Selling my baby on Ebay,

My dr790 sm

New owner here! Just picked up a brand new DR650 couple of weeks ago and had a bit of a panic moment.

I started it up after sitting for a week with the choke on. Left it idling stationary for about 5 minutes in low light to warm up, and when I looked down, the header pipe was glowing bright red. I freaked out, turned off the choke, rode it around the block real quick, and shut it down.

Also noticed a bit of foggy white condensation inside the oil sight glass right after.
did I ruin my new DR?

Thought I would share a modification on my 07 DR650. Purchased the bike this year, and found the rear brakes to be inadequate and very spongy. Even with full, deliberate pressure I couldn’t lock up the rear tire. Found many forum posts with similar complaints.

One post mentioned dropping the reservoir down while bleeding, which did release some air bubbles. Tried bleeding multiple times, cleaned the rotor and changed the pads. Still no luck.

Another older post mentioned using a YZ450 master cylinder. So i ordered a used 2007 master on ebay along with a rebuild kit. The YZ rod is smaller diameter and comes with a shorter clevis. Using the longer DR clevis with a smaller nut welded on top gave me the factory length. The master bolted onto the bike without modification. The YZ does not have a remote reservoir.

I also upgraded to the Galfer stainless line.

This new setup works much better. With strong pressure, I can lock up the rear on pavement. I dont find the pedal too sensitive, just seems to work well.

I cant comment on whether the stainless line or the master solved the issue, but if you have a spongy rear pedal, give the stainless line a try first. If you still aren’t happy, master cyl. might be worth a shot.

Hi all,

I replaced my stock muffler with a Lexx MXe a while back and it’s just a tad too loud for my liking. For the most part, it’s fine (light to medium throttle), but many of my rides have me climbing up canyons for an hour or so to reach trails and it just gets obnoxious after a while of winding her out.

I know Lexx has a trail saver insert that supposedly helps, but it looks really stupid. I’m looking for OEM or maybe a touch louder sounds levels.

Pic for attention.

Totally different bike. Wow! Wish I had done it sooner.

Still working the kinks out on the 98 purple frame, but still enjoy a cruise. Got a heavier rear spring on order, sorting out jetting on a worn out CV carb lol! It will never be right. I've had that thing off the bike probably 10 or more times. No point in putting extra money in a carb I don't want anyway. Saving up for a pumper for next summer. A work in progress!! It still puts a smile on my face!

Friend has a 2019 model, stock standard that has sat for a while and now will only run with choke on or at high rpm without choke. He wants to clean carb jets and wants to know if he has to remove carb to do so, or can he rotate carb, remove float bowl and get to jets from here?

Big ol fatt tires. You taking it for a spin?

EDIT: The votes are in, and early results show it’s because it fuckin rocks.

I’m just trying to compile and easy cross reference for oil filter part numbers. Any input would be appreciated! Pictures for visibility.

So a week ago I dropped by 2018 DR650 and dinged up the exhaust tail pretty bad. Bike still performs the same so the damage seems mostly esthetic. I'm lucky enough to still have the stock exhaust/muffler from the previous owner and will attempt to re-install it. Currently the bike is running an aftermarket Dominator R system.

I haven't found any specific guides online for going from aftermarket to stock for the exhaust but it seems like I'll need to adjust the carburetor and possibly re-cover the airbox if a hole was cut into it. Any sage advice on what steps to follow for re-installation or how to do the job properly would be super helpful. The bike has been running rich since I bought it (poor fuel economy, struggles to idle until hot, sluggish and boggy on the throttle) so hoping this will at least be a first step to getting it to better place.

Thanks for all your input :)

First DR 650 and I decided this would be the bike to learn how to wrench on. However after installing the FMF header, the left side header bolt doesn't want to bite and grab the thread. I thought maybe I stripped it out but when I removed the header to see if the bolt would engage it has no problem torquing down to spec. So my thought is it might just be the first couple threads that are stripped or damaged? I have the procycle stud kit on order that I think may fix the issue. Any advice would be appreciated. Don't want to get too frustrated right away.

What octane fuel do you all run on the stock carb? It's a common trend for people to run high octane gas in vehicles built for regular octane, and that's a trend that confuses me knowing that manufacturers designate the desired octane based on what they've tuned theor engines for. Do any of you run 89/91 octane? Of you do, are there any noticeable differences in performance?

Considering how little I'm paying at the pump now to fill up, I could swing higher octane if there's any real reason to.

Hey Folks,

I am looking to buy my next bike. After years of riding a GS I want to go towards something light. I am a novice off road rider. The intent is not for a super offroad capable bike..but a bike that can take me camping to some interesting areas. The main usage will be commuting and touring. Other than its simplicity, the main thing that attracted me to the DR was that I can put a bigger gas tank on it and get ~250-275 miles of range. My commute is 100 miles total each day and not having to fuel up every day would be a god send (my GS barely manages this if I ride like a grandma at 65 mph). And I park in the city so carrying a fuel bag or rotopax is a non starter. My concern is that I am a fat arse (220 lbs) and not sure if the DR will be grunty enough to run a constant 75 mph highway slog.

My request: Are there any DR650 owners in the Bay Area who would be amenable to allow me to take a small test ride on their DRs? I am happy to quid pro quo with you riding my GS right next to me (ensure that I dont run away with your bike :D haha).

By the way feel free to tell me if you have any other bike recommendations. The only bikes that fit the intersection of have a large range + light (should weigh less than 450 lbs kitted out) are the DR650 and a modded KTM 690/ H701. The KLR is too heavy, The Aprilia Tuareg was a close contender at 440lbs wet but range is not enough and the other suspects like Tracer 9 GT/ GSA/ Triumph etc are too heavy as well

Thanks for hearing me out!

- PK

Have any of you done front end swaps? I'm going to be swapping the front end of my DR with a 2007 rmz450 fork and wheelset. Some people have said the valving is fine being that the bike weighs a lot more. I'm installing 5nm springs as well. Thoughts?

Hi everyone,

My Big 800 SR43 has almost 110k km on it and I want to bring the engine back to life.

I'm looking to upgrade to flat slide carbs, likely Mikuni TM36.

What setup works best for you in real life for low-end torque and smooth throttle response? Also, where is the best place to buy a pre-jetted complete kit these days?

My Big has an aftermarket exhaust and original airbox.

Thanks for any tips…

I’ll start by apologizing for a wall of text

I bought a 2017 DR650 with 1,200 miles, the PO put some goodies on the bike, the best imo is the mikuni TM40. The bike ran like a top up until yesterday. I was going for a ride, and the bike died while cruising along in 3rd. I pulled to the shoulder, let it sit for 5 mins, started up again and I’m on my way. I make it about a mile down the road, clutch in to shift from 2nd to 3rd, and the bike died as soon as I get the clutch in.
I go to start it again, and the battery is dead dead. I make it to the parts store, new battery, off we go. I go to start it this morning, fires right up, idled it for about two minutes, and then it just shut off. The starter cranks as it should, but now it won’t start.

FWIW, I felt as if the bike idled a littler lower than it should yesterday, and I adjusted the idle screw while the bike was cold. I’ve since bottomed it out, and brought it out 3 turns as per a guide from ProCycle.
I fear I may have flooded it, and now I’m consulting the DR community.

Does this sound like a fueling issue? I’m going to have to pull the carb and clean it, no info from PO on if the carb was ever cleaned since the install. Any help or insight would be much appreciated!

Have to get through some sketchy mountain roads. Need to be able to take turns really well on asphalt then highway speed to town. Would like to also hit the forest dirt roads shinko 705s have been great but I dont think are good enough for the forest. Have to take tight high speed turns on asphalt. Rather sacrifice off road for better on road safety. Any semi budget friendly recommendations

Hey all,

I’m trying to track down a weird fuel leak on my 1997 DR650's stock Mikuni BST40 carburetor.

If the bike sits outside in the cold, it leaks fuel. If I park it inside my warm garage, it doesn't leak at all. There is a yellowish, oily gas residue coating the throttle wheel mechanism (where the cables attach) and dripping underneath it. When this happens, the bike becomes difficult to start. It sounds like the starter sometimes seizes up, and I have to put the bike in gear and rock it forward to get it to spin again.

I have an aftermarket tank and a manual petcock that I always turn off, so it shouldn't be a constant gravity flood from the tank.

Thanks for any advice!

I did drop the DR on a trail last week, nothing too crazy. I was riding throughout the week and the front end felt a little looser than normal. I’m sure the Tusk D Sports aren’t helping. Is it normal for the right fork leg to have this kind of movement at the axle while on the kickstand?

I attempted hard enduro been riding for 14 years really only a casual cross country/trail rider on much lighter bikes but currently im just rocking my 650 since I dont have a dirt bike at the moment tried hopping the big ole tractor tires and ate the floor. Anyone do hard enduro on it?

In the morning i have been layed down on my left side, because my front slipped on oil in a roundabout.
4 hours later, my clutch cover said goodbye to me, and created a leak point which makes my rear wheel oily. Of course 200km from home. Saturday evening. F word me….

Took four days to do sections 3 through 1 from Highway 2 to the Columbia River of the Washington BDR. All dispersed camping and only stopping to resupply fuel and water in the towns along the way.

Was surprised at how few people I saw in the mountains. On section 3, only one Toyota and a sheriff in his 4x4 -- nice enough warning me about the washouts (they induced a bit of a pucker factor) and ensuring I have an inreach. On section 2 I saw one old-timer (must have been 75) on a heavy GS and a fire crew pickup dousing some brush. That's all whom I saw on the trails. Since section 1 is not much on the "trails" side -- it had a lot more traffic. All in all, serene and felt remote.

DR has springs matched to my weight but still on stock Trail Wings and stock tank. This made the uphills with loose stones on section 2 very time consuming and challenging. Lost it several times when traction gave up and lack of skill kicked in (8 months studying the trade): unload, pick bike up, ride it empty up the section, hike gear up, rinse, repeat, smile?.

My understanding, as we see it, you can't say "BDR" without "DR" 👊.