remember, on here, saying that nowadays, I would prefer a more modern bike.

But yes .. I don't know how suzuki did it .. but the model architecture and feel, has never been surpassed.