www.DRRiders.com

Been a while since I posted here but here we go. Past couple of weeks I have been hitting the trails with the DR on my Pirelli MT21s.

One thing I can say is, the DR is NOT a real dirt bike, at least not for me.. It was doing great in light trails, better than any of the other bikes I was riding along with, like xr200, DR350 and Suzuki TU185. Definitely great when going uphill or getting across obstacles, and as many say, its an effing tractor! But, more than half the times im riding it down hill, the weight just keeps pushing me even when I am braking and that is NOT what a dirt bike's supposed to do. Also its really hard to twitch and change direction using the rear brake as smooth as a REAL dirt bike.

The FCRMX gave me no major problems though I dropped the bike a bunch of times. I was worried about over flowing gas etc, but it happened just once and it automatically went away after letting the bike sit for a coupe of minutes. The battery died on me in one of the tight trails due to trying to start the bike multiple times.

Picking up the bike after 6-7 drops got harder and harder which is uncharacteristic of a dirt bike. I had to have someone's help after a couple of times. I do acknowledge the fact that Im a skinny dude but I cant imagine this being easy even for a "Defensive linebacker."

I remember going through discussions here, about the DR being a really good DIRT BIKE etc etc, but in my opinion, its not. The DR350 was better for a bit tight trails, and the TU185, even better. I am seriously considering buying an old KDX220 or something even lighter for dirt riding.

And for all the folks out there who make fun of a SuperMoto DR, here is my opinion, "The DR would make a MUCH MUCH better street bike in Sumo form than it ever will be as a dirt bike no matter how many modifications you do and amount of money spent" . Getting rid of the excess 120 LBs or so of weight is plain impossible.

That being said, I love the fact that by merely changing the tires and front sprocket, I can switch between street, trail and track riding with one motorcycle. Makes me love my DR even better. I am however, switching back to the Sumo setup in the next couple of weeks as it is more fun for me commuting.

Okay, now I am mounting my platypus.. happy riding..

Coming from a Vtwin road bike, i've learnt to use engine braking as an effective way to limit the bikes 'freewheeling', so to speak. Depending on how steep and if there are a lot of rocks, tree roots &/or ruts, throw it down a gear than you would normally use.

The DR might look like a dirt bike, but its more suited as a dual purpose adventure bike, or as we say, 'a jack of all trades, master of none' and it fits that bill perfectly.

If you want a 'real dirt bike', get a KTM... but just be prepared to fork out $$$ every time you drop it.

Nah, this is in the first gear, no possible way to slow down and the weight just dragging you down hill no matter how you try to stop it but I understand were you are getting at. MUCH easier with the other lighter bikes.

I couldn't say that the DR is not a real dirt bike before since I didn't have first hand experience.
I was just contradicting some people who think its a real dirt bike. As you said, its a great dual sport and all-rounder.

PS: I would still go on some trails sometimes but nothing serious.

I have the luck of having a SE with a complete KTM640 front end (forks, wheel, brake) and a WP rear shock and stripped from all dead weight. It must weight around 145 kg full of fluids.
Well, it is not a real dirt bike but a very very dirt capable dual sport, almost a dirt bike.
But when the trail narrows down, the weight is just more than should be and the engine lacks the crisp response to manage too tight spots.
It is the same with dirt bikes being too harsh, flimsy and light footed on tarmac roads.
That is why a stable of bikes is always handy: one for each needed use.

I remember a local serious racer guy racing a DR650SE at local enduro races 15 years ago, when it first hit the market.
In the special stages it was naked eye obviously capable but just not enough, in comparison to proper enduro thumpers.
He tried it for 2-3 races and then stopped using it.

I don't think it's the weight so much. More likely thats because it's a 4 stroke and not a 2 stroke.



Try not to drop it so much

I would never confuse a 350+ lb. dual purpose bike for a dirt bike

I never ride my bike in the dirt:

Ditto jonboat. M - the KDX would be an excellent choice for tight stuff.

Malokam....not trying to be a douche (although its going to sound like it though) but didn't you do ANY sort of research before you decided on the DR to be your off highway steed? You would have found out that most dual sport bikes are a compromise at best.....

Coming in here and making a blanket statement as you have just shows me that you lacked proper planning before your purchase....

Malokam, glad to see ya posting again!

One question for ya, and no offense meant. How much dirt riding experience do you have?