2015 Suzuki DR200SE from United States of America

Summary:

Fun, lightweight, cheap, comfortable, dual sport bike

Faults:

Nothing has ever gone wrong.

General Comments:

This is a great little commuter and trail bike. I enjoy riding it off road more than the WR250 I had (granted I'm not a motor crosser). The bike handles fine, but will need real dirt bike tires if you do a lot of trail riding.

It's light weight and gets great gas mileage.

The seat is very comfortable for a dual sport.

Not necessarily a highway bike, but will do 70 MPH.

I use it for trail riding with my son and even bought one for him (he's 12).

I've had lots of bikes. This one stands out for its simplicity and all around fun.

I do wish it was fuel injected.

I use mine mostly for trail riding with my son, so I don't have lots of miles. I have a KTM Super Duke for the street.

Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th May, 2017

2006 Suzuki DR200SE from United States of America

Summary:

Economical and fun to ride!

Faults:

I have had no problems with this bike.

General Comments:

I am over 50 and have owned 2x Harleys, 10x Hondas, 2x Kawasakis, 5x Suzukis, 2x Moto Guzzi, from touring bikes (Goldwing, HD Ultra Classic) to crotch rockets (GSXR, Ninja), and several standard and dirt bikes.

I have to say this one is the easiest and one of the most fun to ride. It will do interstate speeds (70 mph), and although it's happier on the back roads (60 mph), it is okay at off roading, although hill climbing is not its strong point. It is not a full out MX'er either; it's a trail bike, and is great at that type riding.

It works very well for around town commuting. I made a luggage rack for it from an old Honda rack I had; nobody seems to make racks for this model, but the flat rear fender worked well for smaller items before I made a rack.

It's easy to work on and with the electric start; it's a breeze to get fired up on cold mornings, the carburetion is very good, it warms quickly, and has no issues when first starting out. The choke knob is located on the carb, and is a little hard to find with gloves on, but once found, is easy to operate. It starts easy when warm also.

It has an internal oil filter, which is easy to change. The air filter is a little harder to get at; you have to remove the side covers and seat, but it is a foam element and easy to clean.

Chain adjusters are the cam type, and a little hard to read, but easy to adjust.

It has a side stand switch that kills the engine if left down and put in gear (a good safety feature for older forgetful people like me).

The five speed gearbox shifts smooth, and has decent ratios. I opted for a smaller rear sprocket than stock, as I ride the street more than trails.

It has a good 55 watt headlight that is bright enough, and has a good range & width to see the road.

It's economical to ride; gets around 70 to 80 mpg, and insurance is cheap.

All the controls, turn signals and horn operate easily with gloves on.

The only bad point I can think of is the 1-hour seat; it's a little hard and narrow. Other than that, it's a great beginner's or play bike for anyone.

Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 25th July, 2010

21st Aug 2010, 10:51

UPDATE: I added a slip on muffler from the flying machine factory (FMF), and it made a noticeable improvement in all around performance, and now it sounds like a thumper! (:-)

1st Sep 2019, 13:15

What FMF muffler model did you upgrade to?