Suzuki DR650SE reviews

I have a 2005 Suzuki DR650 that I've owned for 3 years now and I've thoroughly enjoyed it! I've put 5,000 miles on it so far, and it's performed perfectly! The gas mileage is almost 60 miles per gallon and the insurance is cheap too! I highly recommend this bike! Show less

I purchased my 2006 DR650SE the day before Thanksgiving 2006; I really had something to be thankful for. I have put over 9K miles on it; both on and off road. I have been riding for over 30 years and this has to be one of my favorites. Despite its size and weight, it handles fairly well in all types of terrain. I am currently on my third rear tire and second front. Unfortunately the weather in Central, TX is not always accommodating, but I still ride it most of the year. Although my butt goes to sleep on long distance highway trips, I wouldn't change it for any other bike. Show less

I have had my Dr650 since February, and I drive it every day. I have put almost 3500 miles on the bike since I got it, and I only have one complaint. The seat is very uncomfortable after about 30 minutes of riding. I have been told that upgrading to the corbin seat will eliminate that problem, but I think that is going to have to wait until next year. Again, I did a ton of research on this bike, and there is no better dual purpose motorcycle for the money!! Show less

I've had my DR650SE for about 5 months now and with each passing day I enjoy it more and more. In that short time I've already put 3000 miles on it and it has run without issue. I have ridden dirt bikes for the last 15 years of my life and wanted to move to the street. After doing my research, the DR was the obvious choice. Price, reliability, ease of maintenance, value for money, and fun factor are all part of the package. In stock form the bike is very forgiving and easy to ride, an excellent choice for any beginner or a dirt rider looking to get out on the road. Power is very smooth and easy to control. There are no unexpected surges in the powerband, just tractable, useable, torque-y, grunt. The bike can tackle twisty backroads as well as cruise at 60-70mph on the hightway all day long without even trying and plenty of revs left for passing if needed. In the dirt, it's geared a bit tall, but it will do ok. Fire breaks, jeep roads, logging trails, etc it will do. Tight single track would likely require a gearing change. The stock tires are good on the street but not so hot in the dirt. Again, wide dirt roads should be ok but tight rocky stuff is going to be a problem. Easy fix for that in new tires. Brakes are solid and do their job well. Lighting is adequate, but could be a little better. My only big gripes are: 1.) The stock seat is AWFUL, and 2.) The front forks are terribly soft. I remedied the seat with a cover. Still not perfect, but it's a lot easier on the backside. For the forks, I ordered stiffer springs. Installation was very easy and it helped a LOT. No more diving when hitting the front brakes. Overall the DR is a great all around bike that I plan to keep for a long time. Show less

Stock, this bike is undersprung for most men and it is really choked up from the factory, but once you open up the airbox, jet it, pipe it, and spring it, the bike becomes really fun. Throttle it up in first any time. The torque of this bike really shines, as with most Suzuki's. Very happy with my purchase. Oh, by the way, the engine is TOTALLY bulletproof. Show less

I've been riding since 68 and this is one of my all time favorite rides -- that is, AFTER I ditched the sadistically uncomfortable stock seat. I have fairly short legs (29 inch inseam) and even with the seat in the low position I can't put both feet flat on the ground. This is not a big deal to me, but could be an issue for a new rider. I've put 8200 miles on it in 18 months with the only service being change of oil and tires. Previous singles I've owned include Honda XL 250 and Yamaha XT 500 and the DR is WAY smoother at highway speeds. The only other nit I have to pick is that a wider ratio transmission with a lower first gear would be better for the dirt. Top gear is spot on perfect to me. So sprocket changes don't provide the desired effect. Fortunately the clutch seems pretty bullet proof, but you WILL need to slip it in technical sections. Show less

Great Bike!! Sweet power. Just roll on the throttle and your gettn-r-dunn. Smooth manageable grunt. I have had many bikes. RM's CR's, KX's, and now DR's. This is a well made machine. haven't had much offroad time with it but I'm sure it will be fine. I bought it to commute to work. I only work 6 miles away from home so it only takes 8 to 12 minutes to get to work but, for some reason it takes me an hour to get home!!! It's basicly a street bike you can ride off road. If you want more of an offroad bike then look into the DR400. that's an offroad bike that you can ride on the street. Anyway you cut it, Suzuki has got the key to dual sport. Show less

Bought the bike in Febuary after doing lots of research on dual sport bikes. Been riding off and on road for 30 years and wanted a bike I could ride to work but also ride off road with my son. Also looked at the KLR 650, BMW F650 GS and KTM. Went with the DR due to the lower price, lighter weight (than KLR or BMW) and smoothness on road (much better than KTM). After 5 months of on and off road riding I am VERY happy with my decision. Just finished a 135 mile dual sport ride where the bike performed very well on single track, double track and fire road conditions. Blew past a number of BMW 1200 GS, KTM Adventure and KLRs on the tight fire roads and double track. Also took a 300 mile round trip road ride last weekend and had no problems averaging 70MPH the entire ride. Very smooth and very comforable with new Corbin seat. I would recommend this bike to anyone that is looking for a solid on and off road experience! Show less

I ride my bike for transportation as well as recreation. Mostly street, with some long trips so far, and would like to get off road more. I looked at a lot of bikes, and have owned a number over the years, but this one stands out as the coolest so far. Easy maintenance and excellent handling. More than adequate performance! I'm not aware of anything else that offers as much value. I doubt that it is the ultimate bike for any one type of riding, but if you need one bike that can do urban combat, drone down the freeway, carve backroads and jump stumps, it'll do it! I've put 6,000 miles on mine in four months and can highly recommend this bike. Show less

I recently made the leap back to riding a bike. After 23 years since my last dualsport a XL 125, I went with a 2006 DR650. What a great bike. Plenty of power, easy to handle and fun in the dirt. I did my homework on-line and visiting a few dealers. Suzuki was the obvious choice and it came down to the DRZ400 or DR650. I'm happy with my DR650 and my wife seems to be sticking around. Maybe she will go for a DR200. Show less