Suzuki DR650SE Sport Bike Reviews on Cycle Insider (5)
Avg. Rating

I was looking for something that I could ride that was street legal but be able to ride off road too. This 650 single thumper delivers just that. There's enough low end torque to climb straight up a tree if you could hold the bike to it. On the highway, the bike offers a good amount of mid and top end power, with plenty of snap to pass. The factory seat has got to go, I recommend a gel seat. I also had a frame cover come loose and fall off during a ride on the highway. This is a costly replacement part (what isn't). Overall this dual sport bike lives up to its billing and is a blast to ride!

This bike is awesome! Lots of power with one or two riders, hillclimbing is a must! Just point the bike and hang on! Street riding is cool, but the blast from semi trucks is bad. The gel seat is a must. The Suzuki luggage bag doesn't fit right, you'll have to fab up something for the third strap, you'll see it's easy. Have a good ride!

My wife and I love takin SHORT two-up rides. I commute to work on it and have done some offroading at Tasker's Gap with it. Since dropping the bike offroad a few times, I appreciate how tough it is, but I am replacing the hand guards with aluminun Moose hand guards and need a larger rear sprocket to make the tough downhills easier for the engine braking. Buy one... they're are a blast!

I've ridden the XR (too tall), I've ridden KLR (too big), and I own the DR (just right!) Off road, on tight trails, I can put both feet down flat with my 30" inseam... can't do that on the other bikes, which is VERY important when trying to control 350lbs of bike. On road, it has great low end and a moderate high end. Suspension is mediocre, but is OK for moderate use on and off road. The Stock Seat is good for about the first hour, then is starts feeling like your sitting on a 2x6 board. Dual Sports, by their nature, need to compromise between street and dirt performance. The DR is the 2nd best at off road (XR #1, for a skilled and tall rider) and the 2nd best at on road (KLR #1, because of all the aftermarket street stuff available). Since I REALLY ride both dirt and street, 2nd best at both means it's the first choice for me! Same deal with the after market parts... more off road stuff for the XR, more street stuff for the KLR... just enough of both for the DR!

I have had this bike for about 2 weeks now. I have put 300 miles on it and so far it has not let me down. The power from this single thumper is great. Even with the wife on back, it still has passing power to spare. My only complaint is the seat. It will be the first replacement, to a GEL seat. I had the bike lowered for my comfort, and added the shorter kick stand.