Bike shopping with the wife. Anybody have a Suzuki DRZ400 laying around they would let my wife ride around the block a few times? She says my DR650 is too big and heavy.
Unfortunately I don't, but you could go to a dealer and maybe get a test ride? Or at least sit on one. Not a lot of DRZs in this group... My girlfriend has been looking at the yamaha xt250 for a very light and short bike, but that's not at all for freeway use.
Not anymore, but my wife had a DRZ. She has about a 30-31" inseam. We put a lowering link on it and raised the forks in the clamps. The ignition barrel stopped us from dropping them quite far enough to get back to stock geometry, but the extra rake improved stability and the bike was still plenty flickable. I haven't ridden a DR650, but from sitting on them I think they feel like the center of gravity is lower. The seat is definitely higher on the DRZ, even once lowered. While we had a Seat Concepts seat she found it still a bit tall with that one and preferred the factory gel seat. FYI, the DRZ is pain to work on. Getting the jetting right, if it is wrong, takes forever because the carb is next to impossible to get in and out.
My wife is 5'9" and not inseam challenged so not after a shorter bike necessarily but a lighter dual sport bike that can do some moderate highway use. I've also got my eyes on the Yamaha WR250R but she thinks it will be too gutless. Any other bike suggestions?
I had a 2007drz400 sm and loved that bike, put 15k on her and made many mods , I know for sure they have a lowering link , do not upgrade the motor , not worth it, best thing is to do the 3x3 mod and a proper pipe and jetting, I went full blown with a pumper carb and it gained me little performance from what I had already done with proper jets and needle. I miss that bike. I rode the drz to mrr every weekend for about two years and I even changed the gearing to lower its top out and I could still do 70-75 on my way up 80 from roseville and she would top out at about 105 same as before but got there a whole lot quicker.
I know that people love the various 250s, but they are terrible if you need to slab anywhere. Top out at around 70. Steph rode a KLX 250 before we got the DRZ and she was not happy with how slow it was. I went 100 or so on the DRZ without issue. It's my opinion that nothing else checks everything you're looking for without getting a KTM.