I don't know about anyone else, but when I see a dual sport machine tagged with the Adventure Tourer moniker, all I can think of are the terms big, heavy, and cumbersome. I'm not just talking off the top of my head here either. I'm speaking from my experience with my own personal KLR650 which has evolved into an accessorized, behemoth with aluminum panniers, tank panniers, Corbin seat, center stand, driving lights and other heavy bits. While this all makes the KLR a wonderful touring bike and light duty offroad explorer, all of the goodies and inherent weight do tend to limit its more serious trail prowess. Thus the impetuous to come up with a lighter alternative. I wanted an Adventure Sport-- yes, I'm aware that is the name Honda has on the Africa Twin.

My mission was simple; create a machine that could string at least a couple of 400 mile days together while carrying camping gear with reasonable comfort yet still be able to perform on trails of the more difficult variety. The Adventure Sport would have to have a range of at least 200 miles and be comfortable for at least two hour stints in the saddle.



Before I continue, let's get a few things straight. There simply is no way you can make a motorcycle like a DR350SE as comfortable as a Goldwing. You, as a rider, must be willing to put up with the elements and lack of power if this kind of package is going to work for you. If your ego does not allow you to be passed by cars or having to drop below the speed limit when climbing long hills on the highway, you'd be better off skipping this article. If, however, you're willing to put up with some minor inconveniences and don't mind not having extra ponies on tap and are enticed by the idea of traveling on a very light touring package and then being able to tackle serious off-road trails, read on.

Go to any dual sport event and you will notice that the run away favorite with the riders is the Suzuki DR350. There are several reasons for this, the important ones being that it is durable, dependable and comfortable-- all of the qualities of an all around bike, which mean far more to me than cutting edge technology and narrow focused design. These traits made it an excellent starting point for the Adventure Sport project. Let's get started.

For simplicity sake, we'll start from the front of the bike and work our way to back. I took out the wimpy 55/60w stock headlight and replaced it with a Candle Power 55160w from Saeng TA that reportedly draws the same amount of power as the 55/60 watter, but produces the equivalent light of an 80/100 watt bulb. I did notice the change in output and I would suggest it for anyone who wants a brighter headlight but has a bike with low electrical power output.



The DR bend handlebars were somewhat funky and I didn't find them very comfortable. I decided to spring the extra dollars and go for the Answer Pro Taper handlebars in the DR bend with the Universal Adapter kit. Answer claims the Pro Taper bars reduce rider fatigue by flexing more than constant diameter handle bars yet are stronger and more resilient. The bars went on without a hitch, though they are a bit low despite sitting atop the universal risers, which add about 1.5 inches to the overall height. The Pro Taper's are a trick gold anodized and have exceptional strength, but in reality, any quality bar is worth the money if it is comfortable for you.

While I was working with the handlebars, I decided to ditch the stock hand guards and mount up a set of Acerbis Rally Pro hand guards. These guards are heavier than the older style Rally Guard due to the fact the they now have an aluminum bar that serves as a back bone for the guard. The Rally Pro's are also easier to mount than the older model and have a sleek aerodynamic appearance. The addition of the spoilers-- which require drilling of the hand guard-- give adequate weather protection.

As is the case with most dual sport machines on the market, manufacturers are obsessed with trying to put the smallest fuel tank possible on their machines. The DR350SE comes with a thimble sized 2.4 gallon fuel tank which will allow the DR to roll about 130 miles before the rider has to get off and walk. Fortunately, the DR350 is blessed with a loyal aftermarket following and there are plenty of oversized tank options available. I chose the Acerbis 4.25 gallon fuel tank with twin non-vacuum petcocks. Routing the fuel line from the right hand side petcock is an art at best but will reward the rider with the use of most if not all of the claimed fuel capacity. IMS and Clarke also make plastic tanks for the DR350. If you go with the Acerbis fuel tank, be advised that you should take the fuel line they give you and throw it in the trash can. It is baffling to me how a company can make some of the best fuel cells around yet supply fuel line that resembles shrinkwrap. Save yourself the headache and buy some quality fuel line from your dealer along with a couple of inline fuel filters. The DR350SE seat is typical dirtbike/dual sport fare; narrow, rounded and firm as it should be. While this design is excellent off-road, it is painful on-road if you sit on it for hours at a time. Since I wanted the DR to maintain its dirt bike heritage, I went with the Suzuki gel seat option. This seat is manufactured by Travelcade and is one inch wider and about one inch lower than the stocker. It has the patented gel insert and does not have the grab strap or the two lateral seams that get uncomfortable after a few minutes. All the gel seat will do is take the edge out of the pain for the DR. To provide more comfort, I apply my favorite seat modification; a sheepskin. A close cropped sheepskin is bar none the easiest, most effective and most inexpensive option to providing more comfort on any motorcycle seat. One pelt will yield about three pieces that will serve three solo riders. I use small bungee cords to hold it in place while traveling, then I take it off for off-road riding. Although these two items combined gave the DR350SE enough comfort for a day's worth of riding, you knew you had ridden on a small saddle by the end of the day.



When deciding on luggage for the Adventure Sport, I was tom between mounting up my removable Touratech aluminum panniers or going with the old stand by softsided luggage. In the end, the soft-sided option won out due to its lighter weight and versatility. Also the option of having Happy Trails, formerly known as Driveline Services, protective side racks available made the decision easy. These superb side racks protect the side covers of the DR and allow whatever soft-sided luggage you choose to be loaded to the hilt without the risk of melting down the exhaust side panel or scuffing up the left side panel. On the DR350SE, they do require that the rear tum signals be relocated. I made simple two-inch long brackets out of 1 1/2 inch steel strap and drilled holes in both ends. There is enough wire in the harness to allow the tum signals to be moved back about one inch, which is all that is needed. My tried and true Ortleib Dry Saddle Bags fit perfectly on these racks. To top it off, I used a medium Ortleib Dry Duffel across the seat, and strapped to a Suzuki tail rack.

The balance of the DR350 remained unchanged. Suspension was adjusted to the firmer settings, and tire pressure was upped to 30 psi at both ends for road touring and then dropped to 22 psi for off-road riding. If I had it all to do over, I would have swapped the OEM Dunlop D601 tires for a more aggressive tire like a Pirelli MT21 . The Dunlops were good DP tires but left much to be desired in overall performance.

The carburetor and airbox were left untouched for this trip. The DR350 makes plenty of power for me and seemed to hold its own on the highway. The loaded down DR was able to maintain a solid 60-65mph the entire way despite strong, gusty winds. Adding to this was the DR's phenomenal gas mileage at 60-70 mpg off-road and 50-60mpg on-road.



It all sounded and looked good in the garage, but how would my DR350SE Adventure Sport work in the real world? I tested the lil' DR by riding it 400 miles to the Utah Get-Together, riding trails and such there and then riding it 400 miles back home. The Adventure Sport exceeded my expectations. It handled as well as could be expected on the paved highway for 400 miles. I adjusted my duffel bag to work as a back support. That combined with the seat and sheepskin and a smooth engine made the ride more enjoyable than trips I have taken on big bore machines. Once in Moab, I was able to shed the saddlebags, duffle and sheepskin to be left with a lean little dual sport that was ready for trail riding.

If you have read this column and thought to yourself that there is nothing new here, that is exactly my point. You do not need a big bore multi to do trips with, especially if you long to ride some of the more difficult stuff once you get to your destination. If you read this column and thought this all sounded neat, great. All of this can be applied to any bike regardless of size and displacement. Like any other bike in my garage, my DR350 is a work in progress. But it's ultimate mission of being a light-weight dual sport that can do some light touring will remain the same. There simply comes a time when light is right.

Originally published July 1999.

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