dr650rs as every day bike and part time tourer

[i want transalp]

hello i have a TA 600 at the mo but find it a bit to slow and a bit to heavy off road but i use it every day for work and every so often go touring on it with the missis and it is super at that but i want some thing a bit more fun but at the same time do every think the TA will .will the dr 650rs be the bike for me any comments will be very help full thanks

[AIRWOLF]

The 600TA needs to be revved to get the performance out of it.
I find mine ok off road now fitted with metzeler karoo's. (although it could do with a bit more ground clearance)

Cant see the DR being much different power wise, nor as good for touring about, and i cant see it being that much lighter, but expect it would be better off road.

Make sure you have a good test ride, with pillion.

[Doctor Big]

Well, as I was the Suzuki Owners Club Tech Officer for donkeys years and have owned just about every DR/SP ever made since 1978, I guess I`m better qualified than anyone else to answer this.
I still have a fleet of DR 800/750`s up and running, so I`ve got them in my DNA it would seem.
There are three basic different 650`s.
1990-95 kick start model, which was very similar to the DR 600 it was based on. I used one off road for years, and although heavier and less nimble than my DR 350, it would grunt its way up vertical faces and out of terrain where everyone else was spinning up. BHP about 40hp and about 150kg.
1990-95 RSE model with e/start and fairing, as above but with fairing and a lot more weight at about 165kg. Fine on road but not off.
1996 on. Much lighter at 147kg and better off road, though much smaller tank precludes touring.
I really would not recommend the DR 650 for touring as it`s far too vibey, though as an urban guerilla through town traffic it excels.

Personally I can`t really think of any bike that will combine off road and touring, though I have tried on a DR 750, but it`s a bit too heavy off road at 179kg, though it was built specifically for the Paris-Dakar.

If you can find the money get one for each job. I`ve yet to find a better off road bike than the DR 350 which was great vfm and utterly reliable. Wish I`d never sold mine.

[i want transalp]

thanks for you replays i thik i might go for a dr800 i no there prop not as good for offroad but i dont want to go mad just get muddy now adn again my riding is like 70% on road was talking to a man who has a old dr750 and he really loved it adn he said its ok off road aslong as you dont drop it all i want to do is green lane and if some crazy dudes raced them on sand wiht 100 odd lts of fuel in them they cant be that bad lol thanks alot