Suzuki Dr350s

SUZUKI DR350S

Worthy successor to the DT-1

YAMAHA'S 1968 DT-1 DUAL-PURPOSE BIKE WAS responsible for introducing a lot of people to motorcycling. With the 250cc DT-1, a rider could experience the exciting worlds of onand off-road riding with a single motorcycle. The DT-1 sold so well that by the early 1970s, every manufacturer had a series of dual-purpose bikes, and the category was the best-selling one in America. No one, including the motorcycle manufacturers, are quite sure why the D-P craze ended, but a lot of people would like to see it return.

Suzuki is doing its part with the DR350S. In efforts to rekindle the spark that created the glorious DT-1 days, motorcycle makers have recently tried everything from big, heavy street Twins with enduro-look clothing to barely street-legal trials bikes. All of them bombed on the sales floor. Then Suzuki went back to basics with the DR/S line of dual-purpose bikes.

Like the DT-1, the DR250S and DR350S are simple singlecylinder motorcycles designed primarily for off-road use, secondarily for highway riding. But, unlike the two-strokepowered DT-1, the DR/S Suzukis use single-cylinder fourstroke motors. The DR350S’s 349cc, sohc, four-valve, dry-sump engine provides a nice blend of power and light weight. Cruising down the freeway at 65 mph in sixth gear is relatively pleasant, the Single’s throbbing piston pulses smoothed by a crankshaft counterbalancer. Serrated, folding, rubber-mounted footpegs provide good boot traction and soak up engine buzz before it reaches the rider. Off-road, the DR has enough power, and low enough gearing, to claw its way to the top of fairly steep hills, and to travel at a good pace on sandy two-track roads.

Enduro-tuned suspension, with a generous 11 inches of travel at each wheel, absorbs washboard surfaces, rocks, gullies and rain ruts during casual off-road stints. Suspension bottoming becomes a problem when the 350 is pushed to racing speeds, but a few clicks stiffer on the shockand fork-compression-damping screws reduce the severity and frequency of the bottoming. Only heavy riders or serious racers will need a change to stiffer springs.

With its moderately soft damping and spring rates, longtravel suspension and wide, thick seat, the DR is a revelation on rough asphalt. Its rider doesn’t have to be concerned with dodging potholes: He just rides straight through them and marvels at how well the motorcycle absorbs the impacts and isolates him from any sharp jolts. Pavement joints and other minor road irregularities felt on streetbikes are seldom noticed aboard the DR350S.

Disc brakes-the front with a double-piston caliper, the rear a single-piston unit-require minimal effort to bring the DR to a stop from freeway speeds. Off-road, brake control is also excellent, with smooth, progressive engagement. A one-finger pull on the front-brake lever is normally all the leverage that’s required to slow the DR in the dirt. The rear brake is equally effective off-road. Light foot pressure is all that’s needed, and even too hard a jab on the pedal doesn’t cause the wheel to chatter.

Though it’s heavily biased towards off-road riding, the 350 doesn’t lack creature comforts. A 55-watt halogen headlight throws a wide, bright patch of light. The tachometer and speedometer are lighted and easy to read. Should you have a need to carry a passenger, the DR/S is equipped with rear footpegs and its seat is long enough to accommodate a small adult on a short street ride. Riding two-up off-road should be avoided, however, as the 350’s suspension is simply too soft for that.

The difficulties in juggling a dual-purpose bike’s street and dirt duties are most apparent in its tires. The Suzuki’s Dunlop K560s stick well on pavement, but aren’t knobbed enough for serious dirt slinging. A good compromise, though, as limited traction off-road is preferable to sliding a more-knobbed tire on the pavement.

Paying attention to tire pressures can help. While 12-14 psi is about right for improved traction in dirt, 25-30 psi is more appropriate for the street. Savvy dual-purpose riders drop the pressure when heading off-road, then reinflate the tires at the earliest opportunity after returning to the pavement.

Surprisingly, the 350’s tool box-located on the left side of the bike, just behind the side numberplate-doesn’t contain an air gauge. Nor does it have a spoke wrench. Spokes take a beating off-road and they should be checked for tightness after an outing in the boonies. The tool kit consists of a couple of open-ended wrenches in 10, 12, 14 and 17mm sizes, an 8mm box wrench, a sparkplug wrench, a combination screwdriver set, a pair of pliers and a box-end rear-axle wrench, all of the usual poor quality. Anyone who plans on using the DR350S in the outback should supplement these tools with a decent tool set and add an air gauge, spoke wrench, extra sparkplug, tire-patch kit and a means to air a tire should he have a flat.

With the exception of the tool kit, the DR350S is wellequipped. It has plastic handguards, an O-ring chain, a quickrelease rear wheel, a resettable odometer (total reset, not in tenths), grease fittings on the swingarm and shock-linkage pivots, and folding-tip shift lever and rear-brake pedal.

Our biggest complaint about the DR350S is its sometimes-maddening reluctance to start. When cold, use full choke, pull in the manual compressionrelease lever and kick the engine through (key off, no throttle) at least 15 times to pull enough fuel into the combustion chamber.

Then turn on the key, pull in the compression lever again, move the kickstarter slowly until the compression

lever pops out, return the kickstarter to the top of its stroke, and kick swiftly. The engine will fire right up if the preliminary drill is performed correctly. Try to skip the drill and you’ll be sweating profusely before the engine ever fires. Hot starting is a lot simpler. Just follow the ritual minus the 15 kicks and choke. One kick usually lights the fire when the engine is warm.

Otherwise, we had a lot of fun on the DR/S. Its willing engine pulls like a tractor in the hills, its spark-arrestorequipped silencer is quiet, and the bike is stingy on gas-a combination of normal street riding and hard off-road use netted 43 mpg. An explorer-type rider can fill the DR’s 2.4-gallon steel fuel tank, poke around in the boondocks all day, and still get back to a gas station.

Suzuki’s DR/S models, introduced in 1990, have yet to generate the buying flurry that accompanied the DT-1, but they have created a renewed interest in D-P machines. If you’ve been thinking about getting into dual-purpose riding, check out a DR350S. It’s a capable streetbike and it will provide you with the freedom to find out what’s at the end of that dirt road you’ve been riding by for years.

SUZUKI

DR350S

$3499