I've been lurking since I sold my GS about 1 1/2yr ago. I sort of regretted it so I got another Suzuki. I can honestly say the fun factor is soooo much better than the GS. I picked up a 2011 DR650. It still reminds you it's a Suzuki with soft suspension and hard seat, but I forget all about that as soon as I hop on. I highly recommend anyone thinking of upgrading to take a look at the DR650. Mine in the pic has dirt tires which made it scary as He11 on the road but I've since worn them out and put a set of 50/50 tires on. Dare I say it handles better that the GS?......yes I do!

I don't know if I would call it an upgrade. More of a side-grade. I've ridden the DR650 and DRZ400 a lot. I own a XL600R which is like a DR650 that went on a diet. I still opt for the GS500 for most road riding and touring. The GS500 is much more fun on the twisties and more comfortable at high speeds and long distances (especially the F model with the full fairing).

For dirt riding, I obviously choose the dual sport. The motors of the GS500 and DR650 are polar opposites. The big singles are torque monsters and pull like tractors from just off-idle. The GS500 has to be wrung out to really feel the power. Both styles of engines are fun but I don't think one is better than the other.

Granted the GS is smoother at high speeds (70+mph) but I don't usually tide around at that speed. I had a 06 GS500F with R1 shock and Sonic springs. It was an awesome running bike and I loved it but the DR will run circles around it. I should mention the DR is jetted and has a DG exhaust, larger sprocket, and good tires which gives it a bit of an edge.  It's more reliable, faster, lighter, handles better, has way more leg room, will wheelie in 2 probably 3 gears and the DG exhaust without the silencer will absolutely blow your mind. To put it in perspective I have a Honda VFR800 which is arguably the best all round bike ever made and I find myself riding the DR more often. Did I mention you can off-road it?

Wouldn't mind a Drizzle personally, I borrowed a 400SM for a while and had a blast on it.  A 650 I assume would be a ton of fun as well, as long as it isn't too heavy.

I can't imagine how a DR650 would be close to as quick as a GS500, and certainly has a lot less top speed. Stock DR650 is like 35 hp, at least 10 less than a GS and is not that much lighter. Published 0-60 times give the GS500 a 0.5-1 sec advantage in 0-60 times, and I would be willing to bet in real world use at >30mph speeds the GS is a WHOLE LOT quicker on the road if you keep the revs up. If you feel a DR650 is quicker, then my guess is you don't downshift and don't keep the revs above 7K. Shifting both bikes at the same rpm or try to accelerate at 40mph without downshifting, sure the DR will be a whole lot quicker. Run the GS to 11K between gear changes and it'll smoke a DR. Fiddle with the sprockets and I am sure you can make the performance gap bigger.

I mean, if you want a dirt bike like chassis, certainly a DR650 is going to feel like an upgrade. But there's no performance improvement to be had on pavement. GS will definitely box a DR's ears on any curved road. Put some gravel and ruts in there and suddenly the tables will be turned quite a lot. The DR may be more fun to ride if you are looking for that soft suspension, tall dirt bike feel. The reason a DR650 wheelies where a GS doesn't has to do with weight distribution and geometry, not power. I mean, my Bonneville has nearly 2x as much power as my GS and it won't wheelie as far as I know, but I can make the GS wheelie in two gears. That's all because the Bonnie is heavier and puts the bulk of its weight (plus rider weight) further forward.

The main reason the DR650 can wheelie so much easier is that it has 25% more torque than a GS500 and lower gearing. That's also why it feels faster around town and why it's such a good bike for beginner dirt riders. It can tractor up steep hill climbs in first without needing the momentum and clutch work of lighter dirt bikes. But its suspension and weight leaves much to be desired when the trails get bumpy/rocky. I've ridden most of the Japanese thumper dual sports on single track (XL650, DR650, DRZ400, XL600R). The DR is the easiest to ride but has the lowest ceiling. It's motor has the most satisfying feel as it revs up just off idle.

I love both the DR and GS500 and I'm happy that Suzuki is still making the DR. Above 70 mph the GS500 smokes the DR.

Quote from: Bluesmudge on November 15, 2022, 10:05:38 AM
The main reason the DR650 can wheelie so much easier is that it has 25% more torque than a GS500 and lower gearing.

Yeah, but a DR200 will wheelie a whole lot easier than a GS500 and it has >50% less torque. It's geometry & weight. My Triumph has about 80% more torque than a my GS500 and it is nearly impossible to wheelie. With the 14t sprocket my GS500 is nearly impossible not to wheelie WOT off the line.

QuoteAbove 70 mph the GS500 smokes the DR.

Word. 

I had a 98 DR 350se and then bought my 09 500f. Miss the offroad factor of the little DR350 and how easy it was to flick around when in the air. However, I normally commute to work and didn't go off-roading very often which is why I got the GS. I would imagine the 650 would be similar but with a little more grunt (or a lot more) than the 350. Maybe one day I'll get a DR 650. Overall, i'm liking the GS more due to the work commute. Riding the 350 on the road daily wasn't as enjoyable and it was quite loud going 75mph on the highway.

Here is my side-by-side comparison. Having owned both (My power modded DR vs. my suspension modded GS)  I will pick the DR every time. Not saying one is better than the other but for me one is better. I wish I still had the GS so I could give documented comparison.

DR= No tach so no way to tell rpm's but pulls like a train all the way to the top
GS= Generally goes flat at 8-9K rpm

My DR= 100mph....no problem then my balls give out before it does (keep in mind it's jetted, geared, exhaust, etc.)
My GS= 110mph stock pushing it hard, ...windscreen helps a ton.

DR= Torque, yes. Wheelies on demand for days no clutch needed
GS= Torque...turn your head and cough.  Wheelies? Clutch dumping over a speed bump doesn't count.

GS= Twisties, pretty good (if you have modded the suspension). Off the line, DR wins every time.
DR= Twisties, close but I'll catch up on the exit. Off the line, GS will need a lot of straight road to catch DR. I have 5 buddies with big Harley's and it will smoke 4. My buddies Electraglide would beat my GS easily but I smoke him all the time on the DR.

DR= Off-road, sure but it definitely not a MX bike. It's more of a road bike.
GS= Off-road, pffffft. Heck you'd be lucky to make it across a fresh cut lawn without going down. Street only.

DR= reliability, bullet proof all over
GS= reliability, better than average

DR= MPG sucks and has small tank with no MPG
GS= MPG good and has better long range capabilities

DR= I can pop the carb open and adjust the needle on the side of the road using a screwdriver in 10min. Super simple to work on.
GS= not much you can do on the side of the road. But I Whish the DR had a center stand

DR= Seat sucks but plenty of leg room
GS= Seat sucks and legs are cramped

DR= Looks, like a beast
GS= Looks, anemic but not ugly. The naked version is blaaa. Fat rear tire and seat cowl would be nice on the F model.

pliskin, sounds to me like there was something not quite right with your GS. Stock hp peak is at 9500 rpm so it should not be "flat" at 8-9K. There was a time when mine would act like it was having trouble above 8K and it took a lot of sorting with jets and needle position before it cleared up and now it's the other way... has a hiccup at like 4-5k at mid throttle but revs hard and freely all the way to 11K. This may explain the performance comparison coming up the wrong way with your DR vs GS.

IRL with the same tires, like say a set of Shinko 705s like I have, both bikes totally stock, I'd guess the GS would walk away from the DR on any road with curves in it and the DR would whip the poor GS's butt on any road with gravel. My GS with a bit of ADV mods and Shinko 705s is perfectly alright on anything that's a "road", including graded gravel roads, ruts, holes, water crossings, etc., but I would not try it on a "trail" of any kind. And with a 14t front sprocket and pretty close to dialed right in, it's an ADD riot on paved roads. Man, just writing about it makes me want to go ride it so bad. Maybe if it wasn't 34 degrees and raining.

The big difference vs. a trail bike layout when on gravel is the GS has a lot more weight on the front wheel so it wants to dig in and push rather than turning in deep sandy gravel. Also since the weight is more on the front end, when you lose traction in the rear because you give it too much throttle, it's more likely to lay down. And it's too heavy to ride in "dirt", basically meaning once you begin to lose it, it's difficult to recover. Positioning your body relative to the bike doesn't help much. But it's not THAT much heavier than a DR650. However, you can get so much more of the weight on the rear end of a DR650 that I'm sure you can make it float over deep sandy gravel in the front and keep traction on the rear by putting your bodyweight over the rear more. The GS cockpit is just too stretched out to allow normal humans to position themselves far enough back to lighten the front end, and the bulk of the engine weight is in front of the midline. GS is a street bike and DR is a dual sport. That's all there is to it. You can put slick tires on a DR or do the kind of mods I did to a GS, but it doesn't change the basic design limitations.

zeroto60times,com

Suzuki DR650SE
0-60: 5.5
Quarter Mile: 14.0

2004 Suzuki GS500F
0-60: 6.0
Quarter Mile: 14.7