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Yes, that is an option that I do on a lot of my bikes, but be careful as if you bottom out the front forks, the top of the front tire could contact the underside of the front fender causing the front wheel to stop turning, essentially locking up the front wheel. Hopefully the Suzuki engineers left enough room to avoid this from happening. I believe a safer way to lower the front might be to take the forks apart and relocate an internal spacer to lower them internally which I believe also limits the travel to avoid the above situation. I am not a mechanic and I was able to do it following some instructions, wasn't too complicated.

I agree 100%, it's hard to see in the video, but I had pivoted the sub-frame up and out of the way, I'm not sure if you meant to remove it completely or just tip it up at the hinge, but either way, definitely helps.

I would check all the basics. Push up and down on the suspension to make sure it goes up and down smoothly front and back, check to make sure fork seals are not leaking. The shock linkage needs to be greased regularly or the needle bearings rust and freeze up, but not a deal breaker as they are replaceable. Valve clearances need to be checked regularly so I'd ask about that, but hard to prove it they did it or not. If you buy it, I would definitely check them soon as running them too tight can cause damage. Usually, when they get tight, hard to start and might feel more vibration than normal. These engines are a bit noisey, so that's normally normal. Sometimes the auto cam chain tensioner sticks and does not push against the chain as it should, you can reset it and that can clean up some of the noise if that was an issue. Not a lot of known issues other than the ones you mentioned so if it's had regular maintenance, should be good. It shouldn't smoke much at all, if it does, could be a worn out top end, I might pass....

I use either a 6 mm or a 15/64, but they both fit a little loose. I'm guessing a slightly smaller size might fit better, but unfortunately those are the only size wrenches I had. Thanks.

Thanks, I agree, most are fixable, just trying to make new riders aware of some things that might need to be addressed. great bike and not many other bikes can do so many things well, not great, but good enough. Probably closest competitors would be the XR650L and KTM690, but they have other issues that are not as easily fixed.

Thanks! I recently bought a KTM 2 stroke 300 XCW that was on sale. It also does great in the hard stuff, but not as easy to ride through rock gardens for some reason as the AJP was, maybe I just need more practice?

Hello, I bought them directly from SXS here: sxslideplate.com/product-category/handguards/ They sell 2 sizes, regular and mini. Keep in mind if you order them, you have to buy the burly mounts and the burly guards separately. Total cost is around $160 depending on which ones you get. There is another company that now makes some that are similar named Molecule here: moleculemoto.com/product-category/handguards/ but I do not have any experience with them. I believe Slavens Racing may also sell them. Thanks

Wow, I did not know they make a 3.25 x 21. It's been about 10 years since I last checked so maybe it's new as the wider fronts seem to have become more popular lately. I think I will try one out as I have never been in love with the TKC 80 front, but has never let me down, except in mud, so I've been sticking with it. I also got a few free ones as people who buy KTM 350's and 500 Exc's usually take them off and chuck them, not cool enough for that crowd, lol... Well, I own a KTM too and also would not want a TKC 80 on mine for that type of riding.... Thanks again for the info!

Nice, how is the Shinko 244? Never tried one of those, but have read that a lot of people use them.

@@dirtbikefactory I like the Shinko 244 front, handles good enough, last forever.

That is impressive! I don't think mine last that long, but I have the 790 kit so a bit more power to chew up the rear tire, lol...

Lol, A LOT !!! That is one downside to a tough tire, they are a bit tougher to install and remove. Probably a little heavier as well, but I will live with both of those issues if I can avoid a flat while riding. Takes me quite a while to change a tire in my garage with proper tools, probably take me half a day on the ground in the dirt with minimal tools. I'm always impressed with those who can change a tire in the bush quickly.

Yes, I agree 100%, once they get worn down, not safe at all on wet pavement. Thanks for the info !

Your welcome. I can't say enough good things about them other than the price. I really didn't think I would like the mirrors as I had a decent set of double take mirrors that I liked, but these were easier to move completely out of the way and even though a bit small, work pretty good for a dirt bike mirror, not Harley Davidson mirrors good, but decent.

I would not hesitate, after fixing the few known issues, it is one of the most reliable bikes in it's class. The carb issue is not a deal breaker and can be fixed with cheap rebuilt kit if the seals wear out or many go to a pumper carb.

Good idea, I've seen numerous posts in forums where people will say their clutch is slipping and in my experience, it is sometimes because the floppy stock handguards are pushing slightly against the clutch lever.

Sorry, I probably didn't include a link. I probably just googled and picked the cheapest place, probably one of the big ones like Revzilla, RockyMtnATV, etc. Thanks.

There are 2 other spots that you should also check that I forgot to mention. One is near the head tube where the large wires come from under the tank and bend around the head tube to head towards the headlight, many have noticed some wear here. I forget the other spot, someone just mentioned it to me, I will find it and let you know.

This might be another spot to check out, i need to check too. tail light/turn signal wires that get pinched between fender and subframe.

Thanks, I forgot about the one near the head tube and did not know about the one for the tail light / turn signals, I will check those out. Thanks!

Thanks! Yes, wrapping in sleeves is a great idea. A lot of work to get them all, but probably worth it. Wire harnesses are not cheap at around $400, luckily I was able to get a used one for about half that when mine burned up. Installing the wire harness is a painstaking process...

Lol, hoping to get it up to 100,000 miles one day. Heard of one guy getting over 200,000 miles, crazy...

Yeah, I agree. I am short and getting older so I do struggle picking it up sometimes. I want to get a mid sized ADV bike like a Honda Transalp, but not sure I could pick one up if I dump it in the dirt....

Well I guess if you can’t ride for shit you’d say that.

@@ThrottleJunkie65 13,500 miles on a 1973 Yamaha RD350. Countless miles on off-road and enduro dual-sports. A overweight, limp, lame handling bike of 400 to 500 pounds doesn't turn me on.

@@MarkBush-en5cz 80% rider 20% bike maybe you just need more practice

@ why don't you STFU junior since you know nothing of me or my skills. I'll say it again. "A overweight, limp, lame handling bike of 400 to 500 pounds doesn't turn me on." Yes I can ride it but "WHY?"

Yes, I took apart the forks and lowered them as well by moving some spacers around.

Wow, thanks. I did not know that. How can you tell how many watts they can safely handle? I know a GPS uses barely anything, but heated clothing or heated grips can use a lot.

@@dirtbikefactory I've not been able to find anything in any manual that states the wattage available. ProCycle sell a pigtail to plug in to the wiring, which they supply with a 7.5 Amp fuse. They seem to generally know DRs, so I guess 7.5A is safe. (Not sure if the two sockets share wiring - i.e. would it be OK to use both for 7.5A each.) I think heated grips are around 3.5A - 4A, so you'd probably get away with grips and a GPS on the same circuit. For heated clothing, I think I would add a relay powered from the battery, and use the switched socket to trigger the relay when ignition is on.

Thanks again for the info! I will probably use one for my gps and one for heated grips. When I was running a heated jacket and heated grips, i was right at or slightly over the capacity of the bike and had to keep my grips or jacket on the low setting to avoid draining the battery if I was using both as the jacket pulls a lot of juice, so nice though, only thing that would keep me warm when riding in the winter. I had both wired directly to the battery through a fuse block.

That's Awesome. I've had 2 Vstrom 1,000's and absolutely loved that motor. Just wish the bike wasn't so top heavy. I've often said it felt like a DR 1000 as the DR motor and Vstrom motor are similar in the fact that the torque comes on right off idle. Obviously, the Vstrom has a lot more, but feels similar in the way it's delivered. I also had a vstrom 650, but did not care for that motor after being spoiled by the 1,000. Enjoy.

That is great to know, thanks for the info on the NSU screws. Nice tip on fixing the hard seat, I guess you could do that with most of the hard dirt bike style seats, Thanks!

@@dirtbikefactory Yes, this is how you fix any hard motorcycle seat, especially dirt bikes and dualsports, because it's the area where your tail bone sits that causes all the numbness problems, this is where all the nerves exit the spine and they become compressed. I have tried a lot of different aftermarket "comfort seats" and none of them (especially "Seat Concepts") are any better than the stock seat for long distance riding. Total cost of fixing your stock seat, about $20 bucks.

Great tip, thanks!

Nice. Did the 2021's come with the new smog equipment? My 2012 didn't have it, but I've seen some newer ones with it, just curious. Thanks.

Cool. I once traded a DR650 for a sport bike and regretted it, I'm now on my 3rd DR650. It's one of my favorite all time bikes !

Awesome! I had a 2001, 2006, and now a 2012. Loved them all !!!

Thanks! Good to know. This stuff was about $15 for a 4x8 sheet so it was in my budget.

They are from a company called Highway Dirt Bike (HDB). They have integrated mirrors that work very well. I really like them, but a little pricey.

Hello, They have one under Shop Parts, then handguards, then keep scrolling down until you see Suzuki DR. hdboffroad.com/product/ultimate-hand-guard-suzuki-dr/

@@dirtbikefactory Many thanks.

Your welcome, more to come. I've been riding and working on my DR650's so long, feel like I know them inside and out. Luckily, have never had to do any major engine work. I did install the 790 big bore kit myself so that was a little involved. Thanks.

Yeah, I've never been into getting things rebuilt, had bad luck one time and it cost me the same as a new one would have, but that's just me, I'm sure many people do get them rebuilt.

I still have my original one so if my cheap knock off fails, maybe I'll rebuild my original. Thanks.

Probably in most cases, but mine does it even while jetted rich, I think it just gets hot fast since it's air cooled, needs to be moving to stay cool.

I only notice it when it's dark out and I let it idle for a few minutes, probably a minute too long, lol...

Yes, I really like them, this is my 3rd one !!!

Thanks 👍

Thanks!

Yeah, not sure why they were that expensive, doesn't seem any better than some of the others that are less expensive. Maybe just the Yamaha name?

Yeah, definitely check them out. I've had them for years and a buddy of mine has too. Only downside is that they are pricey.

The main Jeep road isn't too rocky. I think sometimes they do smooth it out a bit for the hunters. The side trails on the other side of the paved road are still very very rocky.

In theory that could work, but it doesn't work well. It's hard to work under a bike that's tipped over and the oil would tend to run down the engine or frame onto the skid plate which makes a big mess, so I guess the short answer is no, that doesn't really work. Thanks again for watching.

Thanks for watching!

Thanks, I agree, this little thumper does sound pretty good.