The slow death of the DR650 - and can Suzuki save it? 🤔︱Cross Training Adventure

The DR650 is slowly dying because Suzuki won't upgrade it to meet emission laws and other requirements in various countries. Countries like Australia and New Zealand did not care about the emissions but insisted on ABS being fitted to the brakes. Riders in countries like Canada and the USA are lucky. The DR650 continues at a bargain price and continues to attract fans. Check out our reviews of various adventure bikes and dual sport bikes. But why? The Suzuki DR650 has not changed since 1996. The suspension is terrible. What would Suzuki have to do in order to sell it again in places like Europe and Australia? Welcome to Cross Training Adventure, we are into all things dual sport and adventure on the east coast of Australia. Why? The biggest issue is emissions. It was discontinued in many European countries back in 2001 due to tight pollution controls. Next? The engine is choked by a very restrictive exhaust and a carburetor with very lean settings. In stock form it really does feel like a 30 year old motorbike. Others go on to fit a stiffer rear shock spring or get it revalved as well. So the Cross Training Adventure focus is just get out there and have fun on two wheels. The RMZ450 wheel would need a cush drive hub. Would Suzuki ever consider making changes? We doubt it. Honda has been equally lazy with the XR650L and it's only available in a handful of countries now. Instead of obsessing over the latest blinged out Beemer, which tyres to fit or spending a fortune on your suspension or billet alloy gas cap. So why doesn't Suzuki make these changes? The main problem is the 'grandfather clause'. If you like dual sport riding in Australia then you might like our adventure riding vids. Some countries will not subject the Suzuki DR650 to strict emission laws if it remains unchanged. But the magic begins with when you spend as little as US500 or AUD730 on some modifications. Drop some valves into the Suzuki DR650 fork. Modify the stock carburettor. Fit an aftermarket exhaust. Cut a hole in the airbox. Suddenly the midrange torque of the engine is released. And the front suspension isn't trying to kill you. Many owners are happy with just these modifications. If you like dual sport riding in Australia then you might like our adventure riding vids. And that definitely suits Suzuki. Along with other Japanese manufacturers, they are generally reluctant to introduce new models or make big changes to their existing Suzuki DR650. Why? We investigated this a few years ago. The Japanese sell far more scooters and tiny motorbikes in non-western countries, so Suzuki is unlikely to listen to our demands for an overhauled Suzuki DR650. But let's just dream a little. Suzuki says they want our suggestions for a redesigned DR650. Woohoo. First? It needs to meet very tough emission laws. Suzuki, Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha are huge multinational companies. To their credit, Kawasaki overhauled the KLR650 to ensure it continued in many countries, but they also made it as heavy as twin-cylinder 650s in the process. Any passion for motorbike design has long been overruled by the profit motive. In the 1990s, Japan's economy nosedived and a very conservative mindset took over most companies. And finally the dual-sport market is a tiny part of overall motorbike sales. Fuel injection is needed at an absolute minimum. Water-cooling would be needed too. Air-cooled engines run a lot hotter and need wider piston tolerances which creates higher emissions. To meet European laws, a Suzuki DR650 catalytic converter would be needed and also a Pulsed Secondary Air Injection system (PAIR). One possible solution is adapt the RMZ450 frame and squeeze the DR650 engine in. This should offset the weight gains and add some great suspension too. Years ago there was a street-legal version, the RMX450Z, so the street-legal equipment would still be on file. A sixth gear would be great. But of course we are starting to talk about major redesigning of the engine. At this point it might simply be easier to bore and stroke the RMZ450 engine and make all the necessary modifications for reliability and long service intervals. Keen on adventure riding in Australia? Check out our vids. Alternatively there's the Secondary Air Injection System (SAS) used on the KTM 690 to meet European requirements. Next? ABS. And it still doesn't meet Europe's strict emission laws. What would you want to see in a revamped DR650? Keen to hear your thoughts! Let us know in the comments. Unfortunately this adds weight too but would be needed for the Australian and New Zealand markets. Unfortunately all of this could add about 10kg or 22lb to the overall weight. What else? A Suzuki DR650 small fairing. A comfortable seat. Our website: https://sites.google.com/view/crosstrainingenduro #crosstrainingadventure #adventureriding #adventurebikes #dualsportriding #dualsportbikes