DR 350 - any good

[D O G]

I'm considering one of these as a first foray into off roading, but it would be my only bike, so would be used for commuting too.

Essentially I just want to know if it would be a good bike to choose, or if there is any others I should consider?

Budget is reasonbly tight - looking for something in the equivalent 700quid range - like this one, so don't recommend a DRZ400, I can't afford it!

Thanks!

[MarJay]

THe DR350's reputation is that of a bike that can handle road and off road stuff, but isn't particularly good at either.

It has the power to keep up on the road, and is *just* about light enough for off road stuff, but in comparison to smaller trailies its heavy and it will feel slow on the road compared to a FZR600.
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Grendel]

[yen_powell]

It's pretty good off road, my two have been to hell and back many times, sand, snow, mud, rock steps, clay, steep drops, motocross tracks, enduro courses and my current one was even raced against a two man enduro team consisting of James Toseland and some other racer who's name I forget and we only came 11 places behind him on his flash bike.

Okay there were only 13 teams but that's not the point.

With regard to the bike in the advert, avoid it and get an electric start model. That's worth an extra few horsepower and 10 years of gym work. They aren't particularly fast on road. My first one once saw 80mph on the M11, but that was paid for when I swapped lanes and crossed the joint between asphalt slabs and weaved all over the place. I dropped a few teeth on the front sprocket for green laning and have always kept the same gearing since so 80mph is now denied to me.

See below for the day racing against Toseland, I am taking a rest stop and letting my tyres cool down. It is definitely not a picture of me laying under my bike after a very slow speed drop. Nor was it taken by someone who refused to lift the bike off my leg until they had taken a picture. I am definitely not looking at them with hatred in my heart.
https://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b165/yen_powell/Dsc00891.jpg
____________________
Blackmail is a nasty word........but not as nasty as phlegm!
XT1200Z and a DR350 in bits

[Itchy]

Well the DR350 managed the Mondo enduro and the Terra circa trips , if they can manage the marshes and bogs of Russia then they can handle everything.

You should also look into the DR650, it is identical to the DR350 but has an electric boot, has +14bhp and has a stronger subframe. It also has worse compression (in that the DR350 gives 31bhp from 350cc the 650 nearly double gives only 46bhp).

But it weighs 10 kilos (146 dry just shy 4 kilos on the DRZ400) more BUT you can get a huge screen for it, AND as a bonus it has a counter shaft on it so you don't get the vibes as bad.

And because production of them only stopped in 2004 parts availibility is much better than the DR350 which stopped iwith the DR350SEX model.

The only major difference is that its dead easy to retrofit the kicker onto the 350, I don't know about the 650.
____________________
Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[Itchy]

Hey to the OP would you consider my 3rd solution to getting home? ...

Inthat from Korea I can ship my bike whatever it will be to Darwen for £250 at which I considered riding around the outback for a bit.

If I don't fall off and break my leg and die of thirst in the outback I ride it to your house, you give me a ride to the airport.

Then you keep the bike while I fly off to HK , with the caveat that you must offer to sell it me first if I ever return to continue the trip by flying it over to Santiago and riding Bolivia..
____________________
Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[rit2003uk]

Awesome Bike matey have 1 myself see pic , absolutly brilliant for green laning have dropped mine many times and i just pick it up and its thirsty for more undistructable i reckon .
also commute to work on it sometimes and rarely had a problem with that .
i also wanted a drz 400 but just cud'nt afford the extra for 1 but im happy with this .

would recommend

[Nath]

Probably is a bit lacking in power for commuting on A roads if you fancy getting to work quickly, but you're happy to cruise at 60 and hoon about in town then should be fine.

I've compared my off-road spec DR against a road-spec model and there's quite a weight difference, so if you might want to find a way of shedding some of that weight for serious off-roading.

I would dissagree with whoever said to get an electric start model. All you're doing is adding extra weight. If you get one of the models with a manual valve decomp they're really easy to start. My cg125 requires way more force to kick than my DR with the valve lifter.
____________________
Hard livin', hard luck.

[G]

I believe the DR650 is a decent chunk heavier (have a look at the suzuki site now for how much they claim it weighs, though I don't know how much the 350 'really' weighs.)

A DR350 [i]can[/] be a fast off-road if ridden by a fast rider, but that doesn't mean it is a fast bike it's self.
Given the choice I'd prefer to have less weight, but happy enough with that kind of weight (my KTM is a 'real' 138kgs no petrol as stock) for greenlanes. However, of course, I've already got some confidence off-road.
Note that the DR600 is actually only very slightly heavier, makes a little more power but has a much fatter mid-range, which can be useful ins ome situations. Can more easily sustain high speed riding I expect.
Both of the ones I had cost me £600.
The DR600 would hit just over 90 on the speedo, yet had enough low down go to do green lanes with the same gearing (generally was fine to just leave it in second / third as it has a good broad range of power).

[mr.tattoo]

they are an ok budget bike but dated suspension and the likes, wont put up with proper hardcore riding and they can be a fooker to start when hot!. slow on road aswell.
____________________
www.surreysupermotos.co.uk

dyno . tuning . mot . spares . repairs , kent / surrey borders !!!

[tony_d123]

+1, the early kick start models had a reputation for being pigs to start, I know I had one! If you get one, make sure it has an electric boot.