Project bike DR650 completed!

I had to wait another 6 weeks for the rear pannier rack that would hold my Mosko Moto soft bags that came off my BMW F850gsa that I had sold last summer.  The rack was out of stock and they had to get one made for me.  So after mounting the rack, bags and the tail case the bike is ready to take on adventures.  This has been a very rewarding project and kept me busy and out of trouble over the winter.  I now look forward to taking off on camping adventures on the little bike.

 

Winter wears on with the project bike - DR650

 The mechanical issues were the least of my worries because I had oil leaks and electrical issues.  I had to strip the bike down and root through the ham fisted electrical wiring the prior owner had managed to rig up.  In the end I decided to just pull the stuff off hoping that I didn't destroy any of the required wiring.  

In some cases the work involved sanding the rust off and repainting parts to clean the bike up.  It is hard to find a dust free environment to paint in the winter but the attic worked out well.

It was starting to look like a saved machine!  

 

I had to pitch the original gas tank that held 2+ gallons and had a big dent in the side and mounted a 5+ gallon Acerbic tank for more range.  Seat on these bikes has been compared to a 2"X4" piece of wood and the replacement was a Seat Concepts and is very comfortable.  So I am now thinking this is going to work out.  

It was at this point that I called in the experts at the Suzuki dealer.  I had new shock and fork cartridges

installed and they tracked down, with my help the oil leak from the cam Chain tensioner.  I only found this leak by blowing baby power all over the engine and took a short slow ride around the neighborhood.  Upon returning it was obvious the track of oil from the base of the tensioner. 

The parts were getting more difficult to find due to the supply chain problems but I was able to get the LED headlight and the windshield and mirrors after some 5 weeks of backorder.

It's approaching March and I am worried that the back ordered parts would get more difficult since more riders would be getting their bikes ready for springtime.  But by April my orders were getting filled.

The Project Bike arrives - Suzuki DR650!

Since I sold 2 of my motorcycles this past 4 months my wife was worried that I didn't have enough to do to keep me entertained and suggested that I get a project bike and work on it in the winter.  In preparation for this we installed heat in the garage to make it tolerable in the winter and I set out looking for the perfect bike.

I decided on finding a Suzuki DR650, a motorcycle that has been built since 1996 with little to no changes.  The reason that it hasn't been updated is that if they change any aspect of the bike then the whole bike has to be updated to the current standards, EPA and all that!  It is a bullet proof bike with easy availability of cheap parts.  So the hunt was on.  It is not an easy bike to find because it is like a do everything bike and few people are willing to sell theirs.  But finally after 3 months I found one in Greenville, NC.

It's a 2017 with 8900 miles on it.  It also comes with worn out tires, worn out sprockets, oil leaks, electrical problems, clogged air filters and a number of other issues for a bike that has been treated poorly.  It did run while I was looking at it and the prior owner assured me that it was rock solid, a significant overstatement.  So, what the heck, it's a project bike and it was a cheap purchase for this bike.

I spent my first 2 months taking stuff off the bike and replacing the immediate things that had to be done to get it on the road again.  New tires, sprocket and chain.

Parts kept coming off and new ones replacing them. There was also a little secondary air filter that was totally clogged and I was amazed that the bike even ran.  I was developing a close relationship with the parts supplier - Procycle, Inc.