Rider Review: 2001 Suzuki DR200

Submitted by: Rush

Here is a review of the the Suzuki DR200 that I have owned for 1 year and have 4500 miles on.

Good:

It's a great looking bike in blue and white. 3.4 gallon tank, 75 mpg, and 190 miles before switching over to reserve. light weight (249 lbs. dry) and narrow makes it a great bike for off-road fun on trails and hills as long as they are mild. clutch and transmission are smooth and effortless. engine is rugged and solid up to 60 mph on-road. routine maintenance is easy with everything easy to get at. oil and filter change is a 15 minute job, and only 2 valves to adjust every 4000 miles. it's very cold-blooded, but once it's warmed up enough to ride without the choke on the engine response to the throttle is excellent. the brakes are good as is the suspension. seat height is 32" so it's not too tall to get both feet down flat when stopped. the comfortable riding position allows you to have control of the bike at all times. tires are pretty good for both on and off-road use. all the switches and controls worked well.

Bad:

The biggest complaint and the worst feature of the bike is the seat. it is VERY hard and very narrow. after 30 minutes of riding it gets quite painful. it's far too small to carry a passenger even though it's equipped with foot pegs and a seat strap for one. there isn't enough power to carry a passenger safely anyway. with only 200cc there is enough power to have fun off-road, but on the street it needs to be at least a 250 to be safer. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gears are geared quite low so acceleration up to 30 mph is good enough to stay with traffic flow. over 30 it is very slow to accelerate in 4th and 5th gears. not much power in those 200cc. top speed is an indicated 75, but in reality is probably about 70. it's light weight is an asset off-road, but a liability on the street at speeds over 60 mph. the front gets very light and feels unstable as it dances around. the front tire doesn't feel as if it's making solid contact with the road. the engine feels and sounds stressed over 60 mph, but under 60 is solid and smooth. there aren't any aftermarket accessories available from Suzuki or anyone else. I would have liked a skid plate and a luggage rack, but there are none made for it. I would have replaced that torture rack of a seat if I could have the first week I owned it.

Conclusion:

A great bike for a beginner to learn on and a lot of fun off-road within it's limits. really limited in it's use on-road because of the seat and the lack of power. short trips around town, and commuting to work or school is the best use of the DR200. don't even think of going on the highway or the freeway. a nice little bike that will probably be outgrown in a years time. for $100-$200 more than the DR you can get a Yamaha XT225, or a Kawasaki Super Sherpa or KLR250, all of which would probably be better than the Suzuki.

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