Suzuki DR 650RSE
Suzuki DR 650RSE | |
Manufacturer | |
---|---|
Production | 1991 |
Class | Dual-purpose |
Engine | Air/oil cooled, four stroke, single cylinder. SOHC, 4 Valve per cylinder. |
Compression ratio | 9.7:1 |
Top Speed | 162.5 km/h / 101 mph |
Ignition | Digital |
Transmission | 5 Speed |
Suspension | Front: Telescopic fork Rear: Full Floater swingarm, single shock, gas/oil damped |
Brakes | Front: Single 280mm disc, 2 piston caliper Rear: Single 230mm disc, 2 piston calipers |
Front Tire | 90/90-21 |
Rear Tire | 120/90-17 |
Wheelbase | 1510 mm / 59.5 in |
Seat Height | 890 mm / 34.8 in |
Weight | 178 kg / 392 lbs (dry), 184 kg / 406 lbs (wet) |
Recommended Oil | Suzuki ECSTAR 10w40 |
Fuel Capacity | 21 Liters / 5.5 US gal / 4.6 Imp gal |
Manuals | Service Manual |
It could reach a top speed of 162.5 km/h / 101 mph.
Engine[edit | edit source]
The engine featured a 9.7:1 compression ratio.
Chassis[edit | edit source]
It came with a 90/90-21 front tire and a 120/90-17 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via Single 280mm disc, 2 piston caliper in the front and a Single 230mm disc, 2 piston calipers in the rear. The front suspension was a Telescopic fork while the rear was equipped with a Full Floater swingarm, single shock, gas/oil damped. The DR 650RSE was fitted with a 21 Liters / 5.5 US gal / 4.6 Imp gal fuel tank. The bike weighed just 178 kg / 392 lbs. The wheelbase was 1510 mm / 59.5 in long.
Photos[edit | edit source]
Overview[edit | edit source]
Suzuki DR 650RSE
Suzuki's latest alleged trailie falls into the hands of nicky and frustrated
supermotard star, Paul Blezard, "Is this fair?" cries Suzuki
THE NEW Suzuki DR650ES has the civilising gizmos that earlier dual-purpose
bangers lacked: a balancer shaft smooths out vibes, electric start saves
sprained ankles and a frame-mounted fairing spares neck muscles - all with less
weight and cost than the 'Dr Big' DR 800.
A kick start is not even fitted, just pull out the choke and press the
button... whirr whirr... then follow the instructions on the sticker: "Always
close throttle grip completely when starting engine" the automatic decompressor
does its stuff and the beast bursts into life.
The oversquare 640cc four-valve sohc engine has the SACS air/oil cooling kit
pioneered on the GSXRs, complete with jets squirting oil directly onto the
cam-lobes and the underside of the piston crown, but it sounds like a tractor at
tickover and the rattling rasp at full throttle is so loud that I checked the
exhaust for signs of leakage, and wondered how the bike passed the latest noise
regs. It's not completely devoid of vibes either, but those that remain are
eminently tolerable and do not blur the excellent mirrors.
Power is a claimed 45bhp, one up on the DR600, but pulling out of the car
park in Rhayader for the first time, I was disappointed by the DR's apparent
lack of low down poke. It gave a smooth ride though and carved through the bends
on the Welsh back-roads in pleasingly predictable fashion, although the high
seat and low bars make you feel more 'on' the bike than 'in' it. The front brake
lacked bite and the back brake was too sharp for comfort, locking up at the
merest touch of a motocross boot (soon adjusted with the aid of the underseat
toolkit).
Caning the DR on a wide open road revealed it was stable at speed and very
high geared - into a headwind it struggled to make the ton, whereas coming back
the other way it ran off the clock at an indicated 115. The good-looking
tire-hugging front mudguard must help the aerodynamics compared to the flapping
motocross-style air-brakes fitted to its predecessors, and the very long
(59.3in) wheelbase must help the stability - it is 4 inches longer than the DR800, and has more rake
but less trail than the DR600.
A flat-out blast down a Welsh lane inches deep in gravel failed to faze the
DR or its rider - on that sort of terrain you could leave any sport-bike for
dead, but a first attempt at trail riding on a muddy climb was a complete
non-starter -the 17inch rear Dunlop spinning uselessly at the slightest
provocation. On a deserted nearby dirt road though the DR came into its own,
feeling quite safe and hugely enjoyable to squirt along at 70mph. Later I found
a firmer green lane and the big Suzuki plonked happily o'er hill and dale,
taking rock steps and grassy knolls in its stride.
The next morning an undulating stony track around the Claerwyn reservoir
provided ideal DR terrain and when confronted by the water authority's illegally
locked gate on a bridge further on, it was no bother to negotiate the rocky
stream bed to the other side. Rushing back to Rhayader- on tight B-roads strewn
with gravel the DR was 'the biz'; I just wish someone would teach the sheep the
Green Cross code!
Heading south down the A470 in pouring rain towards Abergavenny I felt
confident enough in the bike and its tires to keep it humming along at 90 plus.
After a day and a half of all-round use over a couple of hundred miles my
initial impression was of a bike as close to the Transalp 'rally touring'
concept as it is to the lighter and more off-road oriented Dominator.
A further five hundred miles of hard driving reinforced most of my early
impressions, but not all.
The DR's apparent lack of oomph off the mark must be due to its high first
gear - it goes to 40mph before hitting the rev-limiter. In a top gear blast the
DR was nowhere near the red line so I changed down into 4th and it slowly pulled
away, going to an indicated 110 before hitting the rev limiter, then sailed off
the clock in top.
The DR clearly has an extremely optimistic speedometer and 5th is almost an
overdrive except in the most favourable conditions, but it gives the bike a
relaxed feel.
A blast up the A12 to Aldeburgh in Suffolk revealed an unfortunate trait in
the Suzuki's handling; if you put even a small amount of weight on the rack or
pillion seat, the DR starts to weave when you put your feet on the pillion
footrests. So perhaps it ain't so stable after all...
It is possible to ride in mud on the flat, as long as you keep the power on,
the front light, and your heart in your mouth... and you can drop it without
breaking anything.
My final few days with the DR were spent Up North, where the DR proved ideal
for stony trails like Rudland Rigg on the North Yorkshire Moors. The Suzuki can
be started in gear, a vital difference when you're struggling on a trail. The
clutch has to be pulled in though, even if the bike's in neutral.
A friend complimented the bike on its good looks and relative pillion
comfort, and found the grab handles built into the rack very useful. Another
nice touch is the snail-cam adjusters for the rear wheel, although a tool to
turn them would be handy. I managed to drop the bike on my foot while putting it
on a moto-cross stand (no centre stand) reminding me just how heavy the bike is
- my XL500 felt like a 125 alongside it. One major black mark against the DR was
the lack of any heat-shields on the much-vaunted stainless steel twin silencers
- an unforgivable omission which scarred my poor hold-all for life.
Fuel consumption was a little disappointing at only 40mpg average, (ridden
hard nearly everywhere) although the large tank gives a 150 mile range even with
that thirst. Suzuki claim it holds 30 Liters
, but I ran it dry and could only
get just over 18 in. The halogen main beam provided good night-time penetration
- until the front dived as I put the front brake on - but the cut-off on dip was
a little severe.
All in all I liked the DR650ES; it makes a damn good all-rounder, whether you
want to despatch on it or tour Europe's dusty backroads and byways. It looks
good, it's a really pleasant and relaxing bike to ride sensibly, and good fun to
go scratching on. D
Source Bike Magazine 1991
Make Model | Suzuki DR 650RSE |
---|---|
Year | 1991 |
Engine Type | Air/oil cooled, four stroke, single cylinder. SOHC, 4 Valve per cylinder. |
Displacement | 640 cc / 39 cu in |
Bore X Stroke | 95 x 90.4 mm |
Compression | 9.7:1 |
Induction | 40 mm Flat side BST40 Mikuni |
Ignition | Digital |
Starting | Kick |
Max Power | 32.8 kW / 45 hp @ 6800 rpm (at rear wheel 30.6 kW / 41.1hp @ 6500 rpm ) |
Max Torque | 57 Nm / 5.1 kgf-m / 42.0 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm |
Transmission | 5 Speed |
Final Drive | Chain |
Front Suspension | Telescopic fork |
Rear Suspension | Full Floater swingarm, single shock, gas/oil damped |
Front Brakes | Single 280mm disc, 2 piston caliper |
Rear Brakes | Single 230mm disc, 2 piston calipers |
Front Tire | 90/90-21 |
Rear Tire | 120/90-17 |
Dimensions | Length: 2385 mm / 93.9 in Width: 870 mm / 34.3 in Height: 1330 mm / 52.4 in |
Wheelbase | 1510 mm / 59.5 in |
Seat Height | 890 mm / 34.8 in |
Dry Weight | 178 kg / 392 lbs |
Wet Weight | 184 kg / 406 lbs |
Fuel Capacity | 21 Liters / 5.5 US gal / 4.6 Imp gal |
Consumption Average | 5.5 L/100 km / 18.1 km/l / 42.5 US mpg / 51.1 Imp mpg |
Braking 60 Km/h - 0 | 14 m / 45.9 ft |
Braking 100 Km/h - 0 | 41.8 m / 137.1 ft |
Standing ¼ Mile | 15.1 sec / 144.7 km/h / 89.9 mph |
Top Speed | 162.5 km/h / 101 mph |
Road Test | Motosprint Group Test 1990 |