Suzuki DR650SE reviews

It was great to read the other reviews and see that I am not alone in the sore butt category, I upgraded to the gel and found only slight improvment and don't know why the skid plate was not standard. I also added a back rack. This thumper is a real blast to ride. The dealer has been great to deal with. I just put on a pair of Shimko tires that provide a smoother ride...I am sure Montana spring mud won't be as easy as it was with the Bridgestone trials tires ..but ya can't have it all. I feel like I made a great choice...love my bike. Show less

I have an 09 DR650se this is my first street legal bike and I love it. It was very easy to learn to ride both on dirt and street. It has plenty of power to keep me interested and the fuel mileage is great. I average about 55mpg. I quickly learned that this bike is not meant to be a tight trail bike but it does wonders on old logging roads and forest service roads where you are required to be street legal. I will now and forever own a dual sport and as long as Suzuki keeps building this bike it will be a DR650. Show less

I've had all kinds of bikes from in line 4cyl crotch rockets to big v twins to motocross bikes and if I had to pick one bike to have (which I do) it's the DR650. It's just a great all around bike. A great commuter, cuises effortlessly down the highway at 70 mph and it's torque monster 650 cylinder seems to be just above idle at 55mph in top gear. In town you can pull away from just about anything short of a half million dollar sports car at a stop light, and it can handle any bump or pot hole on any street. And with good rubber on it you can even drag a knee in the twisties. I know the seat isn't the best but a 100 mile stretrch on back country roads isn't too much to ask from it. Just did a cruise to my brother in laws' lake house last weekend which consisted of about 120 miles of 50 to 60mph cruising with a few 75 mph blast to pass cars, averaged 60mpg! My othe vehicals get roughly 1/6th of that. A 1965 ford galaxie with a big block in it and a 95 full size bronco....oh and my girlfriends broom! Show less

Have been riding Harleys for years and always wanted a dual purpose more practical bike. Since I purchased this incredible torquey machine, I have been more than happy. It is spunky and just plain fun to ride. I haven't taken it on trails yet but I will sometime. You will never regret buying this cool machine, I just love it!! Could use a little softer seat though. Show less

I have put over 17,000 hard miles both off and on road on this bike and it continues to go strong. Great all around motorcycle for the price and am extremely pleased with this bike. As long as you keep up on the scheduled maintenance, it has no problems. Show less

I placed a review when near new and was totally pleased with my DR 650. I am now at 2 years and 6,300 miles, and the bike has not disappointed me in ANY way. I am getting low 50's (MPG), and have now done the total mods of; gel seat (very good choice), luggage rack & tail bag (nice to have), and recently a switch to road tires (pirelli scorpions). I would not change any of these mods for me, as I ride 99 percent road. The bike is so tossable, yet secure. I am 63 years old & on my 35 to 40th bike, and this is about as much fun as any of them, though not near the fastest. Love the bike & love my dealer. They are far from the closest, but they treat me like gold... Show less

I've had this bike for 500 miles now. I grew up riding dirt. I love the handling and get up and go. As others have posted...the seat sucks. It starts wearing on you after 10 miles or so. I'm gonna get the gel seat this weekend. Also I agree that first gear is pretty big for off road. I took it on a trail last weekend and it was a lot of clutch, throttle and brake work. But that being said...it's an awesome bike. I enjoy riding it. The throttle response is great. Show less

I just wanna say I enjoy my bike so much it is truly the best big engine dual purpose for the money. The Kawasaki is so big and heavy looking, while the Honda cost so much and it has that very small gas tank. Must I say I m a very big guy and I have no problem crusing at 75 and even have had it has fast an 95 and steady picking up. It's not heavy and has just the right size gas tank. Has the spunk and quickness in case I'm in a tight spot and need to dodge some heavy traffic. I also like riding down dirt roads it just blasts the dirt away, so for the money the Suzuki is the best of the other two. (Kawasaki, Honda)You will not be disappointed. Show less

I had low expectations at first about how the bike would handle off road trails, but after putting 500 kilometers of forest and cow trails I can honestly say I'm impressed! The bike has held up excellent so far. I drive between 10000 and 15000 kilometers a year so we shall see how it holds up, but so far no disappointment. Fuel mileage is about 55-60 depending on how you drive. Power is never a problem. The cooling system works quite well and has never overheated yet. It starts up in -20c weather and runs equally well in summer. The seat leaves something to be desired if you're riding more than 100 kilometers in a day though. Show less

I have owned my DR650 for about 5 years now. It's lightweight, easy to ride and pretty quick. The gas mileage is awesome! Yea I know some motorscooters get up to 100 mpg, but getting an average of 50-60 mpg at a constant 80 miles per hour is out of this world! This thing is amazing in city traffic and dirt roads alike. All-in-all it's so nice to be able to jump on this machine anytime I get the urge to be on two wheels... rain, snow or complete sunshine - no problem. Show less