respond well to modest tweaks. The rear shock
has adjustable preload and compression
damping and is fine for road riding but, again,
is on the soft side for fast riding or two up with
luggage (not this bike’s real forte). Fitted as
standard are Bridgestone’s TrailWing 41/42
tyres, which warm up quickly and give plenty of
confidence and grip for road riding, but they can
get a bit squirrely in the wet. They’re sufficient
for gravel roads too. As an all-round tyre, the
TrailWing works well. It’s only if you’re wanting
to go further off-road that the tyres would need
changing for something more knobbly, and the
21-inch front wheel gives plenty of options for
more dirt-oriented rubber.
MODIFICATIONS
There’s a huge amount of aftermarket
modifications available for the DR. Fuel range
can be an issue for distance types, but you
Suzuki will sell you a long range Acerbis fuel tank,
to replace the 13 litre standard item, for $500.
However, 200km can easily be teased from the
30 KIWI RIDER
DR without too much restraint. The ‘comfort’ of
the standard seat encourages pit stops every
120km, or so, anyway. Again, there are aftermarket
options to make the seat more comfortable for
those with long distance aspirations.
We ran a DR650 long termer back in 2014 and
made a few modifications, which made massive
improvements. First up was a screen from
Godiva which made distances at 100km/h easy
and comfortable to do. A Ventura rack made it
easy to carry gear for a weekend away, as well
as some extra fuel. We put a set of Tommaselli
handlebars on for a better riding position when
standing on gravel roads. To improve the
suspension KSS fitted a set of cartridge
emulators to the forks and performed surgery
on the guts of the rear shock with a RaceTech
piston/shaft replacement kit. The mods
completely transformed the bike as a commuter,
weekend getawayer and gravel road tourer.
If you’re wanting to see what can be done to a
DR, you’ll find plenty of people with DR
knowledge at www.adventureridingnz.co.nz.
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