Suzuki DR650 adventure build

Recently in 2023, I got a 2003 Suzuki DR650 as a Christmas gift for myself. The bike had approximately 5000 miles and looked decent for a 20 year old bike. The seller asked $3000 for it. Knowing that the bike being a Japanese will outlast other bikes by a long time, I bought the bike and set out to equip it to take on new adventures.

The bike looked good for being 20 years old.

Issues

There were a few issues with the bike as it is expected with an old bike.

Suspension was way too soft causing dangerous brake dives
- Found later that the front fork was lowered as well
The engine was bogging at 2nd and 3rd gear
- May be a carb issue, it was running lean
- May be a worn clutch
Rear brake was almost not working
Seat was a akin to a wooden block causing painful ride experience
Brittle worn out plastics all around
Small 3.4 gal fuel tank with range less than 160 miles.

Mods List

To fix all the above mentioned issues and improve some other things on the process, I prepared a list and spent little more than the cost of the bike itself on the mods.

This expenditure was justified because most of the mods are required even for a 2023/2024 DR650 since the design has remained unchanged for a good 30 years or so. So rather than getting a $7000 2024 DR650 and then spending money on the mods, got a reliable 20 year old bike for cheap and invested the rest on the mods.

Most of them are from procycle.us, an Oregon based company with fantastic reputation for having almost everything for a DR650 and a good customer service. And few of the frame protection parts are from Xitomer, a Chinese company which makes quality parts for DR650.

Front end mods
- Cogent front suspension 0.58 springs with DDC
- Generic Preload adjuster front fork caps
- Front fork brace
- Fork gaiters (37mm x 230mm) shorter than stock since fork brace limits the full travel
- Wheel and spokes cleaned and enamel painted black
- Generic black spoke covers
- Stock speedo drive eliminator/spacer
- 320mm Warp 9 front disc rotor & adaptor
- Shinko 244 3.0 x 21” dual sport front tire
- Kenda Heavy Duty bike tube
Fuel system/Exhaust mods
- Acerbis 5.3 gal plastic tank with dual petcock and locked cap
- Procycle Jet kit for the stock Mikuni BST Carburetor
- TWIN air filter intake and snorkel delete
- K&N secondary breather filter
- Leo Vince X3 exhaust muffler
- EVAP canister delete
Engine Mods
- 250W Stator upgrade from stock 200W
- Front countershaft seal
- 14T 520 front sprocket
- EBC clutch pads
- NGK 9EK dual electrode spark plugs
- Warp 9 gear shift lever
- Magnetic drain bolt
- Side case protection covers
- Engine skid plate
Body mods
- Seat concepts standard comfort seat
- Protaper handlebar
- ADV mirrors
- Gray Headlight cowl
- Generic DR650 windshield
- OEM black Side panel plastics
- Gray Rear fender
- Black Front fender – Cycra polished and restored
- Side frame protectors
- Rear Tail Tidy license plate holder
- Adjustable side kickstand
- Lowered foot pegs mount
- Wide ADV specific foot pegs
Brake system
- Galfer steel braided front brake lines
- EBC brake pads front and back
- Brake caliper and reservoir guards
- New brake and clutch levers
Rear end mods
- Cogent Dynamics rear shock with 7.6kg spring
- New shock mount bolts
- Rear luggage rack
- Rear steel side panniers
- Wheel/spokes cleaned, sanded and enamel painted black
- Generic black spoke covers
- Polyurethane cush drive rubbers
- Upgraded cush drive bearing
- 42T 520 O ring chain sprocket
- Shinko 244 – 5.10 x 17 dual sport tire
- Heavy duty bike tube
Electrical mods
- EBL Lithium LiFePO4 battery – 12v 6ah 360 crank amps
- Heated handlebar grips
- Vapor trail tech digital dashboard/speedo
- JNS DOT approved LED headlight
- Amber LED front fog lights
- LED turn signals front and Rear
- LED rear brake light with brake flasher